Spatulas are a necessary tool for any kitchen and complete a variety of tasks in our everyday meal prep. Not all spatulas are suitable for all tasks, and not all spatulas are a good fit for all cookware. So the best spatula is the one that gets the job done without ruining your cookware.
Spatulas are specially designed for different tasks such as flipping, folding, lifting, mixing, scraping, and stirring. A good spatula should be well-constructed, effective, and versatile. Don't waste money on cheap spatulas that will break, melt, or bend and eventually end up in the garbage.
Instead, buy a quality spatula that's built to last. As someone with over three decades in the kitchen, I've learned a thing or two about what makes a good spatula.
I'll cover the various types of spatulas you should have in your kitchen arsenal, and the best in each class available in today's market so you can see how these spatulas measure up. When choosing the best spatulas for your kitchen, quality should always supersede quantity.
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Our Top Picks
Thirty-plus years in the kitchen provides a wealth of knowledge and experience. I've utilized that to analyze dozens of spatulas searching for the very best ones that fit my cooking expectations.
After narrowing down the pool of options, I put several to the test to see which ones will make their way to my utensil drawer. Here are the results:
- Best Overall: Lamson Chef’s Fish Spatula
- Best Nonstick Spatula: Westmark Germany Gallant Non-Stick Spatula
- Best Baking Spatula: Matfer Bourgeat Flat Bevelled Spatula
- Best Offset Spatula: Ateco 1385
- Best Wooden Spatula: Modern Artisans Natural Angled Wood Spatulas
- Best Heavy-Duty Turner: Dexter-Russell Stainless Steel Turner
How the Spatulas Were Tested
To even make it to the competition, there are a few criteria that each spatula had to meet. First and foremost, the best spatulas had to be versatile enough to perform multiple tasks.
While one spatula alone is not sufficient enough to fulfill my cooking obligations, I also don't need a drawer full of spatulas that only get used on rare occasions.
Whether I'm working with delicate foods, flipping pancakes, or pulling cookies off the baking sheet, spatulas in my house have to be able to pull their weight.
Good spatulas also need to have a high level of heat resistance to withstand boiling water, hot grease, and open flames. Cheap spatulas melt easily when left resting on a hot pan. Melting spatulas ruin my food, my cast iron, and my Teflon- and of course the spatula.
Quality spatulas are easy to clean and won't allow food or water to get trapped in nooks and crannies. They should be made with only the best wood, stainless steel, silicone, or exoglass and shouldn't contain any materials that leach into your food.
I'm a rare breed that prefers to wash dishes by hand, so having a spatula that's not dishwasher safe isn't a deal breaker for me. However, I realize it's an important feature for others, so I've made note of it along the way.
If spatulas were able to pass these preliminary tests, then I ran them through a gauntlet of cooking exercises to see how well they were able to perform their intended tasks.
Each spatula was assessed for its performance in the kitchen from flipping eggs and pancakes to making rioux and deglazing to mixing doughs and frosting cakes.
Following the gamut of analysis and kitchen experiments, these are the results for the best kitchen spatulas.
Best Spatulas in 2023
1. Lamson Chef’s Fish Spatula: Best Overall
| SPECIFICATIONS | Material: Stainless Steel Color: Walnut Handle Size: 11 x 3 x 0.75 inches Care Instructions: Hand wash only |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Superb construction + Durable and versatile + Heat resistant + Cleans easily + Lifetime Warranty |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Not dishwasher safe - Pricey - Not good for nonstick pans |
This professional-grade lightweight flexible spatula is made from a durable walnut handle with a 3x6 hardened and tempered high-carbon stainless steel blade. The wooden handle is comfortable to hold and overall is well-balanced.
With its beveled razor-thin edge, this fish spatula has just enough spring to seamlessly slide under your delicate foods like eggs, fish, and crepes. The spatula head is slightly concaved allowing your food to rest comfortably and prevent sliding.
Its full-tang construction provides exceptional durability making the Lamson Chef's fish spatula stiff enough to lift pretty much anything from your skillet without your food falling off. Its edge is sharp enough to cut through meats and vegetables. This slotted spatula allows grease and other liquids to escape with ease.
Obviously, it's a good fish turner, but it can also flip pancakes on the griddle and over easy eggs without busting the egg yolk. It deglazes pans and blends rioux exquisitely. This spatula can pretty much do it all!
