A kitchen scraper is a

kitchen implement A kitchen utensil is a hand-held, typically small tool that is designed for food-related functions. Food preparation utensils are a specific type of kitchen utensil, designed for use in the preparation of food. Some utensils are both food prepar ...

made of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typi ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

s (such as

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including ...

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...

, or

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins an ...

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of ligni ...

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, a ...

or silicone rubber. In practice, one type of scraper is often interchanged with another or with a spatula (thus scrapers are often called ''spatulas'') for some of the various uses.

Types

Bowl

Bowl scrapers (also known as rubber feet) are, as the name suggests, used to remove material from mixing bowls. Often, a plate scraper is used for this purpose, particularly since the long handle allows it to be used to remove contents of bowls as well as jars, such as

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tarta ...

jars; however, for bowls, dedicated scrapers are available, lacking the handle, and consisting of a flat, flexible piece of plastic or silicone rubber sized for convenient holding with the

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

and

finger A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of most of the Tetrapods, so also with humans and other primates. Most land vertebrates have five fingers (Pentadactyly). Chambers 1 ...

s, with a curved edge to match the curvature of the average bowl. The degree of curvature can vary from a slight curvature along one edge of a rectangle, to a complex shape composed of changing radii to adapt better to bowls of different sizes. Sometimes a hole is provided in one corner, to allow for hanging the utensil, as well as for placement of the

thumb The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thu ...

to allow for more secure grip. Prices vary from below one American dollar, to as much as $20 American. The technique for use of either form of bowl scraper is essentially

intuitive Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognitio ...

Dough

Dough scrapers, or pastry scrapers, are more rigid implements, often made of a metal rectangle with a wooden, plastic, or metal handle running along one long edge not only for more comfortable grip, but also to add rigidity; some bowl scrapers, however, are designed to be stiff enough to serve a dual purpose and are sold as such. Occasionally, an implement resembling a putty knife is sold for this purpose. This implement is used to manipulate raw

dough Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...

, by scraping it from a surface on which it has been rolled, as well as to slice it. It can also be called a spatula. A dough scraper is a

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

used by

baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ...

s to manipulate

and to clean surfaces on which dough has been worked. It is generally a small sheet of stainless steel (approximately by ) with a handle of

, or simply a roll in the steel blade along one of the long sides. Bakers and pastry chefs use this tool to help pick up, turn, and portion dough. When finished, the dough scraper can be used to scrape up the little bits of dough that have dried onto the kneading surface during the forming process. It can also be used in a more generic kitchen role to transfer sliced or diced foods from cutting board to pan. Additionally, the scraper is also used by pastry chefs to give sharp and smooth edges to the cakes while decorating them. This tool is known by a variety of names, including ''dough scraper'', ''dough cutter'', ''dough knife'', ''pastry cutter'', ''bench scraper'', ''board scraper'', and ''bench knife''. Some modern varieties of this tool have handles of nylon or silicone and even feature both straight and curved edges. These are intended primarily for the use of scraping cutting boards and bowls rather than working dough. These uses have introduced further variants of the name, including terms such as ''bowl scraper'' or ''chopper, scooper, scraper''.

Grill

A grill scraper is a device used to clean cooking grills by scraping stuck particles of food from their surface. For flat surfaced grills, their design can vary from similar to a putty knife, to a more complex device with provision to protect the hands from the hot grill surface, targeted to professional cooks and chefs, to even more complex models. Varieties sold for cleaning wire grills are also available, with notches in the edge of the blade to match the wires of the grill.

Plate

A plate scraper consists of a plastic, wooden, or metal handle attached to a flexible rubber head. Although the original use of the implement was to remove food from plates before washing, its use has evolved to more of a utilitarian implement, the bowl scraper.

Pan

The pan scraper is, as the name suggests, an implement designed for the forcible removal of tightly stuck or burned food from the bottom of pots and pans before washing. They usually resemble a putty knife with a metal blade and a metal, wood, or plastic handle, sometimes with the handle mounted at an angle to the blade to allow for more vigorous scraping parallel to the surface; others, however, are a wedge shaped piece of hard plastic molded to fit the hand and with a slightly rounded sharp edge.

Shellfish

A shellfish scraper is a specialized utensil used for removing meat from cooked

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater env ...

at the dining table. It consists of a stainless steel rod about ten inches in length, with a flattened tip at one end and a forked tip at the other.

Crumb

Although not a cooking utensil, a crumb scraper is used during a meal to remove crumbs and other unwanted small debris from the surface of table, for cleanliness. Although historically, when crumb scrapers were mostly used in homes, ornate designs were used, the variety most often seen currently is sized and shaped for a waiter to carry in a

breast pocket The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and s ...

, and consists of a piece of sheet metal bent into a semi-cylindrical shape closely resembling a laboratory

scoopula Scoopula is a brand name of a spatula-like scoop utensil used primarily in experimental laboratories to transfer solids: to a weighing paper for weighing, to a cover slip to measure melting point The melting point (or, rarely, liquefacti ...

, which is dragged across the table so that the debris is dragged towards the edge, where it can be disposed of.Patent for a crumb scraper
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scraper (Kitchen) Food preparation utensils