Whether you’re a connoisseur of Mexican cuisine or a chip-dipping snacker, the salsa bowl is a great snacking accessory. A salsa bowl is a dish designed to serve salsa or other dips. Salsa bowls have wide rims for convenient dipping and are sturdy enough not to slide around while you dip and scoop. They come in a range of sizes and designs, ranging from simple and functional to more decorative. We reviewed the best salsa bowls on the market and narrowed down our favorites. The Mud Pie Circa Guacamole Bowl is our favorite because of its funny inscription and modern take on a traditional Molcajete design.
With so many different salsa bowls available in the market, choosing the best one is not an easy task. Before you get confused and end up selecting the wrong one, we have crafted a complete buying guide. With this, you can invest in the best product with confidence.
Is the Salsa Bowl Same as the Regular Serving Bowls?
No, salsa bowls aren’t the same as regular serving bowls. To make sure that you don’t get confused between these two dishware items, we have explained a few differences below.
- The salsa bowls can be deeper or flatter while the regular serving bowls are always deep.
- The size of the salsa bowls is much less as compared to the regular serving bowls.
What Are the Things To Consider Before Buying Salsa Bowls?
Type
There are two types of salsa bowls you can find in the market, deep and flat bowls. The deeper bowls usually have a circular design with enough space to serve dips, salsas, ice creams, yogurts, and other such foods. Conversely, flatter bowls are best for serving guacamole, spreads, thick sauce dips, salsa spread over tortillas, nachos, and so on.
Material
These salsa bowls are manufactured from two materials mainly, ceramic and plastic. Ceramic bowls are best suited for special occasions because the material is quite charming and will enhance the aesthetics of the dining table arrangement. Most ceramic bowls are hand-painted and the intricate art is often exceptional. However, they are vulnerable and can easily break if not handled carefully. To avoid such mishaps, you can go with the plastic salsa bowls. The material is thick enough to withstand the high temperature of the
microwave oven, allowing you to warm salsa easily. Just make sure that the plastic is free of BPA or any other material that can contaminate the food.
Size/Capacity
Salsa bowls come in different sizes and their capacity likewise differs. Therefore, you have to choose a product that will help you to serve the right portion of condiments, dips, salsas, guacamoles, and other dishes. For example, some bowls have a capacity of only 8 ounces and can’t hold large portions of salsas or other types of dips and condiments. Alternatively, a few products have a capacity of 1.5 cups to 2 cups. With a large group of people, these bowls are ideal and will allow you to serve generous portions of salsa.
Design and color
Some salsa bowls have intricate detailing on their outer walls designed to heighten their beauty and aesthetic appeal. In some products, words are stamped on the bowl’s exterior. Alternatively, a few salsa bowls come with hand-painted designs. If you want to decorate your dining table, it would be best to go for salsa bowls with intricate art done with thin brushes. The salsa bowls also come in different colors, starting from ivory to light orange. Most products have pastel, monochromatic shades and a few have mixed colors. For example, you can have a bowl set where each unit is painted with a different shade combination, such as green and yellow, green and red, black and red, and more.
Base
A few salsa bowls have a textured base with small knobs distributed across the entire surface. This particular feature will help you grab the bowls easily without losing control. Also, they are much easier to carry from your kitchen to the dining table. In some products, you can find three or four legs attached to their bases. Due to this unique structure, the bowls have a raised design that won’t topple over easily.
How Long Does a Salsa Bowl Last?
Plastic salsa bowls last for 4-5 years, even with frequent use. On the other hand, the longevity of ceramic bowls depends on how they are handled. For example, if you do not follow the cleaning instructions and put the product inside the dishwasher, it may get damaged or form cracks. Thus, you need to be extremely careful about using ceramic bowls properly so that they can last for 10-15 years.
In What Ways Can You Use the Salsa Bowl?
The salsa bowls aren’t just used for serving Mexican salsa, dips, or condiments. You can use them to serve ice cream, yogurt, soup, and other foods based on the size and shape of the bowl. For example, deep bowls are best suited for serving liquid food items while flat ones are ideal for solid foods like tortillas, nachos, tacos, and more.