Whether you wish to become a grill master or you just enjoy a good barbeque so you can get the family together once in a while, having the right tools is the key to making grilling as easy as possible.
Although a grill spatula might seem like a pretty basic item, knowing what to look for as far as features and characteristics is absolutely necessary. Subpar grill spatulas could spell disaster. A flimsy spatula might mean dinner ends up on the floor. A spatula that’s too short for you or your grill might lead to unnecessary burns or the product wearing out faster than usual due to overexposure to heat.
For this reason, we’ve prepared a detailed product review of the 7 best grill spatulas. During our research, we focused on characteristics such as key features, price for value, materials, and customers’ reviews for each product. This list will help you pick the perfect grill spatula for you and ensure your next barbecue goes perfectly according to plan!
Before we start, this is a list of all the items you’ll find in this product review:
The Best Grill Spatulas
- OXO Good Grips Serrated Spatula – Top Choice
- Cuisinart CTG-08-SLT Grill Spatula – Best Value
- Weber 6673 Original Wide Spatula – Premium Pick
- YouTheFan Grill Spatula – Best Grill Spatula for Sports Fans
- Cave Tool Barbecue Spatula – Thickest BBQ Spatula
- Mercer Culinary Hell’s Spatula – Best Precision Flipper
- Deiss PRO Spatula – Best Design
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Key Features ANd Specifications
- Stainless steel
- Anti-slip grip
- Loop for hanging
- Weight: 3.2 ounces
- Dimensions: 16 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches
For your next backyard barbecue, the OXO Good Grips Grilling Tools will help you get the job done, starting with this 16-inch serrated spatula. This spatula is durable, rust resistant and is made from solid stainless steel.
While this spatula might be a little too lightweight for some people’s liking, it’s still sturdy. The turner feathers a wide head with a beveled edge for sliding under foods and is also excellent for scraping the grill after cooking.
Another helpful feature is the serrated edge of this grill spatula. It’s perfect for cutting into meat to check for doneness. Furthermore, the long handle will keep your hands safely away from the grill.
Plus, the handle even features a soft, non-slip grip and a loop for hanging the tool when not in use. These are both a comfort feature and a safety feature. Finally, and maybe most importantly, this grill tool is dishwasher safe.
The only potential downside with this spatula is that it’s the most expensive one on the list. However, the quality more than makes up for the price.
Pros
- Durable
- Sturdy
- 16-inch length
- Anti-slip grip
- Loop for hanging
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons
- Most expensive on list
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Stainless steel
- Hole in the handle
- Weight: 4.5 ounces
- Dimensions: 16.63 x 3.13 x 1.38 inches
The Cuisinart CTG-08-SLT Grill Spatula is the cheapest item on our list (at the time of review). However, don’t let the cheap cost deter you. This is a quality product from a very reputable culinary company.
For starters, the high-quality stainless steel construction makes this item durable and sturdy. Moreover, the style of the product is elegant which makes it perfect for serving food at your next event.
Although the handle isn’t anti-slip, the spatula still feels comfortable to work with and is easy to handle. More specifically, you’ll be able to flip or stir your food with ease due to the contoured handle and the long 16-inch length.
Once you’ve finished using the spatula, you can simply put it into the dishwasher. Once it’s finished washing, you can make use of the hole in the handle and hang the spatula until you’re ready to use it again.
However, some customers have noticed that since the handle is hollow, the hole for hanging sometimes allows water to enter it.
Pros
- Great price
- Durable
- Sturdy
- Elegant design
- Hole for hanging
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons
- The hole in the handle allows water to get into it
- No anti-slip grip
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Wide head for easy turning and flipping
- Ergonomic handle
- Built for Weber grill specifications
- Dimensions: 19.19 x 8.56 x 2.88 inches
Weber is known for being a leading grill brand, so it’s no surprise their grill spatula made our list. What stands out about this Weber accessory is the large, wide head. It’s bigger than any others in our top 7 and it’s designed to handle turning fish and other large food items.
The grip is comfortable and non-slip, which is always a good feature to have when working over a hot surface. The company claims that it has an ergonomic design and we found that claim held up well during our testing.
