Ceramic Dog Bowls -
Perfect For Messy Eaters & Drinkers

Our pooches deserve the best dog bowls. And when it comes to food and water bowls, that means high-quality ceramic. But with so many products on the market, how to pick the best one?

We have the answers here! To help you get the best information, we joined forces with canine nutritionists, veterinarians and dog parents to form a team of independent experts. We then researched the most popular ceramic dog bowls on the market, testing out dozens of contenders with the help of our faithful pooches. After several weeks and many, many ceramic bowls later, we were finally able to agree on the contents of this guide.

So in this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know before buying. Join us on the quest to find the best ceramic dog bowl in Australia.

Why Is A Ceramic Bowl Better?

Ceramic bowls have grown quite popular in recent years, and not without reason. Here’s why our team of independent experts say they’re better than bowls made of other common materials, like steel and plastic.

It’s Heavy

What’s that weird creaking sound? Oh, that’s just your dog pushing the bowl around. Dogs generally do this for a variety of reasons, from stashing food away to simply trying to reach that tiny piece of kibble in the corner (1). Whatever the intention might be, what’s sure is that light bowls get pushed around the room a lot.

Furthermore, some dogs like to play with practically anything. This can also include carrying a food bowl in their mouth all around the house. With some materials, like plastic, it doesn’t end there. Especially for puppies, plastic bowls can also be appealing to chew on while teething.

Ceramic bowls are the heaviest type of bowls out there, so there’s less chance of you having to search the house trying to find out where it ended up. Likewise, the tough material will discourage your dog from trying to chew on the bowl.

It’s Easy To Clean

This is a pretty obvious reason. After all, most (if not all) of your plates and mugs are ceramic as well? Then, you already know that that’s one of the easiest materials out there to clean. It only takes a bit of soap and mild water, and even the toughest food remains will be gone.

What’s more, ceramic bowls are usually dishwasher-safe, so you can put them in the same cycle as your other dishes.

It’s Hygienic

Ceramic is non-porous and scratch-resistant, meaning there’s no place where bacteria can hide and grow (2). Of course, they still need to be cleaned every day, but you don’t have to worry about your dog’s health.

With that being said, keep in mind that ceramic can crack under impact. In case of a bigger crack, dogs can accidentally hurt themselves while using the bowl. But in most cases, the cracks are minimal but still dangerous. That’s because they create a room where bacteria can potentially hide and grow.

Factors To Consider When Buying A Ceramic Dog Bowl

Before you go ham and buy the first ceramic bowl that catches your eye, you should know there are things to consider when shopping, aside from colours and patterns. These are the factors our panel of experts weighed when researching the best ceramic dog bowls:

Size

The most important factor has got to be the size. Ideally, a bowl should contain the right amount of water and food. Now obviously, different breeds have different daily intakes, but you shouldn’t stick to it blindly. That’s especially true if you’re not home most of the day, meaning you can’t refill the bowl when needed.

Depth

Another important feature of a ceramic bowl is depth. What’s the point in buying the best bowl out there if your canine companion can’t even fit the snout inside? Likewise, you don’t want to get your pooch a bowl that can double as a swimming pool.

When it comes to food or water, depth is a bit more important in the case of the latter. Most dogs splash when drinking, so high walls prevent creating a water puddle around the bowl. What’s more, depth is rather important for dogs with long snouts, like Greyhounds or Dachshunds, as they allow them to easily access their food in the bowl without chasing it.

Non-Slip Bottom

Since they’re heavy, ceramic bowls aren’t easily moved around. Still, a large dog determined to get the last bit of food out of it can move it from spot A to spot B. To avoid that from happening, many products come with a non-slip bottom, usually made of silicone.

Additional Features

While expensive, water fountains are the best thing you can buy your dog for hydration. Even though they use the same water from your tap, they contain purifying filters to make it cleaner. What’s more, continuous movement keeps the water cool for a longer time.

If you’re an owner of an elderly or injured dog, then getting a raised bowl is worth considering. It allows your pooch to reach food and water without strain on their neck from lowering.

Best Ceramic Pet Bowls 2023 Reviewed

Now you know what makes ceramic dog bowls so great and what to look for when shopping around for your pet. Next, we share our top choices when it comes to the best ceramic dog bowls in Australia. These are the bowls that wowed our team of independent experts and kept our dogs happy, fed and hydrated.

A ceramic bowl worth this title doesn’t need to have tons of bells and whistles. We’ve put this bowl by Masterpet at the top of this list because it has a simple yet functional and durable design that comes at an affordable price.

Brown on the outside and blue on the inside, this bowl’s neutral tones will blend into practically any room decor. It only comes in the one colour scheme, so if you prefer more choices, we recommend you check out our number three choice below.

But aside from being stylish, this bowl is very high-quality. I appreciated that it’s made of durable ceramic and features a heavy base. This design prevented my pooch from "accidentally" tipping the bowl when using it (or in my case, trying to tip the bowl over in a madcap attempt to acquire more dinner).

This bowl comes in several sizes, the S being 13 centimetres, while L being 23 centimetres in diameter. This means that every member of our team of independent experts could find a suitable size for their canine companion, no matter what breed.

The thick walls of this bowl allow both food and water to stay cool for quite a long time. This is especially important if you live in a hot climate. Another quite convenient thing about this bowl is that it's dishwasher safe, so cleaning it was a piece of cake.

Coming up on a close second place are these beautiful ceramic bowls by Gummi Pet. It’s no secret that they caught our eye because of their looks, but the quality of the design is nothing less important.

