The spatula is a surprisingly versatile utensil in the kitchen. Spatulas are typically used to flip burgers or sauté onions, but there are so many more uses depending on the type of spatula you’re using.
Spatulas can be made with several different materials, including silicone, metal, plastic, and wood. Their sizes can vary from tiny to huge, and they can be squared, rounded, or triangular.
Take a look at all the different types of spatulas so you can pick the right ones you need for your kitchen.
The Different Types of Spatulas:
1. Bamboo Spatula
Bamboo spatulas are an eco-friendly option. They’re flexible but durable, lightweight, and easy to clean. A bonus is that they look good enough to leave out on the counter.
2. Cake Spatula
Cake spatulas are triangular and are perfect for slicing and serving pieces of cake. They can be made in various materials, but you’ll likely find them in metal or plastic.
3. Fish Spatula
Fish spatulas are usually made of metal and are slotted, slender, and angled at the end. They allow you to pick up delicate pieces of fish without breaking them easily.
4. Flat Spatula
Flat spatulas can be made of any material. They’re often used for stirring since they can be difficult to pick up food since they’re not offset. They can also help you transfer food from one flat surface to another.
5. Flat Frosting Spatula
This type of spatula is meant to spread icing on cakes. Unlike the offset icing spatulas, these are flat and may be difficult to use on the sides of tall cakes.
6. Giant Spatula
Giant spatulas are typically slightly rounded and L-shaped, making them perfect for picking up pancakes or crepes.
7. Grilling Spatula
Grilling spatulas are designed to be used safely on a barbecue grill. The spatula’s head is made of metal and is offset, so you can easily flip over food without coming into contact with the fire.
8. Half Spatula
Half spatulas look like one side was chopped off. They’re used to scrape the sides of dishes.
9. Metal Spatula
Metal spatulas come in various shapes and sizes, but they’re often wide and flat, making them perfect for serving pancakes or patties from dish to plate.
10. Offset Spatula
Offset spatulas aren’t straight, so you can easily ice cakes or get under food. Almost any material can be used, but they’re usually metal.
11. Perforated Spatula
Perforated spatulas are similar to slotted spatulas, except that it has drainage holes instead of slots.
12. Pizza Paddle Spatula
Pizza paddles are like oversized flat spatulas that are used to pull pizzas out of brick ovens.
13. Plastic Spatula
Plastic spatulas are inexpensive and can often be found at dollar stores. They’re not recommended because they break easily and can melt and ruin pans if they’re left on the heat for too long. They may even leak out chemicals, too.
14. Rounded Spatula
Rounded spatulas are good for scraping bowls. If you use a perforated spatula, it works well for draining fried foods.
15. Scraper Spatula
Scraper spatulas have a soft pointed corner and a rounded corner, so you can easily scrape the sides of bowls and pans. They’re often made with silicone, but you can find them in other materials like rubber or plastic.
16. Serrated Spatula
Serrated spatulas are designed with sharp edges so you can cut food in the pan. Grilling spatulas are commonly serrated so that you can cut meat on the grill.
17. Silicone Spatula
Silicone spatulas are non-stick, making them the perfect multiuse tool in the kitchen. They’re easy to wash, but you may find that they hold onto certain food smells. Be careful that it doesn’t smell like onions when you’re trying to bake a cake!
18. Slotted Spatula
Slotted spatulas are versatile and are often used when frying food since it allows grease to drain. They’re available in a variety of materials.
19. Solid Spatula
Solid spatulas don’t have any holes, so they’re better for stirring and transferring.
20. Spoon Spatula
A spoon spatula is flat enough to use as a spatula when you need to flip over food but deep enough that it can function as a spoon when you need to taste liquids.
21. Spreading Spatula
Spreading spatulas are also known as icing spatulas. They’re long, slender, and offset, so you can easily spread icing onto cakes.
22. Squared Spatula
Squared spatulas are often rounded, although some of them may have sharper points on them. They’re perfect for flipping, cutting, or maneuvering into corners of square pans.
23. Tiny Spatula
Tiny spatulas can be a fun novelty gift for a baker, but they do serve their purposes. If you’re working with small dishes, they can make stirring and scraping easier.
24. Turner Spatula
Turner spatulas are used to turn over food like pancakes, patties, or vegetables. Some are slotted, and some are solid, some are wide, and some are thin. The larger it is, the bigger the food you can turn.
25. Wooden Spatula
Wooden spatulas are typically used for stirring and tossing instead of flipping or serving. This is because most wooden spatulas are flat and not angled. They range in size and shape so that you can have several for different purposes.