The Staybowlizer is another handy silicone tool for a boat galley. Thanks to reader Renee Lindsay for pointing out to me!
It’s particularly useful for those who are planning longer passages where they are going to do more actual cooking and need to keep mixing bowls or serving bowls from sliding if no one is holding them.
It will also do double duty to make a pan and bowl into a double boiler and acts as a rattle-stopper between metal pans when stowed.
If you’ve ever been trying to fix a real meal while the boat is rolling some or worse, on a beat, you know that rule number one is to always keep a hand on the bowl when it’s on the counter. But then you can’t have too many ingredients out either, as you have to have a hand on each of those. So you end up holding the bowl with one hand and getting things out and putting them away with the other as locker doors swing and you try to keep your balance . . . since, of course, you don’t have a third hand to hold on with!
My solution was to stick the bowl in the sink, unless I had stuff in there (which I usually did), in which case I’d get a wet cloth and kind of wrap it around the bowl to keep it from moving. And on more than one occasion, it tipped over anyway.
So how is the Staybowlizer different? It looks like it’s just a ring. A little fancier than using a wet towel, but the same idea.
The difference is that if you put it on the counter “upside down,” and press the bowl or pan into it, it will create suction. The dish won’t slide or tip! (Must be on a nonporous surface — don’t expect this to work on a nonskid surface in the cockpit, for example.)
The Staybowlizer is 100% silicone, which is heat resistant up to 500 degrees Farenheit. With that in mind, you can also use it as a no-movement trivet for hot pans, particularly saucepans. Note though that it’s hard to get the suction to work on larger pans that sit on top of the Staybowlizer instead of being cradled down in it and actually makes things like a 9″ x 13″ pan tippy as they sit atop it.
The video below is very short and shows how it works. I think you can translate the general concept to uses on a boat! See below.
The Staybowlizer comes in six different colors. You can buy it from:
- On Amazon
- In Canada, from Lee Valley Tools (online and in stores) UPDATE: Currently the Staybowlizer is only available on Amazon.
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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Helen Marie Stanfield Bell says
Very cool…I use my sink to put my bowl in or extra ingredients to, that keeps things from running away….will have to look into this at Lee Valley
Jan Alexander says
That looks slick. In professional kitchens we do fine by making a sort of nest out of a dish towel or two.
Rosemary Cunningham Charlton says
love this idea. Very useful gadget.
Liz Davis says
Great idea! I want one.
Marsha Dickgieser says
I love when people have awesome ideas! !
Glenda Neild says
This looks like our hand held fishing line holder, not sure that would hold the heat though!
Carolyn Shearlock says
It’s way more flexible than the similar-looking hand reel we have.
Candy Ann Williams says
Cool!!
Tony Gariepy says
Nifty in the kitchen, especially on a boat!
Gimme Shelter says
Ah, they reviewed this on America’s Test Kitchen on Sunday and said it was a must have! Recommended by my two most trusted sources I almost have to buy it. :).
Sue says
Hi there.. love this idea but seems like it is discontinued.. I could only find it at Amazon.ca but for $75 CAD.. bit rich for my cruising budget
Carolyn Shearlock says
They’re about US$30 on US Amazon. Coming down to the States anytime soon? Have it sent to wherever you’ll be staying, maybe.