The Best Bench Scrapers

Bench scrapers are the MVPs of professional kitchens, perfect for a variety of kitchen tasks, both sweet and savory. Our longtime favorite, the Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe 6” x 3” Dough Cutter/Scraper, has a sharp metal blade that slices through sticky dough with ease. Its well-proportioned handle is comfortable to hold and is made from textured polypropylene, which makes it easy to grip even when slick with butter. This scraper is also a cinch to clean and can withstand rough treatment day in and day out. 

What You Need to Know

When I interviewed for a job at America’s Test Kitchen, my favorite question was “What’s your favorite kitchen tool?” The answer was easy: the humble bench scraper. Originally designed to help pastry chefs and bread bakers handle dough and scrape their work surfaces (or “benches”), these scrapers can be used for far more than just baking. We also use them to scoop up ingredients from cutting boards and transport them to bowls or stovetops; chop or slice softer ingredients, such as butter; and level off ingredients in dry measuring cups. If you don’t already have a bench scraper in your kitchen, it’s a worthy addition.

What to Look For

• Spacious, Rectangular Blades: We liked blades that measured around 6 by 3 inches. Wider or taller blades felt cumbersome, and smaller blades were less efficient when scraping counters clean or scooping up ingredients. A couple scrapers had curved or tapered sides, but we preferred perfectly rectangular blades. This shape made it easy to gauge how much food the scrapers would hold and transport without falling off the sides; we spilled less food when we used these blades.  
• Sharp Metal Blades: We preferred scrapers with sharp metal blades, which were better at slicing through dough and cold butter. Some metal scrapers had beveled edges meant to make them sharper, while others had stamped, flat edges. Beveling was no guarantee of sharpness, however. Our favorite scraper was not beveled but it was among the thinnest—and therefore the sharpest—blades in the lineup. We also preferred metal blades to plastic blades, which were comparatively dull and didn’t cut as well.  
• Lightweight Construction: We liked models that weighed between 5 and 6 ounces. Heavier scrapers were less nimble and slightly tiring. Lighter ones felt insubstantial. 
• Textured Plastic Handles: Our favorite scraper’s handle was made from hard, ridged plastic. The ridges created friction and kept the handles from becoming slippery from butter and other food. Also, harder plastic didn’t collect flour or grime as softer plastics often did.  
• Thin (but Not Too Thin) Handles: Our favori...
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