Plastic pudding basins are a super choice when you’re making puddings for others: they normally include lids making them simple to move, plus they’re cheap so that you gained’t want to fret an excessive amount of about retrieving them.
Pudding basins can be found in a variety of sizes and supplies and if you’re not utilizing it for a steamed pudding you possibly can put it to work as a spare mixing bowl. We examined a broad vary of pudding basins with a conventional treacle sponge recipe in opposition to a standardised set of standards, designed to evaluate their capacity to cook dinner evenly, launch the pudding when turned out and likewise its ease of cleansing. Value and high quality of supplies have been assessed, together with their potential versatility past steamed puddings.
Learn on to find our tried-and-tested picks of the perfect pudding basins or for recipe inspiration, our full assortment of steamed pudding recipes together with trendy takes reminiscent of chocolate-orange steamed pudding and classics just like the clootie dumpling.
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Greatest pudding basins at a look
- Greatest traditional pudding basin: Mason Money Heritage Pudding Basin, £15.93
- Greatest metallic pudding basin: Mermaid Silver Anodised 6”/2 Pint Pudding Basin, £16
- Greatest multipurpose set: Falcon Enamelware Bowls, £44
- Greatest for giant puddings: KitchenCraft Dwelling Made Ceramic 1.5 litre Pudding Basin, £9.75
- Greatest conventional pudding basin with lid: Mason Money Modern Kitchen Pudding Basin with Lid, £13
- Greatest for particular person puddings: Tala Set of 4 Pudding Moulds, £9.93
- Greatest with handles: Grasp Class Pudding Steamer, £28.19
- Greatest plastic pudding basin set: Lakeland 3 Plastic Lidded Pudding Basins, £7.99
How to decide on the perfect pudding basin
On the face of it, pudding basins are little greater than a easy bowl, however there are some things to contemplate before you purchase one.
Apart from the standard technique in a saucepan, there are many methods to steam a pudding. You need to use a stress cooker, microwave or bake within the oven in a water tub. However not all pudding basins are appropriate for all strategies of cooking, so it’s price having a take into consideration which strategies you’re doubtless to make use of earlier than selecting your basin.
Pudding basins can be found in plenty of sizes. A one-litre pudding basin is the typical measurement, however they arrive in something from small particular person parts as much as a lot bigger 1.5-2-litre basins for a number of parts, so think about the scale of puddings you’re more likely to make.
Different elements to consider are whether or not you need a basin with handles or a lid and when it’s not getting used for steaming, if it may possibly double as a mixing bowl or be used to warmth issues within the microwave.
Greatest pudding basins to purchase in 2023
Mason Money Heritage Pudding Basin
Star score: 5/5
The Mason Money model is synonymous with pudding basins: they’ve been manufacturing them for the reason that early 1800s in order that they know a factor or two about what makes a superb one. This 900ml pudding basin is a part of their Heritage vary with a easy textual content design on the entrance. It’s sufficiently big to make a pudding for 4 and has a pronounced rim which makes it simple to seal your pudding with string. We made a beautiful mild and springy syrup sponge on this basin and the pudding launched with out sticking. The vented base ensures bubbles don’t get trapped beneath it when steaming. It’s microwave, dishwasher and freezer protected too.
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Out there from:
Amazon (£15.93)
Mermaid Silver Anodised 6”/2 Pint Pudding Basin
Greatest metallic pudding basin
Star score: 4/5
This sturdy metallic pudding basin is sufficiently big to make a big six-portion pudding. It has a beneficiant rim which makes it simple to safe string in place when tying foil and baking paper on prime. Our syrup sponge was properly risen with a lightweight fluffy texture, however the syrup had bubbled up the perimeters throughout cooking as an alternative of staying within the backside of the bowl. The pudding turned out simply, though a number of the sticky syrupy sponge was left within the basin and needed to be scooped out with a spoon. It’s not dishwasher or microwave protected, however it’s oven protected as much as 240C.
Out there from:
Samuel Groves (£25)
Amazon (£15.99)
Falcon Enamelware Bowls
Greatest multipurpose set
Star score: 4/5
There’s no denying that is an costly set, however when you’re in search of bowls that you should use for greater than to steam a pudding, this set presents that versatility. They make nice cereal bowls, soup bowls and small serving dishes or you would make particular person parts of crumble in them – you would even take them tenting! Every bowl is about the suitable measurement for a two-person serving of steamed syrup pudding or a person savoury pudding.
Our syrup pudding cooked properly, it was mild and fluffy, however did require a little bit of shake to launch from the bowl. They’re oven, dishwasher and freezer protected and may even be used on the hob.
