How we pick our products
Shards bring luck! – Once you weren’t paying attention and got caught with your elbow. There it is, lying on the floor, broken into 100 pieces. The good old glass bowl that your mum gave you when you moved into your first flat share. Before you run to Ikea in a panic or buy the next best bowl at the discount store: read this guide.
The world of glass bowls has a lot to offer! Glass bowls are all the same? You thought wrong! They come in high, deep, square, round, oval. From small dessert bowls to XXL fruit bowls: Think about what you want to use them for first! Maybe you’re looking for a heat-resistant and microwaveable model for cooking? Maybe it’s even worth buying a whole set. In the following, we will show you the advantages that a glass bowl offers you.
Contents
Summary
- Glass bowls have long been considered a must-have for sustainable cooking. Glass is an anti-allergenic, pollutant-free material. It is ideal for preparing baby food.
- There is a wide range of shapes, colours and functions. With the right tips, I’ll help you find your perfect bowl for the kitchen and everyday life! The glass bowl not only impresses with its functions. Glass is also considered a noble material visually. With the right bowl, you can be seen at every party.
- For the sake of the environment, do not dispose of your broken bowl in the bottle bank, but in the household waste or recycling centre – household glass has a different melting point than packaging glass. Both types cannot be recycled together.
The Best Glass Bowl: Our Picks
Buying and evaluation criteria for glass bowls
To help you find the perfect glass bowl for your coffee table, your kitchen or your next barbecue, I have compiled the decisive aspects for you here:
Shape and workmanship
The right shape goes hand in hand with the right size and purpose. A large bowl is recommended as a fruit bowl or if you want to serve dishes for several people. For storing leftovers or as a lunch box, a set of smaller, square glass bowls with lids is recommended. Before buying, check the size and millilitre specifications.
As a rule, rectangular shapes are more space-saving to store than round or oval ones. If you want a robust and impact-resistant bowl, you should opt for a high-quality product made of thicker glass. With increasing glass thickness, however, you should consider the additional weight!
A clean finish brings you visual pleasure and stands for a long-lasting product. Look for inclusions and bubbles in the glass. The surface should be smooth and have no edges. High-quality glass is considered break-proof and scratch-resistant.
Temperature resistance
You want to bake with your glass dish? Heat-resistant and oven-proof borosilicate glass is recommended especially for the oven, freezer and microwave. Whereas a normal drinking glass can only withstand temperatures of up to 50°C, borosilicate glass is temperature-resistant from – 40°C to at least 300°C. Pay attention to the manufacturer’s specifications here.
Ease of cleaning
Most manufacturers state whether their product is dishwasher safe. If your glass bowl is not suitable for the dishwasher or you do not have a dishwasher, this is not a problem. Because of its smooth surface, glass can be cleaned hygienically by hand without any problems and without leaving food residues on the surface.
Just be careful with the temperatures: Are you fond of a luxurious bowl made of crystal or lead crystal glass? Be aware that these can become dull and milky at high temperatures! Do not heat them permanently above 30°C, even when rinsing them.
Function
Do you want a glass bowl that can be used in many ways in everyday life? You can buy a set right away and thus integrate the advantages of glass into your entire kitchen. Food in glass containers keeps fresh much longer. Because glass is transparent, you can see your food without having to open every box!
You can also heat your food from the fridge directly in an ovenproof dish. There are various glass bowls with lids, in different shapes, sizes and even with dividers. Pay attention to the type of lid: For storage jars, airtight lids made of bamboo are suitable. For safe transport, however, you should use leak-proof lids made of plastic and silicone.
Appearance
Last but not least, a glass bowl is also a great decorative element on your living room table. You can neglect the heat resistance of the glass if you want to use your bowl mainly for crisps, sweets and for decoration.
There are many shapes and colours to choose from! Glass is a very noble material and its traditional production is a craft. If you want something very special, you will find handmade bowls, each of which is unique. But would you prefer a real vintage look? You can also find old glass bowls from the 20s, 50s and 70s up to the present day second-hand online at ebay Kleinanzeigen.
