The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Suitable mixing bowl.

Indio's picture
Indio

Suitable mixing bowl.

Ken Forkish recommends a cambro rfscw12 mixing bowl in his book.

Just taken a look and here in the United Kingdom its the equivalent of $85. 

Can anyone point me to a suitable good quality mixing bowl that's more reasonably priced and available in the UK (preferably on Amazon.co.uk)

Thanks.

 

alfanso's picture
alfanso

no need to go overboard.  You probably have an adequate mixing bowl in your cabinet already.  I cover my mixing bowl with a dinner plate while the dough is bulk fermenting.  I always use the same 1 or 2 bowls.  Never a problem.  

The small issue is if you want to see the growth of the dough, a bowl bows out and you can't see through it.  If that isn't a problem, then...no problem!

alan

Indio's picture
Indio

Thanks Alfanso.

What size in terms of litres/quarts would you recommend.

alfanso's picture
alfanso

sold as nested sets.  As such - on the Amazon USA site, http://www.amazon.com/Oggi-3-Piece-Mixing-Bowl-White/dp/B0054DW46Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1448114368&sr=8-7&keywords=mixing+bowl+set+melamine

I use the largest of them for my typical mix of ~1500g of dough and it is way more than adequate.  If you already have a bowl that size, you should be able to use it.  I think that the Forkish doughs are about 1800g.  Still well within range of a 4L bowl.

Unfortunately, his shopping list is over the top.  A digital gram scale, plastic dough scraper for the bowls and for dividing the dough, or use a metal dough scraper for the divide, a bowl or two, something to bake the dough in (dutch oven or combo cooker, for example) or on (baking stone) and a kitchen timer are really all the essential tools to keep handy.  After that, pretty much everything else is just an add-on.  Some add-ons are nice to haves and some are valuable, depending on what you see yourself accomplishing.

Indio's picture
Indio

Many thanks again.

I wanted a bowl that I could put to one side and use just for bread making but was confused at the book recommendation as its nearly 14 litres in european speak. All of the rest of the equipment I have or can improvise. 

Will be looking to do my first bake in the next few days. If I can work it out I'll see if I can post an image if I don't screw the loaf up that is!

Cheers

BTW Us Europeans must have a bowl fetish or something as the link you have shows a price of $18. its nearly $130 here in the UK! eel

drogon's picture
drogon

Not always the cheapest but I have some of their stainless steel bowls - both the large and small. Nice and sturdy.

http://bakerybits.co.uk/bakery-equipment/utensils-and-mixing-bowls/mixing-bowls.html

There are lots to choose from, but a bowl is just a bowl. Get one that you can manage, no need to get one that someone else tells you to get.

-Gordon

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

Bakerybits is good. Nice variety of stuff and a good website. On the whole I do like bakerybits and if you subscribe to their email they send ideas and recipes. But their shipping is lousy!! Be prepared to wait. 

If I were to get another bowl I'd go for something heavier that doesn't move in the wind. When doing stretch and folds in the bowl you don't want it moving all over the place. But a bowl is a bowl and it does the job. 

Jon OBrien's picture
Jon OBrien

I had to look this bowl up to see what's so special about it. I was expecting to see something suitable for hand mixing but what I'm seeing doesn't seem like it would be at all comfortable to use like that. Too deep and narrow. Am I missing something here?

For that money you could buy a couple of these: www.amazon.co.uk/Mason-Cash-Terracotta-Bread-Baking/dp/B00BGRET1M

Reynard's picture
Reynard

Two ceramic ones - a large and a small and one plastic one. Have had all of them for years. If I'm working with a single loaf (around 800g of dough), then the plastic one does me just fine as not only does the dough not stick to it, I can also pop it in a large tesco freezer bag to do the bulk ferment and it's light enough for me to knead dough with the bowl on my lap while I watch tv in the evening LOL