Out there from:
Falcon (£44)
KitchenCraft Dwelling Made Ceramic 1.5 litre Pudding Basin
Greatest for extra-large puddings
Star score: 3.5/5
When you’re in search of a really massive stoneware pudding bowl, this can match the invoice. Regardless of the identify stating that it is a 1.5 litre basin, it’s actually massive and is definitely nearer to 2 litres in quantity, so for most traditional pudding recipes you’ll want to extend the portions and the cook dinner instances too. Nevertheless it’s a sturdy stoneware bowl with a thick rim that makes it simple to seal with string.
When you’re planning on steaming in a saucepan, have in mind it’ll must be massive to accommodate the 20cm diameter and 12cm peak of this basin. We made a fluffy steamed syrup sponge that launched simply from the basin and the massive measurement means it’ll come in useful as an additional mixing bowl. It’s additionally dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer protected.
Mason Money Modern Kitchen Pudding Basin with Lid
Greatest conventional pudding basin with lid
Star score: 4.5/5
This 900ml stoneware basin comes with a helpful lid: you possibly can’t steam a pudding with the plastic lid on however when you’ve made your pudding, the hermetic lid pops on prime for simple storage or transporting. This lid even incorporates a date dial that will help you hold monitor of if you made the pudding, or if you’re not utilizing it for puddings, it may be used to retailer leftovers.
Our steamed syrup pudding cooked properly and was mild and fluffy. There was some minor sticking of the syrupy cake on the bottom however on the entire it was an awesome end result. The rim isn’t as pronounced as on another basins, however we didn’t wrestle to tie string round it securely. The vented base helps bubbles to flee from beneath throughout steaming and it’s freezer protected.
Out there from:
Mason Money (£13)
Amazon (£11.34)
Tala Set of 4 Pudding Moulds
Greatest for particular person puddings
Star score: 4.5/5
This set of 4 metallic moulds make particular person puddings, which is the proper strategy to serve puddings when you’re attempting to impress. Tying string round these small moulds wasn’t as fiddly as we anticipated, and the string sits neatly slightly below the rim on the prime. Our syrup sponge cooked superbly and turned out of the mould with minimal sticking. They’re dishwasher protected and can be utilized for loads of different culinary creations, together with moulding a serving of rice, making single-serve summer time puddings or baking decadent chocolate fondants.
Grasp Class Non Stick Pudding Steamer
Greatest with handles
Star score: 3/5
This sturdy non-stick pudding basin stands out for having two handles that are useful when eradicating it from a steamer or pan. Nonetheless, the protruding handles mixed with the massive two-litre basin measurement imply you’ll want a really massive saucepan – at the very least 26cm extensive and 16cm deep to accommodate it.
The lid can be utilized throughout steaming and locks into place, nonetheless we achieved a greater end result utilizing an quaint baking paper and foil lid as a result of the metallic lid doesn’t kind a really tight seal. When you go for this basin, the massive measurement means you’ll have to extend the portions in most traditional recipes and cook dinner instances will probably be longer too. However the non-stick floor works properly and it comes with a 10-year assure in addition to being dishwasher protected.
Out there from:
Amazon (£16.99)
Ocado (£25)
Harts of Stur (£19.96)
Lakeland 3 Lidded Pudding Basins 1.3L
Greatest plastic pudding basin set
Star score: 3/5
This set of three plastic pudding bowls with lids is an efficient choice when you’re planning on gifting puddings. The bowls are freezer, microwave and dishwasher protected so are good to make use of if you wish to make puddings upfront and freeze them earlier than reheating within the microwave. We didn’t use the provided lid when steaming: we’d suggest you utilize the lid only for storage and steam with foil and baking paper tied on prime as a lid.
Our syrup sponge took longer than those cooked in stoneware or metallic basins. The feel of the sponge was denser and chewier than others, and the syrup bubbled up the perimeters of the pudding. Nonetheless, the bowl form doesn’t distort throughout steaming and the pudding seems simply. For good outcomes we’d recommend steaming your pudding in a stoneware basin and transferring to one in every of these plastic ones to move, freeze or give away.
Out there from:
Lakeland (£7.99)
How we examined pudding basins
To check out this collection of pudding basins, we opted for a British traditional and household favorite, steamed treacle sponge. We checked out how properly the pudding cooked and if it caught to the basin or turned out properly. We took worth under consideration in addition to the fabric, measurement and ease of cleansing. We additionally thought of whether or not the basins had different makes use of except for making steamed puddings.
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