We Tested the Best Bench Scrapers for Baking and Beyond

Our Takeaway

We love the feel and efficiency of the KitchenAid All-Purpose Scraper, whether we're folding dough, transferring garlic, or cleaning a countertop. For a smart and effective set, consider the Chef’n Pastrio 3-in-1 Bench Scraper Set, with three separate scrapers that nest together for storage.

How to Pick the Right Bench Scraper

Design

How you plan to use a bench scraper matters when choosing a design. A large, heavy bench scraper with a stainless steel blade and sturdy handle can make quick work of dough for hefty biscuits or crusty rolls. For pie dough and pastries, a small, nimble metal or plastic scraper may allow more control.

Wide bench scrapers neatly scoop up chopped food but might feel oversized in small hands. Some plastic scrapers lack handles, letting you choose which edge best attacks a scraping task, but handless designs are sometimes uncomfortable to hold for long periods.

Performance

Intended use also plays a role in performance expectations for a bench scraper. Metal edges tend to be sharper than plastic ones. This can be a plus while scraping stuck-on messes off a countertop or dividing dense dough—but a minus on surfaces that readily scratch or in the hands of kids.

When lifting dough or chopped ingredients, a thin or beveled bottom edge can scoop more easily than a thick one. A flexible plastic scraper may let you slightly cup the food you’re transferring, reducing spills over the sides.

Ease of Cleaning

Some stainless steel bench scrapers are dishwasher safe, but as with caring for kitchen knives, hand washing may keep the edge sharper and a wooden handle unmarred. Plastic bench scrapers typically clean well in the dishwasher’s top rack. One-piece scrapers or those with a tightly attached handle will be less likely to accumulate food debris.

Like all kitchen tools, the sooner you wash a bench scraper, the better. Sticky minced garlic and bread dough quickly harden and require soaking. Dried dough lifted from a countertop molds itself to the scraper the longer it sits unwashed.

Durability

Two main factors affect bench scraper durability: the material and attachment points. Scraping away at countertops, especially marble and granite ones, can wear down a bench scraper. Plastic bench scrapers, in particular, start to round at the edges with heavy use. If a bench scraper handle wiggles against the blade, it may fill with debris or eventually separate.

Measurement markings etched into a bench scraper will be visible longer than stamped-on ones. However, an abrasive dishwasher detergent or scouring pad might eventually make even etched measurements hard to see.

The Leftovers: Other Bench Scrapers We Tested

The Marcellin Baker’s Bench Scraper drew us in with its stainless steel blade attached to an acacia wood handle by brass rivets. We like the 6-inch length of the ultrasharp blade but feel it is about an inch too short, which is especially noticeable while cutting a large ball of fully risen dough or lifting chopped aromatics. After we washed it for the first time by hand per the manufacturer’s instructions, it showed some water marks and discoloration.

The Matfer Bourgeat Nonstick Nylon Dough Scraper has one straight edge designed for cutting and cleaning and a curved edge intended for scraping bowls. Although we like the versatility of the single tool, it is awkward to hold without a handle, and the nylon edge is fairly blunt while cutting. The tool also feels small, especially while scraping up chopped onion or dividing a large mound of pizza dough.

Common Questions

What are bench scrapers used for?

Bakers consider bench scrapers essential for portioning or shifting dough and cleaning a kneading surface, yet the uses extend far beyond bread. We also tested how well bench scrapers transfer chopped aromatics and used them to cut butter, slice pizza, crush and mince garlic, and scrape burnt debris from a stovetop.

The wide, flat surface is also ideal for leveling a cup of sugar for cookies, smoothing batter in a baking pan, frosting a cake, or transferring rolled pie crust to the pie plate. The sharp edge can cut through soft cheese, lasagna, or a frittata. Anytime you wish your spatula were wider, see if a bench scraper is up to the task.

What can I use instead of a bench scraper?

A different tool might replace a bench scraper in a specific task—but at a cost. Although a knife could cut dough on a glass or stone surface, the blade will dull quickly and require time with a knife sharpener. Scraping a knife blade across a cutting board to gather just-chopped herbs could torque its alignment, making a wide bench scraper or the narrower backside of the knife a better option.

When working with dough, a narrow table knife could trim away excess pastry or divide a large ball but with sloppier results than a bench scraper. Dividing bar cookies with a knife requires a good eye and a steady hand to match the precision of a bench scraper.

What are the differences between a bench scraper, a bowl scraper, and a dough scraper?

Bench scrapers, sometimes called bench knives or choppers, can be fairly inflexible. Whether made of metal or plastic, pushing against them should produce a clean, even cut. They often have a straight edge, squared-off corners, and a handle on one side.

Bowl scrapers usually consist of bendy plastic or nylon that conforms to the concave interior of a bowl, making contact with the entire surface. They rarely have a handle yet often feature rounded corners so that you can hold them at any angle. The term dough scraper typically refers to a bench scraper, but you might see a softer bowl scraper given the same name.

Why Take Our Word for It?

Julie Laing has been a writer and editor for 25-plus years, focusing on original recipes, kitchen tools, and the stories around them. She is the author of “The Complete Guide to Pickling,” the Flathead Beacon food columnist, and a reviewer and recipe developer for numerous other publications. She bought her first bench scraper nearly a decade ago after a sourdough starter moved into her kitchen. Julie now owns both stainless steel and plastic models, as well as bowl scrapers, that she relies on while baking, cleaning, and more.