The name makes it sound like an obscure specialty implement, but a fish spatula is an essential tool in any kitchen. Don’t worry, it works for way more than just seafood!
The fish spatula’s thin blade is made to slip easily under delicate items, with an angled end to help maneuver over the lip of a pan. The slats cut out of the blade help not only make it lighter and easier to control, but also allow liquid to drain off whatever you’re picking up, whether that’s removing battered and deep-fried foods from the oil or separating grease from a burger patty.
Despite their thin profile and slight flexibility, fish spatulas are generally strong enough to perform all the flipping duties of a standard spatula. And it is that versatility that makes them indispensable. To figure out which fish spatula is best, we sent top-rated options to our experienced product tester who used them on an array of foods in her kitchen. Here’s what we discovered.
Best Overall
MIU France Large Stainless Steel Turner
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/amazon-miu-stainless-steel-fish-spatula-f92868bfcb9d492daeb436df0edc3760.jpg)
- Thin but strong
- Strongly angled blade
- Comfortable grip
- Short blade
This tool is kind of the archetypal version of a fish spatula, with a thin, slotted blade that has a distinct angle at the edge to help it slide underneath delicate items in a skillet. It was able to deftly flip a piece of flaky fish without damage in Lab testing, though the blade was a little too short to loosen the entire thing in a single swipe. Despite its thin profile, the MIU was easily strong enough to smash down and flip burger patties, and it also did a solid job turning pancakes, although heavier ones tended to slip off the small blade.
The smooth plastic handle on this spatula is comfy to grip with no slippage. (We were honestly a bit surprised to find that we preferred plastic to rough wood in general in testing.) It’s also dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup, though nothing stuck to it when we hand-washed it after the fish test.
Materials: Plastic, stainless steel | Blade Length: 6.5 inches | Total Length: 11 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
Testing Takeaway
“This spatula is nimble, easy to grip, and comfortable to hold, and the more bent offset makes it great for sliding under fish.”
Best Silicone
Sur La Table Silicone Edge Slotted Fish Spatula
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/sur-la-table-silicone-edge-slotted-fish-spatula-5a4ae37bdd0d4828aeeb683f1feab8aa.jpg)
- Safe for non-stick cookware
- Effective sliding and flipping
- Fun pop of color
- Silicone strip is tough to clean
- Round metal handle can be slippery
If you have nonstick cookware, you generally can’t use metal utensils without scratching the coating. This spatula is a unique solution to that problem, with a strip of heatproof silicone along just the front and one side and the standard thin, flexible metal construction of a traditional fish spatula. In testing, it flipped everything cleanly and easily; the silicone actually helped “grip” the pancake and move it around without slipping.
However, we don’t love the round metal handle on this spatula, which is smooth and slippery, especially when wet. The silicone strip is only on one side, so it’s also “backwards” when wielded with the left hand. Because of the beveled blade edge, lefties can’t just flip the spatula upside down, and there doesn’t seem to be a reversed version available. When hand-washing, we found it tough to get grease off the silicone part, though it is dishwasher-safe so this isn’t the biggest problem.
The silicone is heat-safe up to 425 degrees, which makes it fine for most stovetop use, but you should keep this spatula away from the high-temp grill.
Materials: Stainless steel, silicone | Blade Length: 7 inches | Total Length: 11.5 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
Testing Takeaway
“This spatula is very maneuverable, and the silicone is strong enough to slide under and flip all kinds of foods.”
Best Budget
Winco Fish Spatula
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/amazon-winco-blade-fish-spatula-ba21bf1da0bb4cc2b713a1456910e2f4.jpg)
- Flips delicate items well
- Excellent performance
- Easy to clean
- Uncomfortable handle
- Edges of slots are sharp
When you see professional chefs working in restaurant kitchens, they’re not often using fancy high-end tools. You’re more likely to find a brand like Winco, which makes low-cost kitchenware designed for heavy daily use. The brand’s fish spatula feels lightweight, but the blade held up to all the tasks we threw at it, flipping fish, pancakes, and burgers nimbly and with ease.
Our major issue with this tool is the handle: The wooden piece is rough and looks cheaply made, with chips and sharp edges where the blade attaches. We worry that the blade could loosen or fall out entirely as the handle begins to wear. (But if it does, the price means you can just buy another one and not feel too bad.) The spatula is dishwasher-safe, but if you do hand-wash it, be careful with the slots in the blade—their edges are sharp.
