Ditch Black Plastic Utensils for These 10 Non-Toxic Cooking Tools That Aced Our Tests

Including the best wooden spoons and silicone spatulas.

Published April 10, 2025 11:00AM EDT

Hand picking up pasta from a pot using the OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs — Serious Eats

We use cooking utensils every day to scramble eggs, flip pancakes, or stir soups. It makes sense to pay extra care to the tools we use, especially when they play such a key role in bringing meals to the table. Following the recent research spotlighting the potential health risks of using black plastic utensils, we rounded up 10 of our favorite non-toxic silicone spatulas, wooden spoons, kitchen tongs, and more. After all, it’s downright unappetizing to think of a black plastic spatula melting as it flips your sizzling steak at high heat. Our picks include the best fish spatula and wooden spoon, starting at just $6.

The Best Non-Toxic Cooking Utensils at a Glance

The Best Ladle: Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ladle
A Great Budget Fish Spatula: Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula
The Best Slotted Silicone Food Turner: Tovolo Silicone Slotted Turner with Stainless Steel Handle
The Best Oval Wooden Spoon: Faay Teak Cooking Spoon
The Best Rounded Wooden Spoon: Sabatier All-Purpose Spoon
The Best Silicone Spatula: OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Spatula
A Nimble Spurtle: Faay Skinny Spurtle
The Best Kitchen Tongs: OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
The Best Spider Strainer: Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle
The Best Cooking Chopsticks: Donxote Extra-Long Wooden Chopsticks, Set of 2 Pairs

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ladle
Amazon
$10 at Amazon
If you’re still using a black plastic ladle to stir and serve soup, this is your sign to grab our favorite stainless steel ladle. It’s only $10 and can reach deep into a Dutch oven while keeping your hand away from the heat. Its wide bowl also scoops and pours smoothly. For a wooden alternative, our writer (that’s me, An!) swears by her wooden ladle that never drips.
We Tested 9 Ladles—Three Scooped the Winning Title
Serious Eats
Winco Stainless Steel Fish Spatula
Amazon
$10 at Amazon
This fish spatula deftly flips pancakes, burger patties, and, of course, fish. The angled and slightly offset edge allows the head to slide under foods without breaking them. It also has a smooth handle that’s comfortable to hold. If you cook with nonstick skillets, we didn’t mind this silicone-lined fish spatula from Misen.
I Tested 12 Fish Spatulas to Find the Best for Flipping Fish, Burgers, and More
Serious Eats
Tovolo Silicone Slotted Turner with Stainless Steel Handle
Amazon
$14 at Amazon
If you can’t bear the idea of parting with your black plastic spatula, this nonstick silicone spatula from Tovolo might ease the transition. It outflipped the competition and has a slotted design that lets grease drain through. The silicone is BPA-free, scratch-resistant, and dishwasher-safe.
I Flipped Pancakes, Eggs, and Burgers to Find the 3 Best Nonstick Food Turners
Serious Eats
Faay Teak Cooking Spoon
Amazon
$12 at Amazon
Your woodland cottage dreams can come true with this teak cooking spoon that aced our tests. Its oval head easily breaks up, stirs sausage in a pan, and gets into the corners of a saucepan to stir oatmeal smoothly.
I Stirred, Scraped, and Scooped to Test 13 Wooden Spoons
Serious Eats
Sabatier All-Purpose Spoon
Amazon
$18 at Amazon
This wooden spoon has a rounded head, allowing it to thoroughly scrape the sides of a sauté pan. Made from an eye-catching olive wood, the spoon has a sturdy handle and scoops with dexterity.
OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Spatula
Amazon
$12 at Amazon
For fluffy scrambled eggs, you want an agile spatula to move the eggs around and scrape down the sides of the pan. Our favorite one is from OXO: It’s flexible but not floppy and has an angled head for getting under food in a pan. It also excels at mixing cookie dough and brownie batter.
I Tested 7 Silicone Spatulas to Find the Best Ones for Scraping, Stirring, and Mixing
Serious Eats
Faay Skinny Spurtle
Amazon
$10 at Amazon
Those who know how to use wooden spurtles are dedicated to them. While dowel-like spurtles are mainly used for stirring porridge, flat spurtles—a mix between a wooden spoon and a spatula—are great for mixing, lifting, turning, scraping, and smashing.
Why I’ll Choose a Spurtle Over a Wooden Spoon Every Time
Serious Eats
OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs
Amazon
$16 at Amazon
Picking up pieces of shrimp or flipping a whole pork chop requires agility. These OXO kitchen tongs provide all the strength and dexterity you need without the black plastic heads. The scalloped stainless steel tips can grasp small or large ingredients without trouble. If you work with nonstick cookware, OXO has a silicone version.
We Tested 40-plus Pairs of Kitchen Tongs to Find the 3 Best for Gripping and Flipping
Serious Eats
Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle
Amazon
$16 $12 at Amazon
We recommend this Hiware spider strainer for scooping pierogies from boiling water or fried plantains from piping hot oil. It has a long, comfortable handle, and the wire mesh contains food while letting liquids drain away.
This Spider Strainer Is One of My Most-Used Kitchen Utensils
Serious Eats
Donxote Extra-Long Wooden Chopsticks, Set of 2 Pairs
Amazon
$6 at Amazon
Arguably one of the most versatile cooking tools, these extra-long chopsticks can stir, flip, and serve. They can also gingerly grab at pieces of food or stir noodles around to ensure they soak up all the sauce. Best of all, their length means your hands stay away from the heat.
The Best Cooking Chopsticks Are Cheap, Durable, and Wildly Versatile
Serious Eats

Why We’re the Experts

An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
She fancies herself to be a cooking utensil collector and may or may not have several crocks filled with spoons and spatulas.