Thin, Slotted Steel: How to Choose the Best Fish Spatula

Fish is the reason this spatula exists, though it ends up doing far more. A fillet with crisp skin sticks hard to a pan, then lets go all at once, and a thick stiff spatula will tear it in half on the way under. A thin, slotted steel blade slides beneath it, flexes around the curve of the skin and carries it to the plate whole. For tacos de pescado, a fried mojarra or a fillet seared in cast iron, nothing else in the drawer does the job as well.

This is the classic steel tool for cast iron, stainless and the grill. Our best fish spatula for nonstick pans guide covers nylon and silicone; here we look at the best fish spatula for pans that can take metal. The nine turners below come from OXO, Mercer, Lamson, Winco, Dexter and Calphalon, and they double as our fish turner reviews.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a fish spatula, the makers’ own specifications, the details on each Amazon listing and America’s Test Kitchen’s review of metal spatulas.

Quick verdict: which fish spatula to buy

Left-handed cooks should go straight to pick seven, which has a blade made for them. If your pans are nonstick, none of these belong in them.

Five fish spatulas compared

One pick for each kind of cook, with the blade size, handle and care each maker or listing states.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes and care are as stated by each maker or listing; ATK measurements are named in the reviews below.

Our picks for the best fish spatula

The nine turners below run from a light, thin blade to a 9-inch whole-fish turner, with commercial tools, walnut handles, one all-steel option and a true left-hand blade. Each review says who it suits and one honest reason to skip it.

Why slotted steel works on cast iron, stainless and the grill

America’s Test Kitchen keeps metal spatulas for cast iron, stainless steel and carbon steel, and that is the job description here. A hot, seasoned skillet builds a crust on fish, and a thin steel edge gets under that crust without pushing it apart. Steel also tolerates pan heat that plastic heads may not. If your pan has a coating, stop here and use our nonstick guide instead. For a general-purpose flipper for those same iron pans, our guide to the best spatula for cast iron looks at stiffer blades, and the best cast iron skillet covers the pan.

The slots are not decoration. They let oil and rendered fat fall back into the pan as you lift, so the crisp side does not sit in a puddle, and they lighten the blade. The classic long, angled shape comes from the job: the head has to be longer than a fillet is wide, with room for food to travel along it.

On a grill, the same tool works if you oil the grate and wait for the fish to release, though a long handle helps there. A whole fish on an open fire can be easier to manage in a basket; see our guide to the best fish grill basket.

How to choose a fish turner

Blade thickness. ATK found the best fish spatulas had heads of roughly 0.8 to 0.9 mm: thin enough to slide under food without tearing it, and strong enough to support heavy items. Few makers publish this, so its measurements of the OXO Little Fish and Mercer are worth having.

Blade length and shape. ATK’s fish spatulas averaged about 5½ inches long, with a tapered shape that reaches into tight spaces. Longer blades, like the 4 by 9-inch Mercer, are for whole fish and griddles rather than a skillet.

Handle length. ATK liked handles of 4.5 to 5 inches, which keep your hands close to the food. Choose longer only for the grill or a big pan.

Handle grip and heat. Textured wood or plastic is easiest to hold when your hands are wet or greasy, says ATK. If you cook over high heat, Mercer’s handle is rated to 450°F; all-steel avoids the question.

Your hand. Standard fish spatulas are right-handed. If you are left-handed, buy a mirrored blade like the Lamson rather than making do.

Care. Wood and some commercial handles need hand washing. If it has to go in the dishwasher, look at the OXO Little Fish, the Lamson set or the Calphalon, which their listings describe as dishwasher safe.

How we picked these nine fish spatulas

We started from what a kitchen asks of a steel fish spatula: a thin, flexible edge, a long slotted head and a handle that gives control. We looked for steel turners sold on Amazon in the United States by identifiable makers, and checked stock with Amazon’s product data before writing. Specifications come from each listing and maker; where a figure is missing, we say so. For measurements and how these tools behave, we relied on America’s Test Kitchen’s review of metal spatulas, which covered two of our picks. ATK’s winner, the Wüsthof Gourmet slotted fish spatula, and the Victorinox it recommended were both listed as low on stock when we checked, so we left them out rather than send you to a listing that might not last. We left out picks already on our other spatula pages, as noted in the reviews. We did not cook with these turners ourselves. We did not read Serious Eats or Wirecutter for this page, so we do not repeat their verdicts.

Fish spatula questions, answered

What is the best fish spatula?

For most kitchens with cast iron or stainless pans, the OXO Good Grips Little Fish Turner, which America’s Test Kitchen recommended and measured at 0.7 mm. Among fish spatulas, ATK’s overall winner was the Wüsthof Gourmet, which we left out here only because it was low on stock.

What does America’s Test Kitchen recommend?

Its metal spatula review named the Wüsthof Gourmet slotted fish spatula as its winner and the Misen as its best buy, and recommended several others, including the two OXO Little Fish and Mercer Hell’s Handle models on this page.

Is a fish turner the same as a fish spatula?

Yes. The names are used for the same tool: a long, thin, slotted, flexible, offset blade. Makers such as Mercer and OXO say turner; many cooks say spatula.

Can I use a metal fish spatula on nonstick pans?

It is best not to. ATK prefers plastic spatulas for delicate nonstick pans, even though at least one listing here says otherwise. Follow your pan maker’s advice, and use a nylon or silicone tool on coatings.

Is a fish spatula only for fish?

No. It is good for eggs, thin pancakes, crab cakes and anything delicate that needs a gentle lift. It is less good for heavy burgers; ATK found the OXO Little Fish bent under them, and a sturdier tool suits smash-style cooking.

Do left-handed cooks need a different fish spatula?

They benefit from one, because the offset blade is built for the hand. Lamson makes a mirrored version; the left-hand pick above is a true left-hand tool, not a reversed right-hand one.

Our final pick for fish in cast iron

Related guide: Best seafood cookbook.

Buy the OXO Good Grips Little Fish Turner if you want one fish spatula for fillets and eggs. Choose the Mercer Hell’s Handle for high heat, the Lamson set for a thin blade and easy care, the Large Mercer for whole fish, and the Lamson left-hand turner if that is the hand you cook with. If you are still deciding whether you need one at all, read our fish spatula vs spatula comparison, and for the fish itself, the best knife for cutting fish. And if you would rather someone else handled the skillet tonight, see the menu or call to order.