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See why.The Best Silicone Spatulas
A spatula should feel like an extension of your arm, nimbly stirring, scraping, and folding any food you put in its path. Why is a good one so hard to find?
We recently tested two additional silicone spatulas. While we highly recommend both of them, the Di Oro Living Seamless Silicone Spatula remains our winner. We’ve named the OXO Good Grips Everyday Silicone Spatula “Also Great”; it performed nearly as well as our favorite but is just a touch stiffer and smaller.
Top Picks
What You Need To Know
Whether we’re baking or cooking, scrambling or sautéing, flipping or folding, a heatproof silicone spatula is one of the busiest tools in our kitchen. Nine years ago, we gave top honors to a heatproof model that is ubiquitous in restaurant kitchens but can sometimes feel too big and unwieldy at home. So we selected a lineup from the dizzying array available, including our previous winner and a retooled version of our old runner-up. We subjected each to a slew of recipe tests, as well as evaluations of cut resistance, stain and odor resistance, heat resistance, and durability to see which stood out from the pack. With some products, comfort was an issue. Performance was also an issue, with some spatulas failing to reach into the edges of saucepans or leaving pockets of unmixed food. Others left streaks of batter on the sides of bowls.
Heads Above
To understand the differences, we first looked at the spatulas’ heads. Models with smaller heads moved less food with each pass, so it took more work to mix cookie dough or stir risotto. But larger heads weren’t necessarily better. Two models barely fit inside a food processor bowl or a 1-cup dry measuring cup. In general we found that midsize heads (roughly 4 by 2½ inches) were fast and effective at almost every task.
The shape of the head proved very important, too. Models with sharply angled top edges lacked breadth, so we struggled to empty measuring cups and efficiently stir scrambled eggs. Those with handles that were inserted into the head, much like a Popsicle stick, created annoying ridges on the blade where food got stuck, which prevented thorough mixing and made it difficult to wipe the blade clean.
Thickness and rigidity also mattered. One chubby, stiff-headed model skidded over bowl sides, cut too-wide swaths through food, and threatened to deflate fluffy whipped cream and egg whites. Meanwhile, the flimsy heads on two other models curled up when we gently pushed them against a skillet or bowl. The best options had a fairly straight top edge and one gently curved corner that matched the contours of bowls, and they struck the right balance between rigidity and flexibility.
Hard to Handle
Handles were also key. Narrow handles were uncomfortable to grip. One chunky handle was comfortable only when we gripped it with a fist, which forced us to stir inefficiently and awkwardly. Others were slick and slid around in our hands. A couple of spatulas with short, fatter handles were impossible to grip effectively; another had holes that made for awkward grasping.
Our favorite handles boasted a fairly even width and were neither too hefty nor too narrow. We liked textured silicone hand...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 3 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 3 stars out of 3.
This model is firm enough for scraping and scooping but also fit neatly into tight corners. Its straight sides and wide, flat blade ensured that no food was left unmixed. The all-silicone design eliminates any crannies that could trap food. It felt exceptionally comfortable. Its smaller blade fell short in our folding test.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 3 stars out of 3.
This grippy-handled spatula was flexible enough to cleanly scrape the sides of a mixing bowl but rigid enough to fold heavy ingredients into cookie dough. Its seamless silicone exterior made it easy to clean and it survived durability testings with no dents or melting, even when exposed to high heat. Two minor quibbles: Its top edge wasn’t quite straight enough to make full contact with a skillet, so it was a little harder to stir scrambled eggs. This model’s smaller head made it a bit slower to fold flour into egg whites.
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 3 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 2 stars out of 3.
This model can feel oversized, but the long handle offers good leverage in deep bowls and pots. The large, flat blade makes quick work of folding whipped egg whites, which would suffer from too much agitation. You may not use it every day, but it can’t be beat for certain tasks. It lost points for staining, but it eventually did come clean.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 3 stars out of 3.