It's a good choice for both your cast iron and stainless steel, but not the best for your nonstick cookware. Left-handed fish spatulas are also available for purchase giving the Lamson Chef a slight edge. It even comes with a lifetime manufacturing warranty.
Its stainless steel core is easy to clean and the slots are wide enough to remove any residual food debris easily. Due to its beautiful walnut handle, this quality spatula deserves only the very best hand washing.
2. Westmark Germany Gallant Non-Stick Spatula: Best Nonstick Spatula
| SPECIFICATIONS | Material: Plastoc Color: Red/Black Size: 11.81 x 1.18 x 3.43 inches Care Instructions: Dishwasher safe |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Beautifully contoured design + Excellent maneuverability + Perfect for nonstick pans + Lightweight and comfortable + Cleans easily |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Made from polyamide - Minimal heat resistance |
First and foremost, I love the unique contoured shape of the Westmark Germany thermoplastic slotted spatula. It rests nicely on the side of the pan without sliding off. It's lightweight, extremely well-balanced, and feels like a natural extension of the hand.
Its ergonomically soft handle is comfortable and easy to maneuver. It's also a tad shorter than most stovetop spatulas providing excellent leverage for flipping eggs and maneuvering smaller-sized skillets.
It's advertised as being heat resistant up to 410°F. However, because it's made of thermoplastic, I generally reserve this spatula for low-heat cooking.
There has been some debate on whether or not polyamide plastics leach harmful toxins into your food when they come into contact with excessively high temperatures.
Home cooks and professional chefs alike almost always cite a report from the German Federal Institute For Risk Assessment (BfR). While no correlation exists that polyamide plastic is harmful to your food, the BfR does suggest erring on the side of caution and minimizing contact time with high temperatures.
As such, this is my favorite spatula for quick skillet meals that require little time on the stove, particularly if I'm using a smaller-sized skillet. The Westmark Germany Gallant is my favorite everyday spatula for scrambled eggs, grilled sandwiches, and quick skillet side dishes.
Its edge is fine enough to easily slip under and flip fried eggs, pancakes, or sandwiches without scratching your nonstick pan.
It's a bit more firm than a silicone spatula and does a good job of cutting through butter and deglazing pans much like a metal spatula. Yet, it's flexible enough to get under your most fragile foods and doesn't scratch your favorite nonstick pan.
It's easy to clean, plus it's dishwasher safe.
3. Matfer Bourgeat Flat Bevelled Spatula: Best Baking Spatula
| SPECIFICATIONS | Color: Off-White Size: 13.75 x 0.02 x 0.02 inches Item Weight: 0.03 Pounds Care Instructions: Dishwasher safe |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Superb quality + Excellent versatility + Dishwasher safe + Heat resistant + Easy to clean and sterilize + Safe for nonstick pans |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Can be uncomfortable - Too long for some |
Matfer Bourgeat has been serving professional kitchens around the world for over 200 years. Everything they make screams ergonomics, functionality, and design. The Matfer Bourgeat flat beveled spatula is no exception to the rule.
This flat spatula is made from exoglass, which is nonporous, hygienic, and dishwasher-safe. Plus, it won't scratch your nonstick cookware. Unlike a traditional silicone spatula, the Matfer Bourgeat is completely rigid, similar to a wooden spoon spatula, with no flexibility. Yet, it can do all the things a silicone spatula can do and then some.
Overall, this flat spatula is 13 ¾" long making it the ideal tool for mixing dense batches of scone or bread dough. Yet its head design can still scrape every lost drop of your favorite brownie batter from your mixing bowl. It can easily cut and fold butter into your favorite biscuit mix.
The one downside is it's not the most comfortable spatula in the world. Its rigidness in conjunction with its flat handle can bite a little when working with thicker doughs and batters.
It can deglaze, saute, scrape, spread, and stir with ease. It can even cut and lift your brownies once they're done. This flat spatula is also an excellent alternative to your wooden spatula when you want to avoid odor absorption.
It's easy to clean and heat resistant to 430°F.
4. Ateco 1385: Best Offset Spatula
| SPECIFICATIONS | Material: Poly Handle/Stainless Steel Blade Color: Natural Size: 8 x 0.75 x 0.5 inches Care Instructions: Handwash only |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Extremely comfortable + Quality stainless steel + Heat resistant |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Not dishwasher safe - Handle bleeds |
Once you use the Ateco 1385, you'll never go back to using a butterknife again. This offset spatula comes in a wide range of sizes from 4 ½" to 9 ¾". It has a partial tang with a thin offset blade and natural wood handle.
