The bastardella is an Italian container similar to a mixing bowl, made of steel or copper or tinned iron, equipped with two handles, with a hemispherical shape or with flared walls and a flat bottom, but very widened. Its name derives from the lack of a precise shape. The most common bastardella, however, is the hemispherical one and is used to whisk egg whites or cream, to cook creams or sauces in a bain-marie, or to prepare mayonnaise and other cold sauces.