The Underrated Spatula You Should Be Using Way More Often

“A cook is only as good as their tools.” This little nugget of wisdom applies to everything from baking in a dependable oven all the way down to the humble spatula. Shopping for a spatula can be more complicated than one might imagine, since there are quite a few varieties and options out there. Here, we highlight some of the most common types of spatulas and what they’re used for.

This spatula is designed for, well, turning. Its long handle and angled blade make it ideal for sliding underneath food. “Turner” is a broad term that can be applied to a few varieties of spats, including fish spatula, which we’ll cover later. 

Best for: Griddle turners have long, narrow, solid blades and are typically heavier and more rigid than other types of spatulas, making them perfect for flipping and pressing on foods like smash burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and thick steaks.

This narrow metal spatula is mainly used in baking. Its long, thin and “offset” metal blade  angles down from the handle and then straight out again with a rounded end. Offset spatulas range in length from just a few inches all the way up to almost a foot, so they can tackle everything from frosting a mini cupcake to serving a wedding cake.

Best for: Spreading frosting, smoothing out batter, and getting into the hard-to-reach corners of baking pans. It’s also a great tool for sliding under and lifting cakes and other baked goods as well. 

Fish spatulas are designed for the delicate task of flipping fish. They have a relatively short (usually 6 to 8 inches) slatted blade with an angled edge ideal for sliding under food without scraping it.

This extra-long spatula is meant to keep your fingers safe when cooking over the hot open flame of the grill. Grill spatulas are basically turner spatulas with much longer handles. They can have solid blades, holes, or slats, but are always made of metal to withstand the significant heat of the grill. 

Best for: They’re designed for similar use cases as turner spatulas, primarily flipping food, but also need to be sturdy enough to press down on it as well without bending or breaking.

Sometimes referred to as “spoonulas,” these flexible spats are typically made of rubber or silicone. 

Best for: Scraping and scooping batters, dough, and frostings. When mixing and folding, they excel at getting to all sides of a bowl and scraping any hard to reach ingredients. 

Similar in shape to the offset spatula, but without the downward-angled blade, the straight spatula — or “palette knife” is also used mainly in baking. 

Best for: It can be used to smooth out frosting on a cake to achieve bakery-worthy smooth sides or to lift slices of cake or other baked goods. Its narrow blade is also perfect for getting into the narrow openings of jars and other tall containers.

A few of the spatulas covered here — depending on the construction of their particular blade — could technically fall under the term “slotted spatula,” which refers to the blade having open slots, rather than being one solid piece. 

Best for: Dealing with saucy or greasy foods. The slots allow extra liquid and grease to drain away when lifting or turning food.

Also called a “flexible spatula,” “rubber spatula,” or “silicone spatula” these spats have flexible blades that make them perfect when preparing baked goods. 

Best for: Mixing, folding, and scraping. They’re also great for cooking in nonstick cookware (like when youre making scrambled eggs!) as they can not only get into any hard to reach areas of your pots and pans, they also won’t damage the nonstick coating. Be sure to check that your scraping spat is heat-safe before using it for cooking tasks, however.