Spatulas that won't melt?


 
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Eric Michaud

TVWBB Super Fan
Just wanted your feedback on what kind of spatulas you all use in SS pans. I was breaking on the new pans making an omelette and found some plastic stuck to the bottom of a pan when I was done. I used one of the spatulas that came as a throw in from Calphalon. I have heard metal will scratch the pans and wood is too thick and may burn as well. What are you folks using.

Thanks,
Eric
 
I have had this one for 2 or 3 years and like it very much. I have not had any trouble with melting and the edge is holding up quite well considering the price. I think I paid a little more for it than AMAZON is asking. I use it primarily on nonstick. I have a metal one for the grill and stainless skillets. It was highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated.

Rita

Matfer Bourgeat Pelton Spatula
Model Number: 112420
Price: $8.23
Highly Recommended

Testers’ Comments: Comfortable from any angle, this spatula boasts a thin front edge and moderately flexible head with a slight upward tilt that kept food secure. It melted slightly at 380 degrees, despite the manufacturers' claims that it was heat resistant to 430 degrees.

Material: Exoglass (polyamide plastic)

Front Edge: 0.92 mm
 
Thanks for responding Rita. I anticipated issues with food sticking and not the spatula melting. Fortunately I did some homework seeing that I never used SS, but I watched a video on www.rouxbe.com and it was very helpful. I will have to pick one of those up, its not like I was using it in extreme conditions, I was making an omelette.

Thanks again,
Eric
 
a wood rice spatula (bamboo) is around a buck or two at most Chinese stores. Or, Amazon has them too.
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I use a turner (a spatula is really a different tool imo) like this for much of my cooking. Haven't experienced any serious scratching on my ss saute pans. It's very flexible and strong, drains well and obviously won't burn. I also have some old nylon turners where a real sturdy tool is needed, but don't use them that often. Do you leave your turner in the skillet? If your tools are melting then they're probably left in the skillet. I use a turner and then set it aside outside of the skillet. For the brief time a tool is in contact with a skillet, even a very hot one, it shouldn't melt or burn. With practice, using a turner becomes less necessary, if you can 'flip' food such as veggies instead of stirring and flipping with utensils. It's also faster.
Paul
 
I guess it depends what you mean by / are looking-for in a "spatula":

If you're looking for something flat to get under stuff and flip it without scratching your nice new pans - look for a metal-blade spatulas with a silicone rubber coating. I think that the ones we have are from OXO.

http://www.oxo.com/p-613-large...flexible-turner.aspx

Ours have a front edge that is molded to a nice, thin taper - which gets under eggs or whatever I want to "flip".

If you want something with a flexible "blade" mainly for stirring and for scraping-down the sides - then either wood or bamboo tools are nice if you need something that will dis-lodge pan scrapings for de-glazing, etc. If you don't need as hard of an edge, W-S makes two sizes of their wood-handle stirring tools (think for scraping-down the sides of mixer bowls) with a silicone rubber head that can be removed from the "stick" for cleaning.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com...Id=97&cm_src=AutoRel

The silicone / silicone-coated tools can take the heat - I use them occasionally for making candy where you're dealing with molten sugar! (When it hardens, you can just crack it off from the tools.)

Hope this helps
 
Thanks Ron I picked up the one by oxo.

I can assure you Paul that I did not leave the "turner" in the skillet, in fact everything was mise en place, don't think I left the stove once in fact. Maybe you missed the part where I said I was making an omelette, I am sure it was from folding it and putting a bit of pressure on the end trying to get under.

Thanks for your input,
Eric
 
I was looking at the Oxo turner today. They make good products. I believe, however, that the Matfer turner isn't quite as wide as the Oxo model and might be a better size for a smaller pan used for omelets. The Oxo has a higher heat tolerance, however, which is nice, but I didn't think the front edge was quite as thin as the Matfer's. You couldn't go wrong with either of the turners. They're both quite reasonable.

Rita

Oops! I missed that you'd bought the Oxo. Let us know how you like it.
 
Thanks for the follow up Rita, I really appreciate it, I may just pick up one by Mafter as well, you can never have too many gadgets in the kitchen.

Thanks,
Eric
 
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