A stand mixer is one of the best investments for home cooks and bakers, but the second best investment is getting an extra bowl so your appliance can be even more efficient.

If you need egg yolks and whites whipped separately or different colors of icing or batter, an extra bowl means you can mix up something new without having to clean your only bowl.

Also, when making a double batch of baked goods, you can mix one bowl of batter and then immediately mix a second one, instead of starting the whole recipe over.

A stand mixer bowl can also be used as an all-purpose bowl that holds quite a lot, and you can use it to catch excess water when straining pasta or to toss a big batch of salad.

A mixing bowl's large size also makes it great for holding a lot of broth or proofing bread dough. Some even include handles that make the large bowls easier to move around.