Our favorite spatulas come in all shapes and sizes. There are special offset spatulas for icing, egg spatulas for various uses, and fish spatulas, which do more than handle fish. A fish spatula is an excellent choice when making fish dishes, but it is also helpful for other cooking tasks, such as pancakes or burgers.
Houston chef Bryan Caswell has been cooking fish since he fell in love with fishing. Naturally, he likens a good fish spatula to a fishing rod. “When I pick up a fish spatula, it is very similar to when I pick up a fishing rod. I whip it like a whip, bend it, and feel its weight to see how it feels in my hand.”
Bryan says the best spatula allows you to cradle and lift delicate fish gently, and has an optimal blade angle for releasing the fish from the frying pan. “Seafood is such an inherently perishable and delicate thing,” he says. “You don’t wanna pierce it, so you know you need to cradle it, and be able to feel the weight of the protein.” After testing them side by side, these are the best fish spatulas you can purchase today.
This metal fish spatula with a walnut wood handle was one of my favorites, which is why it won the top spot. The blade’s ridges provide excellent control for getting under items. Like most fish spatulas in this test, its thin blade is stainless steel, but this was one of the most flexible. So, you should use a cast iron or stainless steel pan suitable for fish. I had no trouble getting the spatula under the fish or burgers without breakage, and it was very easy to control.
This spatula cannot be used with nonstick or carbon steel pans because they will scratch. Although it is technically dishwasher-safe, hand washing is recommended. I had no issues cleaning the spatula and could easily get between the slats. Another bonus is that it comes in left-handed or right-handed versions, allowing ultimate control no matter which hand you use.
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This is similar to the other design from Misen we tested, but it features a silicone edge and coating on half of the metal part to prevent scratching. It is the only fish spat in this test safe for nonstick pans. I found it incredibly versatile and had no trouble getting the spatula and items I used. However, I found this stiffer than others on this test.
I had no difficulty cleaning the spatula and could easily get between the grooves with my sponge. But if you like convenience, it is dishwasher safe. Hand washing is always recommended if you want to prolong the life of your spatula.
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The Winco is a great budget option that performs well. It has a flexible and super-thin blade, and the slots are a nice width apart. Like other fish spatulas in this test, it is made of metal and wood, so make sure you use it with the right pan. Since the blade is so thin, it was incredibly easy to cook with no matter what was on the menu.
This option provides excellent value compared to the more expensive test subjects. It is a fantastic choice, especially considering its ease of use. It is incredibly light, although the handle did start to dry out after use. So, I am concerned about it degrading if not cared for properly. This is not dishwasher safe, so handwash it and keep the handle dry and oiled when it needs it.
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The Wüsthof Gourmet Series Slotted Fish Spatula feels as luxe as it should, given the price. You can feel the difference in the quality when comparing it to Mui, which looks similar but is not as good. Although the price may deter most people, I appreciate that you can tell it is well-made from good materials just by touching it.
The ergonomic handle is comfortable, and the blade is thin and bends easily when lifting fragile food like salmon or omelettes. That’s helpful so you don’t rip or damage it during cooking. It is not dishwasher safe, so hand wash it so the pretty black riveted handle stays looking new. This is a bit more expensive but worth the splurge, hence the win.
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The Field Fish Spatula is made from high-carbon American stainless steel with a cherry wood handle. The handle’s softness makes it comfortable to hold, but as we noted during testing, it could dry out over time. Nevertheless, it is still a well-constructed fish spatula with left—and right-handed options. The Lamson felt more well-constructed during testing than this, but it is still a good spat.
We liked the blade’s sharp edge because we didn’t have to apply much pressure to slide under fish or tear our pancakes. The Field fish spat was also one of the lightest we tested, if you prefer very light tools. This is not a utensil to put in the dishwasher, so handwash only.
Factors to Consider
Blade and Handle Material
During my test, I preferred fish spatulas with natural wooden handles. They just felt better in hand and had more give. Caswell also agrees that a wood handle is best and has one such fish spatula in his chef kit. “I just love to feel the wood in my hands, or it’s like a personal thing,” he says. Most fish spats I tested also had stainless steel blades, which are standard and best for flexibility. It’s also easy to maintain. Some fish spatulas are coated in silicone so you can safely use them in a nonstick pan.
