What Is an Offset Spatula?

An offset spatula may be discovered within the instrument equipment of most each recipe developer, chef, and meals stylist, however I’m prepared to guess a variety of residence cooks don’t have one. And for why! Why shouldn’t you have the ability to create ethereal swoops on a chocolate buttercream-covered birthday cake, or unfold ultra-even, stage layers of filling and frosting, or pry pristine muffins from their tins with ease?

An offset spatula is reasonably priced, doesn’t take up a variety of area, and can be utilized to carry out so many kitchen duties. Actually, half of the enjoyable of shopping for one is seeing what utensils you discover they change in your routine. 

What’s an Offset Spatula? 

So, what’s an offset spatula? Consider it like a butter knife (however thinner and extra versatile) with a chunk of chrome steel that’s concerning the size of its deal with, or generally just a little bit longer relying on the scale. They often are available in lengths like four-and-half, eight, or 9 inches (the blade lengths) and even bigger should you’re operating a small bakery out of your own home. What makes them “offset” is the 2 factors the place the blade bends at an angle: veering down as soon as close to the deal with, then jutting out straight once more to kind an extended, flat floor. This design makes it so as to angle into baking tins to shimmy beneath brownies or frost a sheet cake with out having to awkwardly angle your arm or wrist or injury your hard-won creations. 

The blade rounds on the finish, which not solely makes for aesthetically-pleasing swoops when spreading, but additionally ensures an offset spatula’s extra mild than an different spatulas (like an offset turner), whose sharp factors can tear into the sides of freshly-baked cake layers. Their flexibility additionally helps them bend to sit down flush with the sides of a tin to loosen a cake layer, or angle beneath items of sheet cake. Because of its design, while you maintain it such as you would a traditional spatula, the blade desires to remain parallel to your work floor (or the highest of no matter you’re engaged on) so you’ll be able to produce even layers of dough, frosting, or filling. I take advantage of mine on a regular basis for smushing and tamping shortbread and different doughs right into a tin. 

It’s the proper instrument for thus many roles, and after utilizing it, you’ll marvel the way you stumbled by way of many baking and cooking duties with out one. After I began as a baking content material creator and recipe developer, my first offset spatula modified the sport, making my bakes approach simpler—and higher to take a look at.

What Can an Offset Spatula Be Used For? 

This is a fast, non-exhaustive checklist:

• Spreading buttercream, whipped cream or different frostings on desserts 
• Angling beneath brownies or muffins to elevate them from their tin
• Lifting delicate issues like cookies, roasted greens, or tofu from a baking sheet
• Getting completely {smooth} sides, or elegant swoops on frosted layer desserts 
• Spreading peanut butter, jam, or different toppings on bread 
• Making swirls in hummus as the right channels for olive oil
• Shimmying beneath rolled-out sugar cookie dough to switch cutouts to a baking sheet
• Spreading a stage layer of dough like shortbread right into a tin
• Spreading filling evenly and simply for cinnamon rolls, babka, or in between cake layers
• Slicing and serving cake
• Flipping burgers

What is the Finest Offset Spatula?

Whereas Severe Eats hasn’t formally examined them, Ateco makes my favourite mini (4.5-inch blade) offset spatula. I just like the angle of the offset, the flexibleness of the metallic, and that it takes up little drawer area. And at $7 (on the time of writing) it’s not an enormous monetary dedication. As for longer offset spatulas, I just like the Williams-Sonoma Soft Touch 8-inch model as a result of its silicone deal with makes it tremendous snug to make use of (and simple to scrub within the dishwasher). And the big OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Spatula is an SE editor high choose.

FAQs

Ought to I purchase a small or a big offset spatula? 

Totally different sizes of offset spatulas have completely different strengths. In a bakery setting, bigger fashions just like the 8- or 9-inch blades (or greater) assist bakers velocity up the method of transferring a number of gadgets at a time from tray to cooling rack. However even if you’d like layer desserts with ultra-smooth sides at residence, otherwise you want a superbly stage sheet cake, a big offset spatula isn’t a nasty factor to have available. As a matter of truth, I’ve used one to switch a small layer cake that had been assembled, frosted, and chilled from my adorning stand to my show stand. 

If I may solely select one measurement to maintain, although, it might be my mini. It’s a workhorse that I’m continually reaching for—and it doesn’t take up extra room than a spoon or fork would. 

What’s the distinction between an icing spatula and an offset spatula?

The offset spatula is the cousin (or extra like sibling?) to the icing spatula, which is similar factor as an offset spatula, however with no bends. Some bakers like to make use of these when smoothing out the edges of a cake, or to make ornamental striations in buttercream. Nevertheless, they actually can’t do something an offset spatula can’t do—and offset spatulas can do far more due to the additional benefit of their angled building. This being stated, some producers do name offset spatulas “icing spatulas.”