Whether I'm using cream or soap, I always lather in a separate bowl. The bowl I have has a medium depth to it but not so much that the brush clangs on this side of the bowl. In my humble opinion, the bowl material needs to retain heat really well. Also just to be really picky, I like to hold my bowl in one hand therefore when I'm choosing a bowl it needs to have a small base possibly very small pedestal so it fits in the palm of my hand.