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Out of every possible spatula variety—you’ll also see them called turners—there are four basic spatulas that you need. Anything else is just bells and whistles, something to show off to your friends but not essential to making dinner happen.
Ready? Let’s start flipping lids.
It seems terribly fussy to recommend a seemingly single-use kitchen tool, but in the case of fish spatulas, there’s more than meets the fin.
Yes, their long, angular shape makes them great for turning over a pan-fried fish fillet. Most of the time, you can fit an entire fillet on the spatula’s turner without any part of it flaking off.
But you can use it for so much more than just fish! Try using it to flip pancakes, grilled cheese, or flipping the most decadent diner-style omelet.
Generally, fish spatulas are made from stainless steel. The material is light and durable, but if you’re worried about scratching non-stick surfaces, you're out of luck. We hunted down a variety that wouldn’t scratch up non-stick pans and found one variety from OXO that offers the large triangular shape with a silicone covering. It resists temperatures up to 600°F, making it even suitable for use in a cast-iron pan.
If you’re set on regular stainless steel, assistant food editor Anna Stockwell swears by Mercer Hell’s Handle, and rightfully so—it’s what she learned to cook fish with at culinary school. Personally, I favor the Winco stainless steel fish spatula for a lightness that allows you to lift even the daintiest fish filet.
BUY IT: OXO Good Grips Silicone Flexible Omelet Turner, $10 on Amazon
BUY IT: Mercer Culinary Hell's Handle Fish Turner/Spatula, $17 on Amazon
BUY IT: Winco Blade Fish Spatula, $6 on Amazon
Some people call it a rubber spatula, some call it a scraper. This spatula isn’t in the traditional flipper shape, which makes it terrible for turning and moving solid and heavy foods. But it's essential for preparing softer foods like scrambled eggs or frosting in a bowl. Why? The vaguely knife-shaped tool’s head is flat on one side and rounded on the other, allowing you to get tight into corners and almost magically scoop up the scraps from a jar or mixing bowl.
When buying a scraper, our kitchen team recommends picking out a model that’s one material throughout—the rubber head on a wooden handle variety gets loose. The head should feel hefty enough for stirring but flexible enough for scraping a bowl.
Editor David Tamarkin favors GIR for heat resistance (you can actually lean this one against a pan with no melting). “The GIR kind are totally seamless, so food doesn’t get stuck in any weird places,” says assistant food editor Anna Stockwell, “plus, they come in so many fun colors!”
BUY IT: Thin Spatula with Rock Maple Handle, $11 on Amazon
BUY IT: Get It Right Spatula, $13 on Amazon
This is a kitchen workhorse. Just like you would with the rubber spatula, buy one that has the same material throughout (less food build-up=less tool replacement that you have to do later). This is also the one kitchen tool you can totally make last forever. Anna has no idea who made the beautifully shaped olive turner that she has at home—it’s been with her for that long. A good version is Calphalon’s beechwood variety.
BUY IT: Cilio Olivewood Spatula, $11 on Amazon
BUY IT: Calphalon Solid Wood Turner, $7 on Amazon
We’d be doing you a disservice if we told you how to pick spatulas if we didn’t include one for the grill or griddle. Look for two things: stainless steel material for high heat resistance and a long handle (16-19 inches is perfect). Anything extra like Cuisinart's folding handle makes the longer tools good for storage. Some varieties include a serrated edge.
BUY IT: Cuisinart Folding Grill Spatula, $12 on Amazon
BUY IT: OXO Good Grips Grilling Turner with Serrated Edge, $13 on Amazon
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