MEEDEN Ceramic Paint Brush Wash Bowl Review

What I like about the MEEDEN Ceramic Paint Brush Wash Bowl is that it has two compartments—one compartment to rinse brushes and the other to take water for mixing paint, which is very convenient—along with deep, roomy wells that hold plenty of water for soaking, rinsing and standing watercolor or ink brushes. Because it is made of ceramic, it does not get stained by paint during use like plastic brush wash bowls, and its stable, non-slip weight makes it sturdy enough to stand brushes in without tipping even when empty. Here is how those four details work in practice on my desk, what my photos show, and where a two-well water basin fits into my beginner watercolor guide and studio setup.

Two compartments in one bowl: one to rinse brushes, one for water to mix paint

When painting at a desk with watercolor, gouache or acrylic, what I like about the MEEDEN Ceramic Paint Brush Wash Bowl is that it has two compartments inside one piece, which is very convenient:

• One compartment to rinse brushesas shown in the left photo below, I swish my pigment-loaded 20 mm LOBEO ART flat brush in the left compartment, which quickly turns turquoise while trapping the rinsed paint on that side of the center wall.
• The other compartment to take water for mixing paintas shown in the right photo below, the right compartment stays clear so I can dip a clean detail brush into fresh water to wet pans or mix light washes on my palette without carrying muddy rinse water into a sky or skin tone.

Having both compartments side by side in a single rectangular basin keeps dirty rinse water and clean mixing water together in one footprint on the desk.

Deep, roomy water capacity for soaking, rinsing and holding brushes

Each side of the divider is designed as a deep, roomy compartment with a large water capacity, which makes it convenient for soaking, rinsing and holding watercolor or ink brushes during a session.

In practice, that depth and width matter in two ways:

• Room for wide flat brushesa wide wash brush like my 20 mm LOBEO ART flat brush fits comfortably down into the well without scraping its bristles against tight walls, and a larger volume of water stays usable longer before you need to walk to the sink for a refill.
• Holding multiple brushes at onceas shown in my cover photo above and the photo below, the deep well holds my flat brush and a round brush upright while two longer detail brushes rest across the wide ceramic rims.

Stable, non-slip weight that holds brushes even with no water in it

This is a durable, professional-feeling brush washer with a stable weight and a non-slip sit on the table. Even when there is no water in the bowl, it is still sturdy enough to stand brushes upright in the compartments without worrying about the bowl tipping over.

A lightweight cup can topple as soon as you lean a heavy wooden-handled flat brush or several long-handled brushes against one rim. With this ceramic bowl, whether the wells are filled with water mid-painting or empty between sessions, it stays planted on my desk and doubles as a steady holder for the brushes I am using.

Ceramic vs plastic brush wash bowls: no paint staining

Because this Brush Wash Bowl is made of ceramic, it does not get stained by paint during use like brush wash bowls made of plastic. Even after rinsing concentrated turquoise, green or pink gouache and watercolor washes in the wells, the white porcelain walls rinse back to bright white instead of holding a permanent tint.

Beyond staining, the two materials differ in ways that come from the material itself, not from lab tests of mine:

• Weightceramic is heavy (MEEDEN lists this bowl at 2 lb), so it stays put on a desk; a light plastic bowl tips more easily.
• Surfacea smooth, non-porous glaze wipes clean; plastic scratches with use, and pigment collects in the scratches.
• Dropsceramic can chip or break if dropped; plastic survives falls.

So a ceramic bowl is a studio desk piece. For a field bag or a kids’ table, a light plastic or collapsible water cup is the safer choice.

Where the bowl appears in my tabletop easel Short

Alongside my five desk photos on this page, you can see this exact bowl in action in the painting Short on my MEEDEN H-Frame Tabletop Easel review (Acrylic Painting with Meeden Art Supplies): at 0:07, right after clamping a blank stretched canvas onto the tabletop easel, I pour clear water from a pink kettle into the right compartment of this MEEDEN-labelled two-well ceramic bowl while the left compartment is already filled, and the bowl sits beside the easel and palette in the opening (0:01–0:02) and closing (0:39–0:48) desk shots.

Dimensions, weight and care instructions (maker specs)

According to MEEDEN’s product listing (model LKXBD--02, 2 Deep variant), the bowl is crafted from pure white porcelain/ceramic with a smooth glazed surface and rounded edges designed not to fray or damage brush bristles.

The maker lists exterior dimensions of 6.5 in long × 4.5 in wide × 3.3 in deep (with a listed capacity of 94.85 cubic inches) and an item weight of 2 pounds, noting that the weighted porcelain base stays put on the table and can also hold paintbrushes when empty without tipping over. For cleanup, the listing’s care instructions specify hand-washing with mild soap and water after each use and air-drying, and note not to use the bowl in an oven or dishwasher.

Who it suits and where it fits in my painting guides

Choose the MEEDEN Ceramic Paint Brush Wash Bowl if you paint at a desk with watercolor, gouache (such as my 48-color HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set) or acrylic paint and want a durable, non-slip two-compartment ceramic bowl with deep, roomy wells—one to rinse brushes and the other for clean mixing water—that does not stain like plastic and stays stable enough to hold brushes even when empty. The same trade-off for mixing palettes is in my ceramic vs plastic watercolor palette guide.

If you are setting up the rest of a desktop painting station, see my hands-on MEEDEN H-Frame Tabletop Easel review and my easel buying guide.

As a Christmas gift

A ceramic brush washer is a small, practical Christmas gift that a painter uses every session, whatever the paint. It suits:

• Watercolor, gouache and acrylic painters still rinsing in a jam jar or a plastic cup that stains.
• Desk painters who want deep rinse water and clean mixing water side by side in one stable, non-slip bowl.
• Beginners unwrapping a first paint set, since two waters is one of the first habits a painting guide teaches.

Pair it with the 14-well MEEDEN ceramic palette for a matching white ceramic set, a watercolor or gouache starter set, or the MEEDEN H-Frame Tabletop Easel for a bigger present. At 6.5 × 4.5 in per the listing, it is one of my stocking stuffers for artists; for a December countdown from the same brand, see the MEEDEN advent calendar 2026, and more ideas are in my gifts for artists guide.

• MEEDEN ARTUp to 12% OFF with my code: HOONGANA

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