Standard Bowl Sizes (With Chart/Table)

Bowls are an everyday kitchen and dining item, but we probably take them for granted, as there is quite a bit of consideration that goes into choosing the right size for bowls, especially when they are intended for different uses.

Along with size and capacity, the width and height of a bowl are really important, to ensure that the bowl is easy to eat from and use. What are standard bowl sizes?

Standard bowl sizes vary slightly, but typically, a standard bowl will be around 9 inches in diameter, with a height of about 1 to 2 inches, and a well that is around 6 to 7 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep.

These are a lot of numbers to consider and visualize, so to make it easier we have gone through and listed everything you need to know when it comes to standard bowl sizes!

The Standard Bowl Sizes

You will likely already be aware that nearly no two bowls are the same, as they are all made by different manufacturers and form part of various dining sets. Even though all bowls are not made equal, they do follow similar sizing to be easy to use.

To make it easier, we have broken down bowl sizing into extra small, small, medium, large, and extra large, so you can see the size differences between each. Keep in mind that there will be some variation with size and that these sizes refer to round bowls.

Size	Rim Diameter	Interior Diameter	Depth	Rim
Extra Small	5 inches	3 inches	1 inch	0.5 inches
Small	6 inches	4 inches	1.5 inches	1-inch
Medium	8 inches	6 inches	1.5 inches	1 inch
Large	10 inches	7 inches	1.5 inches	1 inch
Extra Large	12 inches	9 inches	2 inches	1.5 inches

Once again, this is only a rough sizing guide, and various bowls will have slightly different sizing, so make sure to check the actual sizing of the bowls you are using or considering buying.

The Different Types of Bowls

When talking about bowl sizing, you cannot just take standard cereal bowls into consideration, as there are many different types of bowls that are commonly used in the kitchen.

Here are the different types of bowls you will find in the kitchen or dining room, and the standard sizes for these:

Breakfast Bowls

Breakfast bowls are the standard bowls you will find in most kitchens. These are used for cereal, oatmeal, and more. Many people also use these bowls as the go-to bowls in the kitchen, for soup, stew, and more.

Lunch Bowls/Soup Bowls

Lunch bowls or soup bowls are similar to breakfast bowls, but they are slightly wider and typically hold more food than breakfast bowls. These are good to use for soup, curries, stews, and other food that is usually served at lunch or dinner in a bowl.

Sauce Bowls

Sauce bowls are smaller bowls that are used to hold condiments, dips, and sauces. They can come in a few different shapes, such as round or oblong, and only hold a small amount of liquid or food.

Pasta Bowls

Pasta bowls are designed to be the perfect shape, width, and depth to hold pasta and to make it easy to eat, allowing the sauce to pool around the pasta.

These are shallow bowls with short walls, and sometimes with a wide lip on the rim.

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are large bowls, with a wide interior that makes mixing different ingredients together easy. You can use mixing bowls to prepare food, mix batters, or even to serve food in.

Salad Bowls

Salad bowls can be similar to mixing bowls, usually in size as well, but they are often made out of glass or food-safe plastic, and as the name suggests, are used to serve salad or other vegetables. 

Bowl Type	Diameter	Interior Diameter	Depth	Rim
Breakfast Bowls	6 inches	4 inches	2 inches	1 inch
Lunch Bowls	10 inches	6 inches	2 inches	1 inch
Sauce Bowls	5 inches	3 inches	1.5 inches	0.5 inches
Pasta Bowls	10 inches	8 inches	1 inch	0.5 inches
Mixing Bowls	12 inches	6 inches	3 inches	0.5 inches
Salad Bowls	12 inches	6 inches	3 inches	0.5 inches

How Do You Measure a Bowl?

Most of us wouldn’t really know where to start if we were asked to measure a bowl, as they aren’t necessarily a uniform shape that you can measure with a ruler.

If you ever did need to measure a bowl, here are the different dimensions to measure, and what they really mean:

• Top Diameter – This refers to the widest distance between two sides on the outside of the rim of the bowl.

• Bottom Diameter – This refers to the widest distance between two points on the bottom base of the bowl, on the exterior.

• Depth – This is the distance from the top of the bowl to the center of the base of the bowl. This is usually measured from the center of the bowl downwards, as the deepest point.

• Well – The well refers to the widest distance between two different points on the inside base of the bowl.

• Height – The height of the bowl is measured from the bottom exterior of the bowl, and up to the top exterior of the bowl.

• Rim – The rim refers to the distance between the interior and exterior walls of the bowl.

Standard Bowl Sizes

It is helpful to know the standard bowl sizes, just to be sure that you are purchasing the right size bowls which will be suited to your needs.

Above, we have listed the standard bowl sizes you can expect to find, but keep in mind that there will be some variance, as bowls are made by different manufacturers and brands, and are made to suit different dinnerware sets.

Along with standard bowl sizes, we have covered the average sizes of various types of bowls, so you can fit out your kitchen with all the necessary bowls you might need!

Related Questions

How Much Can a Standard Soup Bowl Hold?

A standard soup bowl should be able to hold around 8 to 12 ounces on average. A soup cup, which is smaller than a soup bowl, should hold about 4 ounces.

How Large Should a Pasta Bowl Be?

A good pasta bowl should be at least 7 inches or more in diameter. It should have a wide bottom that is flat in the middle, and which slopes gently upward. This allows the sauce to pool around the pasta.

How Much Can an 8-Inch Bowl Hold?

An 8-inch bowl is a good size bowl to serve salad for one person, or to use as a popcorn bowl for one person.