3 Different Types of Spatulas with Images

Spatula is a cooking tool used for mixing and spreading things. It has a broad, flat, and blunt blade that is essential in lifting and spreading food that you are cooking in your pan. 

Spatulas can be made either with wood or metal. Some newer alterations use a synthetic rubber in making their spatula. The handle can be bent upward and it can be long or short. 

If you are looking for the best types of spatulas, always take on considerations on what type of food you usually cook and what utensils you are going to use in cooking them. In that way, you can check if you need metal or wooden spatulas. Or if you need those spatulas with long handles or short handles. 

Spatulas may vary depending on the things that you are cooking. There are spatulas that can be used in flipping burgers and eggs, while there are spatulas used in applying icing on cakes. Their difference would be on what kind of blade is present on that spatula. 

Types of Spatulas

When Did Spatula Was Created

Spatula was invented  in 1798 by Horace Spatula. Its main use is not essentially for cooking, but to kill common house flies. But the word spatula has already been used since 1525 and it also refers to the instruments with a broad, flat, flexible blade.

The spatula that has been used for mixing pharmaceutical preparations and applying ointments has been created by a Roman physician named Galen in the second century. Nowadays, spatulas are mainly used in culinary, more than it is used in medical applications. 

What Are The Different Types of Spatulas

No matter how you look at the spatulas, they would always have their identical traits. But let us discuss these spatulas and see which one would be your favorite to use in handling delicate foods such as applying frosting, and other cooking-related stuff. 

Spreaders

Spreader spatulas are long and narrow, with flexible blades that are dull and rounded heads. Spreaders are mostly made of metal spatulas, which can be stainless steel. They can also be made of plastic spatulas or rubber spatulas. 

Spreader spatulas are best for spreading soft toppings like spreading icing on cake. It is also best in spreading cheese or peanut butter on bread. Since it has a round head, that is also best in scooping up the perfect amount that you need of creamy condiment. 

A spreader can also be classified into two spatulas, which are offset spatula and straight or flat spreader. An offset spatula is also called a frosting spatula or palette knife, thus they can also be called icing spatulas. The offset spatula is one of the most common spreaders that you can find in the market. 

An offset spatula has a bend in the handle’s neck that allows larger coverage on flat surfaces without getting the hands into the product. Whereas the straight or flat spreaders are usually shorter and round when compared to the offset spatula. 

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Flipper Spatula or Turners

Flipping pancakes are actually made easy by using a flipper spatula. Aside from flipping pancakes, flippers or turners are also used to lift and flip other food items during cooking. 

The blades used on a flipper spatula could vary, depending on the needs and the manufacturer of the product. It could be made of metal or a strong kind of plastic that is heat-resistant. The handle is normally made out of rubber or wood to insulate them from heat or it won’t transfer heat.

Flippers usually have a long handle and a blade with a wide thin surface that is trapezoid-shaped. This can also be a solid spatula type or a slotted spatula type. The blade size is comparable to the regular human hand and has a narrowed tip so that it can slide under foods easily. 

Most flippers and turners are classified into metal spatulas, but there are also kinds of flippers that can be classified into rubber spatulas or plastic spatulas. The metal spatulas are most preferred by most users as they are strong, durable, and easy to clean.

You might also find the flipper that is made out of silicone spatula handy. It is recommended for those who don’t want scratches on your pan as they are gentle. Silicone spatula is also resistant to high heat. 

You may also opt-in to the wooden spatula for flippers or their bamboo spatula. These traditional kitchen utensils won’t transfer high heat, and also won’t scratch your pan. The good thing as well in using the wooden spatula is that they don’t have chemicals infused in them. 

Flippers are best used in turning grilled cheese, fried eggs, and burgers. You can also use this in stir fries or chopped veggies. 

If you would want to buy flippers or turner spatulas, please click here. 

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Scraper Spatulas

Often called a kitchen scraper, this spatula commonly has a rubber tip and rectangular head. The handle could have small holes used to secure the spatula. Scrapers may vary in sizes and come in different widths and lengths. 

As you can see, the main material used in scraper spatulas is rubber. You can also find those brands, like OXO good grips, that are using silicone spatulas for scrapers. Handles of these spatulas can be made of wood, rubber, or plastic. You might also love their fancy colors available. 

