Wire, Woven or Rattan? How to Pick the Best Bread Basket

A basket of warm bread is one of the small things that turns a meal into a table. It gives everyone something to reach for while the rest of the food arrives, and it is easier to pass than a cutting board. It only takes a napkin and something to hold it.

This guide covers bread baskets for serving at the table, in wire, woven poly and rattan. They are not the same thing as the cane baskets used for rising dough, which are in our bread proofing basket guide, and they are not for storing a loaf for days, which is what a bread box does best.

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Quick verdict: which bread basket to buy

Five bread baskets compared

One pick for each kind of table, with sizes as the listings give them. All eight baskets are covered below.

We list no prices because they change. Check each listing for the current one.

Our picks for the best bread basket

Every basket below is a serving basket that its own listing ties to bread, from an identifiable maker, and every one was in stock with a new offer when we checked.

How to choose a bread basket

A bread basket is simple, so the choice comes down to the size of your table, what you serve and how you want to clean up.

Start with what you serve

Rolls and pan dulce want a deep, round or oval basket. A long loaf or baguette wants a long, narrow one. Sliced bolillo sits well in a slim basket, standing in a row. Think about the bread you buy most often and choose for that, not for the holiday meal you have once a year.

Measure the space on the table

A bread basket should sit where two or three people can reach it. On a table with plates, glasses and serving dishes, an 8 or 9 inch basket is usually enough. A long table may do better with two small baskets than with one big one. If you serve on a serving tray, measure it, since a basket should sit flat inside the rim.

Use a liner

Open wire and woven baskets are not sealed surfaces, and most of them come without a liner. A clean cloth napkin or a sheet of food-safe paper keeps crumbs from falling through, keeps the bread off the basket and makes washing up simpler. Cal-Mil’s listing says it plainly: just add a napkin. A folded napkin over the top also holds in some warmth.

Be realistic about warmth

A plain basket does not keep bread hot. A napkin slows the cooling, and that is about all. If warm bread matters, heat it right before you serve it and bring it out in small batches. For tortillas, a dedicated tortilla warmer is the better tool, and our guide to reheating Mexican leftovers covers how to warm them. You will also find baskets sold with terracotta warming stones, which are covered in our notes on what we left out below.

Check how it cleans

Powder-coated wire should be washed by hand. Rattan should be wiped and kept dry. G.E.T.’s polypropylene baskets can go in the dishwasher. If you know you will not hand wash a basket, buy the G.E.T. set or plan to use paper liners every time.

How we chose these eight bread baskets

We have not used these baskets ourselves. We started from what a kitchen asks of a bread basket: hold the bread, sit neatly on the table and clean up easily. We looked at baskets sold on Amazon in the United States by identifiable makers, and we kept only baskets whose own listing ties them to bread. That ruled out many nice wire baskets from good foodservice makers, which are listed only as wire baskets or are aimed at sandwiches and fries.

Stock ruled out others, including several Winco and TableCraft woven baskets that were running low. Banneton proofing baskets showed up in most searches, but those are for rising dough. A Lenox porcelain basket is attractive, but porcelain needs a maker’s lead-free statement on this site and we did not have one. We also left out warming sets with terracotta stones, including a Mud Pie set, because the listings did not tell us enough about the terracotta, and most others came from little-known brands. Many low-cost poly wicker sets also came from brands with no independent review, so we passed on them for something that touches food.

Independent reviews are thin. Our searches found retailer listings, a few buyer comments and affiliate roundups, but no test of these baskets from a publication we would cite, and we found no independent review of the Kouboo. So these picks rest on the listing and maker details, and we say so plainly.

Bread basket questions, answered

What is the best bread basket for the table?

For most homes, an oval basket of about 9 to 11 inches is the right size, lined with a napkin. Our first pick is the Mikasa rope basket. For a long loaf, choose the Kouboo.

Do you need a liner in a bread basket?

We would use one. A cloth napkin or food-safe paper catches crumbs and keeps bread off the wire or weave. G.E.T. suggests a food-safe paper liner on its listing, and Cal-Mil suggests a napkin. Wash cloth liners between meals.

How do you keep bread warm in a basket?

Warm the bread just before serving, line the basket with a thick napkin and fold the corners over the top. That will hold some warmth for a while, but a plain basket is not a warmer. Bring out a second small batch instead of filling the basket once.

How do you clean a bread basket?

Follow the listing. Mikasa says to wipe with a damp cloth, Kouboo says to wipe it clean and keep it dry, and G.E.T. says its baskets are dishwasher safe. Retailers describe TableCraft’s Artisan baskets as hand wash only. Dry any metal basket right away.

Can a bread basket be used for fruit or tortillas?

Yes for fruit, and Mikasa’s listing suggests it. For tortillas, a basket works for serving at room temperature, but it will not keep them warm or soft. A lidded warmer is a better choice for that.

Our first choice for your table

Buy the Mikasa if you want one good basket for family dinners, the Kouboo for a long loaf, or the Winco for a restaurant look. To go with it, see our guides to the best bread box, the best bread knife and the best butter dish.

When you would rather let someone else set the table, see our menu and call to order.