There are many different types of dog food bowls, but stainless-steel bowls are some of the best options for many dogs. They’re more durable than other materials and can also be more hygienic.
There isn’t a whole lot of variety when it comes to stainless steel bowls, but many manufacturers sell them with additional features to make them stand out from their competitors. We have some reviews on different kinds of stainless-steel dog bowls to help you determine what kind of setup will work best for your dog.
We also have some answers to frequently asked questions, so by the end of reading this article, you’ll know everything you need to know to purchase the best stainless-steel bowl for your dog.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (Updated in 2023)
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Hepper Nom Nom Stainless Steel Bowl
Raised dish for level eating
Dishwasher safe (top rack)
Wide lip on Tray catches crumbs
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Best Value
Loving Pets Bella Bowls Pet Bowl
Dishwasher safe
Variety of cute designs
Non-slip rubber bottom
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Premium Choice
Neater Pets Neater Feeder Deluxe Elevated & Mess-Proof Dog Bowls
Easy cleanup
Dishwasher safe
Elevated for an easy eating experience
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Best for Puppies
MidWest Stainless Steel Snap’y Fit Dog Kennel Bowl
Rust-proof
Comes in various sizes
Great for crate training
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Frisco Double Stainless Steel Dog & Cat Bowl with Silicone Mat
Mess-free
Easy for dogs to eat out of
Set comes with non-slip silicone mat
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The 11 Best Stainless Steel Dog Bowls
The Hepper Nom Nom Bowl is our pick for the best stainless steel dog bowl. This well-designed bowl features a dishwasher-safe double bowl insert within a handy drip/crumb tray. The Nom Nom Bowl is ideal for dogs that love to make a mess when they eat or drink. It keeps stray kibble off the floor and is durable and easy to clean. The Nom Nom Bowl is suitable for dry food, canned food, or water and meets all your dog’s nourishment needs!
Bowl Diameter: 9 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes, top rack
Additional Features: Raised dish for level eating
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Dog gear isn’t always pleasant to look at, especially bowls. However, the Nom Nom has a modern and functional design without sacrificing style. This bowl is highly-rated, with users loving the product’s appearance and how effectively it keeps messes contained. However, it is more expensive than some of the bowls on our list and is only available in one size, which may be too small for larger dogs.
Overall, we think The Hepper Nom Nom Bowl is the best stainless steel dog bowl you can find this year!
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Pros
Helps keep food and water spills contained Dishwasher-safe Stylish and functional Works for dry food, canned food, and water
Cons
Expensive
May be too small for larger dogs
Loving Pets Bella Bowls Pet Bowls are some of the best stainless-steel dog bowls for the money you pay because they have a lot of great features. These bowls have a poly-resin exterior with different kinds of cute designs to fit your dog’s style and personality. Each bowl also has a rubber base on the bottom to keep the bowl firmly in place and reduce spills. You can also easily remove the base to put the bowl in the dishwasher.
Helps keep food and water spills contained Dishwasher-safe Stylish and functional Works for dry food, canned food, and water
- Helps keep food and water spills contained
- Dishwasher-safe
- Stylish and functional
- Works for dry food, canned food, and water
Expensive
May be too small for larger dogs
- Expensive
- May be too small for larger dogs
Bowl Diameter: 5 inches, 6.75 inches, 8.5 inches, 9 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Non-slip rubber base, cute design
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The stainless-steel interior is naturally bacteria-resistant, and the bowls also conveniently come in different sizes. So, you can purchase a set for all kinds of dogs. The only types of dogs we wouldn’t recommend this bowl for is brachycephalic dog breeds, which are dogs with flat faces. These types of dogs benefit from bowls with a shallow depth or elevated dog bowls. The depth of these bowls is relatively deep, so these dogs may have a difficult time eating from them.
Pros
Non-slip rubber bottom
Variety of cute designs
Dishwasher safe
Various size options
Cons
Not for brachycephalic dog breeds
The Neater Feeder Deluxe Elevated & Mess-Proof Dog Bowls are one of the best premium stainless steel dog bowls you can find. The stainless-steel bowls are lightweight and dishwasher-safe, and you can easily wash the stand with soap and warm water.
