Serving Bowls

Polish pottery serving bowl guide

Three shapes

The 13.5-inch center-handle bowl is wide and fairly shallow, with a fixed stoneware handle across the top. It is the salad bowl, the bread bowl, the bowl for a dozen apples on the counter, and the bowl that carries hot pierogi or dumplings from the kitchen; the handle means one hand carries it and the other opens the door. Because the handle is part of the bowl, it is oven safe like the rest of the piece, but it is not a bowl for tossing a salad with two spoons: dress the salad, lift it in, and serve from the open sides. The side-handled serving bowl is deeper and round, with a handle on each side; it is the family-size bowl for mashed potatoes, rice, green beans or a tossed salad, and the handles make it easy to pass. The 15-inch large serving bowl is the same shape at party scale: 3.25 inches deep and 20 cups to the brim, which is a whole bag of salad greens, four pounds of potato salad, or two pounds of dry pasta cooked. It doubles as a punch bowl and a fruit bowl for a buffet.

Which one to buy

For a household of two to four that entertains occasionally, the center-handle bowl does most jobs and looks good left out. For a family that serves at the table every night, the side-handled bowl is the workhorse. The 15-inch bowl is for people who host: holidays, potlucks, church suppers, a team barbecue. Many customers buy the 15-inch bowl in a traditional pattern for the big days and the center-handle bowl in a Unikat design as the everyday showpiece.

Oven, table, fridge

All three go in the oven to 480°F, so a serving bowl can bake a crumble, a gratin or baked pasta and come to the table as it is; the thick stoneware holds heat for half an hour. They also go in the fridge overnight with the leftovers under a plate, and in the freezer. Do not move a bowl from the freezer straight into a hot oven, and let a hot bowl cool before it meets cold water.

Care

Dishwasher safe; the large bowls fit the bottom rack of a standard dishwasher with the top rack raised. The glaze does not stain from tomato, turmeric or beet, and does not scratch from steel serving spoons. Lift the center-handle bowl by its handle when it is loaded; the handle is fired as one piece with the bowl and is made for it.

Choosing a pattern

Traditional stamps (Nature 41, Peacock 56, Daisy Dreams 120) are the entry price; the "a" patterns (Floral Peacock 166a, Blue Diamond Dream 217a, Blue Blossom 1154a) add colour and detail; the DU studio designs (Mosaic Flower DU60, Floral Swirl Celebration DU126, Spring Swallow Serenade DU182) and the signed Unikat bowls (Regal Bouquet 148ar, Floral Butterfly 149ar, Poppies 150ar, Garden Meadow 296ar, Floral Garden 312ar) are hand-painted and signed by the decorator. A serving bowl is the piece everyone looks at, so this is where a Unikat earns its price even on a table of traditional plates.

Frequently asked questions

What sizes do the serving bowls come in?

A 13.5-inch bowl with a center handle, a side-handled serving bowl, and a 15-inch side-handled bowl that is 3.25 inches deep and holds 20 cups.

Can I put a serving bowl in the oven?

Yes. All three are oven safe to 480°F, including the center-handle bowl, whose handle is fired as part of the piece. Do not take a bowl from the freezer straight into a hot oven.

How much does the 15-inch bowl hold?

20 cups to the brim, about 16 in use: a whole bag of salad greens, four pounds of potato salad, or two pounds of dry pasta once cooked.

Are the serving bowls dishwasher safe?

Yes. Dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer safe. The large bowls fit the bottom rack of a standard dishwasher.