The Best Bowls, According to Cooks, Designers, and More People With Impeccable Taste

Emily Fiffer, co-owner ofBotanicain Los Angeles, has a set of Onora’s big plates, small plates, and these bowls that she lugged back from the shop in Mexico City. They’re wheel-thrown, hand-etched, and, considering that, Fiffer says, not too expensive. She likes the weight and the design, noting that they can read more casual or elevated depending on how you set the rest of the table.

“I love having a stash of rice bowls, both for eating and for cooking,” says writer and creative directorAli LaBelle. “Smaller than a cereal bowl, they’re the perfect size for oatmeal in the morning or a cup of soup (or rice, obviously). I got these striped ones from Toiro in L.A., where I live, but there are tons of great options in different patterns at most Japanese homeware stores.”

While recipe developer and cookbook authorRebecca Firkserhas a collection of vintage bowls, these “simple but very pretty” enamelware ones are an exception. She likes that they’re versatile: small enough for oatmeal and big enough for pasta. “And like my enamel dinnerware, they don’t break when dropped and are dishwasher safe,” she says.

Crow Canyon Home also makes durable enamelware — and this bowl is a favorite of recipe developer and cookbook authorKristina Cho, who bought one for herself after using it at her local Bay Area pizza place. “It’s the perfect snack bowl, mixing bowl for a baking project, and my salad bowl of choice,” she says. “The splattered colorways are so fun and vibrant.”

Like Firkser, recipe developer and cookbook authorAndy Baraghanihas a huge collection of antique and one-off bowls — but he says these classic Pillivuyt ones are his very favorite to eat out of. “They’re the actual perfect size for pasta and soup, and while I generally avoid serveware that is overly glossy, these have the right amount of sheen to them,” he says.

Strategist writerBrenley Goertzenuses her Jono Pandolfi bowls for snacks and setting out dips. She says they have a nice heft, but most of all she loves the contrast in the design: “The outside is a toasted color with some texture, and the inside has a smooth white glaze. It’s like a sweet surprise whenever I use them,” she says. The interior blue band adds a nice touch, too — both for looks and, as Goertzen uses it, as a fill line.

Hasami Porcelain’s bowls come in five sizes. (Each is the same height with varying diameters.) Recipe developer and cookbook authorJessie Sheehanhas the ones in 5.5 inches and says they are perfect for a nice, slightly generous portion of whatever she’s eating: cereal, pasta, roasted vegetables, granola, cottage cheese, and more. She appreciates that they’re dishwasher and microwave safe, too. As for the design, she likes the straight sides and matte finish.

“We eat a lot of Chinese food, and I’m very partial to the rice bowls I buy at Wing On, Chinatown’s oldest continuously operating shop,” says writer and cookRuth Reichl, who has been going there since she was a child. She has a collection of some older ones and buys new designs she likes as they come out.

This set of stackable bowls from Our Place replaced my old chipped Ikea ones — and they feel far from breakable. The walls are thick enough that I don’t feel I have to be too precious. I like the size, too; they’re perfect for a generous serving of soup. And while I have a collection of fancier, wider, shallower bowls (more on those below), these are ideal if I’m eating a grain salad for lunch at my desk or fried rice for dinner while watching a movie. The high sides mean I’m less likely to make a mess. Recipe developer and cookbook authorCarissa Stantonis a fan too.

Fable’s bowls have a similar wide bottom as Our Place’s but with a bit more of an organic shape overall — a feature that Strategist writerJeremy Rellosaappreciates. “They have slight imperfections to their shape for a less mass-manufactured quality, and the matte finish on the ceramic gives it a homey feel,” he says.

Yes, I just knocked my old Ikea bowls a bit — but they did hold up for several years before they chipped. At $5 apiece, that’s not too bad. And forNew Yorkerfood columnistHelen Rosner, they lasted even longer: “After 15 years of heavy, heavy use, I’m just now starting to see a couple of chips around the edges,” she says. “They’re absolutely the most basic bowls you can own. Good size, good depth, and can use them for absolutely everything.”

