Is there anyone who embodies “effortless chic” like Ina Garten? (That was rhetorical; we all know the answer is no.) I can’t tell you how many of the Barefoot Contessa’s home-cook-friendly-yet-elevated recipes have become staples of mine, and who among us hasn’t swooned over her impeccably stocked kitchen? (Again … no one.) The woman has excellent taste. The downside? It often comes with a high price tag — Le Creuset, anyone? That’s why I was stunned to find that her go-to Anchor Hocking Glass Mixing Bowls can be had for a mere $40 … for a set of 10! Want to whip up cake batters and prepare salads like Ina? Get thee over to Sur La Table, stat.
Sur La Table
Let’s be clear: These timeless beauties will take you from meal prep to mixing to serving.
- They can be nested inside one another to save space
- Clear design allows you to ensure everything is mixed well
- Dishwasher-, freezer- and microwave-safe
- The glass can shatter if you drop them!
- Not as lightweight as plastic or metal mixing bowls
On Ina’s website, she lists the kitchen equipment she uses and recommends, and these mixing bowls made the cut. (You can also spot them in plenty of Barefoot Contessa episodes and Instagram cooking videos, including this one featuring Jennifer Garner.) The set includes 10 mixing bowls in a wide range of sizes — from 1 ounce to 3.5 quarts — meaning you’ll be able to nest them inside one another for space-saving storage.
The smaller bowls are ideal for your mise en place, a fancy term for prepping your ingredients before you begin cooking so that everything is measured out and ready to go. They can hold spices, minced garlic, chopped herbs and small amounts of liquid ingredients like vinegar so you can just pop each one in when the recipe calls for it.
You’ll reach for the larger bowls when you’re mixing up things like pancake batter and cookie dough, and they also make lovely salad serving bowls. What’s nice about them being glass is that you’ll be able to see if there are dry bits of flour at the bottom that need to be incorporated, and they’re nice and sturdy to help keep them from flying all over your counter while you stir. They’re also freezer-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe (gotta love easy cleanup!) and can be used for storing leftovers in the fridge.
This set is available at several retailers — including Amazon — but Sur La Table currently boasts the best price. (With shipping, the total comes out to about $49, while Amazon Prime members will pay $52 post-tax.)
Ina’s not the only one who’s “bowled over” by this set — here’s what Sur La Table shoppers had to say.
“Love to use these bowls for prep, serving and storage,” wrote one fan. “[They] nest so nicely [and] take up very little room for something so useful.”
“Received this set for a wedding gift, and decades later we still find it the most-used thing in our kitchen,” shared another. “Durable, easy to clean and versatile.”
“These bowls are wonderful and all our prep work looks nice in a clear glass bowl,” said a final shopper. “My only complaint is that the one bowl I tend to use the most has a flaw in it (a dark fragment of something sealed inside the glass that makes it look dirty).” (Note: Sur La Table offers a limited lifetime warranty that “covers defects in materials and workmanship in the product,” should you notice anything’s amiss upon receiving this set. You’ll have up to 30 days to make exchanges or returns.)
Sur La Table
Another Ina must-have? A sturdy Lodge cast iron pan (it’s an essential in my kitchen too).
Amazon
This durable skillet is made of super strong cast iron that’ll last for decades. It has excellent heat retention for achieving the perfect sear, and since it comes pre-seasoned, you can use it right out of the box. It’s compatible with all stovetops, can be used for campfire cooking and, at just $20, it’s an affordable kitchen workhorse you’ll reach for again and again.
Check out my full Lodge Cast Iron Skillet review for more.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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