Another added bonus of this grill spatula is that the angle is designed to work with Weber kettle grills. This feature helps keep hands and arms away from the heat. Plus, the over 17-inch length of the spatula helps with this, as well.
The price for this particular item is in the mid-range, which matches the product’s quality. While it’s relatively heavy duty and has a nice weight to it, we’ve noticed it has a tendency to want to bend at the angled portion of the handle under the weight of hefty food items like pork shoulders and briskets. However, it handles the weight of racks of ribs and vegetables with ease.
Pros
- Wide head for wide food
- Comfortable, non-slip grip
- Hanging loop
- Over 17-inches in length
- Has a two year warranty
Cons
- Handle may bend over time
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Stainless steel
- Bottle opener
- Laser-cut technology
- Weight: 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions: 18.5 x 4 x 4 inches
The YOUTHEFAN 18-inch grill spatula is a very unique item on the list. This heavy duty spatula is made from high quality stainless steel to guarantee sturdiness and durability. The steel even runs all the way through the beautiful maple hand.
Plus, at the top of the handle, you can find a convenient bottle opener. You’ll be sure to make great use of that at your next backyard barbecue. Another great feature is the long handle that will help you successfully turn or stir all kinds of food while keeping your hand and arm a safe distance away from the heat.
However, what makes this bad boy so unique compared to the others on the list is that the manufacturer uses laser-cut technology to cut your sports team’s logo into it. Choose from over 500 NFL, NCAA and NHL teams.
Your premium grilling utensil will feature a laser-cut logo and heat stamped hard maple handle with brass rivets all for at a moderate price point. This means, this will be an awesome grill tool to show off to all your friends or you can give it as a gift to a loved one because it’s sure to be a real crowd pleaser.
Conversely, while this spatula isn’t the most expensive on our list, you’re paying more for the aesthetic than for spatula functionality. The tip of this spatula is slightly beveled to get under the meat. However, it lacks some useful features like a serrated edge, extra width in the head and being dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Durable
- Unique design (comes with logo)
- Bottle opener end
- Extra long (18-inches)
Cons
- Somewhat expensive (paying more for design than function)
- Isn’t dishwasher safe
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Thick stainless steel
- Serrated edge
- Contoured tip
- Bottle opener
- Weight: 12.1 ounces
- Dimensions: 17.83 x 4.37 x 1.49 inches
The Cave Tool grill spatula is made using heavy duty stainless steel that is 20% thicker than traditional spatulas. This means the item isn’t likely to break or bend any time soon. You won’t have to worry about flipping larger pieces of meat.
In addition to this bad boy being heavy duty, it also has a serrated edge to cut food and a contoured tip to make it easier to flip meat of any size. Furthermore, it even has a bottle opener at the base of the handle. Basically, this Cave Tool grill spatula checks all the boxes when it comes to functionality.
Once you’re finished grilling, placing the spatula in the dishwasher is the easiest way to clean it. Afterwards, you can use the metal ring at the top of the handle to store it.
The downside is that this item doesn’t include an anti-slip grip. However, it is a good length at a bit over 16-inches long. Additionally, the price is very budget friendly. Cave Tool even offers a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, so if at any point you are unhappy with your spatula, you can return it for a full money back refund.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Durable
- Dishwasher-safe
- Hanging ring
- 16-inch length
- Budget friendly
- Satisfaction guarantee
Cons
- The handle isn’t anti-slip
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Heat resistant handle
- Stainless steel
- Weight: 7 ounces
- Dimensions: 14.5 x 3 x 2.5 inches
The next item on our list is a sturdy and resistant spatula made using stainless steel from Mercer Culinary called Hell’s Spatula. This item is great for flipping meat, burger or fish because of the precision spatula head that offers the perfect combination of flexibility and stiffness.
Hell’s spatula has a heat-resistant handle that is designed to absorb 50% less heat from the grill. Consequently, this spatula is going to stay cool to the touch for a longer time when compared to items with standard polypropylene handles. The handle can also safely withstand temperatures up to 450 F.
Conversely, due to the handle being shorter (the whole spatula is only 12-inches in length), the product is better suited for barbecues with smaller cooking surfaces. Otherwise, you might risk bringing your hand because it’ll be too close to the grill when you’re trying to flip the food on the back of the grill.