Materials: Stainless steel, wood | Blade Length: 6.5 inches | Total Length: 11 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
Testing Takeaway
“I would recommend this especially for someone who’s just starting to build out their kitchen collection and wants something affordable that does the job done.”
Best Large
Mercer Culinary Hell’s Handle Large Fish Turner/Spatula
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/51uKlqovCHL._AC_SL1200_-431ae81a119e4e3fb59b898390f35cbe.jpg)
- Easy-to-grip handle
- Sturdy, durable blade
- Comes in right or left-handed options
- Too big for small pans
For grilling a whole side of salmon or manning the griddle for dozens of pancakes, this extra-large spatula is perfect. It features a nylon handle with a “grippy” texture that we found very secure and comfy to hold. The “Hell’s Handle” material on this and many other Mercer Culinary tools absorbs less heat and stays cool to the touch.
Its 9-inch blade is by far the longest of the tools we tested, and it offers a great combination of strength and flexibility. Problem is, that blade may be too long. It doesn’t fit in small pans at all and can be awkward to operate even in bigger ones. If you do a lot of flipping on a large surface—or just have really big hands—this might be a good choice, though.
Materials: Stainless steel, nylon | Blade Length: 9 inches | Total Length: 16 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: No
Testing Takeaway
“The grippy handle is probably the best feature on this spatula, followed by the fact that it seems quite sturdy and durable. But it’s just too darn big, especially if you’re using a smaller pan to cook foods.”
Best Multi-Use
Misen Fish Spatula
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/51xA7EAYwhL._AC_SL1500_-bebada8e087647c7894824ee03c31925.jpg)
- Comfortable silicone handle
- Good flipping performance
- Inexpensive
- Silicone blade edge is too soft
Misen made its name among home cooks with its high-quality but affordable chef’s knives, and now the brand has brought that same philosophy into lines of pots, pans, and all sorts of other kitchen tools. Its fish spatula worked well in our tests, sliding under foods easily and holding their weight without bending. The silicone handle is soft and comfortable to hold, with an easy-to-grip texture, too.
Like the Sur La Table model above, this spatula has a silicone coating on the edge and side of the blade (it’s heat-safe up to 450 degrees), but the Misen’s material is a bit less stiff. That’s not necessarily ideal, as the silicone would bend and get stuck against the side and bottom of the pans in our tests. It’s not a fatal flaw, but it does make the Misen a bit less nimble than our top choice for a silicone-coated spatula. That said, there’s also a fully stainless steel version available, for the same price.
Materials: Stainless steel, silicone | Blade Length: 6.8 inches | Total Length: 12.4 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
Testing Takeaway
“It’s nimble and slips easily under fish. I like the grippy handle.”
Best Splurge
Wusthof Fish Spatula
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/amazon-wusthof-fish-spatula-7aba1506e08c47f09bea69f68d844b81.jpg)
- High-quality heavy-duty construction
- Great performance
- Slim enough for delicate foods
- Not dishwasher-safe
This spatula costs nearly twice as much as any of the others we tested. Why? The brand name. Wüsthof makes great, high-quality tools for cooks. Their knives are world-renowned and priced accordingly, and it’s the same with their other kitchen equipment. The super-thin blade on this tool was easy to slide under everything we tested, and it didn’t have any trouble holding and moving heavier foods around. Its blade is the same length as the MIU that’s our top overall choice, but it actually held onto the pancakes better. It’s also plenty strong enough to smash down burgers while still maneuvering them deftly. We also are a big fan of the comfortable plastic handle.
Is all of that worth this much money? Maybe.
Materials: Stainless steel, plastic | Blade Length: 6.5 inches | Total Length: 11 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: No
Testing Takeawy
“The angled blade and grippy handle make this a great fish spatula. But the price is a bit much for a fish spatula. “
Final Verdict
After extensive testing, the MIU France Fish Spatula took the top spot as our favorite fish spatula. For a more budget-friendly tool that still works beautifully, we recommend the Winco Fish Spatula.
How We Tested
After researching the wide variety of fish spatulas available, we chose 12 to purchase and test. We used each one to flip pancakes and fish (we used salmon), also using the spatula to hold the fish on its sides for complete browning. After that, we tested the top eight performers on burgers, using them to press down patties on the grill and flip them over. Our expert tester made notes as well on handle comfort and usability, plus ease of cleaning. Testing and ratings were done without consideration of cost; we did not reveal the prices until after they were complete.
