How can we tell the difference between the two so that we can use the right tool for whatever baking or cooking we’re doing?
Remember the good old days when your grandmother let you eat all of the leftover cake batter from the bowl when you were a child? It certainly wasn’t a turner now, was it? What kitchen tool did she hand you to scrape every last bit of it out?
Although you’d think it would be simple to distinguish between these two crucial kitchen tools, even seasoned hobby cooks occasionally make a mistake.
No, it was a tool that made it possible to clean the inside of the bowl, something that a turner that was flat, thin, and square-shaped couldn’t accomplish. Most likely, your grandmother also spread the batter evenly throughout the cake tin using the same tool, a spatula.
Most people probably throw away their first pancake because they were flipped with a spatula rather than a turner.
Editor’s Corner: Spatulas, Flippers, and Turners
After working in kitchens from the Pacific Northwest all the way down to Southern California, here’s something I’ve been wondering about Is there a regional difference between the names for the implement used to flip hamburgers and I’ve called both of these “that thing you scrape a baking bowl with” “spatulas,” but I decided to research it and contrast these things:
I found some answers and photos in an article from the Kitchenboy blog. Rather than repeat everything, I’m going to sum up the information here and share some photos with you.
The traditional spatula, a turner, and an icing spatula are the three basic types of spatulas.
To start, let’s look at the classic spatula.
The majority of people picture this when you mention a spatula. The main use is to remove all the batter or soft dough from the mixing bowl, but there are other applications like folding and blending, where a more delicate approach is needed.
Turner
Some customers expect the turner when they ask for a spatula, which causes annoyance when shop employees suggest the “other” spatulas instead. This is what some of us might refer to as a “flipper,” according to KC. ”].
This device, also referred to as a pancake turner, is used to turn food so the other side can cook before lifting or removing it from a pan. We’ve all used them to make cookies, fish, hamburgers, potatoes, pancakes, bacon, and other foods.
And finally, icing spatulas.
The length of the long, thin icing spatula varies depending on the size of the surface to be iced.
There are two types of icing spatulas: offset and straight blade. The offset versions are made to prevent your fingers from getting into the icing, which is always a smart move.
I suppose the answer is that they are all spatulas, but if you want a specific kind, it might be best to specify what it is for (scraping, turning pancakes, icing, etc.) to avoid upsetting the staff at the kitchen supply store.
Kara Church
The photo below shows you all seven. Starting with the glass measuring cup at the top of the image, we’ll go counterclockwise and talk about them.
3. One set of measuring spoons. The set includes four spoons: a 1/4 teaspoon, a 1/2 teaspoon, a teaspoon, and a tablespoon. These spoons are used to measure salt, pepper, spices, etc.
6. Tongs. Think of them as asbestos fingers. They are used for serving as well as preparing food. When I don’t feel like getting out the step stool to reach something high up in the cupboard or when the window shade flips all the way up to the top of the window, I like to use the long tongs.
2. One set of dry measuring-cups. There are four cups in this set: a 1/4 cup, a 1/3 cup, a half cup, and a cup. They are typically made of tin or plastic. These are necessary for measuring items such as rice, popcorn, flour, sugar, etc.
There are hundreds of these available, and the majority of them are unnecessary. Like all cooks, you will undoubtedly accumulate over time a large number of unnecessary appliances and utensils that take up storage space in the cupboard but are almost never used.