Steel or Flexible? Choosing the Best Bench Scraper

A bench scraper is a plain rectangle of steel with a handle along one edge, and it does more work on a busy prep table than most gadgets. It divides a batch of masa or flour tortilla dough into even pieces, lifts sticky dough off the counter, carries chopped onion and cilantro to the pan, and clears a floured board in two passes. A flexible bowl scraper does the same job inside the mixing bowl, so no dough is left behind.

This guide covers nine scrapers worth buying: seven stiff bench scrapers from Dexter-Russell, OXO, Norpro, Anmarko, Mercer Culinary, Fat Daddio’s and KitchenAid, and two flexible bowl scrapers from KitchenAid and Messermeister. It explains which suits dividing dough, which suits measuring, and which belongs in the dishwasher.

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Quick verdict: which bench scraper to buy

Five bench scrapers side by side

Our five standout scrapers, one for each kind of cook. All nine are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Blade sizes, materials and care are as each maker or listing states them.

Our picks for the best bench scraper

The nine scrapers below include thin commercial blades, soft-grip home models, an extra-wide blade, a wooden-handled scraper with a sharpened edge and two flexible bowl scrapers. Each review gives the maker’s or listing’s specifications, who the scraper suits and one honest reason to skip it.

Bench scraper or bowl scraper: which type you need

Stiff bench scraper

A flat steel blade, usually about 6 by 3 inches, with a handle along the top edge. It is for work on a flat surface: dividing dough, lifting it, scraping up flour and dried bits, chopping soft foods and carrying them to the pan. America’s Test Kitchen found that rectangular blades of about that size worked best, and that curved or tapered blades let food spill off the sides.

Flexible bowl scraper

A thin, bendable piece of plastic, nylon or silicone, often with one curved edge and one straight edge. It follows the inside of a bowl to empty it and can cut soft dough on the counter. ATK’s bowl scraper testers found medium-sized scrapers with several curves worked across bowl sizes, and that a metal core helped with dense dough.

Most bakers end up owning one of each. If you only buy one, choose by where your dough spends its time: on the counter, a steel bench scraper; in a bowl, a flexible one.

How to choose a bench scraper

Blade shape and size. A rectangle about 6 by 3 inches covers the most ground and holds chopped food without spilling, per ATK. Go bigger, like the Fat Daddio’s, only if you work big batches.

Edge. A thin or beveled edge cuts dough and cold butter in one push. Thick, rounded edges tend to squash dough instead of cutting it; ATK found the plain Norpro 577 among the dullest in its lineup.

Handle. ATK’s testers preferred hard, textured plastic that stays grippy and resists grime over soft rubber that becomes sticky, and a handle that sits low rather than one that sticks out and collects flour.

Markings. Etched inch marks save reaching for a ruler when you cut strips or squares. Printed charts are a bonus.

Cleaning. All-steel and plastic-handled scrapers can usually go in the dishwasher; wooden handles and some commercial blades are hand wash only. Check the maker.

Masa, bolillos and pan dulce: where a scraper earns its place

In a Mexican kitchen, a bench scraper is first a portioning tool. Cut a batch of masa or flour tortilla dough into even pieces before rolling them into balls, and the tortillas come out the same size off the tortilla press. The same goes for bolillo dough and concha dough: divide, weigh, adjust. A kitchen scale tells you whether each piece is right, and the scraper trims and adds without tearing the dough.

The scraper also keeps the table clean as you go, so flour and dried scraps do not end up in the next batch, and it lifts sticky dough that a spatula would tear. Mix the dough first with a dough whisk, empty the bowl with a bowl scraper or a silicone spatula, then divide on the bench. For drop cookies like polvorones, a cookie scoop does the portioning faster than a scraper.

How we picked these nine scrapers

We looked at bench and bowl scrapers from Dexter-Russell, OXO, Norpro, Anmarko, Mercer Culinary, Fat Daddio’s, KitchenAid, Messermeister, Ateco, Winco, Matfer Bourgeat, Fox Run and others, and kept only those showing as in stock on Amazon when we checked. Specifications come from the Amazon listings and makers’ descriptions.

We read America’s Test Kitchen’s bench scraper review and its Cook’s Country bowl scraper review and cite both above. We tried to read Serious Eats’ bench scraper guide but could not open it, and we did not read Wirecutter, so neither is cited. We have not used these scrapers for this guide.

Some well-known names are left out on purpose. Matfer Bourgeat’s nylon bowl scraper was rated Not Recommended by ATK, whose testers found it flimsy and sharp enough to deflate dough. The plain Norpro 577 was rated Recommended with Reservations for a thick, dull blade. Ateco’s stainless-handled bench scraper had blade sizes that did not agree within its own listing, and ATK’s winning Fox Run silicone bowl scraper was not in stock on Amazon when we searched.

Bench scraper questions, answered

What bench scraper does America’s Test Kitchen recommend?

ATK’s winner is the Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe 6 x 3-inch dough cutter/scraper. It also rated the Anmarko scraper Highly Recommended, and the Norpro Grip-EZ and OXO Good Grips scrapers Recommended.

What is the best quality bench scraper?

Look for a thin stainless steel blade about 6 by 3 inches, square corners, a firm handle that grips when wet, and, for a commercial kitchen, NSF certification. The Dexter-Russell and Mercer Culinary scrapers are built to that standard.

Is a metal or plastic bench scraper better?

For dividing dough and cutting on the counter, metal. ATK found plastic blades comparatively dull. For emptying bowls, a flexible plastic or silicone bowl scraper is better.

Can a bench scraper go in the dishwasher?

Some can. OXO, Fat Daddio’s and KitchenAid say theirs are dishwasher safe; Mercer and Anmarko say hand wash only, and Dexter-Russell recommends hand washing.

Do you need ruler markings?

Not to divide dough by eye or by weight, but marks are handy for cutting strips, squares and logs to an exact size. The Norpro Grip-EZ, Fat Daddio’s, Anmarko, OXO and KitchenAid scrapers have them.

The scraper to start with

Buy the Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe if you want the scraper that won America’s Test Kitchen’s review, and the OXO if you want inch marks and the dishwasher. Add the Messermeister or KitchenAid bowl scraper set if you mix in bowls.

Baking bread? See our guide to the best bench scrapers for sourdough.

Related guide: Best bowl scraper.

Related guide: Bench scraper alternative.

For the rest of the bench, our guides to the best offset spatula and measuring cups cover the other small tools. If you would rather let our kitchen make the tortillas tonight, see the menu or call to order.