What is a Plowl?
Some call them blates, I call them plowls, but they are one and the same, and the most versatile functional dinnerware item! (In my humble opinion.)
Plowls are the magical love child of the bowl and the plate. The plowl inherits the best qualities from its parents:
The Plate:
The plowl has the stable flat surface of a plate, with the ability to plate food artistically to stimulate appetite. Need to eat with a fork and knife? The plowl can handle it.
The Bowl:
The plowl has the rounded taller walls of a bowl, ideal for containing liquids, preventing spills, and scooping easily. Want to eat a cozy meal like pasta bolognese or a yogurty fruity breakfast? The plowl can handle it.
Why you need a plowl
Let’s be real—some meals just don’t work as well on a plate and sometimes, a bowl is just too much.
Picture these dishes:
Saucy pesto pasta. Korean nacho fries. A hearty breakfast scramble. Palak paneer on rice. Ice cream on a warm brownie. Quinoa salad. Mushroom risotto. Hake marsala and mashed potatoes. Apple pie.
Of course you can eat them on a plate or in a bowl, but when your food needs a little extra room but not too much depth, the plowl is your best friend. Trust me.
My kitchen cabinet is full of plowls. It’s the kind of dish you don’t realize you need until you have one, and then suddenly, it’s all you reach for. The plowl keeps it all contained while giving you the perfect scooping or cutting surface. Function meets form!
Set of 6 original custom made plowls by Meesh Pottery.
How to make a plowl on the potter’s wheel
Throwing a plowl on the wheel is about finding the balance between throwing a plate and a bowl — the piece should be wide and flat enough to be functional and deep enough to be versatile.
Center & Pancake Your Clay – Start with a ball of clay, about 1.5-2.5lbs depending on the size you are going for. Wedge your clay well, slap it onto your wheel, and get that clay centered. Once centered, pancake the clay down (I love a good karate chop method myself) to the desired width of your plowl, keeping in mind that you will need about .75” of clay all the way around for your plowl walls.
Open It Up – Unlike when you make a cylinder for a mug, you won’t be going too deep at the opening stage. Open the clay with your thumbs or pointer and middle fingers (whichever method you like), and push outward. Leave enough clay at the rim (about .75”) to have enough clay to pull a shallow wall. Take time to compress the bottom flat like you would a plate.
Pull the Walls – Gradually pull the walls up while keeping them slightly angled and curved (this also helps the plowls stack nicely and take less cupboard space). Control the flare as if you are creating a bowl. If the walls go up straight or up and in, it will be harder to use utensils. You want your walls to be about 1.5” high (the depth of your plowl is really up to you!).
Trim and Finish – Once the piece is leather-hard, trim the base to refine the profile of your plowl. Whether you want to add a foot or not is up to you!
Glazing for Function – Since the plowl is a foodie’s bestie, a smooth, food-safe glaze on the interior surface is key. Personally, as a fan of contrast, I like to leave the outside unglazed for a raw clay feel.
Making Multiples Tip: If you are making multiples, make sure to take measurements in order to replicate them. Weigh the same amount of clay each time. When the clay is still wet (no shrinking yet!), measure the opening of your first piece at the base and at the rim, and measure the height of your walls.
How to hand-build matching plowls
To hand-build multiple matching plowls, I use a handmade bisque-fired form. I first throw and trim my desired shape—ensuring a smooth exterior with no foot—then bisque fire it.
This bisque-fired piece becomes a hump mold, where I drape slabs over it (vs. a slump mold, where clay is placed inside). I prefer pinching slabs for an organic feel but also use a slab roller, aiming for 1/4”-3/8” thickness.
When shaping the slab onto the upside-down mold, press slowly from the center out with a wide palm. Compressing too fast can cause the clay to fold over itself—thinner slabs are especially prone to this. If folds occur, blend them out, though you may need to trim down thicker areas.
Photo of a plowl from a custom set of 6 I made in 2023.
Isn’t the plowl amazing? Have I convinced you? Perhaps this prompted AI-written robot poet can? (Side note: you know what AI can’t do? Make a set of pottery plowls on the wheel. Yep!)
Sonnet for the Handmade Ceramic Plowl
O plowl, thou hybrid 'twixt bowl and plate divine,
Eight inches wide, two inches in thy height,
Thou art a vessel for each meal's design,
In thee, culinary dreams take flight.
With salads green, thy shallow depth does grace,
And soups and stews find comfort in thy rim,
Thy versatile form, a chef's embrace,
For yogurt, granola, thee doth not skim.
From morning's light to dinner's savory,
Thou servest all with grace and artful flair,
A canvas for each dish, a tale to carry,
In thy smooth curves, a feast beyond compare.
Handmade ceramic plowl, we sing thy praise,
In thee, our meals find joy in countless ways.
