Lead-Free-Pottery-Bowls

May 9, 2017, by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from Julia

Hi Debra,

I have been making these delicious bowls with rice, veggies, etc. I want to get pasta like bowls that are lead free. What do you suggest?

Debra's Answer

Yes I understand, I have been making “bowls” too and I love them so much that practically every meal I eat is in a bowl!

A couple of months ago I went shopping at Crate & Barrel and found some oversize bowls that I love and use for almost every meal.

And then I found some smaller bowls I had stashed away from Pier One. I had purchased these almost 15 years ago, so I doubt they still sell the same bowls, but they probably have something similar.

My rule of thumb has been to assume white bowls are safe and to check colored dinnerware with LeadCheck swabs. These are not considered as reliable as other forms of testing, but they are affordable and available. You can get them at any Home Depot or online.

LeadCheck swabs are simple to use. You just rub the end of the swab against the bowl for thirty seconds and if there is lead the swab will show red. If no lead, the swab will remain white. These swabs now come in packs of 2 for about $10, so it’s more affordable to do these tests than in the past.

I used LeadCheck swabs to test two bowls that I have on my shelf and eat from every day. As I thought, they both tested negative for lead.

I’ve become fond of putting my food in big white bowls and am actually retiring a lot of my dinnerware because I just don’t use it. White bowls are very simple and easily hold everything I eat.

I suggest purchasing white bowls and LeadCheck swabs and then bring the bowls home and test them immediately. If the swabs turn red, return the bowls and buy other bowls until you find bowls that test negative.

Here’s an article from the Chicago Tribune from 2007, when they gathered 20+ pieces of colorful dinnerware from local stores and had them tested for lead. None showed significant amounts of lead.

Many years ago I did a LeadCheck swab test on a colorful painted dinner plate for a TV show in Washington DC. And the swab did turn red right on cue. So I’ve seen the swabs test positive and negative. Mostly negative.