There isn’t a utensil out there that’s more essential for grilling than a good spatula. Get the right tool for your barbecue cooker with our guide to the best grill spatulas on the market today.
A spatula is just a spatula, right? Maybe. Maybe not. An essential tool among your grilling gear, a good spatula strikes the balance between being light enough to handle delicate meat without it breaking apart (fish is the worst culprit for this) and strong enough to handle heftier pork chops or steaks.
And what makes this task all the harder is that not all spatulas are born equal. Tapered styles are perfect for fish and for working with a crowded grill, while white rectangular spatulas are perfectly load-bearing for heftier meat cuts.
We’ve taken a look at some of the best, assessing them on which is best for what type of grilling, and judging them on key criteria from heat resistance to handling comfort. Whether you’re a casual summer griller or a die-hard backyard meathead, you’ll find the right one for you.
New Star Foodservice Extra-Large Grill Spatula
For the price, the grill spatulas from New Star Foodservice offer amazing value. Needless to say, as inexpensive spatulas, their build quality is a bit on the flimsier side, but when you consider their convenience, they offer excellent value for the price.
New Star Foodservice offers its grill spatulas in multiple sizes and widths, so anyone should be able to find something for their grilling needs. All sizes feature a brushed stainless steel blade and a grippy wooden handle that shouldn’t slip out of your hand no matter what.
New Star Foodservice grill spatulas also have beveled edges. This may not seem like a huge deal, but the beveled edges allow you to lift food easier, as well as make slicing and chopping less challenging.
Many people also love to use their spatulas as flippers, but New Star Foodservice spatulas probably won’t work well as such. This is because of their narrow blade – it’s great for a spatula but definitely not enough for flipping burgers.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Slip-resistant handle
- Available in multiple sizes
- Stainless steel construction
- The beveled edges make picking up and slicing food easy
Cons
- A little flimsy
ROMANTICIST 11-Piece Griddle Accessory Kit
If you happen to be looking for not only a spatula but also tongs, a turner, scraper, egg rings, and bottles, then this 11-piece griddle accessory set from ROMANTICIST is an excellent choice. This set costs very little for what it includes, and it also boasts great quality for the money.
But although this set includes many more items than just spatulas, we would like to specifically focus on the included grill spatulas.
You are essentially getting 4 spatulas – two 14.6 inches long spatulas (one is perforated), one 11.8-inch spatula, and a burger turner. With that, for most spatula needs, the ROMANTICIST set should have everything necessary.
The construction in these spatulas seems to be quite solid – they are all made of stainless steel and have heat-resistant handles with good grip. The handles also have holes for hanging.
One thing that some people may complain about is the width of the 14.6- and 11.8-inch long spatulas – they are only 2.8 inches wide. This may be a problem for lifting foods, though you could always make use of the 4.6 inches wide burger turner for large food items.
The 14.6-inch spatulas also have very little bevel, so they aren’t as convenient as New Star Foodservice spatulas.
Pros
- Includes not only spatulas but also a turner, tongs, and more
- Great value for the money
- Very solid quality at the price
Cons
- Nothing to complain about
Homestyle Inspirations 4-Piece Spatula Kit
The Homestyle Inspirations set doesn’t include as many cooking items as the ROMANTICIST kit, but it’s overall better in the spatula department.
This kit includes 3 spatulas whose blades are sized at 8.5 x 4, 8.5 x 3, and 5.5 x 3 inches. We like that the width in these spatulas is a little more varied and that you are getting a super-wide 4-inch spatula. These spatulas probably aren’t wide enough for burger flipping, but they are good for their primary purpose.
What’s also nice about the Homestyle Inspirations spatulas is that they all have beveled edges that make picking up and chopping food very easy.
The scraper is also quite interesting – it has a helper table on its backside to help you convert some units of cooking measurement, and it also features a ruler on both sides – one in inches and the other in centimeters. We wouldn’t say that these features are must-haves in scrapers, but they may be useful for some people.
The main downside of this spatula kit is the handles – they are rather flimsy, so you should be delicate with them.
Pros
- Includes 3 spatulas and a scraper
- The beveled edges make picking up food very easy
- Fairly nice size and width
Cons
- Subpar handle quality
RSVP International Grill Spatula Flipper
The RSVP International grill spatula is a good choice if you are looking for something that can work both as a spatula and a flipper. This tool doesn’t excel either as a spatula or a flipper, but it’s a decent middle-ground option.
Aside from the two-in-one design, what’s also remarkable in this spatula-flipper is the quality. This is a rather pricey kitchen utensil, and the build quality is accordingly good. The wooden handle is not only gorgeous but also feels sturdy and is easy to grip, while the stainless steel blade should serve you for years.
We also like the hanger loop at the end of the handle. This is a very simple feature, but the New Star Foodservice spatulas didn’t have it, for example.
Our main gripe with the RSVP spatula is that it doesn’t excel as a spatula. Its blade is short and makes picking up some food items challenging. But if you truly want a spatula + flipper, you have to deal with downsides like this.
Pros
- Very well-made
- Great for burger flipping
- Grippy and long wooden handle
Cons
- Not the best as a general-purpose spatula due to the short blade
Cave Tools Barbecue Spatula
Finally, we have this gorgeous barbecue spatula from Cave Tools. Made of stainless steel from top to bottom, this is one of the most beautiful kitchen utensils we’ve ever had a chance to review. And thanks to the stainless steel, this tool is not only attractive but also durable.
The Cave Tools spatula has a few other nice design touches too. The left side of the blade is serrated to make cutting food easier, while the base of the blade features a bottle opener. The hanger loop on the handle is nice as well.
The flame pattern is a cool take on spatula perforations too, but it actually makes picking up runny foods difficult. With that, you should have a spare spatula with no perforations precisely for such food items.
Pros
- The serrated left edge makes cutting food easier
- Integrated bottle opener at the base of the blade
- Gorgeous stainless steel build
Cons
- The flame pattern on the blade makes picking up runny foods difficult