These from John Julian are another simple porcelain option, recommended by Olivia Pollock, senior brand director ofEvite, who uses them at dinner parties and family weeknight meals alike. She loves their shape and roundness, saying they’re not too wide but still rather deep. She uses the largest for soup and hearty rice bowls but likes that they have smaller options, too, for snacks and cereal. (Plus her kids prefer the medium size for dinners.)

[Editor’s note: These bowls are listed in pounds, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.]

For bigger portions, or anything she wants to feel “extra special,” Rosner turns to Sarah Kersten’s Ramen Bowls. (Kersten is the aforementioned maker of my shallow bowls, too, and I’m obsessed with all her work.) “They’re enormous, weighty, and unbelievably gorgeous,” Rosner says. “They’re also fifty bucks each, which is bonkers, but I haven’t broken them yet, and cost-per-use-wise I’m definitely under a dollar.”

Kate Berry, chief creative officer of Domino magazine and contributing editor atSaveurmagazine, has alotof bowls she has collected over the years antiquing and traveling — but these are her go-to for everyday use. “They’re lightweight, hold a lot, and are the perfect simple shape,” she says. Founder of Hedley & BennettEllen Marie Bennettloves them, too, pointing to their “super-beautiful porcelain shine on the inside with an amazing matte finish on the outside.”

Sylvan Mishima Brackett, owner ofRintaroin San Francisco, got his first Apilco pieces from Chez Panisse, where he used to work. When the restaurant collaborated with Heath Ceramics to create custom tableware, it gave away the formerly used Apilco pieces to the staff. “I’ve stuck with them ever since,” Brackett says. He likes the white color because it lets the food be the star and says the bowls are the perfect size and weight, working well for ice cream and soup.

Several people told me they love Pomelo Casa with two citing the company’s very small bowl (useful for things like salt and olive pits). But social-media consultant and writerRachel Kartenloves the medium size. “This is the bowl I reach for when I need a vessel for popcorn with nutritional yeast, or cacio e pepe, or a big chopped salad,” she says. “I love the hand-painted design and bright coral color. Just a joy to eat out of.”

Just as with Heath’s plates, the brand’s bowls are a popular choice, garnering recommendations from chef, author, and founder ofForts Ferry FarmEmma Hearst; Valerie Gordon, chef and founder ofValerie Confections; and Strategist senior editorWinnie Yang. “I love the timelessness of Heath,” Gordon says. “They’re not seasonal or a reference to a specific era. They just say ‘relaxed elegance.’ The muted tones that we chose are glorious backdrops for food.” Senior editorJen Troliolikes theDessert Bowlfrom the same line.

“These are my everyday, every meal go-to bowl,” says fashion designer, culinary creator, and lifestyle expertPeter Som. “They’re a classic Chinese blue-and-white rice-pattern bowl that I grew up with but supersize.” Indeed, it’s more common to see them around five inches, he says, but these can hold everything: soup, leftovers, granola, eggs. “The rounded and gentle curve of the bowl keeps food in but gives you enough room to maneuver spoons, forks, and chopsticks,” Som says.

Recipe developer and food stylistSue Liand Strategist writerErin Schwartzown Muji’s bowls (as with the plates, Li has a brighter white that isn’t currently available). Schwartz loves the color, describing it as a “nice, subtle off-white without the chunky, thick-walled feel that you get from some inexpensive bowls.” Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid owns other bowls from Muji: theMuji White Porcelain Rice Bowl, which she mostly uses for things like nuts or sour cream to serve with blini. “It’s a perfectly petite size,” she says.

Strategist senior writerLauren Rouses Corelle’s six-inch and 11-inch bowls (the same maker as food stylistRebecca Jurkevich’s preferred plates). “They’re lightweight; durable, which makes them great for kids; a little bit old-school; and go with everything,” she says. “Plus they’re always available.”

