Go to any kitchenware store, and you’ll see dozens of variations of the same implement. Many people assume this is for aesthetics, but the truth is that certain styles and materials are more suited for specific culinary practices. For this article, we’ll focus on spoons and spatulas as they’re the most used implements when you’re madly dashing around the kitchen.
The Handy Kitchen Spoon/Spatula
A “kitchen” spoon is a large spoon used for stirring, scooping, serving, mixing, and nudging liquids or foods within cookware. Kitchen spoons are relatively shallow and look very similar to a spoon you eat with, just much larger. A spatula is a flat implement with a tapered edge to flip and pry your food off the grill or pan (such as a burger) or fold in an ingredient and swipe the edges of a mixing bowl. They come in different sizes, and you’ll want a large and small one.
Both implements come in solid or slotted, and they are made of silicone, wood, or metal with long handles. Do not confuse a kitchen spoon with a ladle (we’ll get to the ladles shortly, don’t worry). There are three crucial properties of every kitchen spoon and spatula:
- They can withstand high heat
- They are comfortable to hold or grip
- They are comprised of food-safe materials
While metal kitchen spoons are the most prevalent, choose a wooden or silicone version. The reason is that metal has several drawbacks. For one, it conducts heat, meaning you could quickly burn yourself if you need to stir for any length of time. For two, metal will scratch the surface of most pots and pans, often destroying the nonstick coating (if there is any). For three, the metal reacts with specific chemical components within food, changing the flavor.
That leaves us debating between solid and slotted and silicon versus wooden. Honestly, it’s best to have one of each. Silicon cleans up very well and isn’t porous, meaning you won’t have to worry about stains. Because of this, it’s excellent for stirring soups and curries.
Silicon spatulas, specifically, are also great for things like baking because they have just enough give to work the batter properly. They also aren’t as “sticky” as wood when doling out cookie dough for the pan or dealing with honey as an ingredient. Even better, they’re incredibly thin, which makes slipping them underneath a sunny-side-up egg very easy. You also want at least one metal spatula for heavier slabs of meat, but only use it when absolutely necessary.
Wooden spoons and spatulas, on the other hand, are crucial for ensuring your water doesn’t boil over when cooking pasta and rice and are perfect for scraping or releasing the “fond” – the yummy stuff stuck to the surface of a stainless steel pot or pan. Silicon isn’t stiff enough to properly do this. They also look a lot better sitting on your kitchen counter.
The Ladle
As promised, a quick word on the ladle: unlike a kitchen spoon, a ladle is explicitly made to serve up meals that contain a lot of liquid. For this, metal is preferred, as it is incredibly stiff and won’t accidentally bend and spill your dinner before it can hit the bowl or plate (anyone who has owned a silicone ladle will tell you they’ve had some mishaps). However, it’s not a cooking implement, so keep that in mind. It’s simply made for serving.