The stainless steel blade is flexible but sturdy, and I absolutely love how the handle fits naturally in the hand.
This 4 ½" thin blade has become my everyday spatula for cutting butter, spreading peanut butter and jelly, and frosting cupcakes. It's perfect for providing a smooth, professional presentation and precise edging for all your baked goods.
The slightly bent blade and rounded corners make it easy to follow the natural form of cupcakes and tiered cakes so you can evenly distribute the icing. This little mini spatula also makes a nice serving tool for homemade dinner rolls or evening desserts, as well as removing freshly baked cookies from your baking sheet.
Not only is it a fantastic tool for adding clean designs to your desserts, it's also quite useful for removing waffles from the waffle iron.
Unfortunately, the packaging of this product comes with an adhesive sticker attached to the blade, which was an absolute nightmare to remove. After several failed attempts with soapy hot water, oil, and alcohol, I was finally able to just scrape it off with another one of my stainless steel blades.
Another undesirable issue with the Ateco 1385 is that this handle bleeds when wet. Personally, I always avoid submerging any of my wooden spatulas in water and always handwash them immediately after use.
Still, if you get this handle wet, I'd recommend drying it with a Scott towel, as it will stain your dishcloths. But given the near-perfect ergonomic design and versatility of this spatula, it's a flaw I'm willing to overlook.
5. Modern Artisans Angled Wood Spatulas: Best Wooden Spatula
| SPECIFICATIONS | Color: Off-White Size: 13.75 x 0.02 x 0.02 inches Item Weight: 0.03 Pounds Care Instructions: Handwash only |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Beautifully hand-crafted + Durable and versatile + Easy to clean + Heat resistant |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Not dishwasher safe - Requires special care |
I get a little excited when it comes to the Modern Artisans wood spatulas as they are some of the best quality wood spatulas I've seen in a very long time. Made with beautifully hand-crafted maple and treated with food-grade organic linseed oil, these fully functional wooden spatulas are safe for all cooking surfaces including cast iron and nonstick pans.
Wooden spatulas are some of my favorites because they won't melt, won't leach chemicals into your food, and won't scratch your pans. Plus, their heat resistance is relatively high.
Unlike most wood spatulas, these Modern Artisan wooden spatulas have a front straight edge making them one of the best spatulas for scraping and deglazing the bottom of your pan. They can easily cut, lift, flip, and chop. Use them to chop ground beef, stir-fry meats and vegetables, or scramble eggs.
They have the perfect wedge-shaped head that makes folding omelets and flipping sandwiches a breeze. You can even use them to crush garlic.
Its flat side also works well as a standard bench scraper. Since there are two in a set, you can even use them as tongs for your favorite salad or wok recipe. However, one is larger than the other.
The contoured wooden handle is the perfect comfort and fit. Plus they're super easy to handwash. As with most wooden utensils, they are not dishwasher safe and they shouldn't be left submerged in water for any extended period of time.
6. Dexter-Russell Stainless Steel Turner: Best Heavy-Duty Turner
| SPECIFICATIONS | Color: Off-White Size: 13.75 x 0.02 x 0.02 inches Item Weight: 0.03 Pounds Care Instructions: Handwash only |
| TODAY'S BEST DEALS | View at Amazon |
| REASONS TO BUY | + Unique geometrical offset design + Great for stainless steel and cast iron + Heat resistant + Easy to clean |
| REASONS TO AVOID | - Unpleasant smell - Rough handle |
When you're looking for a sturdy spatula that's rugged enough for outdoor cooking, look no further than Dexter's professional HIC heavy-duty flipper. This wide-head offset spatula features a carbon stainless steel blade with a partial tang and a walnut handle with a unique blade geometry design.
It's extremely sturdy, easy to hold, and easy to clean. The rounded blade is 4 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide making these Dexter-Russels the best spatulas for flipping pancakes on the griddle or burgers on the grill. It offers just the right amount of flexibility and its precision-ground blade holds an edge well.
It's an excellent lightweight spatula for both your stainless steel and cast iron skillet.
The blade is thin and flexible so it easily slides under food, and the handle is comfortable and easy to control. It's also sharp enough that it makes cleaning, cutting, and serving very easy.
