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AllRecipes / David Hattan
A spatula is for more than flipping burgers. Vital for essential cooking tasks like turning, mixing, scraping, and more, a spatula's versatility makes it one of the most reached-for utensils in the kitchen. Because of that, it's worth doing your research to find a good one.
We tested a dozen top-rated models to uncover the best spatulas on the market. Some of the important factors we considered were ease of use (e.g., comfort and maneuverability) and durability (e.g., heat resistance and sturdiness). We also evaluated them based on their uses and types, testing how well they perform their intended tasks. Whether you're flipping pancakes or mixing the batter, these are the best spatulas for every kitchen need.
About Our Tests
Because there was so much variety among the spatulas we tested, Allrecipes product tester Samantha Lande tested each category of spatula based on its uses:
- For silicone spatulas: Each was used to scramble eggs and mix and scrape brownie batter and frosting from a bowl.
- For turners: Each was used for flipping pancakes and removing a fried egg from a pan.
- For fish spatulas: Each was used to lift and flip fish from a pan.
- For offset spatulas: Each was used to spread frosting.
During testing, Samantha paid special attention to the following factors:
- Ease of Use: How well does it do its intended job? Does it feel flimsy or hold up? Is it comfortable to hold/use? Does it scratch pans/bowls?
- Longevity: Is it heat-resistant? How well does it wash? Does it ding/scratch easily? Does it feel sturdy?
- Value: Is it worth the money?
Our Top Pick
Cuisinart Flex&Flip Silicone Spatula
Why It's Great: Flexible; sturdy; good value; lifetime warranty
Grain of Salt: Not ideal for heavy foods
If you want to keep the number of utensils in your kitchen to a minimum, this multipurpose tool is a great option. Its flexibility and tapered edge help it easily scrape a bowl and handle delicate foods like omelets. Meanwhile, it remains sturdy enough to also flip pancakes, saute, and more. According to product tester Samantha Lande, "It's not what I would recommend using for fish or anything with major weight, but it can work for the basics."
The Cuisinart Flex and Flip Silicone Spatula is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and heat resistant up to 450° Fahrenheit. Plus, it comes with a lifetime manufacturer's warranty.
The Details: Silicone; 0.63 x 3.75 x 14.63 inches; heat resistant up to 450° Fahrenheit; dishwasher safe
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Best for Baking
GIR Ultimate Spatula
Why It's Great: Lightweight yet sturdy; fiberglass core offers superior heat resistance; available in multiple colors
Grain of Salt: Shorter than others
This silicone spatula checks all of the boxes for being a baking workhorse—stirring and scraping down sides of bowls with ease and cleaning up easily afterward. It's just the right amount of flexibility and strength. "It bends where it needs to without feeling flimsy," says Samantha.
The spatula is easy to clean, dishwasher-safe, and has a lifetime guarantee, so you don't need to worry about using it to full capacity.
The Details: Silicone; 11 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches; heat resistant up to 425° Fahrenheit; dishwasher safe
Best for Eggs
DI ORO Designer Series Classic Silicone Spatula
Why It's Great: High heat resistance; easy to store; nonslip, ergonomic handle
Grain of Salt: May be more difficult to clean
This spatula had just the right amount of length and weight to make it easy to flip, remove, and push around things like scrambled eggs. It can handle heat up to 600° Fahrenheit and is dishwasher-safe and easy to store. "I had no worries about it scratching up our pans with ample silicone surrounding the stainless steel core," says Samantha. The rubber, no-slip handle is a nice bonus too. For $15, this is a very well-made tool.
The Details: Silicone, stainless steel; 12.5 x 2.25 inches; heat resistant up to 600° Fahrenheit; dishwasher safe
Best Offset Spatula
Wilton Icing Spatula
Why It's Great: Spreads evenly; durable stainless steel; easy to use
Grain of Salt: Hand wash recomended
The two offset spatulas we tested were very similar (the other was OXO), and this one won by a small margin because of the cost. It's very simple to use and is perfect to spread frosting, even out cake batter, and even maneuver in and out of jars. For just under $10, it's worth trying, even if you have never used an offset before.
The Details: Stainless steel; 13 x 1.13 inches; top-rack dishwasher safe, hand wash recomended
Most Stylish
Material Turner
Why It's Great: Available in multiple colors; reinforced nylon core; dishwasher safe
Grain of Salt: Expensive
This has to be one of the most stylish turners we have seen—but it's not just a pretty pick. The Soft-Edge Turner held up very well in our testing and was just shy of being our first pick. It has a reinforced nylon core for optimal stability, but with a silicone exterior that's gentle on nonstick pans. Although it's a little more expensive than others and offers a little less surface area, you really can't go wrong. It's sleek, stylish, and dishwasher-safe.
