Rhombe Bowl Sizes: Ø8.5, Ø11, Ø13 or Ø15.5 cm Compared

Lyngby Porcelæn makes the white Rhombe bowl in four diameters: 8.5, 11, 13 and 15.5 cm. On a product page they look almost identical, the same crisp porcelain and the same raised rhombus band, so the real question is which size suits the food you serve most and the cupboard you have to keep it in.

This guide sets the four side by side, gives each one a job at the table, and covers the practical points of weight, stacking and shelf depth.

One pattern, four diameters

Rhombe takes its relief from the Lyngby Porcelæn archive. The rhombus motif comes from the factory's mid-century tableware, and the series reworks it as clean raised lines on white porcelain, so you can both see the pattern and feel it under your fingers. The range is credited to the Copenhagen studio Karakter Copenhagen, which reinterpreted the archive pattern for today's table. Lyngby Porcelæn itself dates back to 1936, and Rhombe is one of the series that has carried the name into contemporary kitchens.

Because the relief sits on the outside wall, every size reads as part of the same family. A table laid with three of the four diameters looks deliberate rather than mixed. The sizes also share a height of around 6 to 6.5 cm, which matters more than it first appears: the bowls grow wider rather than deeper as you move up the range.

The four sizes compared

The figures below are taken from each product's specification. Where a measurement is not listed, the table says so rather than guessing.

The weights tell a quiet story. Going from Ø11 to Ø13 cm adds only 70 grams, while the step up to Ø15.5 cm adds another 140. The largest bowl is noticeably more substantial in the hand, which suits a piece that often travels from counter to table full of food.

Matching each size to a use

Ø8.5 cm: the dip bowl

The Rhombe Bowl Ø8.5 cm white is the one people underestimate. It is too small for a meal, and that is its strength. Use it for a sauce beside dumplings, soy and wasabi with sushi, olives or salted almonds with a drink, or a spoonful of jam on the breakfast tray. Several in a row down the middle of the table make a simple mezze setting without bringing out serving platters.

Ø11 cm: cereal and yoghurt

At 0.32 L, the Rhombe Bowl Ø11 cm white holds a sensible morning portion of muesli or yoghurt with fruit. Its 6.5 cm wall keeps milk where it belongs, and at 0.17 kg it is light enough for children to carry to the table. It also works as a dessert bowl for ice cream or a small fruit salad, and as a prep bowl for chopped herbs or garlic while you cook.

Ø13 cm: the soup bowl

The Rhombe Bowl Ø13 cm white has the same height as the Ø11 but a wider opening, which gives a soup or broth more surface to cool and more room for a spoon. As a reference, the Rhombe Color bowl in the same diameter is listed at 0.5 L, a generous serving of soup, ramen or a chunky stew. If you only buy one size for everyday meals, this is usually the one.

Ø15.5 cm: side salad and shallow serving

The Rhombe Bowl Ø15.5 cm white is the odd one out, and deliberately so. At 6 cm high it is slightly lower than the Ø11 and Ø13 while being much wider, which puts it between a dessert plate and a bowl. It is the natural choice for a side salad next to a main course, and it also handles noodle soups, rice dishes, small portions of pasta and desserts. At breakfast it takes porridge or yoghurt with plenty of space for toppings. There is something relaxed about eating from a shallow bowl held in one hand, and the relief gives the outside a good grip.

Stacking and cupboard depth

Bowls of a single diameter stack neatly on top of one another, and because all four Rhombe sizes have a similar height, a stack takes up much the same height whichever size you choose. Mixed stacks are another matter. A smaller bowl can sit inside a larger one, but nesting different diameters in a busy cupboard tends to chip rims over time, so keep each size in its own column where you can.

Shelf depth is worth measuring before you settle on the largest size. The Ø15.5 cm bowl needs a clear 15.5 cm from the back of the shelf to the door, plus a little room for your fingers to lift it out. Most kitchen wall cabinets have that, but shallow open shelving, a narrow dresser or a cupboard above a cooker hood can be tighter than you think. The Ø11 and Ø13 sizes fit almost anywhere, and the Ø8.5 cm bowls can live two deep on a shelf or tucked into a drawer.

The Ø11, Ø13 and Ø15.5 cm listings state that the bowls are dishwasher and microwave safe, so reheating leftovers and clearing up need no special handling. In the dishwasher, the smaller sizes fit comfortably in the top basket, while the Ø15.5 cm usually goes in the lower rack with the plates.

Which sizes to combine

• For a first set: Ø13 cm for soup and main-course bowls, plus Ø11 cm for breakfast. These two cover most daily use and share the same height on the shelf.
• For a table that serves salads and sides: add the Ø15.5 cm as a side bowl beside each plate.
• For entertaining: a handful of Ø8.5 cm bowls for dips, sauces and nibbles turns any meal into something you can share.
• For a small kitchen: choose two sizes rather than four, and let the Ø8.5 cm take the place of a ramekin or small dish.

If you are also deciding between finishes, our guide to Rhombe White, Rhombe Color or Rhombe Earth covers how the glazes compare. To build out the rest of the table with plates, cups and serveware, see the full Tableware & Kitchen collection.