We tested nine models to see how well they could scrape out jars of marinara sauce, molasses, mayonnaise, honey, and Nutella.
Published Mar. 1, 2015. Appears in America's Test Kitchen TV Season 16: Pork Kebabs and Steaks Hit the Grill
We recently learned that the OXO Good Grips Silicone Jar Spatula, our Best Buy, has been redesigned. The blade now attaches seamlessly to the handle, which we liked. It also a gently curved shape and is a bit longer, wider, and slightly more rigid, for even more effective scooping. We still highly recommend it.
Jar spatulas, slim utensils designed to maneuver in tight spaces, supposedly get every last drop out of jars. We used nine models (priced from about $5 to about $13) to scrape out jars of marinara sauce, molasses, mayonnaise, honey, and Nutella. We also let each model sit in hot tomato sauce and ran each through the dishwasher 10 times to assess stain resistance and durability.
Most failed: Some handles were too short to keep our hands clear of sticky jars, while the heads on others were either flimsy or blunt and imprecise. The three best spatulas combined flexibility and firmness with a nimble tip for digging into corners. Of those, we preferred one model which emptied jars quickly and featured a uniformly flat surface that wiped clean with a single swipe. Alternatively, the slim head of another spatula fit nicely in jars and can be pulled off the handle for cleaning.
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