If you are stovetop cooking, you might want to ditch using the scraper spatulas as they might not be able to withstand the direct heat and they could melt. Stirring, folding, and scraping cold food particles, wet ingredients in a mixing bowl would be the best things to do with scraper spatulas. 

Those who are into baking, the scraper might be their favorite spatulas as they can easily clean those sticky dough from a flat surface. These spatulas can also be used to toss salads or stir tomato sauces, you will just need two spatulas to do that. 

You can buy OXO Good Grips silicone spatula by clicking here. 

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What Are The Common Materials Used in Spatulas

There might be different types of spatulas, but there are also different materials used in these types of spatulas. Let’s check them out and which one should you choose. 

Rubber Spatula

The rubber spatula is very good for nonstick cookware as it doesn’t have a sharp edge to scratch the pan. It is also practical to buy a rubber spatula due to its affordability compared to other spatulas and availability at most stores. 

But you also have to take into consideration its less resistance to heat. Rubber spatulas could also stain easily, especially if you are cooking food with artificial food colorings. However, if you are looking for a spatula that won’t leave scratches on your pans, you should get a rubber spatula. 

Silicone Spatula

A silicone spatula is an alternative for a rubber spatula. Using a silicone spatula won’t also scratch your pans. To add up, it is more heat resistant compared to the rubber spatulas. 

It is best to have silicone spatulas if you are cooking over stovetop as accidental  exposure to heat can permanently damage rubber or plastic kitchen utensils. Silicone spatula is also more flexible and you don’t have to worry about breaking it. 

However, silicone utensils will easily hold some cooking odors as you use these silicon spatulas. It is also vulnerable to sharp blades and could have a beveled edge. 

Wooden Spatula

If you love the environment, you might want to think about getting a wooden spatula as it is eco-friendly. If you are worried about getting chemicals into your body when using plastic-based utensils, then use wooden spatulas as they are non-toxic. 

The only thing you need to take note of if you are going to use wooden spatulas would be how to take care of it properly. The porous material of the wood being used on the spatula could hold up bacteria or food particles, thus it is not recommended to use a wooden spatula on raw meat. 

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Other Types of Spatulas

Aside from those three main types of spatulas, there are other kinds of spatulas that you can find elsewhere. They have their specific usage, depending on the style of cooking you are doing. 

Fish Spatula

If you are looking for an elongated and thinner version of the common metal spatula, look for a fish spatula. The blade of fish spatula is specifically designed to easily slip under delicate fish fillets.

Along the blade are long slots to allow any liquid to drain away, especially when flipping fried fish or when poaching. Fish spatulas are mostly made of metal, but silicon or nylon should work just fine. Other names for fish spatula would be slotted spatula. 

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Frosting Spatula

Frosting spatula is a common kind of spreader. It is designed especially for the use of spreading a substance onto a flat surface, like frosting cakes. If you are organizing a sandwich party, this flat spatula is ideal for spreading spreads onto sandwiches in mass quantities. 

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Baking Spatula

Baking spatulas would be those narrow blade, built with a thin, flexible stainless steel blade. That is why it could also be a metal spatula. From its name, baking spatulas are best for decorating cakes. But aside from that, it can also be used to serve slices of cake, pieces of pie or bars.

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BBQ Spatulas

BBQ spatulas are the most common type of spatula used in grilling. It is a slotted spatula as it has holes to allow oil and liquids to drain. But don’t limit this spatula on BBQs, as you can also use it in turning steaks, flipping burgers and tossing veggies.

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How to Clean Spatulas

Maintaining cleanliness is essential before you store the spatula in a drawer space. That is why it is important to know how to clean these utensils. 

The best way to clean these spatulas is to follow the instructions provided in their user’s manual upon purchase. Most of the designs today with these spatulas are dishwasher safe. 

But if you are using those wooden spatulas, make sure to keep these things in mind. Do not put them into a dishwasher and don’t let them get soaked in the water for a long period of time. Before you store them, allow them to be dried completely. Use a cooling rack for that matter. 

After using a wooden or bamboo spatula, clean them right away to avoid food being spoiled while sticking on it. If there is a food odor on them, use some baking soda or dish soap to remove those odors.