![A person cutting dough using the King Arthur Baking Company Bench Knife](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.allrecipes.com/thmb/RRjb7E-GlhLgficMjGClZzb-2b4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/alr-bench-scrapers-test-king-arthur-baking-company-knife-danielle-st-pierre-16_crop-19a47d7ffa5c411ea303e97c118bf44e.jpeg)
Allrecipes / Danielle St. Pierre
Sometimes called a dough scraper or bench knife, a bench scraper is a wide, thin piece of stainless steel or stiff plastic that often has a handle along one edge. Bakers use it to scrape their kneading surface or baking “bench” clean—hence the name. However, once you add a bench scraper to your kitchen collection, you’ll find yourself grabbing it for many other tasks, such as lifting, folding, and dividing dough. It also comes in handy for gathering, leveling, and roughly chopping ingredients. When not in use, it takes up minimal space in a utensil drawer.
This small, inexpensive tool is invaluable while creating and cleaning up kitchen messes, especially since it scrapes everything from dried dough to hardened chocolate off countertops more effectively than a scrub pad. To find the best bench scrapers for every kitchen, we tested 22 models ourselves, focusing on design, durability, performance, and ease of cleaning.
About Our Tests
We tested 22 bench scrapers made of materials ranging from metal to plastic to wood, focusing on traditional kitchen and baking uses. We used each scraper to divide and lift balls of dough, cut rolled pastry into strips, and scrape both dry flour and stuck-on dough from a countertop. We also tested scrapers by picking up and transferring loose chopped aromatics from a cutting board. If they were marketed as dishwasher-safe, we ran the scrapers through at least one cycle during the testing period.
Each bench scraper was rated on the following attributes:
- Design: Is the handle secure and comfortable? Are extra features, like measurement markings or flexibility, helpful and easy to use? Is the bench scraper large enough for various tasks?
- Performance: Is the edge sharp, blunt, or beveled? Are slippery or sticky ingredients easy or difficult to handle?
- Durability: Was there any damage, such as the handle coming loose, during testing? If dishwasher-safe, does running it through a cycle damage the blade or fade any markings?
- Ease of Cleaning: Is the bench scraper easy to clean? Are there gaps that can collect food particles?
Our Top Pick
KitchenAid All Purpose Dough Pastry Scraper
Why It’s Great: Strong handle grip; sharp and sturdy cutting blade; measurement markings
Grain of Salt: Heavy; flour can accumulate in handle logo
The moment we held the KitchenAid All-Purpose Scraper, we immediately liked its weight and feel. Compared with other bench scrapers, the quality of both blade and handle was impressive, along with its effectiveness when scraping down countertops and cutting boards.
Bench scrapers tend to be fairly basic and similar in shape and design, so this one stood out for the inch intervals etched on the blade, which helped to cut precise squares of phyllo dough. During testing, we frequently referenced the conversions listed on the back side. The beveled edge cut through dough evenly and cleanly, and the blade was wide enough to lift large portions.
The flat surface crushed garlic and transferred it from a cutting board to a pan without mess—the edge was even sharp enough to roughly chop the garlic. We also love the handle’s textured surface, which has a sturdy, solid feel and allows a slip-free grip while dividing and scraping. Cleaning the bench scraper multiple times in the dishwasher had no effect on the etched markings, and the only area likely to pick up scraps is the brand name carved into the handle.
The Details: Stainless steel, thermoplastic; 5.2 x 4.75 inches; 8.8 ounces; dishwasher safe
Allrecipes / Megan Blackburn
Allrecipes / Megan Blackburn
Best Budget
Chef Craft Dough Scraper
Why It’s Great: Simple design; flat and rounded edges; enough flex to scrape bowls
Grain of Salt: Too soft to attack dried-on dough; slippery when wet
The Chef Craft Dough Scraper has a simple, one-piece plastic design that helps put it well below the price of our other favorite scrapers. The beveled edge neatly cut and lifted dough for pizza and flatbread from a marble countertop during tests. The wide surface was able to collect a small pile of chopped vegetables from a wooden cutting board and deliver them without mess into a skillet.
The flat edge ran evenly along the countertop to gather drifts of flour. Hold that edge, and the plastic has just enough flexibility that the opposing rounded side can scrap out wide bowls.
When using this tool for cleanup, we found it best to scrape down a gooey countertop or cutting board immediately after kneading dough since the plastic struggles to remove scraps that have dried and hardened. Without a separate handle, the bench scraper becomes slippery in wet hands, but this also means there are no crevices that can fill with flour. Either running it through a cycle in the dishwasher’s top rack or hand washing cleans this bench scraper flawlessly.
The Details: Plastic; 5.5 x 4 inches; 1.13 ounces; top-rack dishwasher safe
Allrecipes / Amandeep Singh
Allrecipes / Amandeep Singh
Allrecipes / Amandeep Singh
Allrecipes / Amandeep Singh
Best Set
Chef’n Pastrio Bench Scraper Set
Why It’s Great: Utilitarian and versatile; repels sticky dough; nests together for storage
Grain of Salt: Too dull for rough chopping; overly snug handles when nested
The Chef’n Pastrio set includes a stainless steel bench scraper for precise division and hard cleaning, a softer plastic one for gentle scraping, and a more flexible bowl scraper for rounded surfaces.
This set’s all-plastic scrapers have integrated handles that tuck tightly into the stainless steel blade’s plastic handle for storage. During testing, each one felt comfortable and unlikely to slip from our grip, and we loved that dough rarely stuck to them.
This set excels while baking cookies. Besides level cups of flour and sugar, the bowl scraper gathers dough remnants as effectively as a silicone spatula. The bench scrapers, while not overly sharp, were able to slice a chilled cookie dough log into rounds during tests. The thin stainless steel blade scooped up delicate cutout cookies, and its measurement markings helped cut equally sized bar shapes. The one-piece scrapers wash off quickly, and with no gaps between the handle and blade, the two-piece scraper is nearly as easy to clean.
The Details: Stainless steel, plastic; 6.1 x 4.53 inches; 8.3 ounces; top-rack dishwasher safe
Allrecipes / Sheila Tong
Allrecipes / Sheila Tong
Allrecipes / Sheila Tong
Allrecipes / Sheila Tong
Best for Gifting
King Arthur Baking Company Bench Knife
Why It’s Great: Aesthetically pleasing; practical; broad surface area; thin, sharp blade edge
Grain of Salt: Slight roughness and bulk to the handle; hand washing required
From a company that specializes in baking, we expected—and found—a beautiful and functional bench scraper. King Arther securely bolts a rounded walnut handle to a sturdy blade. We looked forward to using this tool and felt its consistent performance and attractiveness were worth a splurge.
The large blade had us reaching for this bench scraper for everyday tasks. It easily lifts and holds an entire chopped onion or bell pepper or several cloves of minced garlic, transferring the ingredients to a pan and the scraps to a compost bin. This bench scraper also neatly divides risen pizza dough into smaller pieces, and its knifelike edge cuts hot thin-crust pizza. We loved this tool while slicing but were mindful of the angle when pressing the sharp blade against a plastic cutting board.
The wood’s natural texture supports even wet or oily hands and makes the scraper feel substantial. After such a long experience with plastic-handled scrapers, it took time to adjust to the handle’s bulk and roughness, but we ultimately found it pleasing to hold and use.
The Details: Stainless steel, walnut; 6 x 3 inches; hand wash only
Allrecipes / Danielle St. Pierre
Allrecipes / Danielle St. Pierre
Allrecipes / Danielle St. Pierre
Allrecipes / Danielle St. Pierre
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.