Out of the box, the handle had a malodorous burnt wood smell, but this seemed to subside after a few washings. The handle is a tad on the rough side and may require a little more finishing for those with softer hands.
As with other wood-handled kitchen utensils, proper care is necessary for longevity, and it's not considered dishwasher safe.
Types of Kitchen Spatulas
Just like a handyman has a bag of tools for a variety of jobs, so does the home chef. Every kitchen should have at least three to four different spatulas to complete the multitude of kitchen tasks required for everyday cooking.
Fish Spatulas
A fish spatula, sometimes called a fish turner, is a popular spatula found in the kitchen because of its extreme versatility. They come in a variety of styles and construction materials, but you'll often find them with wooden handles and metal slotted heads or exoglass.
Fish spatulas are angled with an extremely thin, knife-like edge that's perfect for getting under delicate foods and lifting them out of your pan. This slotted spatula is ideal for draining liquids and evenly distributing the weight of your food to keep it from sliding off.
Its razor edge is perfect for cutting through pieces of meat and vegetables in your skillet. These spatulas are lightweight, comfortable, and useful for turning, draining, cutting, scraping, or stirring.
They're usually heat resistant and a great option for cast iron and stainless steel.
Nonstick Spatulas
Nonstick spatulas can be constructed from a variety of materials including nylon, silicone, exoglass, or thermoplastic. These spatulas come with both solid and slotted faces and are the best spatula for nonstick cookware since they don't scratch your nonstick pans.
Similar to normal stainless steel spatulas, nonstick spatulas generally have longer handles so you don't burn yourself while trying to maneuver your food.
Quality nonstick spatulas have a thin edge that can easily slide under foods for lifting, folding, or flipping. They offer stability and strength for lifting heavier food items while also offering flexibility. Yet, they're also rigid enough to scrape food particles from the bottom of your skillet without buckling.
Nonstick spatulas are best for jobs requiring little to no heat, as they are notorious for being unable to withstand high temperatures. They're good for flipping pancakes, but exercise caution when flipping burgers since they may not handle hot grease too well.
Baking Spatulas
Baking spatulas go by many names including rubber spatulas and silicone spatulas. They are best used for baking tasks and are typically made from rubber, silicone, or exoglass. The most common have a longer handle and a spongy rubber or silicone head that's rounded at the corners.
Their rounded edges make it easy to scrape the bottom of a jar, bowl, or saute pan ensuring you're not wasting any precious sauces, batters, frostings, or doughs. The head is usually wide enough for folding and mixing denser doughs.
Use a larger one for scraping thick brownie batter, cake batter, or cookie dough off the side of your mixing bowl. Or use a smaller one for extracting every last morsel from your peanut butter jar or frosting your favorite cupcakes.
Rubber and silicone spatulas vary in their heat resistance and range anywhere from 250° F to 600° F (C). Most are also suitable for nonstick pans since their silicone head is somewhat soft and pliable.
Some are one solid piece, others are two separate pieces. One-piece silicone spatulas are easier to clean, and you can prevent any unwanted food debris or water from entering those hard-to-reach crevices.
Exoglass spatulas wear the same shape as silicone spatulas, but they are much more rigid and non-pliable. They're more suitable for mixing and folding thick bread doughs since they have longer handles providing more leverage. Plus, they feature a higher heat resistance.
Heavy Duty Flipping Spatulas
As the name implies, flipping spatulas are useful for flipping. These spatulas are the perfect choice for the grill or griddle since they're much larger than traditional kitchen spatulas.
They can easily flip meat on the grill, cut through baked goods, and lift food with ease. They are similar to an offset spatula in that the blade is also offset, but it presents a much wider head and is heavy-duty for more rugged outdoor tasks.
Likewise, it features a shorter handle, which allows for much better control.
Because these metal spatulas are frequently used outdoors, this is one metal spatula that needs to be really sturdy. These metal spatulas should have thin beveled edges fine enough to get under your food, yet sturdy enough to lift and flip without your food falling off.
Wooden Spatulas
A wooden spatula is perfect for folding, stirring, flipping, and scraping the surface of your stainless steel and nonstick cookware. These are the best spatulas to use with your enameled cookware since they won't scratch.
Some have angled flat edges while some have rounded corners making it easy to reach the crevices of your nonstick pans. A wood spoon spatula is a perfect choice for stirring sauces, cooking eggs, sauteeing vegetables, or folding chocolate chips into your cookie dough.