Other Options We Tested
- Sabatier Black Flex Spatula: The Sabatier didn’t have trouble flipping foods, but its sharp front edge really scraped up our pans. That’s not so much of a problem with a grill, but you definitely want to keep this away from anything non-stick. The boxy handle also isn’t very comfortable to hold.
- All-Clad T198 Stainless Steel Flexible Slotted Turner: While a fish spatula is supposed to be a little flexible, this one has a floppy feel that makes it hard to use. It was too bendy to even lift a piece of fish and was just a disaster with pancakes. The extra-flexible spatula is also tough to clean. The shiny finish looks great, though.
- KitchenAid Classic Flex Turner: This budget-priced spatula has a long blade that did well slipping under fish. Unfortunately, the blade is also quite narrow, and the edges of the pancakes and burgers flopped off the edge. The cheap plastic handle is also fairly bulky and uncomfortable, but it’s also the second-cheapest spatula we tested.
What to Look for in a Fish Spatula
Blade
All fish spatulas have a thin metal blade with slots cut out of it, but the exact thickness, shape, and length affect performance. You want the blade to be as thin as possible to slide under food easily, but still thick enough that it has the strength to hold the food up. The angle of the bend at the end of the blade, as well as how it attaches to the handle, matter for how easy it is to work around the sloped sides of a pan to get to the food. A spatula with a longer blade can flip larger foods more easily, but it’ll also be more difficult to use in a small pan.
Handle
As with pretty much any kitchen tool, the handle of a fish spatula should give you a firm grip, with a shape and material that are comfortable to hold for a long time. In Lab testing, we found silicone and textured plastic to be our favorite materials as they won’t slip even when wet. Metal and smooth plastic are slippery, while wood can be rough and uncomfortable. In terms of shape, our favorite handles were flat with rounded corners: Square-cornered handles are uncomfortable to hold, while totally round ones can be bulky and slippery.
Materials
Nearly all fish spatula blades are made of stainless steel, but the exact thickness and composition of the steel affect how strong or flexible the blade is. For tools with a silicone-coated blade, pay attention to the maximum temperature the material can handle; this is generally in the 400- to 500-degree range, and it’s important not to let silicone melt or burn.
Handle material affects comfort as well as looks. You’ve got lots of options here, including wood, silicone, plastic, and metal, which can come in various colors, finishes, and shapes. Handle material doesn’t seem to impact price very much, so this is mostly up to personal preference.
FAQs
Why should you use a fish spatula?
A fish spatula is used for flipping and moving delicate foods without damaging them. As the name suggests, the tool was designed for working with flaky fish—salmon, tilapia, cod, really any fish that comes in fillet form—which is prone to sticking to pans or grills and can fall apart if handled roughly. The thin blade is especially great for the impressive trick of separating flesh from skin and lifting the cooked fillet off in one piece.
What else can you use a fish spatula for?
Pretty much anything you might use a regular spatula for! A fish spatula can flip pancakes, burgers, steaks, potstickers, or other foods that can be tough to release from the pan, grill, or griddle without damage. The downside of a thin and flexible fish spatula is that it might not be able to handle larger, heavier foods, though the winners in our tests didn’t have much trouble.
How do you clean a fish spatula?
Fish spatulas don’t typically have very complicated washing instructions. A scrub with dish soap and a sponge is usually all that’s needed. We found in testing that cleaning grease off of sticky silicone is tough by hand, but silicone comes out clean in the dishwasher without any trouble. Most, but not all, fish spatulas are dishwasher-safe; make sure to check your model before it goes in the machine.
What are the slots in a fish spatula for?
Drainage. The cutouts in a fish spatula are there to lift food while leaving behind liquid, whether that’s grease from a burger, oil from deep-fried items, or broth from poached fish. They also help make the blade lighter and more flexible.
Are angled fish spatulas better than flat ones?
It depends on how you’re using it, but in general, yes, angled fish spatulas are better than flat ones. The slight angle or curve in the edge of the blade helps it slip under food and remove it from the pan as gently as possible. This is really useful for separating a fish fillet from the skin so you can lift the whole thing off in one piece. The angle isn’t especially helpful with flipping burgers or other tasks you’d use a standard spatula for, but it doesn’t hurt, either.
