Which Fish Spatula Is Best For Your Kitchen?
Best fish spatula choices include the Victorinox Chef's Slotted Fish Turner, the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel, and the Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula.
It has been said many times over by kitchen experts, spatulas are one of the most important pieces of kitchen equipment you can have. You have your turners, your scrappers, and your spreaders, all of which play big roles in your kitchen’s feng shui. There is, though, one particular type of spatula that could be considered the unicorn of spatulas – the fish spatula.
What makes this particular spatula so special? Why do so many kitchen professionals swear upon it? Let’s take a deep dive into the fish spatula and see if it truly is the be-all, end-all when it comes to kitchen tool importance.
THE BEST FISH SPATULAS
There are plenty of fish spatulas in the sea. The market is littered with them because they are becoming the must-have in kitchen utensils. While most will work wonderfully, we have decided to give you a who’s who lineup of the best fish spatulas we could find.
As you will see, the prices vary. Typically, though, you will be able to find your potential #1 go-to kitchen utensil anywhere from $15-40. Let’s take a look.
Victorinox Chef’s Slotted Fish Turner
Price – $29.99 on the Victorinox website.
Why It’ll Flip You – Although the Victorinox is advertised mainly as a BBQ spatula, it can be used in the kitchen as well. It is perfect for fish and seafood that is being cooked inside in a pan or outside on the grill. The blade is 6-inches in length and is made of high-carbon stainless steel while the handle is wood.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Fish Turner
Price – $15.95 on Amazon.
Why It’ll Flip You – Perfect for you fish fryers out there. Built with stainless steel, the oversized head is great for lifting and turning whole fish. It has a beveled edge that helps slide underneath your fish and large slots to allow grease to drain before you transfer your fish.
Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula
Price – $6.95 on Amazon.
Why It’ll Flip You – First off, for a fish spatula, you simply can’t argue with the price. But does the less expensive price make you hesitate to purchase? It shouldn’t.
Made with brushed stainless steel and a wooden handle, the Winco fish spatula is built sturdy and ready to tackle any fish you need to be flipped. What makes this fish spatula even more special (especially at this price) is that it is edge-ended, so it acts like a knife for cutting while you grill.
Lamson Chef’s Slotted Turner
Price – $37.99 on Amazon.
Why It’ll Flip You – Okay all of you lefties out there, we haven’t forgotten you. This Lamson Chef’s fish spatula is right up your alley because it is designed with left-handers in mind. This fish spatula comes in two blade sizes, a 3 x 6-inch and a 4 x 9-inch.
Don’t worry, righties. If you wish you own one of these, you can. They do make them for right-handers as well.
Misen Fish Spatula
Price – $16.00 on Amazon.
Why It’ll Flip You – We know how many of you prefer to cook with non-stick cookware. The Misen fish spatula was built especially for you. The Misen has a silicone edge to it, so it will not bother any non-stick pan you like to cook with.
THE FISH SPATULA
You will know a fish spatula when you see it. They are typically elongated and thinner in build than your typical spatula and are designed to get underneath those delicate pieces of fish. No longer will you have torn skin that ruins a great piece of fish.
Fish spatulas, though, are so much more. Because of its elongated build, it also has long slots in it that allow for any liquid to drain away. So, if you love poached eggs, a fish spatula is a great piece of equipment to use to get that good drain on your poached egg.
Along with getting the best of fish skin or draining poached eggs, the fish spatula is even more multipurpose. You can use it to flip pancakes, flip burgers, and even remove items from roasting pans.
Fish spatulas are good for taking baked cookies from the pan to the cooling rack, turning grilled cheese sandwiches, giving your cooked brownies a clean cut, and it is even good (again because of the long slots) to pan fry items such as potato pancakes as it will help drain the oil.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FISH SPATULA
Now that you know the best fish spatula brands to shop for, let’s see some of the criteria for a good fish spatula. What are some of the things to look for when choosing your kitchen aid? Is it size and shape or are you just looking at the price?
Shape – Believe it or not, the shape of your fish spatula is actually a very important feature and should be given some consideration before making your purchase. The flipper portion should angle upward toward the edge, enough so that tight spaces are no big deal for it, and it should be able to cradle a piece of food without fail. If your fish spatula doesn’t have enough bend to it, you may find it difficult at times to manipulate and you may also find your food rolling off the spatula.
You will also want to test out the handle’s size and shape. Make sure it isn’t too long or too thick. You want a comfortable fit, something lightweight but balanced and close enough to the fish spatula’s flipper for easier movement and control.
Strength and Flexibility – Here we are talking about the flipper blade. You are going to want one that is thin and flexible that allows you to maneuver it in a crowded pan but also one that allows you to easily get underneath your fried fish without tearing it. You will also want to examine how large the blade slots are, the wider the slots, the quicker you can drain off the excess oil.
When it comes to the blade, you are looking for balance. A blade that is too stiff will make maneuvering extremely difficult. But one that is too flexible won’t do you any good for those bigger items that need flipping.
Material – For the most part, fish spatulas are made with a stainless-steel blade. You will also see that many are also built with a wood handle. But that isn’t the case for all, as we described above, because some flippers are built for non-stick pans, and thus have a silicone blade to appease those who use them.
FINALLY
Fish spatulas are important kitchen utensils. They can be useful in a number of ways and may possibly be the only spatula you need. They are built tough and for any environment or cooking surface.
Do yourself a favor and give one of these a try. Use it inside or outside on the BBQ grill. When your fish comes out perfectly complete with no skin tear, you’ll be thankful you did.