This model had a comfortable handle, and its fairly straight top edge enabled us to quickly and easily stir scrambled eggs. It was easy to clean and held up to high heat with no melting or dents. Its outer edge was a touch stiffer than we prefer, so it didn’t scrape quite as cleanly as our favorite, and we wish its head were a tad bigger to help fold flour into egg whites more quickly.
Recommended
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This redesigned version of our former runner-up sports a silicone handle instead of a stainless-steel one. It’s a huge improvement, but cooks with larger hands deemed it a bit too slender. The blade was rigid enough to scrape and stir thick dough, and its straight sides efficiently scraped against the sides of bowls and cookware. We docked it slightly because it struggled to get into the tight corners of our saucepan and suffered two small nicks in our food processor test.
Recommended with reservations
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 3 stars out of 3.
Testers loved the grippy silicone feel and wide handle of this model, made by the manufacturer of our favorite jar spoonula/spoon-spatula. It scraped and stirred with ease, but the blade has a slight ridge that’s annoying to scrape clean and adds extra bulk, making it more prone to deflating delicate ingredients during folding. While it didn’t stain or melt, it got a small nick in the food processor test.
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This spatula was almost excellent. Tasters gave it top marks for its all-over silicone design, comfortable handle, and balance of strength. But its blade, which is a touch smaller than our ideal for an all-purpose tool, missed the mark—and the extreme angle of the top edge gave it only a narrow point of contact with the surface of skillets and pots. It was also a bit too rigid.
Not Recommended
- Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 0 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 0 stars out of 3.
Although it looks like our favorite large spatula, there are important differences. For one, this spatula’s blade is slightly thicker and has a subtle ridged design that requires extra effort to scrape off. It’s also longer, making it a truly poor fit for a food processor bowl and other small or midsize equipment. Worse, the handle is thick and slippery. Although it’s long enough to reach into tall pots with ease, this spatula is more trouble than it’s worth.
- Cleanup: 0 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 0 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 0 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 0 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 0.5 stars out of 3.
The thick, chubby blade required much more effort from users in just about every task. It’s ill-suited for folding and required several passes to wipe clean. It had very little give, so it didn’t fit well into corners and made it difficult to scrape bowls clean. Although the wooden handle offered good leverage and fit well in tall pots, it had ridges that dug into our hands when we choked up on it. It’s also not dishwasher-safe.
- Cleanup: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 0 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 0 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 0 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 0 stars out of 3.
Testers commented that this short spatula felt like a toy. The blade was too small and floppy to be effective. The extra-wide base of the handle allowed for only one grip, and it wasn’t very comfortable for anything other than simple stirring. The two-part design traps food and water, and the handle melted in our heat test. When we choked up on the handle, the narrow strip of metal bit into our hands painfully.
- Cleanup: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 0 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 0 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 0 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 0 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 0.5 stars out of 3.
This spatula’s flimsy, floppy head was hard to control and required three strokes to wipe clean. It bent in half with very little pressure and offered almost no force when we scraped it against skillets or bowls. The two-part design was difficult to clean and trapped water when we washed it, which dripped out the next time we used it. A deep groove melted into the handle in our heat-resistance test.
Discontinued
- Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Folding: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Scraping: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stirring: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handle Design: 3 stars out of 3.
With a blade that’s fairly thin and very strong, this model glided through food with ease and was especially adept at scraping the bottoms of skillets and pots. In fact, testers would have liked a little more flexibility or give, since it sometimes missed the corners of our cookware and moved less food with each stroke than some other models. The handle was easy to grip and comfortable for all testers, although it did melt slightly in our heat-resistance test.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Kate Shannon
Kate is a deputy editor for ATK Reviews. She's a culinary school graduate and former line cook and cheesemonger.
Sarah Sandler
Sarah is an assistant editor for ATK Reviews who is deeply passionate about anchovies and sourdough bread.