The Details: Silicone with nylon core and stainless steel cap; 9 x 3 x 1.4 inches; heat resistant up to 450° Fahrenheit; dishwasher safe
Best Set
OXO Good Grips Spatula Set
Why It's Great: Good value; different colors to avoid cross-contamination; easy to clean
Grain of Salt: Less durable than others
It's always nice to have variety. These silicone spatulas are well constructed and similar to the GIR, though we found the GIR to be slightly more substantial. But in terms of value, OXO takes the cake (and makes it too), offering three different silicone spatulas all for $20, including a small spatula, an everyday spatula, and a spoon spatula (the ultimate double-duty kitchen companion). The long handles have a sturdy nylon core, and the heat-resistant silicone is dishwasher safe.
The Details: Silicone with nylon core; 0.65 x 1.45 x 9.85-inch Small Spatula, 0.85 x 2.15 x 12.45-inch Everyday Spatula, 0.85 x 2.1 x 11.95-inch Spoon Spatula; dishwasher safe
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Allrecipes / Tamara Staples
Our Takeaway
We named the Cuisinart Flex and Flip Silicone Spatula as our favorite multipurpose spatula because of its flexible, tapered edge, which helps it scrape bowls and handle delicate foods. Yet, it is still sturdy enough to flip pancakes. For a great value set, the OXO 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set offers three different sizes for around $20.
Types of Spatulas
The term "spatula" is really an umbrella term for a number of kitchen utensils that perform a whole host of different tasks. Though some can perform double duty, you'll most likely want to have at least two different types of spatulas on hand for everyday use: one for mixing and stirring, and another for flipping and turning. From there, you can get even more variety depending on your needs.
Silicone
Maybe the most multipurpose of all types of spatulas, silicone spatulas are generally associated with baking, but their uses don't stop there.
Of course, a silicone spatula is going to be the best option for many baking tasks, such as mixing wet and dry ingredients together, folding chocolate chips and/or nuts into dough, or scraping batter from a mixing bowl. But they may also be used to make stir-fries, scrape food from the bottom of a large pot when making soups or stew, or wrangle that last bit of peanut butter out of the jar.
Silicone, unlike rubber, is extremely heat-resistant, meaning it can handle hot foods and/or cookware (and this also means it's usually dishwasher safe). Plus, it's very flexible, so you can maneuver it to get the last bits of batter from your mixing bowl. On the flip side (pun intended), this means silicone spatulas are typically not suitable for flipping heavy foods like fish or burger patties. And finally, silicone spatulas are excellent for use on nonstick cookware because they won't scratch the coating.
You'll usually find silicone spatulas constructed one of two ways: one-piece silicone or a silicone head with a wooden handle. Although the wooden handle is attractive, in our testing we found that the one-piece silicone spatulas were more comfortable and far easier to clean (for spatulas with wooden handles, the silicone heads are often removable so you can wash them in the dishwasher, but the handle must be hand washed).
Turner
A turner, sometimes called a "flipper" or "flat spatula," has a long, flat paddle sticking out from the end of the handle for sliding under foods like eggs, fish, burgers, or even cookies on a baking sheet. They can be used to turn foods over, or simply carry them from pan to plate. Whereas kitchen tongs are great in many situations, including when picking up food items that don't need to remain flat, for example, turners can keep the shape of your cooked food intact (think: burgers!)
Turners can be made of metal, silicone, or nylon (sometimes the core and the exterior are made of different materials). They may also be solid or slotted, with the latter allowing liquids or fat to fall off the food.
Fish Spatula
A fish spatula is basically a slotted metal turner, but it gets its own category because its uses are slightly more niche than your standard flat turner. Fish spatulas are usually bent at an angle and have a sharp, blade-like edge that can easily slide under browned foods and pull them up in one piece. The large slots allow cooking liquids to drain and help to distribute weight so the food doesn't fall off.
For the grill master or anyone who loves to cook with cast iron, fish spatulas are a must for lifting off stuck-on foods like chicken breasts, fish filets, and more. But keep in mind that because they're made of metal, fish spatulas will result in significant scraping if used on nonstick cookware.
Offset Spatula
A must-have for any baker (or aspiring cake decorator), offset spatulas (also called "icing spatulas") are long, narrow metal spatulas most commonly used to seamlessly ice or frost cakes. They may also be used to smooth out cake batter before it goes in the oven, or to loosen baked goods like brownies, bars, and cookies from the pan.
The Leftovers: Others Spatulas We Tested
Although the Tovolo Flex-Core Wood Handled Spatula was easy to use, very sturdy, and well made, the wooden handle was inconvenient. The head is removable to wash in the dishwasher, but the handle needs to be washed by hand, which we could see as potentially being an issue with the head of the spatula getting loose or lost.
We wanted to love the Cuisinart Oceanware Solid Turner because it's the most eco-friendly (the handles from Cuisinart's Oceanware collection are constructed primarily of recycled fish nets), but we were disappointed with the performance. The edge had already started to warp after cooking eggs in a nonstick pan. At $9, it's no big investment, but it's worth spending a little bit more to get something that will last.
Why Take Our Word For It?
Samantha Lande, who tested all of the spatulas on this list, is the former associate editor of Eater Chicago. She has experience in product testing and reviewing kitchen tools, and has also developed content for leading food brands. Melanie Fincher, an Alabama-based food writer with nearly seven years of experience writing news and lifestyle content, used Samantha's insights to write this article.