Best cake mixing bowl for using with hand held electric mixer?

[linspins]

I have made a few cakes recently where the mix was too much for the smallish bowl I have. So I tried using a metal saucepan - good because it has straight sides so seems to work with the metal beaters, but did look pretty silly.
I'd like to buy (or ask for my birthday) a new cake mixing bowl...do I go for a traditional style? Ceramic? Plastic? Melamine? Sloping sides? Straight sides?
Oh seasoned cake makers, please advise!

I love the pampered chef mixing jug with a handle.the handle gives you something to hold onto (you don't say!) and the spout is very handy for scooping or pouring the mix out. I am quite sure you don't have to pay pampered chef prices for something similar - I was merry from a glass of vino at the PC party - classic mistake!

Plastic will hold smells from one and transfer it to the next. Beaters on a mixer won't get into the corners on a straight sided bowl so it should be curved.

Funnily enough I just bought a new hand mixer and two of these high-sided stainless steel bowls. No more splats!

I use this from wilkinson.

Thanks all. I do fancy the looks of a Tala ceramic one, but have recently had dd accidentally smash lovely ceramic salad bowl, so am thinking maybe stainless steel while have two small kids. What do we think of this one ladies? here

Er...oh, good point givetheanarchist. I'm not very good at thinking about sizes. If I was making a sponge cake, and using about 5 or 6 eggs, I'd need a 5 litre one?

Good idea. I don't think I've ever made pastry...wouldn't mind giving it a go. Will have to pop in to town and 'feel' some bowls (oo-er).

I alternate between a Mason Cash ceramic one and a Muji stainless steel one.

For some reason, I like to do denser cakes in the stainless steel one. No idea why.