The 5 Best Spoons For Cooking
When I was younger, my dad always used to say that using the correct tool for every job will make your life a whole lot easier. I never fully understood what this meant until I moved out and had to start cooking for myself.
I had only a few kitchen utensils and the more I cooked, the more I had to buy different ones for specific purposes.
It is so important to know which utensils will work for which purposes. Greater than that is finding quality, affordable and functional utensils that work.
Cooking spoons are especially important as they are one of the most important and useful kitchen utensils that you will use.
So, what are the best spoons to use for cooking? The best spoons for cooking can withstand high heat, are comfortable to use, and are made of a safe material to cook with. Silicone is a great choice, but metal is also safe and practical. Plastic and wood spoons are common, but there are mixed opinions on the general safety of these materials.
The best cooking spoons to use include silicone spoons from RSVP International as well as Star Pack, metal cooking spoons from Chef Craft, and a bamboo spoon from Totally Bamboo.
In this article, we will look at what a cooking spoon is as well as the different types of cooking spoons that are available on the market. We will then rank and review our top 5 choices of cooking spoons.
What is a Cooking Spoon?
A cooking spoon is a kitchen utensil, similar to a tablespoon and teaspoon, just much larger. They are also sometimes referred to as mixing spoons or even serving spoons.
It has a large bowl-shaped head attached or connected to a long handle. Some cooking spoons are constructed from a single piece of material, others are made from two materials, connected over the bowl-part.
Cooking spoons should not be confused with cooking utensils. A cooking spoon is a type of kitchen utensil, just like spatulas, slotted spoons and ladles are types within this category.
These cooking utensils are often sold in sets, however, today we will be looking at cooking spoons only.
Cooking spoons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes which will also help you choose exactly what you need. These spoons have many functions and that is why quality is of the utmost importance.
Cooking spoons can be used to stir foods (like soups and stews), to transfer food that would be difficult to transfer by hand (to and from cooking vessels like pots or bowls) and they can also function as serving spoons to dish the final product.
Types of Cooking Spoons
Today, there are many different designs, sizes and types of cooking spoons on the market. Like we continuously will emphasize, each type has its own function so when choosing one, you have to look at what you want to use it for.
The main and most important difference between cooking spoons is the material they are made of. There are 5 main materials these utensils are constructed from:
- Wood
- Stainless steel
- Plastic
- Silicone
- Ceramic
Each of these materials has various pros and cons. Some designs look beautiful but aren’t very functional, and some designs are very functional, but not very eye-catching.
At the end of the day, you have to decide what is more important to you and fits your lifestyle better.
5 Best Spoons for Cooking
Here we have ranked our top 5 cooking spoons, which can all be conveniently shipped to your door.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ela’s Favorite Silicone Spoon | Flexible, light, BPA-free, 11-inch |
| 2. | Star Pack Silicone Mixing Spoon | Steel core, firm, ergonomic, 10.6-inch |
| 3. | Chef Craft Select Stainless Steel Basting Spoon | Thin edge, sturdy, 12-inch |
| 4. | Totally Bamboo Mixing Spoon | Durable, sealed bamboo, 14-inch |
| 5. | Chef Craft Stainless Steel Spoon | Sturdy, dishwasher-safe, 13-inch |
The products we have chosen fit the widest range of uses and will be the perfect addition to your kitchen. We will also have a look at why we chose each as well as their pros and cons.
1. Ela’s Favorite Silicone Spoon (RSVP International)
We have the biggest bias towards silicone utensils, but it’s for a lot of very good reasons and because of personal experience. You may consider transitioning to them.
Silicone cooking spoons are a great choice when it comes to the health and safety aspect of these utensils.
There has been a long on-going debate as to which materials are hygienic enough and safe enough to use for cooking utensils. Wood and plastic are in the hot-seat. But not silicone.
These silicone cooking spoons can handle heats up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and will not melt or warp into your food, which means lots of toxic chemicals will not be released into your meal.
This also means that you have a very durable product that will be able to last a long time. And we almost forgot – they are also dishwasher-safe!
They are also not porous and won’t absorb any flavors and micro-bacteria from previous cooking. So you have a completely safe and the risk of cross-contamination of foods that are virtually zero.
These silicone spatula spoons are made from solid silicone material (which is also BPA-free by the way) that surrounds a strong metal rod. This means no foods will get stuck in any crevices which also makes for much easier to clean.
Another great benefit of using these silicone cooking spoons is that they are perfect to use on non-stick pans that usually are scratched by metal or wooden utensils.
