This Dip Bowl Has an Innovative Feature to Keep Food Hot or Cold for Hours (It’s Perfect for Entertaining!)

Even though a few sales are still going on, Labor Day just came to a close, and usually that means it’s time to leave the summer behind and get in the mood for fall. However, this year isn’t like most, and the scorching temperatures are stubbornly lingering. Still, we can’t let that stop us from entertaining (and eating) outdoors. Picnics, cookouts, dinner parties are some of the great joys in life, and we’re willing to brave the heat for them.

If we aren’t going to get much relief from the weather, we’re going to have to get crafty. A few weeks ago, we found an ingenious plastic serving tray that can store ice in a secret compartment, keeping your charcuterie, fruits, and cheeses cold for hours in the sun. We thought it couldn’t be topped, but we just discovered a nifty bowl from Uncommon Goods — one of our go-to destinations for kitchen gadgets — that can maintain your dish’s ideal temp for just as long. Intrigued? Read on for more.

It’s always disappointing when you head over to get a bite of the snack you prepared an hour or two after setting it out, and discover that it’s room temperature — or either way too warm or cold. It totally puts a damper on how good your food is and makes you feel like all of your hard work went to waste! Plus — and most importantly — maintaining the freshness of perishable foods for as long as possible is key when entertaining, inside or outside.

This 24-ounce ceramic bowl has a clever design that does exactly that — it’s actually two pieces, with a smaller bowl that nests inside the larger one. However, the top piece leaves some space between it and the bottom of the base piece for ice cubes or warm water. It really is as easy as it sounds: Fill up the base with whatever best fits your dish’s temperature, load the top bowl with your food, then slide it into the base. 

And, on top of prolonging your food’s freshness and temperature, it doesn’t hurt that the bowl looks great on your countertop, too. The food-safe ceramic glaze coating is a gorgeous forest green, and the edge of the bowl has a wavy trim that provides a little flair. And it’s dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe! So, whether you’re serving food inside or out — in the heat or in the cold — this bowl is a total score. I’m heading over to Uncommon Goods ASAP!

Buy: Perfect Temperature Hot or Cold Dip Bowl, $42