Blade Length and Width
Caswell says anything over seven inches is overkill and more complicated to manage. “If I need a spatula that long, it’s easy because I’m trying to put two burgers on it, move fast ike Denny’s or Waffle,” he says. “Or if, like Benihana’s, I’ve got two of them chopping and flipping and stuff.” The chef also says he doesn’t like a fish spatula that is too wide because it can be challenging to manage. Caswell pinpoints the angle of the blade as a crucial factor, stating his preference for something in the “low 70s” degree-wise, and has even modified some of his.
Spatula Blade Slots
The wider the blade slots, the more likely the fish is to fall through, especially if it is a delicate variety. “You don’t want them too fat,” says Caswell. “Those slats must be a half-inch wide because certain fish flakes more than others, and can get caught in between. So you don’t want those gaps to be too wide.”
Blade Flexibility
A good fish spatula should have a flexible and thin blade. If the blade is too thick, you won’t be able to maneuver fish around the pan without damaging it. Since these blades are so flexible, they aren’t the best for applications like grilled cheese, where you must push down to compress the bread and cheese.
Food & Wine
How We Tested Fish Spatulas
I used a variety of fish spatulas to cook fish, but that wasn’t all. After evaluating the construction and care instructions, I rotated them throughout basic cooking tasks like picking fried eggs out of the pan, cooking hamburgers, flipping pancakes, and lifting fish. Fish spatulas need a sharp, thin blade that can easily shimmy under proteins and pancakes. They also needed to be nimble enough to flex and bend based on their weight while maintaining their integrity. So we put them to the test.
Fish: I cooked marinated miso cod in a cast iron skillet to test these spatulas. I wanted to ensure they were thin enough to get under fragile fish fillets without ripping them apart. Because they are so flexible, I wanted to make sure I could scoop the protein, and it would move with the spatula rather than molding to it.
Eggs: I also used the fish spatulas to lift fried eggs out of cast iron and aluminum skillets. Eggs are also super delicate, so the flexibility and thickness of the spatula blade made a big difference here. We also used them to make quick scrambled eggs and omelets.
Burgers: Since fish spatulas have slots (slats), they can adequately drain fat before you pull something out of the pan. So, burgers were a great dish to cook. I evaluated how much they left on the skillet and how well they could handle hefty burgers since some spatulas are almost too bendy. That’s not ideal for heavier proteins like steak.
Finally, we evaluated how they fared after multiple uses and washes, since some utensils don’t hold up.
Food & Wine
Other Fish Spatulas We Tested
Hedley & Bennett Fish Spatula, ($29 at Hedley & Bennett)
I liked the cushy silicone handle. However, I don’t love that the metal part is square at the end rather than angled. It felt awkward not to have more of an angled blade.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Fish Turner, ($16 at Amazon)
I didn’t like how large this is for most pans. However, I do like how comfortable the handle is to hold. OXO typically makes nice handles. Still, this felt a little overkill and cheaper in quality.
Misen Fish Spatula, Stainless Steel, ($19 at Amazon)
I appreciate the design of Misen fish spatulas. However, I prefer the silicone-tipped model because it is safe for most pans.
Our Expertise
- As Food & Wine’s Testing Editor, Jennifer Zyman’s work focuses on finding the best new products for all sorts of cooks. She’s vetted hundreds of products, including side-by-side testing of essential kitchen gadgets like can openers, salad spinners, potato mashers, and tortilla presses. She’s written about food and restaurants for over 15 years and is a proficient home cook with a culinary school degree who is always on the hunt for the latest and greatest kitchen technique, trick, or tool.
- For this piece, Zyman interviewed James Beard-nominated chef Bryan Caswell for his expert opinion on fish spatulas. Caswell, a lifelong fisherman, has extensive experience cooking seafood. He is currently in the process of opening a new seafood restaurant in Houston. In 2009, Food and Wine named him a Best New Chef.
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