Because of their flexibility, they can easily scrape the bottom of the pots or clean the inside of bowls without being damaged, or damaging the bowls thanks to their soft material.
They also do not conduct a lot of heat, making them a safe option to use as well (compared to other materials).
These spoons are sold in many different colors including black, blues, greens and even white. This allows you to order any color that will fit your kitchen style the best.
They are 11 inches in length making them perfect for the majority of kitchen uses.
The best part is, the price! Silicon spoons will naturally be more expensive than (some) wooden spoons. However, these are in the same average price range as metal and ceramic spoons.
2. Star Pack Silicone Mixing Spoon
See, we told you we love silicone spoons. This silicone spoon is one of the most highly rated cooking spoons on Amazon.
It has an extremely high heat-resistant temperature, 600 degrees Fahrenheit to be precise. This will allow you to perform many more functions than the previous silicone spoon.
It has a very sleek design and comes in a charcoal grey color. This silicone spatula is also BPA-free, stain and odor resistant and dishwasher safe!
It also won’t scratch any pots and pans and is the perfect length for those deep pots you need to reach the bottom of. Again, an endless amount of pros and not one con we can think of.
The reason we ranked this silicone spatula lower than the one from RSVP is for two very basic reasons:
The first is that it isn’t flexible, making it difficult to scrape bowls. The second is that it only comes in black (which won’t matter to everyone, but sometimes we like a little color).
Other than that, this is another amazing, very affordable cooking spoon that will last you a lifetime. We’re sure you won’t regret buying it.
3. Chef Craft Select Stainless Steel Basting Spoon
A basting spoon is another type of cooking spoon, just like a serving or mixing spoon. They are all the same thing. As a material for cooking utensils, metal certainly has more pros than cons.
Firstly, regarding this product specifically, it is a great benefit to have a stainless steel cooking spoon. This is because any other type of metal spoon has the tendency to rust or discolor and stain almost immediately, especially when the spoon comes into contact with acidic foods.
Metal can also be very easily cleaned and as with silicone utensils, have minimal risk of cross-contamination or absorption of other flavors and micro-bacteria.
This spoon has a wide head (perfect for basting foods) making it able to perform a lot of different functions very effectively.
The total length of the spoon is 12 inches and it has a plastic handle at the top to prevent the user from burning when the metal heats up. It’s a pretty convenient design.
That brings us to the (few) cons:
Metal spoons are excellent conductors of heat, which is not always ideal in terms of safety. Users have to be careful when using this spoon as it might burn them when it’s heated.
The spoon is also not flexible and should be used with care when scraping pots or pans.
Besides those minor cons, this Chef Craft Spoon is still one of the best on the market and has an endless amount of pros. This is also a very affordable utensil that will last you quite a while!
4. Totally Bamboo Mixing Spoon
So, you probably know by now that cooking with wooden utensils isn’t always the best type you could use. There has been a long ongoing debate as to the safety of these utensils when it comes to cooking and preparing foods.
Wood has the potential to absorb flavors of other foods it previously came in contact with. It stains fairly easily and it can also contain microorganisms that could result in cross-contamination.
However, wooden cooking utensils have evolved from the old-fashioned plain spoon. Now, as a preventative measure, these wooden spoons are polished and sealed with oils.
This will prevent the risk of any cross-contamination and prevent stains, leaving only a bunch of cons.
This Bamboo mixing spoon from Totally Bamboo will be able to perform most cooking functions beautifully. It will add a little style to your kitchen, as well.
This bamboo spoon will also not scratch your pots and pans like metal utensils would. It can also be used in foods that are reactive with other materials (like acidic foods react to copper utensils).
Before buying any wooden cooking utensils, make sure that they are sealed and safe, just like this one! You can still have that classic wooden look in your kitchen as long as you do a little homework.
5. Chef Craft Stainless Steel Solid Spoon
This is another stainless steel cooking spoon from Chef Craft, although this one is a bit more basic.
But basic doesn’t necessarily mean bad. In fact, this is probably the best and most affordable cooking spoon you can start out with. And sometimes, you just want something simple and reliable.
It has a very simple, yet elegant design and is longer than your average mixing spoon, 13 inches to be precise. This will allow you to stir into deep jugs, pots and bowls.
As with all metal spoons, you do have the risk of scratching cooking vessels, especially those with coatings on them. However with proper use and care you can prevent that from happening easily. Just be careful.
This is the most affordable and practical cooking utensils that are perfect for any beginner cook.