A quality wood spatula should have a comfortable grip, sturdy handle, and tapered edge. It should have a contoured thin blade that's capable of scraping both the sides and the bottom of your nonstick cookware or cast iron pans.
Since these wooden utensils don't conduct heat very easily, you won't have to worry about them melting or burning like cheap plastic spatulas. They're environmentally friendly, non-reactive, and won't leach harmful chemicals into your food.
The one downside to wood spatulas is that wood is porous and therefore can absorb flavors, oils, and liquids and almost always require handwashing.
Offset Spatulas
An offset spatula is generally made with a sturdy wooden handle and stainless steel blade. These handy spatulas are perfect for lifting baked goods, spreading frosting, or serving your favorite pie.
As the name implies, these narrow metal spatulas have a blade offset from the handle providing you with better control and maneuverability.
Its stainless steel is strong, yet flexible and its rounded blade is perfect for scraping out the last of the frosting or dislodging baked-on debris from the corners of your glass dishes, nonstick cookware, or cast iron pan.
Factors to Consider When Searching for the Best Spatula
When hunting for the ideal spatula for your home kitchen, the following factors are essential to consider:
- Type of tasks it'll perform: A great spatula should have versatility—it should be capable of stirring, cutting, and flipping food items. Make sure its edges are thin enough to slide under the food easily but sturdy enough to support the weight of these items without causing a messy spill.
- Ability to cut through foods: Choose a spatula that can effortlessly slice through various food types, such as meats, vegetables, casseroles, and desserts. This capability enhances the tool's usefulness in your kitchen.
- Perfect for baking: If you bake frequently, your spatula should precisely spread icings, efficiently mix batters, and be robust enough to fold and cut through thick doughs.
- Scraping efficiency: Opt for a spatula that can scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and maneuver around tight corners without leaving anything behind. If you're considering a silicone spatula, the blade should be soft and flexible to reach tricky spots, but also able to withstand heat.
- Ease of cleaning: The spatula's slots should be wide enough to ensure easy removal of food residue. Look out for any design aspects that could make cleaning a hassle, such as areas where wet batter could become trapped.
- Strength and flexibility: A good spatula should strike a balance between strength and flexibility while being able to perform delicate tasks.
- Handle comfort: Consider the handle length and how the spatula feels in your hand. It should serve as a comfortable extension of your hand—a too short handle may become too hot, while a too long handle might feel awkward to maneuver.
- Ease of maintenance: If you frequently use a dishwasher, ensure your spatulas are dishwasher safe. Consider the level of care and maintenance necessary for the longevity of your spatula.
These considerations can help you choose the best spatula that will not only serve your cooking needs but also offer comfort and ease of use.
FAQs
Some spatulas do and some don't. The most common spatulas that retain pungent smells and flavors are wood and silicone spatulas. Both are notorious for picking up smells, like onion and garlic, just after a few uses.
To keep these odors and flavors from cross-contaminating other dishes, there are a few things you can do to offset this unfortunate result.
Because your wooden spatula won't do well with soaking, quarantining spatulas that are at risk is your best bet. Keep some spatulas specifically for your sweet dishes and desserts and others for your savory and robust flavors.
For your silicone spatula, you can mix one teaspoon of bleach with one gallon of water and soak your utensils for several minutes.
Alternatively, create a paste made from equal parts baking soda and water. Rub on your utensils and let sit overnight. Then gently scrub off the next morning.
Since the most common cooking temperatures range from 350–375ºF, your spatulas should carry at least a 400°F heat resistance.
For best results wash with a scrubber pad, dish soap, and warm water. Immediately dry with a towel. To disinfect your wooden ware, wipe with vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for one minute and then rinse.
Immediately oil them with natural oils like coconut, mineral, or walnut oil and wipe off excess oil after fifteen minutes. Do not use vegetable oils because they go rancid.
From Flawless Flips to Seamless Scraping
If I could only choose one, the Lamson's Chef spatula is the winner in my kitchen. It's superbly constructed and is the most versatile for my everyday needs. Because I use mostly stainless steel and cast iron, I'm not limited to rubber, plastic, or silicone utensils.
If I were, then I'd have to opt for the Modern Artisan wood spatulas since they can easily traverse all of my cookware. When choosing the right spatula for your kitchen, consider your cookware, the type of cooking you do, and the level of care required for your spatulas.
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