The Best Kitchen Bowl for Pancake and Cake Batters: Pampered Chef

One of the endearing qualities my mother had when she cooked was her habit of picking up new gadgets to ‘play’ with in the kitchen. One of the places she frequented in doing this was the line of Pampered Chef kitchen tools. Maybe it was the word, ‘pampered’ that she really adored. Nevertheless, I inherited many of her kitchen items when she died.

Founded in 1980 by Doris Christopher, Pampered Chef is considered a home party similar to Tupperware parties. However, besides kitchen gadgets they also sell cookbooks and food products. I was unaware that they sold cookbooks, but have tried their food products and found them very tasty. Although I don’t usually enjoy going to product parties, I am always interested in taking a peek at a catalog, even if I don’t end up ordering anything.

The best item that I have inherited from mom’s Pampered Chef collection is her glass mixing bowl. It is a 2-Quart bowl marked on the sides with the measurements. And what I love best is it’s easy pour design.

Caution: it is NOT freezer to oven safe. You must allow the glass to reach room temperature before placing it in the oven. All parts are dishwasher safe, however, and it is advisable to use a nonabrasive cloth on the glass. The abrasive products, such as a Brillo pad, is used it will cut into the glass and damage it.

I stopped using a standing mixer when my children were young. After my mixer died I moved to the convenience of storing a hand held mixer. Sure it doesn’t have the power or the selections that a standing mixer has, but it works for me.

What I didn’t like was having to maneuver the bowl in one hand, the rubber spatula in the other and hope my aim was good with the batter going in the direction it was supposed to go in. Imagine the times when something would distract me and moving off my mark one tiny bit brought batter on the counter instead of the pan.

With the Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl there is no difficulty with mixing the pancake or cake batter and pouring it easily into wherever it is supposed to go. The handle is comfortable to hold and the spout is wide enough to accommodate any type of batter.

The glass is made strong enough to endure the heat of the oven, microwave and dishwasher; and the cold of the freezer or refrigerator. Yes, you can mix something in this bowl, cover it with the plastic lid that comes with it, and pop it into the freezer until you need it.

With each Pampered Chef product comes a guarantee of satisfaction. There are even some items that have a lifetime warranty. And, it’s easy to see their line of products by going to the website. Who knows…you may even have a Pampered Chef consultant in your area. The corporation is global and extends to Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and now Mexico.

I usually use my mixing bowl for making brownies, cookies, cake batter, muffins and pretty much any type of baked recipes. And, speaking of recipes, the Pampered Chef website has a directory of yummy recipes to try. But, on a Sunday morning, my favorite thing to make is a batch of pancakes. See the photo of how easy and clean it is to pour the batter into the frying pan-no fuss, no mess.

Just to summarize the key points about what I like, in case it got lost in the detail of my words:

1. The ease in maneuvering it while mixing and baking.

2. The clear markings for measuring.

3. The handle-strong and easy to grip.

4. The spout-it is so easy to aim and pour.

5. The clean up-dishwasher safe or easy to clean in warm, sudsy water.

6. The storage-doesn't take up any more space than any medium sized serving bowl.

7. The lid-fits nicely and is a safety bonus if mixing gets interrupted.

8. The price-cost about $16 and well worth every penny.