Paula Stoneware Bowl 16cm - Grey

This stoneware bowl is 16cm across and 5cm tall and holds 525ml. It is wide and low with gently rounded sides, a shape that sits comfortably in two cupped hands. A grey reactive glaze covers the whole piece, gathering in fine speckles and soft clouds across the surface and deepening to a darker line around the rim. Stoneware is fired hard and dense, which gives a bowl like this a pleasing heft; it weighs 0.49KG, enough to feel steady on the table without being heavy to lift.

At 525ml it is a proper everyday bowl rather than a dip dish: enough for a breakfast of cereal or porridge, a bowl of soup at lunchtime, a side salad or a helping of yoghurt and fruit. The low, open shape keeps everything easy to reach with a spoon or fork. It suits the kitchen table on a busy weekday morning and the dining table for a relaxed supper with friends, and its grey glaze sits happily beside plain or patterned plates. It also makes a good serving bowl for olives, nuts or crisps when people gather for drinks.

The maker states that it goes in the dishwasher, the microwave and the oven, so you can reheat a portion in the microwave, bake a small individual dish in the oven and then wash it up with everything else. A reactive glaze shifts as it fires, so the speckling and the depth of grey vary a little from one bowl to the next; that small variation is part of the character of the finish. For an easy, relaxed table, line a few along an open kitchen shelf beside a basket of bread, or set one at each place on a woven placemat with a folded linen napkin.

What material is this bowl?

It is made of 100% stoneware and finished in a grey reactive glaze, which gives the surface its fine speckled look.

Can it go in the dishwasher and the microwave?

Yes. The maker states that it goes in both the dishwasher and the microwave, so reheating and washing up are simple.

Can I put it in the oven?

Yes, the maker states it can go in the oven, so it is handy for baking a small individual dish such as a crumble.

How big is it and how much does it hold?

It is 16cm across and 5cm tall and holds 525ml, a comfortable size for a single portion of soup, cereal or salad.

How heavy is it?

It weighs 0.49KG, so it feels solid and steady in the hand and on the table without being awkward to lift.

Does every bowl look exactly the same?

Not exactly. A reactive glaze shifts as it fires, so the speckling and depth of grey differ slightly from one bowl to the next.