# Spatula or Pancake Turner?



## applecruncher (Mar 26, 2018)

A friend's son was cooking something the other day and I heard him refer to a utensil as a spatula.  I said 
"Huh? That's a pancake turner."  We went back and forth a bit.

Guess it's just a difference in which terminology one chooses to use.

(Hope the pics come out okay. I'm tired of fooling with the resizing.)

To ME, this is a *spatula*:  Rubber, used to scrape the edges of a bowl, or to smooth out cake batter before putting the pan into the oven. You can lick the cake batter off a spatula.  Spatulas don't go near heat.  (Except the silicone ones, but even then not usually.)




This is a *pancake turner*:  Used to turn pancakes, fried eggs, sausage patties.  You never lick a pancake turner. It's never used for smoothing or scraping. I have a metal one, and a couple made of silicone.


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## Cap'nSacto (Mar 26, 2018)

Yes, same here. However, when cooking with my 12yr-old granddaughter recently, I did explain to her that many people refer to the pancake turner as a spatula...because when you buy one these days it always says 'spatula' on the package.

Where the world went so wrong on this issue, I do not know


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## C'est Moi (Mar 26, 2018)

They are both spatulas to me.


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## RadishRose (Mar 26, 2018)

The first is a spatula.

The second is a flipper.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 26, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> The first is a spatula.
> 
> The second is a flipper.



I agree Rose, that's what I call them too.  I never owned a spatula until one came with my food processor.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 27, 2018)

In my kitchen the first is a scraper and the second is a spatula.


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## IKE (Mar 27, 2018)

We call them both spatulas.


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## Cap'nSacto (Mar 27, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> The first is a spatula.
> 
> *The second is a flipper.*



Something about that made me :rofl:.

idk, just sounded kind of hilarious.


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## Mizzkitt (Mar 27, 2018)

I call them both spatulas


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## HazyDavey (Mar 27, 2018)

Mizzkitt said:


> I call them both spatulas



Me too..


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## Camper6 (Mar 27, 2018)

I never heard of a pancake turner.  What if you use it to flip hamburgers?

I call them spatulas and when I pick it up I always think of Petula Clark.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 27, 2018)

Cap'nSacto said:


> Something about that made me :rofl:.
> 
> idk, just sounded kind of hilarious.



When I hear "flipper" I think of ...



Because of my science training, I always see _this_ when I hear "spatula" ...


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## applecruncher (Mar 27, 2018)

So, looks like majority goes with spatula for both.  Interesting.

Okay, bit I'm still saying pancake turner for the second one. :tongue:  (whether cooking pancakes, sausage, hamburger....whatever).

Not sure where I picked that term up -  I think my mom and other relatives.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 27, 2018)

I agree with Applecruncher. I say pancake turner for the second one and often tell someone to get me the pancake turner when I'm cooking hamburgers on the grill. My Mom never owned a spatula she just scraped away in the bowl with a great big long handled spoon.


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## applecruncher (Mar 27, 2018)

*@Ruth n Jersey* - YAY!!!


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 27, 2018)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I agree with Applecruncher. I say pancake turner for the second one and often tell someone to get me the pancake turner when I'm cooking hamburgers on the grill. My Mom never owned a spatula she just scraped away in the bowl with a great big long handled spoon.



Same with my mom but I suspect that was so she could leave enough for us to lick the bowl!

Do kids still lick the beaters and the bowl?


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## Big Horn (Mar 27, 2018)

What do people call this when it's used to remove fried eggs from a skillet? Falafel?  Hamburgers?  What do people call a scraper when it's used as a stirring implement?  A silicone wooden spoon?


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## RadishRose (Mar 27, 2018)

What do people call this when it's used to remove fried eggs from a skillet? Falafel?  Hamburgers? 

A flipper.


What do people call a scraper when it's used as a stirring implement?  A silicone wooden spoon?

A Spatula. 

You can stir coffee with a pencil but it's still a pencil. It doesn't turn into a spoon.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 27, 2018)

The Ikea site calls "flippers" - turners.

They call "spatulas" - spatulas (rubber spatulas).


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## RadishRose (Mar 27, 2018)

Turners is good, too.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 27, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Turners is good, too.



If you have more than one you could name them.


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## RadishRose (Mar 27, 2018)

:lol1:


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## Falcon (Mar 27, 2018)

With my new copper-lined frying pan, I don't need either of those  tools. Stuff flips over   just by flipping the pan.

Just like greasy spoon cooks do it.   (Practice it with a piece of baloney  etc.)


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## RadishRose (Mar 27, 2018)

When my wrists and hands were stronger, I used to be able to do that too.


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## ProsperosDaughter (Mar 28, 2018)

According to Miss Girard my 7th grade Foods Class teacher THIS and only this shape is a spatula.




Miss Girard taught me to cook AND gave me the best fudge recipe ever!


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## RadishRose (Mar 28, 2018)

ProsperosDaughter said:


> According to Miss Girard my 7th grade Foods Class teacher THIS and only this shape is a spatula.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You know now, after thinking about it; "rubber scraper" is probably the correct term for what we're calling a rubber spatula, Your photo , is the spatula and my flipper is a turner and does not have to be qualified as a pancake, hamburger or egg turner. hmmmm.


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## applecruncher (Apr 11, 2018)

I just put a cake in the oven, and I used a SPATULA to scrape the batter from the bowl.  Then I licked it. :tongue:


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## Camper6 (Apr 11, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> What do people call this when it's used to remove fried eggs from a skillet? Falafel?  Hamburgers?
> 
> A flipper.
> 
> ...



The stirring implement?  It's a thingamajig with wires that you have to keep stirring with when making lemon pie for about ten minutes till it thickens.  Nothing else will do.  The most boring job in the world but worth the price of admission..

I can't think of the name right now.

I did buy a battery operated one but I can't find a replacement when it died.

I have a name for the stirrer.  Drum roll.   A WHISK.


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## applecruncher (Apr 11, 2018)

I have 3 whisks, different sizes.  I use them often.


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## Lon (Apr 28, 2018)

I and everyone I know refers to both as SPATULAS.


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## jujube (Apr 28, 2018)

Spatula and pancake turner, in that order.  At least at my house that's what they are called.


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## applecruncher (Apr 28, 2018)

A whisk is a great mixing implement but it's almost impossible to lick.


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## Gary O' (Apr 28, 2018)

applecruncher said:


> A whisk is a great mixing implement but it's almost impossible to lick.



almost


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## 1955er (Oct 23, 2019)

SifuPhil said:


> When I hear "flipper" I think of ...
> 
> View attachment 50321
> 
> ...


Spatty-daddy ?


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## applecruncher (Oct 23, 2019)

I think I saw Spatty Daddy on _Shark Tank. _It's used mainly for cosmetics, lotions, etc. but has other uses.


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## Silverfox (Oct 23, 2019)

This is what I think of as a spatula. Maybe it should be called a pancake flipper and the other be called a rubber scraper. I really don't know.


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