Bowls

Choosing a bowl by diameter, depth and capacity

Start with size: the measurements on each product page are the surest guide. Across the range, diameters run from 6.5cm to 36cm, heights from 1.5cm to 22cm and capacities from 35ml to 9 litres. That spans everything from a dish small enough for salt or olives to a bowl wide enough to hold salad for a crowd.

Think about what will go in it. Depth matters for anything with liquid, because a deeper bowl keeps soup, broth or cereal and milk from slopping as you carry it to the table. Width matters for food you toss or twirl, so pasta and salads are easier to eat from a broader, shallower bowl. When two bowls share a diameter, compare their capacity in millilitres: a straight-sided bowl can hold noticeably more than a flared one of the same width. A few of our bowls are measured by length and width instead of diameter, so check those figures against the space you have in mind.

What ceramic means for a bowl

Ceramic is clay that has been shaped, dried and fired in a kiln until it becomes hard and permanent. It is the material of most of the bowls we stock, and it suits them well: it has enough weight to sit steady on the table, it holds the warmth of a hot meal, and once glazed it wipes clean easily.

Our ceramic bowls include stoneware, which is fired at a high temperature until the clay turns dense and hard-wearing; that is why stoneware is a favourite for everyday tableware. The glaze is a thin layer of glass fused onto the clay in the kiln. It seals the surface and carries the colour, so it gives a bowl much of its look and feel.

Reactive glazes and hand-painted bowls

We stock bowls in reactive glazes, where the glaze moves as it melts in the kiln and settles differently from one piece to the next. Colour can pool in the curves and thin at the rim, so two bowls of the same design are rarely identical. If you are buying several to match, expect differences in tone and pattern, sometimes noticeable ones; they are part of the appeal.

We also stock bowls painted by hand, where the pattern is applied with a brush, so the brushwork varies slightly between pieces. A few combine a printed decal with hand-painted details or are stamped by hand, and a small number have crackle, striped or embossed surfaces.

In colour, the range leans to green, blue, rose and multicoloured designs, with a few browns, yellows and greys besides. White is the exception rather than the rule, and most of our bowls bring colour to the table.

Dishwasher, microwave and oven: reading a bowl's care rows

Whether a bowl can go in the dishwasher, microwave or oven is often the question that settles a purchase, and the care rows on each product page answer it for that bowl. Many of our bowls are dishwasher safe and a small number are not. Many are microwave safe and many are oven safe, but some are marked as unsuitable for one or the other, so check before you warm food or bake in a bowl. Almost every bowl we stock is listed as food safe.

A little care keeps a bowl at its best. Let a hot bowl cool before it meets cold water, because a sudden change of temperature can crack ceramic. Use a soft sponge rather than a scourer on glazed surfaces, and wash hand-painted bowls gently by hand if you want the decoration to stay bright for years, even where the care rows say the dishwasher is fine.

Single bowls, sets of four and mixing colours at the table

Our bowls come singly or in sets. Sets of four are the commonest, with a few sets of two, three and six, while a single bowl lets you build up a table one piece at a time.

You do not need a matching set to lay a good table. Because green, blue, rose and multicoloured bowls lead the range, pieces from different designs sit happily together: put green beside blue, or let one multicoloured bowl lift a row of quieter ones. A large bowl in the centre for salad or a shared dish, with smaller bowls around it for dips and sauces, is a simple arrangement, and the same bowls work beside plates and mugs in related shades. A few bowls carry festive designs for Christmas.

A few bowls in glass and wood

Ceramic is the mainstay, but we also stock a few glass bowls and a handful in wood, including mango wood. Glass can let the food show through, which suits fruit, layered puddings or a trifle. Wood is light and warm to the touch, and feels right for bread, crisps or nuts.

Glass and wood have their own care needs, so read the care rows before the first wash. As a rule, wood prefers a quick wash by hand and should not be left to soak.