The Best Metal Spatulas

Our winner's perfectly proportioned head supported foods of all shapes and sizes and maneuvered nimbly even in tight spaces. And because it's also moderately thin and flexible, it excelled at getting under food. The head's pronounced curve provided extra leverage for prying up food and kept our hands higher above hot pans. All users found its handle easy to hold, though some wished the otherwise comfortable plastic were grippier.

Relatively inexpensive, nimble, and comfortable to use, this spatula impressed us throughout testing. The relatively short handle positioned us at an ideal distance from food for maximum control. The handle was appropriately thick, rounded, and coated in plush silicone, all of which made it exceptionally comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The head was moderately thin with a medium amount of flex; it slid under food easily yet was substantial enough to transport heavy burgers with ease. We also like the head’s distinct curve, which added helpful leverage. The head was the slightest bit more narrow than our winner’s, offering a tiny bit less surface area for larger foods such as pancakes—but we rarely found this size difference detrimental.

This fish spatula was nearly identical to our winner, with one small but important difference: Its head was almost flat, lacking the curvature that would allow users to summon extra leverage and keep their hands higher above hot surfaces. It still excelled at every task we gave it and was comfortable to hold, although its handle, like the one on our winning model, was a bit too smooth.

Like our winner, this fish spatula had a well-proportioned, nicely curved head of moderate thickness and flexibility, which allowed it to effortlessly flip, transfer, and support foods of all sizes. But testers were mixed on its handle: While the textured wood surface helped us keep our grip on the spatula when handling greasy, splattering foods, a rough metal edge stuck out from that wood, digging into our hands and making the spatula unpleasant to hold for extended periods.

This fish spatula’s head was well proportioned, moderately thin and flexible, and gently curved, allowing it to perform every task well. We liked the grippy plastic material of its handle, which was easy to hold even when covered in grease. The only problem? The handle itself was quite thick, which made it slightly harder for even larger-handed testers to hold comfortably for extended periods.

This spatula worked acceptably well most of the time due to its long, slender head that was spacious and nimble enough to fit foods of all sizes. Its handle was also an ideal length for us to wield with good control and precision. The head was notably thin and flexible, however, and it bent under heavy burgers, which we struggled to transfer with confidence. The handle was also thin and flat, which made it less comfortable to grip than handles from top-performing models.

While this turner performed ably in every task, its head and handle were a touch undersized next to the other fish spatulas in the lineup. Because the spatula had a smaller surface area, it felt less secure when flipping or transferring larger items such as pancakes. The metal handle was a bit short, narrow, and slick, which made it slightly harder to hold.

This conventional spatula had plenty of surface area for supporting and transferring foods, so it did a fairly good job on most tasks. But its head was more rectangular than the fish spatulas', which made it more unwieldy to maneuver in tight spaces. Since the head was also somewhat thick and very rigid, testers found it tricky to slide the spatula under fragile foods such as pancakes and cookies. Finally, the metal handle was slicker and narrower than we preferred, which made it less comfortable to hold.

We liked the feel of this model’s rounded, relatively thick, soft plastic handle, which was among the most comfortable in the lineup. The head was comparatively thick and rigid, and while it excelled at lifting and supporting hefty burgers, it was far less nimble and easy to control when we used it to fry and flip delicate eggs. We also had some trouble sliding the head under cookies and pancakes.

Most users liked this model's grippy plastic handle, though it was a touch thick for some. The real problem was its ultrathin, very flexible head. Although it hugged the surfaces of pans closely and did a great job of sliding under food, it was too flimsy; holding a ½-pound burger felt like a risky proposition. It was also a bit small, so long fish fillets drooped over the edge and threatened to break.

The swoop of this spatula's ultralong handle was elegant but not very practical, encouraging users to hold the part closest to the head to summon more control when turning or moving food. Larger foods sometimes fell off the small head, and because it was relatively thick, it had a harder time getting under food, occasionally denting fragile pancakes and cookies.

We were impressed by this thin-headed spatula’s ability to easily slide under fried eggs, cookies, and pancakes, but we were overall put off by the head’s small size, which offered insufficient space for larger foods. This model also had the longest handle in the lineup, and the handle curved unhelpfully, minimizing leverage. We had to choke up for more control when using this spatula.

This spatula's head was too small, thick, and rigid, so it had a harder time getting under larger or more fragile foods. Its handle was long, thin, and rough on the edges, which made it somewhat uncomfortable to hold for extended periods. Still, for the most part, it got the job done.

The head of this conventional spatula was moderately thin, allowing it to slip under food fairly easily. But it was also on the smaller side, providing less surface area to support the food and allowing fish fillets and large pancakes to drape off the sides. Its squat profile made it feel clunky, and testers disliked the smooth metal handle, which was too long and thin, providing less control and proving uncomfortable to hold for long periods.