Restaurant Bowls

Commercial Bowls: What You Need to Know

Foodservice bowls come in a variety of styles, sizes, and materials, so choosing the right ones can be tricky. Six- and eight-ounce bouillon bowls serve soup portions commonly billed as "cups," while larger 12- and 16-ounce vessels can deliver more filling servings. Individual salads are served in bowls holding 12-30 ounces, while communal restaurant salad and soup bowls can accommodate a few dozen quarts. Traditional ceramic bowls are a popular pick, but durable melamine may be the best choice for budget-minded operators.

Our restaurant bowls are grouped into helpful categories, enabling you to shop for the exact type of bowl you need. However, you'll have to make some important distinctions beyond browsing salad bowls for your salads. Different materials have different benefits and drawbacks, which we'll discuss below as we go over the purposes of each style of bowl.

Common Questions About Restaurant Bowls

What styles of commercial bowls are available?

Foodservice bowls come in a variety of styles and sizes, each designed to fulfill a specific niche in your table setting. Ranging from large serving bowls that can hold enough food for a whole table to tiny soup bowls intended for side portions, the function of a bowl is largely determined by its size. However, depth, width, and rim size will also differentiate a pasta bowl from a soup bowl, for example. Dinner bowls are a middle-of-the-road style that can be shallow, deep, wide, or narrow but always large enough to hold an entrée. Salad bowls are typically shallow and wide, while fruit bowls are small and balanced. Most other options are also aptly named and will accompany the associated menu item well. If you can't find a category that matches your needs, try our search bar at the top of the page.

Can I just use residential bowls instead?

While you certainly could use residential bowls, commercial bowls are designed to endure the rigors of high-volume foodservice in a way residential pieces are not. While the initial purchase price of residential bowls might be attractive, if you consider the total cost of ownership, you'll be better off with restaurant bowls. These commercial-grade options will stay in service longer than their residential counterparts, meaning you will purchase fewer replacements, which in turn saves you money over the course of operation. If you're operating on a tight budget, melamine bowls are a perfect middle ground in regards to cost, quality, and durability.

What materials are these bowls made from?

With such a large catalog, we can't cover every permutation here, but the main materials you can choose from are melamine, plastic, and different grades of stoneware. China bowls, also called porcelain, are the highest quality restaurant bowl we offer. China bowls are a type of stoneware, much like the many different grades of ceramic but are set apart because they are fully vitrified, meaning they do not absorb any liquids or odors and are highly durable. Porcelain is typically used only in high-tier establishments because of its initial cost. Other ceramics can be found in mid-tier or casual establishments, but they are still more expensive than melamine or plastic.

Melamine is a type of organic plastic but is so popular in its own right that we classify it separately. Melamine bowls are chip resistant, durable, and can be sanitized in a commercial microwave, making them the go-to choice for many foodservice operators. Plastic, on the other hand, will not last nearly as long as melamine. Depending on the type of plastic, your bowls may or may not be dishwasher safe and may be at risk of becoming discolored with the chemicals used in low-temperature dishwashers. Melamine will fit in at most establishments (except for fine dining); most mid- and high-tier places will want to avoid other types of plastic. Consider what your existing table setting contains and try to match your new materials to that.