Salad bowl - how to choose a set of salad bowls

A beautiful salad bowl is an essential attribute of a hospitable home. If you often treat your friends to delicious dishes, you need a set of salad bowls made in the same style. When choosing, you need to rely on three factors - material, size, application. Knowing the features of modern salad bowls, you can easily find an option suitable for your home.

What types of salad bowls are there?

It is believed that the Italians were the first to prepare salads, giving the tasty appetizer the name salata - “salty.” Italian artisans came up with a special vessel for this dish - a deep, concave bowl, ideal for mixing solid ingredients with a liquid dressing. Now there are many types of salad bowls, including:

• serving bowl - a shallow dish with a flat bottom;
• bowl - a round-shaped product, widened at the top. Can be equipped with handles, stand;
• bowl - a conical bowl without handles. Sometimes it has a high bottom;
• chill mold - a vessel in the form of a shell with a flat handle;
• Menazhnitsa is a deep plate divided into compartments for various snacks.

In addition to the design, salad bowls differ in material. The most popular option is ceramics , which attracts chefs with its aesthetic appearance, ease of care, and ability to not absorb odors. Another durable and easily washable material is stainless steel .

Glass and crystal salad bowls are used to serve the festive table. Wooden bowls are more convenient for family use, but over time they absorb oil and food odors. An example of practical utensils for every day are bamboo bowls , which are durable and do not contain harmful substances.

It is recommended to use plastic products only for hiking and picnics. They do not break and are easy to wash. But the surface of the plastic quickly becomes covered with scratches, in which dirt and microbes accumulate, causing an unpleasant odor.

Shapes of modern salad bowls

The main feature of saladware is its greater depth compared to plates. This configuration is important for even distribution of the sauce. Gourmets believe that the shape of the product affects the taste and appearance of the dish, for example:

• round – suitable for complex salads with mayonnaise dressing;
• oval - used when serving fish appetizers, herring under a fur coat, vegetable and fruit salads;
• square - looks harmonious when serving European snack dishes from leafy vegetables, large slices of meat or fish;
• original - dishes in the form of polyhedrons, stars, flowers emphasize the unusual design of the salad.

Some models of salad bowls are equipped with handles, high legs, and decorative details. Such products are appropriate on a restaurant or holiday table.

If you are choosing a good set of salad bowls for your home, start from your culinary habits. If you like to prepare complex salads from many ingredients, buy a set of round transparent bowls . If you prefer healthy eating, get stylish square dishes with a side . For those who often have picnics in nature, a set of metal salad bowls with plastic lids is suitable.

What to look for when choosing

A common mistake buyers make is to look for a set of salad bowls that matches other dishes or the color of the furniture. Design is important, but other criteria need to be put first:

• material – the base of the product must be environmentally friendly, durable, and practical to use. Make sure there is no paint on the surface that could dissolve into the food over time. Avoid synthetic dyes, varnish, and plastic. If you like wooden bowls, look for hardwoods like teak, maple, mango;
• size – snackware with a diameter of 35-40 cm is considered standard. A salad bowl of this size is designed for 4 people. If you want to serve salads in portions, you will need bowls with a diameter of 15-18 cm . For a family dinner for two, a bowl with a diameter of 25 cm is convenient;
• weight - the bowl should not be heavy, even it is designed for 4-8 servings. ANDOnline stores usually do not indicate the weight of the dishes, so pay attention to the thickness of the bottom and walls. The heaviest products are ceramic, crystal, glass.

An important factor is the price you are willing to pay for the salad bowl. The cost of 80-100 rubles indicates the low quality of the product. Such a product can quickly lose color or break from a minor impact. There is no point in buying expensive porcelain and crystal bowls that cost several thousand rubles for your home. The optimal price is from 400 to 1000 rubles.

How to properly wash a salad bowl

Bowls made of natural wood require the most care. They do not tolerate water temperatures above +40ᵒ C and hard sponges with an abrasive surface. A wooden salad bowl cannot be soaked for a long time and should not be washed in the dishwasher.

No matter how hard wooden utensils may seem, they are washed only by hand, with warm water and a mild detergent. Immediately after this, wipe the salad bowl dry with a cloth.

Wood is a porous material that strongly absorbs food particles. Regular washing does not completely remove dirt, so over time the dishes may develop an unpleasant odor. Treatment with a water-vinegar solution will help remove it. It is prepared using 1 part 9% white vinegar to 5 parts water. The mixture is applied to the surface of the salad bowl and left for 3-4 minutes, then washed off with water. Instead of vinegar, you can use lemon juice.

To prevent the formation of an unpleasant odor, it is recommended to periodically lubricate the wooden bowl with edible mineral oil. Rub it into the dry surface of the dish with a soft cloth, allow it to absorb, then remove the residue with a paper towel.

Bamboo salad bowls are more practical - they can be washed in the dishwasher and do not need to be disinfected from germs. It is also not recommended to soak bamboo dishes.

Salad bowls made of ceramics and stainless steel do not require special care. These dishes can be washed with water of any temperature, both manually and in the dishwasher. To maintain the beautiful shine of crystal and glass items, after regular washing, rinse with cold water and vinegar or lemon juice.

How to store a salad bowl

The large size and non-standard shape of saladware make it difficult to choose a storage location. Here are some tips on where to put your salad bowls:

1. Use a plate holder. Choose a model without dividers, with a grid bottom. Place salad bowls vertically to help them dry faster after washing.
2. Place a vertical pot rack. It will accommodate a whole set of salad bowls without taking up much space.
3. Buy modular expandable shelves. Modules of different sizes will allow you to organize plates, saucers, and salad bowls.
4. Take the bottom shelf. Salad bowls take up more space than dinnerware. Place them one inside the other and place them on the bottom shelf of your kitchen cabinet.
5. Place wooden bowls in open shelving. Wood inside cabinets may develop an unpleasant odor.

If the salad bowl set is rarely used, it should find a place outside the kitchen. Beautiful crystal or porcelain dishes can be stored in the living room on an open shelving unit.