Non-slip rubber bottom
Variety of cute designs
Dishwasher safe
Various size options
- Non-slip rubber bottom
- Variety of cute designs
- Dishwasher safe
- Various size options
Not for brachycephalic dog breeds
- Not for brachycephalic dog breeds
Bowl Diameter: 25 inches, 6.5 inches, 8.25 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Elevated, mess-free
The elevated stand helps all kinds of dogs eat comfortably. It has guard walls to prevent splashing and getting food all over the floor. There are also drainage holes at the base of the bowls so that water and food fall through for easy cleanup. The stand does have a bit of an awkward shape, and it’s not machine washable, so it can be a little convenient trying to thoroughly clean it.
The overall design of this stainless-steel bowl set is great for brachycephalic dog breeds and senior dogs experiencing joint pain. It also comes in three different sizes, so most dogs can comfortably eat from them.
Pros
Mess-free
Easy cleanup
Dishwasher safe
Elevated for an easy eating experience
Cons
Stand isn’t easy to clean
This stainless-steel bowl is perfect for puppies and crate training. It has clips that secure tightly to crates, so they don’t tip over and spill any food or water. The stainless steel is rust-proof and long-lasting. The bowls come in several different sizes, and they’re relatively affordable compared to other steel bowls. So, they can grow with your puppy.
Mess-free
Easy cleanup
Dishwasher safe
Elevated for an easy eating experience
- Mess-free
- Easy cleanup
- Dishwasher safe
- Elevated for an easy eating experience
Stand isn’t easy to clean
- Stand isn’t easy to clean
Bowl Diameter: 5 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches
Dishwasher Safe: No
Additional Features: Clips to crates
Overall, these stainless-steel bowls are the perfect companion for puppies and crate training. However, they don’t have any grips on the bottom, so they’ll slide around without being latched to a wall, and you’ll probably need a non-slip mat if you don’t use a crate.
Pros
Great for crate training
Rust-proof
Comes in various sizes
Cons
No grip on the bottom
We love the Frisco Double Stainless Steel Dog & Cat Bowl with Silicone Mat because of its thoughtful design. This set comes with two stainless steel bowls that have a depth of 1-inch, so it can contain a good amount of food, and it’s easy for your dog to eat from them. The bowls are also dishwasher-safe on the top rack.
Great for crate training
Rust-proof
Comes in various sizes
- Great for crate training
- Rust-proof
- Comes in various sizes
No grip on the bottom
- No grip on the bottom
Bowl Diameter: 5 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Non-slip silicone mat
The silicone mat has two inserts for each bowl so that the bowls firmly stay in place as your dog eats and drinks. The mat also has raised edges to keep food and water inside.
This set is perfect for small to medium-sized dogs. It may not be able to contain enough food for large and giant dog breeds. However, it checks all the boxes for a high-quality, stainless-steel bowl, making it one of our best stainless steel dog bowls.
Pros
Set comes with non-slip silicone mat
Easy for dogs to eat out of
Dishwasher-safe
Mess-free
Cons
Not big enough for large and giant breeds
Slow-feeding bowls are a great option for dogs that don’t chew their food or get upset stomachs from eating too fast. Most slow-feeding bowls are made of plastic, which many heavy chewers can easily damage and break.
Set comes with non-slip silicone mat
Easy for dogs to eat out of
Dishwasher-safe
Mess-free
- Set comes with non-slip silicone mat
- Easy for dogs to eat out of
- Dishwasher-safe
- Mess-free
Not big enough for large and giant breeds
- Not big enough for large and giant breeds
Bowl Diameter: 6 inches, 9.5 inches, 11.1 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Non-slip grip, slow feeding
This durable stainless-steel option is a great choice to safely help dogs slow down when they eat. It uses heavyweight stainless steel and comes in several different sizes, so many kinds of dogs may use it. We just don’t recommend it for dogs with short snouts because it can be difficult for them to pick up the last bits of kibble due to the narrow design of the bowl.
The bottom of the bowl is covered in rubber to keep the bowl in place and reduce noise while your dog eats. The whole thing is dishwasher safe, so cleanup is quick and easy.
Pros
Slow feeder helps dogs avoid an upset stomach
Made with heavy-duty stainless steel
Available in various sizes
Non-skid rubber bottom
Dishwasher-safe
Cons
Not for dogs with short snouts
This bowl conveniently measures out dog food, so you don’t ever have to worry about overfeeding and underfeeding your dog. It’s a great option for dogs that need help with weight management and weight loss.
