Charred corn, ripe peaches, and a platter for the porch

Late-summer dinner can start with two things that need using: corn still sweet enough to eat plainly, and peaches firm enough to lift off a grill. Put them on a broad platter rather than tossing everything together. The corn can take some handling; warm peach wedges need a gentler trip from grate to plate.

The dressing stays small. Lemon gives it sharpness, a teaspoon of honey rounds it out, and the olive oil is divided between the produce and the vinaigrette. Whisk the dressing before the peaches go on, so nobody has to choose between rescuing the fruit and finding the salt. A second person can tear basil and separate the onion slices while the grill is occupied.

Give the delicate part less heat

Cook the corn first. Turn it until the kernels are tender with browned patches, then use the cleared space for the peaches. Their marks should be a finish, not a reason to keep cooking until the wedges lose their shape. Firm fruit, grate spacing and grill heat all affect the timing.

Corn rounds are awkward to cut. Use a stable board and a suitable sturdy knife, keeping your free hand away from the blade; do not force a knife through a wobbling cob. If the cut feels unsafe, grill the ears whole and cut them only after they are cool enough to handle safely. That changes the handling time. Use a grill pan or suitable basket if the pieces could fall through the grate.

Keep the serving platter separate from the mixing bowl. Spoon dressing over the corn and peaches, then tuck the onion and basil between them. There is no need to subject the fruit to a vigorous toss just because a large bowl is available.

A practical bowl before a premium one

For this job, the mid-priced Cuisinart stainless steel mixing bowl set with lids is the more economical starting point. It supplies three nesting stainless-steel bowls and storage lids. Useful depth and a sturdy feel make it a sensible general prep set, with more uses than this one small dressing. Test each lid's fit before relying on it: snug covers and poorly fitting ones are both real possibilities. Rust-like spotting after washing is another limitation to watch for, rather than something the stainless label rules out.

The higher-priced OXO Good Grips blue-and-gray set earns consideration if keeping a bowl steady during whisking is a recurring irritation. Its stainless interiors sit inside plastic exteriors with non-slip bases. The grip and handling are the reason to pay more, not a promise of a better vinaigrette. The substantial feel will please some cooks and be unwelcome to others.

Both sets list bowls of 1.5, 3 and 5 US quarts. Those are nominal capacities, not measured working space. For the few spoonfuls of dressing here, even the smallest is generous; a clean small bowl you already own is enough. The Cuisinart lids add storage utility across other prep, while this OXO configuration has no lids. Buying the OXO does not buy extra listed capacity.

There is a significant compromise in the OXO construction: water can become trapped between its shell and steel, including with hand washing. Both makers describe their sets as dishwasher safe, but that does not cancel the care problems. Check for spotting and dry the Cuisinart rims before nesting; notice any inaccessible water in the OXO rather than assuming a different washing routine will fix it. Keep both sets away from the grill and stove, especially the OXO plastic shell. These are prep bowls, not grill cookware.

Choose Cuisinart if the lower outlay and included lids fit the rest of your kitchen work, with the fit and spotting cautions accepted. Choose OXO if the non-slip base is worth the extra cost and its shell-water drawback is acceptable. For an occasional dressing, keep the bowl you have and put the attention into lifting the peaches intact.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare both choices.

Check the Cuisinart set’s current price on Amazon

Check the OXO blue-and-gray set’s current price on Amazon