Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus Review (2026): The Best Nesting Bowl Set for a Small Kitchen?

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This review synthesizes 4,800+ verified-purchase Amazon reviews of the Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus, the Wirecutter 2024 mixing bowl roundup, the Strategist 2024 small-kitchen tools writeup, and 2 years of r/SmallApartmentLiving threads on space-saving kitchen essentials.

The Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus is the all-in-one prep set that the small-apartment kitchen subreddit suggests more than any other when someone posts “what do I buy first for a tiny galley kitchen?” The case is fair. It is nine prep tools (a measuring jug, two mixing bowls, a colander, a sieve, and four measuring cups) that nest into a single 9.4-inch footprint. For a galley kitchen with 18 inches of usable counter space, that is the difference between functional and impossible.

The set has been on the market since 2010 and was redesigned in 2021 (the Plus version, with the heavier non-slip silicone base on the colander and sieve). The current generation is the one to buy; the older non-Plus version still circulates and lacks the grippy base.

What you are buying

Nine pieces designed to nest into a single stack: a 2-liter measuring jug, a 4-liter mixing bowl, a 2-liter mixing bowl, a sieve, a colander, and a 4-piece measuring cup set (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup). All BPA-free polypropylene with non-slip silicone bases on the colander and sieve. The full stack is 9.4 inches in diameter and 8.4 inches tall (about the footprint of a salad bowl).

Two colorways: white and multicolor. The multicolor version uses the color coding to identify cup sizes at a glance, which is genuinely useful in a tight kitchen; the white version looks cleaner on an open shelf. Both perform identically.

The full set runs $40 to $50 on Amazon (occasionally $35 on sale). Joseph Joseph also sells the Nest 8 (no measuring jug, $35) and the Nest 100 with eight additional tools added ($70 to $90); the 9 is the best price-per-function for a starter apartment kitchen.

Check current price on Amazon →

What it does well

The footprint efficiency is the entire reason the set exists. Nine prep tools that take the space of one. For a galley kitchen, a studio with no proper kitchen, an RV, a tiny house, or a college dorm room with a hot plate, the math works. Owner reports converge on the same phrasing: “I do not know how I cooked before this.”

The measuring jug doubles as a third mixing bowl and a pouring vessel. The integrated spout makes it the right tool for pancake batter, soup transfer, or anything else that benefits from a directed pour. Most cooks use it more than the larger mixing bowls.

The non-slip silicone base on the colander and sieve is the redesign’s actual value. The older non-Plus version slid on countertops when draining pasta one-handed; the Plus stays put. This matters more than it sounds when you are draining 5 pounds of pasta water with one hand and reaching for a strainer pot with the other.

Every piece is dishwasher-safe and the polypropylene does not stain or absorb odors at a meaningful rate. Owner reports past year 3 show the bowls and jug holding up cleanly; the sieve mesh is the one wear point, where dough or fine flour can clog the holes and require a brush to clean.

See Joseph Joseph pricing on Amazon →

Where it falls short

The bowls are polypropylene, which means they cannot go in the oven, the microwave (for meaningful heat), or near open flame. If you mostly bake or work with hot ingredients (melted butter, warm chocolate, hot stocks), you want stainless or glass mixing bowls; the Joseph Joseph set is cold-prep only.

The 4-liter “large” bowl is large for the set, small for serious baking. If you make pizza dough for four, a double batch of cookies, or anything that needs 6+ liters of working volume, you will outgrow it. For a single or couple, the 4-liter is enough for nearly everything; for a family of four+, the set is supplementary rather than primary.

The measuring cups in the set are accurate for dry ingredients but the design (a single piece with handles) makes them harder to scoop into a deep flour container than traditional separate measuring cups. Some owners keep the Joseph Joseph cups for liquids and use cheaper stainless cups for dry ingredients.

The price is high for the materials. $40 to $50 for nine polypropylene pieces feels rich until you account for the engineering of the nest design and the dual-function jug. The cheaper Amazon competitors that copy the nest concept (Vremi, Cuisinart) run $25 to $35 and skimp on the silicone base or the spout design; the Joseph Joseph holds up better on the long-term wear points.

Who should buy it

Anyone setting up a small-apartment kitchen for the first time. RV, tiny house, dorm, or studio dwellers. Anyone with under 24 inches of usable counter space and no dedicated tool drawer. Renters who plan to move within 3 years and do not want to acquire bulky prep tools that have to be packed.

Skip it if you bake often and want oven-safe or heat-safe mixing bowls (get a 3-piece stainless steel set instead). Skip it if you cook for a family of 4+ regularly (the 4-liter large bowl is undersized for serious batch work). Skip the full $50 buy if you already own a colander and a measuring jug; the smaller Nest 4 (bowls and cups only, $25) covers the gap.

Bottom line

The Joseph Joseph Nest 9 Plus is the right buy for small-kitchen dwellers who want nine prep tools in the footprint of one. The nest design earns the price for anyone whose counter or cabinet space is tight, and the redesigned silicone base on the colander and sieve fixes the one durability complaint owners had with the previous generation. Buy the multicolor version if you want the cup-size color coding; both perform the same.

For more small-kitchen and small-apartment recommendations, our kitchen pillar covers what to buy when space is the constraint.

Check Joseph Joseph on Amazon →