Stuck on Spatulas: Food + Cooking : gourmet.com

Flexible Turner

Also known as a pancake spatula, this is perhaps the most common turner (a utensil that flips and transfers foods). The blade works well on large surfaces, and the thin edge is perfect for sliding under French toast, eggs, and of course pancakes. Silicone models (like the one pictured here) won’t harm nonstick pans; some versions have slots (which can be large, small, circular, or long, depending on the model of spatula) that help drain oil from foods like chicken cutlets and hash browns. Choose a blade made of silicone (extremely heat resistant), nylon (the edges wear down more slowly than those of plastic blades), or metal (but avoid nonstick-coated metal, which is likely to peel).

(Flexible spatula, $8-$9; williams-sonoma.com)

Wooden Spatula

One of wood’s best qualities is that it’s a poor conductor of heat: You can use it in a hot pot without burning yourself, then plunge it into a cold mixture without transferring the heat. The same can’t be said of flavors, though: Don’t use the same spatula to stir, say, both tomato sauce and ice cream base. Wood spatulas are best used as stirrers and scrapers in tin-lined copper and nonstick cookware. Slotted ones can help incorporate air during beating; angled edges are good for scraping pans during deglazing and roux making (registration required); and a wooden spatula with a round, concave head is ideal for making and spreading sushi rice (a metal tool could damage the soft grains and scratch the traditional wooden bowl in which the rice is mixed). For cooking, seek out closely grained hardwood like beech, cherry, and boxwood. Never use pine (which splinters easily) or lacquered woods.

(12" Wooden spatula, $3.22; bridgekitchenware.com)

Dual-Ended Silicone Spatula

Silicone spatulas do everything that their plastic counterparts can, with the added benefit of being stain and heat resistant. Depending on the manufacturer, silicone can withstand temperatures of up to 800° F—which means it can stay in a hot pot without melting or burning. The double-edged silicone spatula is like two tools in one: The narrow end can reach into jars and measuring cups, while the wider end folds and stirs. Models where the entire spatula is one piece (such as the one pictured here) make for easier cleaning, since food doesn’t get stuck where the head meets the handle.

(Chef’n Switchit™, $9.99; chefn.com)

Rubber Spatula

This kitchen workhorse debuted after World War II, when the burgeoning synthetic-rubber industry began to make its products available to civilians; today, the best models are made of heat-resistant rubber that is less likely to crack or melt. The flexibility and round shape of the head allow this spatula to remove the last bit of batter or sauce from bowls and jars, thereby reducing waste. Unlike utensils made from metal or wood, heat-resistant rubber spatulas can be used to scrape eggs or deglaze browned bits from nonstick pans without scratching the surface. Yet these tools are just stiff enough to allow you to press down terrines and fold egg whites into mousses, soufflés, and delicate cake batters. Seek out spatulas that can withstand temperatures of 300° F or more (but don’t leave a rubber spatula in a hot pot, as it can melt, crack, or curl).

( 1 x 3" and 2 x 3" Kaiser rubber spatula set, $5.20; bridgekitchenware.com)

Rectangular Serving Spatula

This tool shines on griddles and grills: The large, thin, beveled blade easily slips under burgers, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, French toast, and sunny-side-up eggs. Turned upside-down, this spatula is excellent for scraping off burnt bits of food. At the table, it cuts and serves casseroles (lasagne, ziti, and vegetable pies) as well as brownies. And according to Alton Brown, you can even use it as a garlic crusher. For delicate foods, look for a serving spatula with rounded corners. One caveat: Most rectangular metal spatulas will scratch nonstick coatings and may be too large for most skillets.

(All-Clad spatula, $24; williams-sonoma.com)

Slotted Fish Spatula

Of all the turners, this one offers the most control. It’s a more evolved version of the common pancake spatula: The thin, angled, upturned head maneuvers beneath the most delicate filets and gives ample leverage. The slots reduce friction and sticking and make the spatula lightweight and flexible. Despite its name, this utensil works wonders on any food that’s hard to keep in one piece, including crêpes, eggs, and cookies. And since the slots naturally drain oil, it is a good choice for shallow-frying, too.

(Traditional fish spatula, $15; bridgekitchenware.com)

Wok Spatula

This shovel-like apparatus is specifically designed for stir-frying in a wok, which, in Chinese cooking, involves turning the heat up to very high temperatures. Thus the spatula needs to keep the food moving so it doesn’t burn. Its round blade matches the shape of the wok, and the upturned sides help push and scoop up ingredients. Look for a spatula with a long, stiff handle that can reach into the depths of the wok, and if it’s a wood handle, check that the joint is tight and smooth.

(Stainless-steel wok spatula, $6.47; bridgekitchenware.com)

Icing Spatula

Also known as a palette or icing knife, this tool is indispensable for the pastry chef or home baker. The shape can be straight or offset, but the latter offers more control. Use an offset spatula for smoothing génoise batter in a pan, finessing tart filling, manipulating melted chocolate on a marble board, or nudging icing to the edge of a cake. Offset spatulas can also aid in lifting cake tiers, cookies, meringues, pancakes, and crêpes out of the pan. And these spatulas are good for leveling flour in measuring cups or releasing baked goods from the sides of pans. It’s helpful to have two sizes: 9 1/2 to 12 inches (to adequately cover most American-style cakes), and four to five inches (for fine decorative work on cupcakes, petit fours, tartlets, and cookies).

(9 1/2" Ateco offset spatula, $5.69; bridgekitchenware.com)

Spoonula

This device combines the flexibility of a rubber or silicone spatula with the carrying capacity of a spoon; it can fold, scrape, blend, stir, and scoop. But because the head is concave, it isn’t a good choice for tasks like smoothing cake batter.

(9.5", 13.5", and 16.5" Spoon-Shaped Spatulas, $3, $5, and $5.80; rubbermaid.com)

Cake/Pie Server

When you’re presenting a sweet finale, the last thing you want is for your pastry to go from perfect to pulverized as you take it out of the pan. This sturdy yet nimble spatula keeps pies and cakes intact; the serrated edges cut through tart crusts without tearing. These triangular servers are typically made out of stainless steel or ceramic, but the material doesn’t really matter as long as it can hold the weight of the dessert.

(Monaco cake knife, $16; williams-sonoma.com)

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