Help me find a LARGE individual salad bowl! That is all.

April 7, 2014 2:13 PM

I'm looking for a large, *individual-serving sized* salad bowl. Something dishwasher safe. Something that would hold A LOT of salad. Not the more modest salad bowl size reserved for use before the main dish...think bigger. A few more minor specs inside.

I have plenty of bowls at home, but none where I can load up on salad as much as I'd like. My greens runneth over.

I'm looking for something:

Dishwasher safe (which would eliminate wood bowls, right?)
Reasonably lightweight so it's comfortable to hold onto
Available in a set of 2-4 pieces, ideally

I'm flexible on price, looks and producers.

Do you know of such bowls? Can you point me in their direction, please?

Thanks!

posted by LittleFuzzy to Shopping (28 answers total)

Why not just use rimmed pasta or soup bowls? Most dinner sets come with individual salad plates, rather than bowls.
posted by Ideefixe at 2:15 PM on April 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

I also eat salads that in my case are larger than my head, and I use a set of melamine mixing bowls (like the no-handle smaller ones within this set.) Lightweight, easy to clean and hold, and quite good for thoroughly mixing salad bits and dressing. Are smaller, tall mixing bowls too big?
posted by jetlagaddict at 2:16 PM on April 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

+1 to using mixing bowls, that's what I do. (Mine is lightweight metal, like the kind available at any Target or Kmart).
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:18 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yep, you'll have better luck searching for mixing bowls like these at Bed Bath and Beyond. Costco has some too.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 2:21 PM on April 7, 2014

I am right now eating salad out of the bowl that came with my kitchen scale (I think it's this one; if not it's very similar). I also sometimes use the largest of my nested stack of melamine mixing bowls.
posted by feistycakes at 2:21 PM on April 7, 2014

I use a medium sized ikea mixing bowl as a salad. I'm pretty sure we use the 11" ones that were $5bucks each. I like that the sides are tall therefore containing the salad as I eat it. they are pretty much the perfect amount of salad that you can eat and feel like you had a real meal and not be hungry 10 mins later.
posted by larthegreat at 2:22 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

I like these Joseph Joseph prep & serve bowls.
posted by rada at 2:24 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

The Rosti "Margrethe" is a classic and available in lots of sizes and colours; very giant-salad-friendly.
posted by kmennie at 2:26 PM on April 7, 2014

Best answer: I use Corelle's 1-quart serving bowls for big head-sized salads. They come in lots of patterns, and they stack (which is key, I don't have a lot of storage space). Sturdy, lightweight, dishwasher-safe. Been using mine around 14 years now.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:28 PM on April 7, 2014 [5 favorites]

I use glass Pyrex mixing bowls for my salad-munching.
posted by joan_holloway at 2:29 PM on April 7, 2014

We have a set of Pyrex glass mixing bowls at home. When I am eating salad by myself I pick the bowl based on how much salad I plan on making.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:30 PM on April 7, 2014

Correlle serving bowls. They are huge, lightweight -- truly lightweight, they are lighter-weight than even wood and plastic bowls of the same size -- and dishwasher-safe. (Hah, on preview, jinx!)
posted by pie ninja at 2:30 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Here's my vote for the candidates, at the price of $12.
posted by bearwife at 2:32 PM on April 7, 2014

+1 for the IKEA mixing bowls - this is what I use for my gigantic salads.
posted by soleiluna at 2:40 PM on April 7, 2014

I mix in one of these and then eat out of a vintage Eva Zeisel salad bowl (examples of her work, no salad bowls on offer). Before this, I used to eat out of pasta bowls.
posted by janey47 at 2:50 PM on April 7, 2014

I use pasta bowls. I like something with lower sides so I can easily get in there with a knife and cut as I eat if needed.
posted by amaire at 2:51 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

I too quested for real salad bowls. After years of searching, I at long last found these lovelies. They are not that light, but they are lighter than many bowls, look lovely, were relatively inexpensive, and give me enough room to mix/fold/toss a large-sized individual salad, since they're deep as well as wide.
posted by amtho at 2:54 PM on April 7, 2014

Best answer: I am a sucker for large noodle bowls like the ones you often find at Asian markets, myself. I use them as serving dishes/salad freakout!/pho at home.
posted by Lardmitten at 2:57 PM on April 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

I also use pho bowls from an Asian market. They're the perfect size for a huge salad.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 3:14 PM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

nthing the large 'asian' bowls - Pearl River in NYC is amazing place to browse for these. You can also access the selection online.

I really like having many different bowls like this, it's great for your own big salads, but also when you have company, you can reflect the uniqueness of your guests by giving each person a different setting.
posted by jardinier at 3:28 PM on April 7, 2014

Another mixing bowl salad eater here. More prep bowls, really. Less vertical than mixing bowls proper.

And then when I am a guest it's difficult not to pick up the salad serving bowl and start munching.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 4:30 PM on April 7, 2014

Amazes me someone has already suggested the Corelle 1-quart serving bowl; we got one from my partner's mother's kitchen when her mother died more than 20 years ago now, and one from my partner's best childhood friend's mother's kitchen when the friend's mother moved into assisted living a few years ago-- and I sneaked a couple more into the cupboard so no one could really tell if something were to happen to one of the originals.
posted by jamjam at 4:44 PM on April 7, 2014

I don't like her or her food, but the Rachael Ray Garbage Bowl is cheap, has high sides for mixing ingredients around, is plastic and lightweight, and is 4 quarts. Plus, I like the dappling.
posted by oflinkey at 4:46 PM on April 7, 2014

Seconding pasta bowls. They are reat for big individual salads.
posted by Fairchild at 5:19 PM on April 7, 2014

If fanciness is not a primary consideration, my vote is for stainless steel, IKEA or otherwise. They're easy to clean, dishwasher safe, indestructible (in the kitchen at least) and will last for decades.
posted by cnc at 9:24 AM on April 8, 2014

Response by poster: Terrific ideas all around! I'm personally leaning towards Corelle or looking at some of the nearby Asian markets. Thanks so much, everyone!

With all of these helpful insights and links, you all have likely met the wide span of future bowl-related needs of any MeFites.
posted by LittleFuzzy at 10:38 AM on April 8, 2014

I use these Essential Bowls from Crate & Barrel for big salads or soup portions. They measure 7" across and over 3" deep.
posted by coolsara at 1:31 PM on April 8, 2014

I have an awesome large noodle bowl from a local Asian market that I use for salad, soup, popcorn... it's my favorite bowl ever.
posted by sarcasticah at 2:32 PM on April 8, 2014