While the short length of the spatula might not be for everyone, the price point will be. This is one of the least expensive items on our list. However, you’re getting more than you’re paying for with the sturdy design. Your burger smash game will reach new levels with this chef quality spatula.
Read more: Best grill tongs
Pros
- Sturdy
- Hard to bend
- Suited for flipping large foods
- Heat resistant
- Light weight
- Budget friendly
Cons
- Short handle
- Not dishwasher safe
Key Features ANd Specifications
- Stainless steel
- Ergonomic handle
- Doesn’t hold heat
- Weight: 8 ounces
- Dimensions: 4.2 x 3.2 x 14.2 inches
The Deiss Pro spatula features a sturdy brushed stainless-steel construction that makes the item long-lasting and suited for flipping any kind of food without worrying about it breaking or bending.
This slotted turner has an ergonomic handle made of bamboo and is reinforced with steel. Therefore, the product feels comfortable in your hand since the bamboo material doesn’t hold heat.
The Deiss Pro features a thoughtful design. The slotted head easily slights under your food due to the flare front edge. Plus, there’s a hole in the handle for convenient storage when not in use.
This spatula can be used for sautéing veggies, turning meat, mixing scrambled eggs, flipping burgers, grilling fish and so on. You can even use the metal spatula when cooking noodles to do the “doneness check,” since you can easily capture a noodle and drain the water through the slots on the turner
The one downside to this spatula is the somewhat short length. While it’s not as short as the previous item on our list (12-inches), this spatula is only a modest 14-inches in length. This could spell trouble if you plan to use this spatula on a larger grilling surface because you might end up with your hand and arm close to the heat source.
Aside from that, this spatula is very affordable and is one of the least expensive products on our list. Plus, it even comes with a lifetime warranty. You’ll even get a nice little bonus gift with your purchase in the form of an exclusive “Healthy Cooking Tips” ebook – free of charge.
Last but not least, the item costs less than $11 and the manufacturer provides a lifetime warranty on their products.
Read more: Best grill brush
Pros
- Great price
- Durable
- Sturdy
- Hole for hanging
- Lifetime warranty
- Free ebook with purchase
Cons
- Smaller than other items
Things to Consider When Buying a Grill Spatula
Grill spatulas are like the universal grill tool. You pretty much can’t own a grill without owning a grill spatula. Since you’ll be breaking out a spatula everytime you grill, it’s important to own a high quality one.
A crappy spatula will surely spell disaster. If the material is low quality, you get a flimsy spatula. If the spatula isn’t the right length for you or your grill, you’re likely to get burned. If your spatula isn’t thick and durable enough, it’ll bend over time under the weight of large cuts of meat, like pork shoulder.
After going over the main characteristics of the seven best grill spatulas on the market, we’re going to summarize the main factors you should take into consideration before settling on which type of spatula you want to purchase. Since the selection of spatulas is nearly endless, this guide will help you narrow down the best product for you.
Material:
The first thing to keep in mind is the material. Not just for the head of the spatula, but for the handle, as well. Spatulas can be made from materials like plastic, rubber, aluminum or stainless steel.
However, when it comes to grill spatulas, stainless steel is going to be your best bet usually. While your indoor spatulas might be made from plastic and rubber and stand up just fine, the high heat of the grill will usually melt these types.
Aside from that, aluminum is pretty much all around not a great choice. It’s a lot flimsier than stainless steel and more prone to rust and corrosion.
At the very least, the head of the spatula should be high-quality stainless steel. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the handle has to be stainless steel, as well. In fact, a fully metal spatula can be problematic because it’s more likely to absorb heat up the handle rather quickly.
So, having the handle of your spatula be a different material is a decent idea. Handle materials can include silicone, rubber, plastic or wood.
We have a couple of spatulas on our list that have wooden handles. These spatulas look very classy and the wood tends to not absorb heat, so your hands stay comfortable. One downside to wood handles is the fact that they tend to make the spatula not dishwasher safe. Plus, to keep the handles from splitting over time, you have keep up on their maintenance care (like oiling the handle)
Spatula handles that are silicone or rubber offer a non slip grip. The handles are soft and cushy making them comfortable to hold. Plus, these types of materials are heat resistant to a point to help protect your hands.
