Are nesting food storage bowls dishwasher safe?

Most nesting food storage bowls are dishwasher safe. These sets of bowls (that stack inside each other to save space, usually with lids) are typically made of dishwasher-safe materials, glass, stainless steel, or sturdy food-grade plastic, so in most cases you can clean the bowls in the dishwasher, which is convenient. The main things to check are the specific material (which tells you how, and sometimes whether, to dishwasher it) and, importantly, the lids: plastic lids and any silicone seals are often top-rack only or recommended for hand washing, since dishwasher heat can warp thin plastic lids or degrade seals over time. So as a rule the bowls themselves are dishwasher safe, but confirm the material and treat the lids with more care, checking the manufacturer’s guidance to be sure. Our Best Nesting Food Storage Bowls compares five of them.

Most bowls are dishwasher safe

Nesting food storage bowls are generally made of materials chosen to be practical and easy to clean, and most of these are dishwasher safe. Glass bowls (like tempered glass) are dishwasher safe and clean well, stainless steel bowls are dishwasher safe and durable, and most sturdy food-grade plastic storage bowls are dishwasher safe too (often marked so). Since these bowls are everyday food-storage items, manufacturers typically make them dishwasher friendly for convenience, so for the bowls themselves, the dishwasher is usually fine.

So in most cases you can simply put the nesting bowls in the dishwasher to clean them, which is easy and effective. The material affects placement and care a little, glass and stainless are robust and can usually go anywhere in the dishwasher, while plastic bowls are often best on the top rack (away from the heating element) to avoid heat warping, but the bowls are generally dishwasher safe across the common materials. The main nuance is not the bowls but the lids, covered next. But as a general answer, nesting food storage bowls are mostly dishwasher safe, with the material determining the finer points of how.

Check the lids and seals

The parts to check carefully are the lids and any silicone seals, because these are often more sensitive to the dishwasher than the bowls. Many storage bowl sets have plastic lids (sometimes with a silicone sealing ring), and thin plastic lids can warp or distort in a dishwasher’s heat, especially on the bottom rack near the element, which can ruin their fit, while silicone seals can degrade or loosen over time with repeated hot washes. So lids are commonly labeled top-rack only, or recommended for hand washing, to protect them.

So even when the bowls are fully dishwasher safe, you should check the lids separately: put plastic lids on the top rack if they are dishwasher safe, or hand wash them if the maker advises, and remove and clean silicone seals as directed. Glass or metal lids are more tolerant. This protects the lids’ shape and sealing, which matter for the containers to seal properly. So the key caution with nesting storage bowls and the dishwasher is the lids and seals rather than the bowls, which is why checking the guidance for the lids, and favoring the top rack or hand washing for plastic ones, is the sensible approach.

Material differences

It helps to know how the common materials behave in the dishwasher. Glass nesting bowls are dishwasher safe and handle heat well (letting cold glass warm before hot washing avoids any thermal shock), and they do not stain or retain odors, making them easy and robust to dishwasher-clean. Stainless steel bowls are dishwasher safe and durable, though drying them (or letting the dishwasher dry cycle finish) avoids water spots, and they resist staining. Both glass and steel are low-maintenance in the dishwasher.

Plastic bowls are usually dishwasher safe but benefit from top-rack washing to avoid heat warping, and plastic can stain (from tomato, curry, oily foods) and hold odors over time, which a dishwasher mostly handles but stubborn stains may need a baking-soda treatment. Check that plastic bowls are BPA-free and dishwasher rated. So each material is generally dishwasher safe but with small differences, glass and steel are the most robust, plastic is fine on the top rack but more prone to warping and staining, and in all cases the lids need the extra care noted. Knowing your bowls’ material tells you how best to dishwasher them.

The practical approach

The practical approach is: assume the nesting bowls themselves are dishwasher safe and clean them in the dishwasher (plastic bowls on the top rack), but check the manufacturer’s guidance, especially for the lids and seals, and hand wash or top-rack the lids as advised to protect them. When in doubt about a particular part, especially a plastic lid or silicone seal, hand wash it to be safe. This cleans the set easily while protecting the parts that are more sensitive to dishwasher heat.

So the answer is that most nesting food storage bowls are dishwasher safe, being made of glass, stainless steel or sturdy plastic that handle the dishwasher well, but you should check the material and give the lids and seals more care (often top-rack or hand wash). If buying a set and dishwasher cleaning matters, look for one stated to be dishwasher safe, ideally including the lids, and note any top-rack instructions. Cleaned appropriately, with robust bowls in the dishwasher and gentle treatment of the lids, a nesting bowl set stays clean and in good condition, and for most of them the dishwasher makes cleaning the bowls easy, with just the lids needing a little extra thought.

The short answer

Most nesting food storage bowls are dishwasher safe. They are typically made of glass, stainless steel or sturdy food-grade plastic, all of which generally handle the dishwasher well, so you can usually clean the bowls in the dishwasher, with plastic bowls best on the top rack to avoid heat warping, and glass and steel robust anywhere in it. The thing to check more carefully is the lids and any silicone seals: plastic lids can warp in dishwasher heat and seals can degrade over time, so lids are often top-rack only or recommended for hand washing to protect their shape and sealing. So assume the bowls themselves are dishwasher safe, but confirm the material and treat the lids and seals with more care, hand washing or top-racking them as the maker advises. Glass and stainless bowls are the most dishwasher-robust, while plastic is fine on the top rack but more prone to warping and staining. Checking the manufacturer’s guidance, especially for the lids, and hand washing anything you are unsure about keeps the whole set clean and in good condition.