One category of gadgets for the kitchen is spatulas. There are spatulas for scooping up and flipping food. There are spatulas for scooping up and flipping food as well as draining the liquid or fat from it. Then there are spatulas for spreading anything willing to be spread. Read on for more details on each type of these gadgets for the kitchen.

Specialty Gadgets for the Kitchen #7 (continued from second article) – Flat Flipper

The flat flipper type spatula is just that…it is a flat, solid piece of metal meant for flipping burgers or pancakes. It can also be used to transfer cookies from the pan to the cooling rack or burgers from the grill to a plate. The flat piece of metal, more square than rectangular (many sizes are available), is attached to a handle at one end and then bent so it is at an offset from the handle. This allows for better control when moving the food.

Specialty Gadgets for the Kitchen #8 – Hollow Flipper

The hollow flipper is a variation of the flat flipper. It has either round holes or long slots cut out of the flat part of the spatula. Whatever the opening, they are meant to allow liquid or fat to drain off of the food as you handle it. The flat part of the metal is also offset from the handle for easier maneuverability when moving the food and usually more square than rectangular.

Specialty Gadgets for the Kitchen #9 – Spreader

A spreader spatula is designed to evenly spread food such as frosting, butter, cream cheese, etc. onto other foods. A spreader is also a flat piece of, but it can be offset from the handle or in line with it. It is a much longer than wider piece of metal. The end it rounded to a half circle so whatever you are spreading does not have dents in it from sharp corners. These spreaders work much better than a rubber spatula because they only have a little bending action to them, where as the rubber ones bend quite easily. Just a little bending allows for more control over what you are spreading.

Each of these spatulas is unique in their uses and looks. You may want to add one of each to your gadgets for the kitchen so you can perform flipping, draining and flipping, and spreading whenever it is needed. Since they are made of metal and have handles, similar to knives, a knife manufacturer would be a good source for all three of these tools. It’s also a good source for any questions you may have about each type of spatula.