Slow feeder helps dogs avoid an upset stomach
Made with heavy-duty stainless steel
Available in various sizes
Non-skid rubber bottom
Dishwasher-safe
- Slow feeder helps dogs avoid an upset stomach
- Made with heavy-duty stainless steel
- Available in various sizes
- Non-skid rubber bottom
- Dishwasher-safe
Not for dogs with short snouts
- Not for dogs with short snouts
Bowl Diameter: 54 inches, 9.06 inches
Dishwasher Safe: No
Additional Features: Weighs food
The bowl attaches to an electronic scale that has an LCD screen that displays the weight of the food inside the bowl. It can display measurements in pounds, grams, ounces, fluid ounces, and milliliters.
When you want to clean the bowl, you can quickly detach it from the scale for easy cleaning. It’s not dishwasher-safe, but using soap and water usually cleans the bowl well as long as you’re cleaning it regularly.
Pros
Great for weight management
Different measurement options
Bowl is easy to detach from scale
Cons
Not dishwasher-safe
- Frisco Curved Triple Feeder Stainless Steel Dog & Cat Bowl
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Bowl Diameter: 75 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Bowls are dishwasher-safe
Additional Features: Elevated
This stainless-steel bowl set from Frisco is a great option for homes with multiple pets or dogs that have a combined diet of dry and wet food. You can use two bowls for food and one bowl for water or use all the bowls for food, depending on the number of pets in your house.
Great for weight management
Different measurement options
Bowl is easy to detach from scale
- Great for weight management
- Different measurement options
- Bowl is easy to detach from scale
Not dishwasher-safe
- Not dishwasher-safe
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Bowl Diameter: 75 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Bowls are dishwasher-safe
Additional Features: Elevated
The bowls also come with an elevated stand to help dogs have an easier time eating. It’s easy to remove the stainless-steel bowls and put them in the dishwasher for cleaning. The frame isn’t machine washable, but it’s easy to hand-wash them.
There are currently two sizes available–small and large. The small size is great for small breeds, and the large size can accommodate larger breeds. There isn’t a set that’s a good size for medium-sized dog breeds. So, these dogs often have to opt for the large size, which can be too big for them.
Pros
Good for multi-pet homes
Good for dogs that eat wet and dry food
Elevated stand for easy feeding
Dishwasher-safe bowls
Good for small and large dogs
Cons
No size for medium dog breeds
- OurPets Tilt-A-Bowl Rubber-Bonded Non-Skid Stainless Steel Dog Bowl
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Bowl Diameter: 5 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Easy feeding
This uniquely-shaped OurPets bowl works well with puppies and senior dogs. It has a tilted opening, so it can contain a lot of food without being as deep as traditional bowls. Senior dogs don’t have to worry about putting pressure on their backs and necks to eat food, and puppies have an easy time getting to the food.
Good for multi-pet homes
Good for dogs that eat wet and dry food
Elevated stand for easy feeding
Dishwasher-safe bowls
Good for small and large dogs
- Good for multi-pet homes
- Good for dogs that eat wet and dry food
- Elevated stand for easy feeding
- Dishwasher-safe bowls
- Good for small and large dogs
No size for medium dog breeds
- No size for medium dog breeds
Bowl Diameter: 5 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Easy feeding
The stainless-steel bowl also has a bonded rubber ring on the bottom that’s supposed to permanently stay attached to the bow. It prevents skidding and tipping over the bowl. The bowl itself is made with hygienic and durable stainless steel. It’s easy to handwash and is also dishwasher-safe.
The only issue with this bowl is that it only holds dry food. Since it’s tilted, it can’t contain a lot of water or wet food.
Pros
Eases pressure from joints and back
Non-skid rubber ring
Dishwasher-safe
Cons
Can’t hold liquids
- Sam’s Pets Dan Single Wood & Stainless Steel Dog Bowl
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Bowl Diameter: 8 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Elevated
Sam’s Pets Dan Single Wood & Stainless Steel Dog Bowl is a classy and sleek elevated stainless steel bowl. The stand is made of metal and wood and has a non-leaking design, so your floors remain mess-free.
Eases pressure from joints and back
Non-skid rubber ring
Dishwasher-safe
- Eases pressure from joints and back
- Non-skid rubber ring
- Dishwasher-safe
Can’t hold liquids
- Can’t hold liquids
Bowl Diameter: 8 inches
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Additional Features: Elevated
The bowl is high-quality and rust-free. It has a good amount of depth so that you can fit a lot of food and water in them. Cleanup is also very simple and quick. All you have to do is pop the bowls from the stand and put them in the dishwasher. The stand has a simple and modern design that makes it relatively easy to clean.