Guide: Frequently asked questions about glass bowls answered in detail
To complete your glass bowl knowledge, here are the most important answers to your questions about glass bowls.
Who is a glass bowl suitable for?
In comparison: food residues can stick to rough plastic surfaces. Microwaveable boxes also become brittle and cracked over time. Glass, on the other hand, does not wear out and you can always get the smooth surface clean again.
Glass containers are particularly suitable for storage because they close airtight and thus keep food fresh for longer. Tip: Glass is considered very sustainable because it can theoretically be recycled an infinite number of times. However, when it comes to household disposal, this only applies to packaging glass.
Wine bottles, jam jars, pickle jars, etc. go into the bottle bank. Household glass, from which drinking glasses, casseroles and bowls are made, has a different melting point than packaging glass. The types of glass cannot be recycled together and your broken bowl therefore belongs in the household waste.
How is a glass bowl made?
It differs in its composition and thus in its properties. The most common types of glass are soda-lime glass, lead crystal glass and borosilicate glass. Glass is created by melting different raw materials together. The main components are quartz sand, soda and lime. The main component of glass is quartz sand or also called silicon dioxide. The melting point of quartz sand is 1,800 to 2,000°C.
To make the glass melt more easily, sodium carbonate, or soda ash, is used as a flux. Flux also makes the glass softer and more fluid. Sodium carbonate is mainly used for soda-lime glass. To produce temperature-resistant borosilicate glass, quartz sand is supplemented with boron trioxide, sodium oxide, aluminium oxide and potassium oxide. The third basic ingredient is lime, which acts as a chemical hardener.
It acts as a stabiliser and makes the glass resistant and hard. As an alternative to lime, lead oxide is used for crystal or lead crystal glass. The glass is less durable than normal utility glass, but the lead content increases the material’s refraction of light, resulting in an unmistakable brilliance.
What does a glass bowl cost?
| Price range | Available products |
|---|---|
| Low-priced (10 – 20 €) | Single, simple glass bowls, set with several small bowls, caution with processing |
| Medium-priced (20 – 50 €) | Larger, high-quality bowls, sets with several bowls, with lids, various designs |
| High-priced (from 50 €) | High-quality, robust bowls for professional use, noble bowls as decorative luxury objects |
Since glass bowls are considered normal household utensils, you are sure to find a suitable model in your price range.
What can I use a glass bowl for?
Glass is suitable for all kinds of food. You can use your bowl as a classic fruit bowl. Green salads, pasta and potato salads also look good in it. Sounds like the next outdoor barbecue? You can’t do without a punch! Your bowl is also great for dessert. Especially layered, colourful desserts like tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake or fruit salad come out wonderfully.
If you have chosen an ovenproof dish, the world of recipes is open to you: Use it to bake casseroles and gratins. In the form of a roaster, you can also use it for the next roast goose and for gently cooking meat. Have you cooked too much again? In a bowl made of fireproof glass with a lid, you can not only store your food, but also reheat it directly in the dish – even in the microwave!
As the holidays approach, it’s time to get cosy at home – and that includes the right atmosphere! You can also decorate your bowl by placing candles or tea lights in it. At Christmas, fir branches, nuts, dried flowers and plants also make good decorations. Are candles too dangerous for you? A small string of LED lights will make your glass bowl sparkle like a starry sky!
Conclusion
Glass is not only a very robust, but also a very noble and traditional material. Soda-lime glass was already produced and used in ancient Egypt. Glass simply has its charm. Placed in the centre of the table, a large, artistic glass bowl is virtually a status symbol.
An eye-catcher at the very least! Whether it’s a practical kitchen utensil, popcorn bowl or art object. For your first own flat, where you learn to appreciate what makes good tableware. As a gift for your best friend, because you really want to give her something useful. I hope you have read this guide with some interest and I wish you much joy with your new glass bowl. (Cover photo: Katarzyna Białasiewicz / 123rf.com)
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