Silicone Spatulas - Cooks Illustrated 03/02/11 1:47 PM

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SILICONE SPATULAS

Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated. Add to My Favorites Read Current Issue Browse Previous IssuesNewfangled silicone spatulas are rife with issues—either too Print Welcome flimsy or too rigid, weirdly shaped, or uncomfortable to Logout Email hold. Do any deliver a better tool? MY FAVORITES

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MyManage Account My PRODUCT TESTED HEAD HANDLE OVERALL PRICE* Favorites Bulletin Board PERFORMANCE FreeMy Newsletter Favorites Info Connect HIGHLY RECOMMENDED with us Rubbermaid Professional 13- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $18.99 1/2-Inch High-Heat Scraper A practical, no-nonsense spatula that aced every cooking test, with a great balance of flexibility and firmness for both the head and the handle; however, the head did become slightly discolored by the turmeric in the curry test, and if we were going to quibble, the handle, while providing a great grip, could be a bit more cushy. But all around,

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a bit more cushy. But all around, a terrific choice for nearly any job in the kitchen. (We also went beyond its top recommended temperature with no sign of damage.)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Tovolo Silicone Spatula ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $8.99 This sleek spatula has curves in all the right places. It may look like it’s just going to be decorative—until you use it. Then it passes every performance test, scraping, stirring, folding, and sautéing like a champ. It also withstood our attempts to stain and melt it.

RECOMMENDED Le Creuset Super Spatula ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $13.99 Perfect for scraping down a bowl, folding whipped egg whites into batter, or slipping under an omelet, this well-shaped spatula also has an exceptionally comfortable round wooden handle that offers good resistance when stirring. A too- soft tip and edge that couldn’t scrape up fond or easily stir nuts and chips into thick cookie dough kept this spatula from a top spot, and a raised ridge down the length of the head (containing the handle) made it impossible to scrape batter off in one stroke. Tip darkened when we tried to melt it.

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Trudeau Silicone Spatula, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $9.99 Orange 12-inch With a "huge" head, slightly stiff texture, and rigid handle, this solid spatula was ideal for stirring thick, resistant ingredients like cookie dough and risotto, and moved great volumes with few strokes when folding in whipped egg whites. It was also just soft enough and well-shaped for scraping bowls or swirling pan sauce and had a good stiff tip for scraping fond. Withstood staining and high heat. Some testers found it a bit "clunky."

RECOMMENDED Mario Batali Silicone Risotto ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $7.95 Spatula A handsome spatula with a very comfortable, long wooden handle, its fairly firm, bouncy, curved head did well scraping bowls clean, but the pointed, floppy tip got in the way more than it helped, even when making risotto (and despite the spatula’s name). Resisted stains, odor, and melting to look new at end of testing.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS OXO Good Grips Medium ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $7.99 Silicone Spatula A too-small head (and slightly too-short handle) took points off this otherwise decent spatula— these flaws made testers work harder when stirring and folding. Stained and held curry odor, blackened slightly under high

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heat, but retained its texture. Rubber handle was comfortable, but melted when left leaning briefly on rim of hot skillet.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS Kuhn Rikon Bakers' Silicone ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $8.95 Spatula Slightly too small and short to be ideal, this lightweight spatula did well scraping mixing bowls, sliding under an omelet, or scraping fond and swirling pan sauce, but for a so-called "baker’s" spatula it was too wimpy to mix chocolate chips and nuts into stiff cookie dough, and disappeared into whipped egg whites for angel food cake. Plus its hard, curved plastic handle cut into fingers and made stirring uncomfortable. Hung onto curry odor and browned slightly at tip under high heat.

NOT RECOMMENDED SiliconeZone Large Folia ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $13.95 Spatula This flat paddle-like spatula reinforced with enclosed steel wire would be much better without its extreme curving shape that made testers complain about being forced into "unnatural" and fatiguing arm positions. Metal insert heated up while making risotto. Discolored in curry test, and tip of spatula turned brownish when left too long on a searing-hot skillet, though the texture was unchanged.

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NOT RECOMMENDED Zyliss Does-It-All Spatula ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $7.99 While the head of this spatula is very well-designed, the handle is much too short. We had to reach into a saucepan of hot risotto to grab it, and got batter on our hands while making angel food cake. The silicone extends up the handle, but is too bendy, especially as it gets warm, making you work too hard when stirring stiff ingredients. Stained "like tie-dye" in the pot of curry, and retained odor. Metal logo on handle became hot during cooking.

NOT RECOMMENDED Chef’n Switchit Dual Ended ★ ★ ★ $10.99 Long Spatula This "bendy, floppy-tipped" spatula was little better than a wet noodle when tackling food that offered the least bit of resistance, such as cookie dough or risotto. Partly reinforced with a too-short, enclosed steel strip, its too-skinny head couldn’t scrape up fond and was poor at folding whipped egg whites, requiring many extra strokes. Too short for large-handed testers, and too flat to be really comfortable. Resisted stains and odors, but tip discolored under high heat. Metal insert heated up while making risotto.

*Prices subject to change.

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