East Fork’s Everyday Bowl garnered the most recommendations of any single bowl on this list, from recipe developers and cookbook authorsJulia Turshen,Alexis deBoschnek, andNisha Vora, as well as Cho, Rosner, Yang, and myself. The main appeal is the versatile size: DeBoschnek uses them for soup, stew, and pasta and as a bigger bowl for dip or marinated olives and feta when hosting, while Rosner likes them for lunch. “Unlike a lot of pretty ceramic pieces, they have a nice weight to them, so I don’t feel like I have to be overly precious with them,” Vora says, while Yang notes that they are ideal in terms of aperture and how they sit in your hand.

Recipe developer Grace Elkus has a collection of Lail Design pottery that looks similar to the East Fork thanks to the pretty, muted tones and subtle speckle glaze. She’s had the pasta bowls, thecereal bowls, and thedinner platesfor more than four years and says they’re still good as new despite her never being too precious with them. She uses them for everyday eating as well as when guests come over — a big part of why she loves them and why they feel worth the investment.

These are my most prized pieces of tableware. They were a splurge for me, but I use them truly everyday and only one has ever broken (fully my fault, as I knocked it with a lot of force from the counter to the ground by accident). Other than that, there’s not a chip or scratch to be found. They’re reminiscent of Heath and East Fork: a gorgeous slope, thick walls, and stunning glazes (I have three different colors, and they mix-and-match so beautifully together). I like that you can buy them individually, as I plan on adding to my collection as I’m able. And though the size is small, you can use them for dinner (sometimes with a second helping, though Kersten does make a largerentrée bowl, too).

Another ceramic option is this low bowl from Standard Affair, recommended by editor and cookbook authorAran Goyoaga. It’s a lovely off-white shade with slightly darker oatmeal-colored details in the glaze. “They’re heavy, refined, and sturdy enough for everyday use — including being dishwasher safe,” Goyoaga says.

Goyoaga also has no-longer-available low-sided bowls from Crate & Barrel, which she has owned for 27 years. (If you read my roundup ondinner plates, the longevity of Crate & Barrel tableware will not come as any surprise.) Like many other experts, she says the store is generally a great resource and picked out this scallop-edged model as an especially pretty one.

For a simpler Crate & Barrel option, Rosner uses these Bistro bowls. “When I went looking recently for new ones I was disappointed by how many are too small to hold a proper quantity of dinner food. It’s like the manufacturers refuse to accept that we’re going to be using them in lieu of plates,” she says. “These are blessedly dinner-sized.” She likes that they’re simple, with a “nice depth and good width,” too.

New York City’s famed Italian restaurant Il Buco Vita has a homewares shop that sells Italian-made and -inspired ceramics. (I own some smaller bowls and a pitcher in this exact pattern but in blue.) The pasta bowls in the line come recommended byBotanica’s other co-owner, Heather Sperling, who loves that the brushstroke style is quite distinct, giving “total Italian-vineyard-alfresco-dinner vibes,” she says. The wide lip is a lovely design touch too.

Here’s another splatterware option recommended by cook and writerEthaney Lee. “It looks stunning on the table whether it’s for a dinner party or just for yourself,” she says. “But most important, I reach for it for everything, whether pasta, salad, or soup. It’s so versatile.”

LaBelle knows this bowl is extremely expensive — but it’s her very favorite vessel for a heaping bowl of pasta. “Is it over the top to eat my bucatini pomodoro in front of the TV from this bowl? It is,” she says. “But I genuinely believe we shouldn’t save our fancy things for fancy dinners, and honestly, I think watchingTraitorsis an important enough occasion.”