The bowl is made of high-quality ceramic that’s built to last, like our number one choice. But what sets it apart is its base. It’s embedded into a silicone base that keeps it in place at all times, even with bowl throwers like my dog. The silicone base is food-grade and easy to wash along with the ceramic part of the bowl.

This specific bowl has a pink silicone base, but there’s also a blue alternative if you’re a proud owner of a furry boy. But regardless of the colour, these bowls feature cool phrases, like “I licked it so it’s mine.” The phrases are printed inside on the bottom of the bowl, visible only after your pooch eats the last bit of the dinner.

The bowl comes in two sizes, Medium and Large. The M has a diameter of 13 centimetres, but the large ceramic dog bowl is slightly smaller than the standard. It’s still suitable for most large dogs, but we think it might be a bit small for Mastiffs and St. Bernards.

Even though it’s just a “bowl,” that’s not a good enough reason not to buy the most stylish option out there. If you like matching products, then you’ll surely love these ceramic bowls by Bone Dry.

The first that will surely grab your attention is a large choice of colours. From neutrals like grey and black to vivids like green and nautical blue, there’s surely a shade that will look good in your home.

When it comes to sizes, they range from S to L. But they’re a bit smaller than the standard, with the smallest being 12 and the largest being 19 centimetres in diameter. Still, even large dogs belonging to members of our independent expert team, like German Shepherds, could easily use the L version without trouble.

Similar to our second choice, the bowl features a silicone rim at the bottom that keeps it from sliding around the floor when your pooch is eating and making a mess. This means you don’t have to use a non-skid mat underneath as well. To clean the bowl, you can just put it in the dishwasher on the top rack.

Depending on where you live, tap water might not be of the best quality. And while we might not notice it, our pets surely do see the difference in taste and smell. To give them the best drinking water possible, invest in a good pet fountain, like this ceramic one by PetSafe.

This fountain comes in two colour options, taupe and blue. It comes in a single size, with dimensions of 27 x 31 x 21 centimetres, meaning it’s pretty similar to standard bowls for large dogs. And with a capacity of 2 litres, this fountain is one of the best extra-large ceramic dog water bowls out there.

The fountain features an upper and lower dish as well as two water streams. This allows the dogs to drink in any way they want, whether it’s from the flow or the bowl itself. With a 12-voltage system and submersible pump, you don’t have to worry about this fountain making much noise.

What makes the water fresher is not just the fact that it’s constantly moving. The fountain also comes with a replaceable carbon filter that removes all the bad things that give water odour and flavour. And when it’s time for cleaning, I was able to simply put it on the top rack of my dishwasher and it came out as new.

Even though a good ceramic bowl can last a pretty long time with proper care, the initial cost is usually way bigger than with bowls made of other materials. Of course, there are exceptions. This product from Petface, for example, doesn’t break the bank.

The design of this bowl is pretty simple. It’s blue on the inside and white on the outside, with the lettering “doggy” which clearly indicates that your pooch is the owner of the bowl. This makes it similar to our number one choice in terms of only being available in one style.

Luckily, there are two sizes available, M and L. The former is 13 centimetres in diameter and suitable for small and medium pooches. For dogs like Golden Retrievers and bigger breeds, the latter size is a better option.

The bowl is quite heavy, so it stays in place even if your pooch is aggressively cleaning food leftovers from it. It’s also quite thick, so it keeps the water and food cool for quite some time. Like most ceramic bowls, it’s also easy to clean. You can hand wash it or put it in your dishwasher.

Most ceramic dog bowls on the market are suitable to be used for holding both food and water. But it’s the little things that make the difference, and that’s pretty clear with this water bowl by Mason Cash.

At the first glimpse, you can easily see that this bowl is taller than most other products on the market. It has a generous depth of 9 centimetres and can contain as much as 900 milliliters of water. This makes it a perfect product for those always-thirsty pooches.

But even though it’s tall, this bowl is by no means easy to tip over. It’s made of heavy-duty stoneware and weighs almost 1 kilogram when empty. I was happy to discover that this makes it suitable even for the largest and clumsiest of pooches, like mine.

The bowl has rather thick walls, so it keeps water cool for longer. But during hot summer days, that might not be enough. Our team of experts loved how it’s freezer-safe, so you can quickly cool your pooch’s water whenever needed. Plus, the bowl is also microwave-safe, so you can use it to warm up your dog’s food as well.

The Verdict

Everyone on our team of independent experts could agree that the ceramic bowl by Masterpet stands out from the rest with its simple yet durable design. And with different sizes available, you can surely find the one suitable for your pooch.

Alternatively, you can’t go wrong by choosing Gummi bowls either. With a silicone base and funny quotes, they’re surely unique enough.

References

1. Jones, C. “What Does It Mean When a Puppy Pushes His Bowl Away?” The Nest. Retrieved February 18, 2023. https://pets.thenest.com/mean-puppy-pushes-his-bowl-away-12362.html
2. Khoriaty, A. February 9, 2017. “What is the best material for pet food bowls?” PetMeds. Retrieved February 18, 2023. https://blog.petmeds.com/1800petmeds/what-is-the-best-material-for-pet-food-bowls/
3. McMahan, D. August 10, 2020. “You Aren’t Cleaning Your Pet’s Bowls Often Enough” The Kitchen. Retrieved February 18, 2023.  https://www.thekitchn.com/how-often-the-best-way-to-wash-pet-bowls-253830