Spatulas

My old rubber spatulas have failed me. I didn’t see it coming, but, one by one, they quit their stirring and scraping duties. Their blades broke into pieces, the last one crumbling against a rather thick chocolate cake batter. But I won’t miss them one bit because now I get to upgrade!

So what kind of rubber spatula is worthy of bringing into my kitchen? Only the commercial heat-proof kind, the kind that you get in a restaurant supply store.


They may not have a fancy brand name, and they don’t come in a rainbow of fun colors, but they also don’t have wooden handles to split and warp in the dishwasher. My favorite spats (that’s my pet name for them) are absolutely one of the most practical utensils you can have in your kitchen. The heat-resistant rubber these are made of will last a lifetime, and they’re perfect for all cooking tasks hot or cold, sweet or savory. They’re ideal for mixing thick batters and folding the most delicate egg white foams and perfect for scraping, especially for scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan when deglazing a sauce, soup, or stew. They’re such expert scrapers that, like a squeegee, they will scrape a bowl or pan so clean you hardly have to wash it. (In fact, they inspired the tale of the million dollar spatula, often told in restaurant kitchens: scraping the bowl clean using a rubber spatula will result in an extra serving of food each time, saving the restaurant countless dollars over the years.) These spats, unlike lesser models, even feature a smart little notch for catching dribbles off rims and a kickstand to keep your counters clean. And a hook at the end of the handle ensures they don’t slip down into the pot or bowl, never to be seen again.


My very favorite one is the spoonula, all this, plus it doubles as a spoon.


Very handy for transferring food from pan to plate or filling a pastry bag. The commercial heat-proof spatula, marvel of cooking utensil design, is the only one for me.