Best Ladles for Pancakes – Essential Guide
When preparing a delicious batch of pancakes, the ladle you use is essential. Even if you prepare the best batter ever, without a quality ladle, your pancakes will end up uneven and inconsistent.
What are the best ladles for pancakes? The best ladles for making pancakes are generally made of stainless steel due to their sturdiness and durability. A ladle with a medium-sized scoop is also helpful for, on average, making correctly sized pancakes every time.
In this article, we are going to go over the most important features of a ladle that you need to consider before picking the right one for you, and then we will review five of the best ladles for pancakes currently on the market.
Ladles: What to Look For
Since there is no such thing as a “pancake ladle” specifically, you might be wondering which kind of ladle would be best for making pancakes.
Before diving into specific features to look for, let’s briefly go over the different kinds of ladles that are available on the market.
Sauce Ladle
A sauce ladle is a ladle that is meant to be used for, well, sauce. These ladles are usually on the shorter side: 5 inches or less in length. Due to the shorter length, this ladle is best suited for serving condiments or sauces.
Soup Ladle
A soup ladle would be best suited for making pancakes. This kind of ladle is similar to a sauce ladle but is much longer at around 15 inches long.
With a more pronounced curve at the end that scoops, this design is preferred when serving soup or foods heavy with sauce or broth.
Slotted Ladle
A slotted ladle is a ladle with two slots in the end that scoops. This ladle is used primarily when you need to serve food that is submerged in liquid, without serving the liquid.
Since pancake batter is pretty much liquid, we definitely won’t be needing this kind of ladle.
Now that you know the different kinds of ladles, let’s go over what specific features to look for in a quality soup ladle used for making pancakes.
Material
The most common materials soup ladles will be made of are wood, stainless steel, nylon, silicon, or plastic.
While there are pros and cons to each, stainless steel is generally considered to be the highest quality, simply due to its durability and longevity.
The best would be a one-piece stainless steel ladle, which means there are no seams in which food can gather.
However, a potential downside of a stainless steel ladle is that it can scratch non-stick surfaces. Unlike stainless steel, wood, nylon, silicon, and plastic utensils are all scratch-resistant.
Plastic is the least expensive material, as it can melt when exposed to high temperatures.
Wood is the second least expensive, with the risk of cracking over time.
Many high-quality soup ladles are now made of either nylon or silicon, materials that are strong, durable, and scratch-resistant.
Size
When using a soup ladle for making pancakes, the length of the ladle’s handle isn’t crucial, as the pancake batter is most often not going to be scooped out from a very deep bowl or pot.
Something to consider, however, is the size of the scooping section. If you like to make larger pancakes, opt for a larger scooper, and if you like to make smaller pancakes, opt for a smaller scooper.
An average size pancake is about 3 oz., so aim for a soup ladle that can scoop at least that much.
Curvature
When picking out a soup ladle, opt for one with as much curvature on the end that does the scooping as possible. This will help with preventing any unwanted spills from occurring.
Whether you are scooping out sauce, soup, or pancake batter, by having a ladle with more curvature, you will be able to serve or pour out the exact same amount every time, since none will spill out.
Handle
The handle of your soup ladle is essential, as this is going to be the portion that will be held for extended periods of time.
Most high-quality ladles come with a handle that will not become hot, even if you are scooping out hot foods or liquids.
Opt for a handle that is lightweight enough so that it doesn’t get heavy and cause hand cramps, but that is heavy enough to provide enough balance.
Angle
The angle of your soup ladle is another thing to consider. Generally, the greater the angle between the handle and the part that scoops the food or liquid, the more comfortable it will be for you to use.
This is because, with a larger angle, you will be able to keep your wrist neutral and not have to lean or hunch forward to perform the scooping and pouring.
5 Best Ladles for Pancakes
Now that you know what to look for, let’s check out the best pancake ladles on the market:
| Rank | Product | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The OXO Good Grips Ladle | Sturdy nylon |
| 2. | Cooler Kitchen Silicone and Stainless Steel Ladle | Silicone and stainless steel |
| 3. | All-Clad Stainless Steel Large Soup Ladle | Heavy 18/10 stainless steel |
| 4. | OXO Good Grips Ladle | Stainless steel |
| 5. | Newness Stainless Steel Comfort Grip Pancake Ladle | 304 stainless steel |
Let’s take a look at each, shall we?