Another handle material is plastic. The one pro about spatulas with plastic handles is that they’re going to be inexpensive. However, a plastic grip isn’t going to be the most comfortable.
Length:
Speaking of handles, the material the handle is made out of isn’t the only significant factor to consider. The length of the handle and the overall length of the spatula is very important. To help determine the ideal length of your spatula, consider the size of your grill.
If you have a small charcoal grill, a short 12-inch spatula is going to serve you just fine. The benefit to only needing a modest length spatula is you’ll likely be able to use it indoors and outdoors, so it’ll be multi-purpose.
Now if you have a huge multi-tiered 8 burner grill that can hold like 26 burgers, you’ll want a long spatula. A spatula with a minimum of 16-18 inches in length is a good place to start. Consider the fact that you’ll need to reach to the back burner to flip all your burgers and that the grease from the burgers can cause a flare up. You’ll be loving the extra length when you can successfully negotiate the flip of your burgers without getting burned.
Head Size:
The next factor to consider is the size of the head of the spatula. The bigger and wider the head of the spatula, the more control you’ll have over the piece of meat or vegetables sitting on its surface. Consider how delicate flaky fish can be. You’ll want to be able to slide the spatula right under and flip without having to worry about the fish breaking.
As a general rule of thumb, a good width for a grill spatula is at least 3 inches. However, it might be useful to own more than one spatula. Let’s go back to the fish example earlier. A spatula with a slightly thinner head is excellent for flipping fish and burgers. Conversely, an extra wide head works well for maneuvering more substantial cuts of meat around the grill.
Drainage Slots:
This is another feature that might help you realize you’d benefit from owning more than one spatula. For extra greasy meats, a slotted spatula is very helpful as this allows for drainage.
Conversely, if you’re working with small grilled vegetables, then slots can be problematic. At best, they’ll get clogged with the veggies. However, at worst, you can lose those grilled onions or peppers through the holes in the spatula.
Slots can vary in shapes and size. For instance, many of the spatulas on our list just have plain cutouts. However, one of them has holes in the shape of a sports team or logo of your choosing. These are just as much for aesthetics as they are for functionality.
Consider the Purpose:
Spatulas with drainage holes and serrated edges are designed to be used for grilling burgers and other fatty pieces of meat. Additionally, shorter, modestly wide spatulas are excellent for things like delicate pieces of fish so you can maintain control and minimize the risk of the filet breaking.
On the other hand, long narrower spatulas, without slots, are great for sautéing up vegetables. Though, long extra wide spatulas are meant for slinging things like pork shoulders.
Grilled foods are delicious. However, if you don’t have the proper tools, they can end up ruined. Flare ups can cause burns. Meats can fall apart. You can lose your vegetables to the holes in the spatula. If you regularly grill a wide variety of foods, it might be worth it to consider buying multiple spatulas in a variety of shapes and sizes to help ensure you have the tools you need to grill the best goodies.
Final Thoughts
Owning a spatula is a must, so you might as well make sure you have the best possible one you can. In order to help you decide which one or ones are best for you, we’ve put together this buying guide so you know exactly what features to look for.
Additionally, we’ve included our top suggestions for the best grill spatulas. The spatulas on this list are high quality and durable. Plus, the options come in various shapes and sizes for a variety of purposes. You can’t go wrong with any of them. However, it’s up to you to decide which one you’d love to show off at your next cookout!
WHY TRUST GRILL COOK BAKE?
Grill Cook Bake was created by amateur chefs and food lovers to help people cook better. Whether you’re new to cooking or a seasoned chef, having the right tools, equipment, and gear can be the difference between a good meal or a bad meal.
Our goal at Grill Cook Bake is to provide you with comprehensive and unbiased reviews and information so that you can make informed buying decisions. Our team has decades of combined experience in the cooking field. This knowledge includes a deep understanding of both brands and individual products.
This article was updated by Jacki Chaplain, a freelance writer and product reviewer for Grill Cook Bake. Jacki Chaplain is a seasoned food writer and blogger. She received masterful culinary training under an esteemed Johnson and Wales graduate. Today, she’s combined her divine love of all things food and artful way with words into a full-time career as a freelance writer for various foodie websites.
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