I was stacking dishes and put a wet bowl inside of another one, and now they're stuck together. The bottom bowl is plastic, the top is ceramic. How can I get them unstuck, hopefully not breaking either bowl?

Melissa, April 2005

I just used washing up liquid around the rim of the bowl,rubbed it in well and it separated them.

Dee, August 2013

Smaller ceramic bowl got stuck inside of a bigger ceramic bowl. Put cold water inside the smaller bowl (up to about 1/4 inch below the rim). Put the stuck bowls inside the freezer for about 2 hrs. Take them out. Put a little oil around the rim of the inner bowl. Then put the stuck bowls upside down in the sink (make sure that you put something between the sink and bowls to prevent breakage). Run hot water on the bowls and slightly tap the outer bowl around the rim part of the inner bowl. A few seconds and...voila! They are separated and undamaged!

Lodeeh, March 2013

I had 2 small bowls stuck together. I put them both in a bigger bowl with a little hot tap water and then put ice cubes in the top small bowl. After leaving them like that for a couple of minutes, I put the paring knife between the two bowls and they popped apart just as was suggested. Thanks!

Bonnie, August 2009

I had the same problem, plastic bowl on the bottom, ceramic on the top, and heating the bottom and putting ice in the top didnt work alone. so i used a small pearing knift to get some air in at the rim of the bottom bowl and they popped open. It splashes, watch out!

gormleygirl, July 2008

Moira has the concept right, except she's got the details backwards.
put the bottom bowl in HOT water with COLD water or maybe an icecube in the top bowl.
Hot things expand and cold things contract.

Dongbin, August 2006

Heat the bottom one and cool the top one as plastic expands a lottttt more than ceramic.

Mr Kipper, September 2005

It's a bit late if you haven't already sorted it out, but for future reference, you put the bottom bowl in cold water and fill the top bowl with hot water. The bottom bowl expands very slightly, and the top bowl contracts. They should come apart without a struggle after a minute or so.

Moira, July 2005