1. The OXO Good Grips Ladle
This nylon ladle by OXO is an excellent choice for someone looking for a new soup ladle.
While not quite as heavy-duty as stainless steel, going the nylon route is nice because you don’t have to worry about scratching any non-stick surfaces.
Also, the nylon material gives you a slightly better and more comfortable grip on the handle portion itself.
This ladle is heat resistant to temperatures up to 400 degrees, which means you won’t have to worry about any part of the ladle melting like some less expensive plastic options.
One potential drawback of this soup ladle is that the curvature of the scooper is fairly shallow.
This, however, can also be a positive since you can use it for when you need to turn food in a pan (i.e. the pancakes after they have hardened a bit) rather than using a separate spatula.
Dishwasher friendly, lightweight, and reliable, for those who are not too picky, this is a great price-point option ladle to consider.
2. Cooler Kitchen Silicone and Stainless Steel Ladle
With this soup ladle, you’re getting the best of the best. This is built with a sturdy stainless steel handle and a BPA-free non-stick silicone for the scooper.
You get both the durability of the stainless steel and the scratch resistance of the silicone both in one.
The scooper has great curvature with a 4 oz., capacity, so by filling it about three-fourths with pancake batter, you will be able to make pancakes that are all the perfect size without worrying about any spilling occurring.
Flex-edge technology allows you to use the flexible silicone scooper to scrape out every single last drop from any pot or bowl you are scooping from.
The handle is extra long and weighted specifically to prevent hand cramps. With Coolergrip technology, the stainless steel handle will not get hot to the touch no matter how long you leave the ladle in hot foods or liquids.
Some more great features of this ladle that make your cooking experience that much nicer include a hooked handle for easy storage and a slight lip for when you are pouring to prevent uneven distribution.
There’s also a better-than-average angle between the handle and scooper for additional comfort. The ladle being dishwasher friendly is a bonus too.
Overall, this has everything you can possibly ask for in a ladle and is one of the best for preparing pancakes.
3. All-Clad Stainless Steel Large Soup Ladle
This soup ladle by All-Clad is on the pricier side, built entirely of durable high-grade 18/10 polished stainless steel.
If you prefer cooking with stainless steel utensils, this is one of the best soup ladles you can ask for.
The handle is long at 14.5”, which is ergonomically designed for comfort by incorporating a grooved top and rounded bottom.
The scooper has great curvature, with a very subtle curved lip to assist in the pouring process.
While the angle between the handle and the scooper is not the best, most people have no issue working with this kind of soup ladle.
While it does cost a little bit more than your average ladle up front, a lifetime warranty against any defects ensures that you can use this ladle literally for life!
4. OXO Good Grips Ladle
For those who might not have been as impressed with OXO’s inexpensive silicone model, this soup ladle is definitely a step up.
With a durable and polished stainless steel frame, OXO ensures maximum comfort for you by including a soft and comfortable non-stick handle.
This ladle is weighted to ensure great balance. When using it, you can truly feel the quality.
Additional benefits of this ladle include: the handle won’t get hot even if it’s been sitting in hot food or liquid, it comes with a hole for convenient storage and is dishwasher friendly.
Overall, for those looking for a quality stainless steel soup ladle that focuses on maximizing comfort when gripping, this is the ladle to get.
5. Newness Stainless Steel Ladle
To top off this list, we have another excellent soup ladle option. Built with 304-grade stainless steel throughout, this ladle is rustproof and extremely durable.
They designed their handle like a vacuum, which helps with reducing heat transmission to your hand. Also, it is easy and comfortable to hold.
The angle and curvature of the scooper are pretty good, and it is dishwasher friendly and thus easy to clean.
Overall, this ladle is a solid choice and won’t leave you disappointed.
Up Next: How To Set A Table For Breakfast
Hi Jaron,
Thank you for this excellent article on pancake ladle properties. Finding a good pancake ladle has been tricky and I certainly feel more comfortable now that I know what to look for. I had never considered the scooping angle before, but seems to explain lots of my annual shrove Tuesday pains. Keep up the good work. Many thanks.