Aside from its expensive price, this stainless-steel bowl is a great addition to anyone’s home. It makes your dog’s eating area look clean and organized while helping your dog eat more comfortably.
Pros
Sleek and modern design
Non-leaking stand
Rust-free stainless steel
Machine washable
Cons
Expensive price
The K&H Pet Products Thermal-Bowl is a thoughtfully designed stainless steel bowl for dogs that spend a lot of time outside. It has a built-in heater that prevents water and wet dog food from freezing. This bowl isn’t meant to heat up food and keep it warm. Instead, it’ll always keep your dog’s food and water at a safe temperature.
Sleek and modern design
Non-leaking stand
Rust-free stainless steel
Machine washable
- Sleek and modern design
- Non-leaking stand
- Rust-free stainless steel
- Machine washable
Expensive price
- Expensive price
Bowl Diameter: 13 inches
Dishwasher Safe: No
Additional Features: Heats water
The bowl comes with a chew-resistant steel-wrapped cord, and all electrical parts are safely concealed. It’s also MET-listed, which means that it was approved by an independent quality control lab.
Because this bowl is mainly for outdoor use, it’s suitable for larger working dogs. Smaller dogs may have a hard time using this bowl because it’s rather large and deep.
Pros
Prevents water from freezing
Electric cord is chew-resistant
Safety-approved by independent lab
Cons
Too large for small dogs
Doesn’t keep wet food warm
Prevents water from freezing
Electric cord is chew-resistant
Safety-approved by independent lab
- Prevents water from freezing
- Electric cord is chew-resistant
- Safety-approved by independent lab
Too large for small dogs
Doesn’t keep wet food warm
- Too large for small dogs
- Doesn’t keep wet food warm
In general, stainless steel is a great material for dog bowls. However, some myths and facts that were taken out of context can make some people hesitant about switching their dog bowls to stainless steel. Here’s additional information for frequently asked questions that will help provide more clarity on if your dog will benefit from a steel bowl.
Which is better for dog bowls: glass or stainless steel?
Overall, stainless steel is the superior option when compared to other common materials used for dog bowls. High-quality stainless steel is rust-free and is often dishwasher safe. Unlike glass and ceramic bowls, stainless steel bowls won’t break if you accidentally drop them.
You also won’t have to worry about any chemicals seeping into your dog’s food and water, like low-quality plastic and aluminum bowls.
Do stainless-steel dog bowls rust?
No, true stainless-steel dog bowls won’t rust if you continue to clean and wash them properly. Bowls that do rust may not be made with real stainless steel, or they’re not taken care of very well.
Factors such as chemical cleaners, chloride, high humidity, and abrasions can also cause stainless steel to rust. If you’re regularly cleaning your dog’s stainless-steel bowls according to the manufacturer’s instructions, you shouldn’t see any rust on the bowls.
Do stainless-steel bowls cause tear stains?
Stainless-steel bowls don’t cause tear stains in dogs. The bowl material isn’t the main factor that may cause tear stains to appear around dogs’ eyes. The presence of bacteria in food can cause eye infections, which can then make your dog’s eyes tear up and stain its face.
Therefore, bacteria-resistant stainless-steel bowls can help prevent eye infections, but as long as you’re regularly cleaning your dog’s bowls, they’re less likely to develop an eye infection.
Do dogs not like metal bowls?
Some dogs may not like the sounds that metal bowls make. They can create clanging and scraping sounds whenever dogs try to eat out of them. To reduce the noise, try using a stainless-steel bowl with a rubber bottom so that it won’t slide around and make loud sounds. You can also place a non-slip silicone mat to keep the bowl in place and muffle any additional noises.
Are stainless-steel dog bowls microwave-safe?
The one inconvenient thing about stainless steel bowls is that they’re not microwavable. Stainless steel reflects microwaves, which can cause sparking. Therefore, it can be inconvenient for people who warm up their dog’s wet food before serving.
Conclusion
Our reviews indicate that the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl is the best stainless steel dog bowl. This well-designed bowl features a dishwasher-safe double bowl insert within a handy drip/crumb tray.
The Loving Pets Bella Bowls Pet Bowl is another great option that comes with a lot more size varieties and is set at a relatively affordable price.
Overall, stainless steel dog bowls are durable, rust-free, and easy to clean. They’ll also last you a very long time and will be worth the higher price that you pay for them.
Featured Image Credit: Chewy
