The Functional Rating runs from 1 - 5 and is my way of giving you an idea of how functional a bowl or platter is.

It depends on the type of wood, whether it has a smooth surface on the inside or is a more artistic piece with voids and inclusions. 

Some bowls are made to be very functional and some are not.  The functionality scale gives you a quick indication. 

Functional Rating

1 = Solely suitable as a display piece or art piece. 

2 = Suitable to hold large items such as fruit or bread.       May have large voids. 

3 = Suitable as a fruit bowl or for leafy salads. May have voids, but is robust. 

4 = Quite suitable for daily salads and the like.  Water-tight but may be finely turned or have a natural edge.

 5 = Suitable for almost everything including hot foods, even soup.  These items are robust and can be treated as real work-horses.