I recently got my hands on a set of pasta bowls from Fable, and I’ve been reaching for them almost nightly since. I find them to be a perfect size — a bit bigger than my Sarah Kersten breakfast bowls but not cumbersome. The slope and height of the sides is also ideal; they work for pasta, yes, but also grain salads, green salads, and even more liquid-y dishes like curries, stews, and braises. Rellosa (who recommended Fable’s cereal bowls too), Goertzen, Stanton, and recipe developer and expert hostIsabelle Heikensare also fans. “They’re really gorgeous and a great price point for the quality,” Stanton says.

Another pick from Mud Australia is the wider, shallower bowl, recommended by prop and interior stylistKira Corbin. These bowls are made from tinted porcelain, which makes them “durable and strong but still light, thin, and delicate-feeling,” she says. “They are the ultimate in understated elegance in my opinion.” She likes that the bottom is wide and flat enough that you can comfortably cut into food but the lip is high so anything that might try to escape a flat plate, like rolling peas or tiny grains of rice, stays contained.

“A lot of coupe bowls are small, but these are actually about the size of a plate,” says recipe developer and writerCaroline Chambers. “And it’s such a more enjoyable experience to use the sides to perfectly scoop food onto your fork.” I also have a set and agree they’re big — but it’s nice to have the option, especially when I have company over and have made multiple components of a meal or I’m eating something I want a lot of, like a hearty salad. Because of their size, I also use them often as serving bowls for sides. They’re fairly heavy, but this makes them feel durable. And I find the bright white porcelain (which has zero scratches or chips after several months of regular use) to be a nice counterpoint to other, more earthy ceramics in my collection (plus the deep-blue rim gives them just a little bit of visual appeal).

Recipe developer and cookbook authorClaire Saffitzrecently invested in a new set of dinnerware, doing a “huge amount of research” to find the pieces that checked her many boxes. She calls these “some of the nicest bowls I’ve seen,” pointing to the variation in shape from vessel to vessel and the creamy texture of the glaze. She also says they’re perfect for pasta but also deep enough to work for soup.

“Every piece in the Permanent Collection is thoughtfully designed for aesthetic function,” says photographerAndrea Gentl. These “gorgeous green glazed” ones are a favorite in her extensive dishware collection because they’re practical and dishwasher safe and the perfect size for things like soupy beans and risotto. Cookbook author and owner of Permanent Collection Fanny Singer, who uses them herself, designed them to be just that: “I’m of the belief that ‘everyday’ and ‘special occasion’ plates should be one and the same,” she says. The bowls are hand-thrown by the Los Angeles–based ceramicist Shoshi Watanabe.

Heath strikes again, this time with its Rim Line, which features a wide lip around a shallow bowl. The bowls come recommended by Hearst, and recipe developer and cookbook authorDan Pelosiuses them for “the endless pasta I make,” he says, but they’re also perfect for soup, salad, or a classic meat-and-three. “They feel great in your hand, and the rim helps keep everything on the plate and not on our couch,” he says. Cho has also owned them for over a decade. She uses them for pasta, stews, curries — “anything a little saucy,” she says.For another wide, shallow option from the brand, recipe developer and cookbook authorOdette Williamslikes theChez Panisse Soup Bowl.

Private chef and recipe developerMaddy DeVitapicked up a few of these sweet bowls when she traveled to Austria last winter. “I love the Alpine design with the green rim and small flowers dotting the pottery,” she says. They’re on the shallower side (what I think of as actually being a blate, though that term is often used loosely). DeVita uses them mostly for pasta and even dips. “They’re dishwasher and microwave safe, so just as durable as they are beautiful,” she says.

[Editor’s note: The price of this bowl is listed in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.]

Strategist writerAmelia Jerdenput these pasta bowls on her wedding registry last year because they manage to strike a balance of working for every day while still feeling special. “I didn’t want to pick something overly busy or too trendy, but plain white didn’t feel like our style,” she says. “I liked the crackled and imperfect look of the dishes, as well as the patterns, which are geometric but also organic.” Jerden also appreciates the slope of the sides, which she describes as angling outward rather than upward, and says the bowls durable, too.