what is a scrapper in baking

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel and silicone
• Blade style: Sharpened on one side, squared
• Depth (handle to blade tip): 4 inches
• Handle width: 6.25 inches
• Blade width: 6 inches
• Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Competition

• Dexter-Russell Sani-Safe Dough Cutter/Scraper: This basic bench scraper performed well in all the tests, but because of its flat blade it had trouble cutting through pizza dough. I also didn’t find its handle as comfortable to hold as our winners, but it’s still a good option.
• Chefn Pastrio Set Bench Scraper and Chopper: You actually get three scrapers when you buy this model: a rounded plastic bowl scraper, a square plastic bench scraper, and a stainless steel bench scraper. They all nest together with interlocking handles that are sometimes difficult to pull apart. I only tested the stainless steel scraper, and it performed just fine. Its strange loop-shaped handle made it very awkward to hold perpendicular to the board, but conversely made it easier to hold at an angle for lifting up items like gnocchi and leeks—which it did in one go thanks to its large surface area. It mixed and folded the gnocchi dough cleanly and easily, but struggled to slice pizza dough and suffered from some slight sticking when transferring. The unusual handle also makes it a task to clean, and I can foresee a lot of food debris winding up in the underside of the loop, which is very difficult to get a sponge under.
• Williams Sonoma Olivewood Bench Scraper: This model’s blade had the largest surface area of the bunch, which made it great for lifting a lot of leeks or gnocchi in one go. It mixed the gnocchi dough well and was able to lift and fold large sections of dough onto itself with ease. But in regards to actually scraping, it fell behind, leaving a lot of flour and dough on the counter in the first two tests. Also, after the testing rounds, the blade began to loosen and wiggle slightly from the handle, which we suspect would hinder its performance going forward. It isn’t dishwasher-safe (you’re instructed to hand wash and immediately dry it) and it has a wood handle thats more high-maintenance.
• Tovolo Bench Scraper: With its offset shape and a curvy, ergonomic handle, this model was definitely the most unique of the bunch. But none of its innovative design made it easier or more comfortable to use or gave it an edge in terms of performance. In the pizza dough test, it struggled to slice and it stuck to the dough, making it hard to lift and transfer. Its extra surface area (it’s just slightly smaller in terms of actual lifting space than Williams Sonoma) made it easy to carry a lot of leeks and gnocchi, but the thick blade is just barely beveled, which meant getting under smaller pieces and scraping up dough and flour wasn’t easy.
• Epicurean Scraper: This model was the only one in the group that didnt have a handle or stainless steel blade; it’s just one flat, but thick, piece of non-porous wood fiber. In the pizza dough test, the blade cut the dough easily and didn’t stick like some of the stainless steel models. Otherwise, it consistently performed worse than the others, failing at scraping up dough and flour from the work surface, getting sticky and covered with gnocchi dough while mixing and folding, producing messy cut lines on the gnocchi pieces, and tending to just push the sliced leeks around the cutting board instead of sliding under them. Also, since there’s a finger-shaped hole at the top of the scraper, food bits fall through it.
• Lamson Dough Scraper: The Lamson scraper is beautiful, with its artisan-style wood handle, brass bolts, and honed steel blade. Even with a flat blade, this model was one of the best at doing what the tool’s name suggests— scraping—leaving a clean swath of counter behind it. However, in the pizza dough test it struggled to easily slice portions, and when lifting leeks, it couldn’t quite get under everything and had a tendency to push items around the cutting board. Its wooden handle is the main reason I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who wants a low-maintenance scraper; after just two washes (it’s not dishwasher-safe) it began to dry out and peel.

What else can you use a bench scraper for? Top 5 reasons you need a bench scraper for the kitchen!

FAQ

What does scrapper mean in baking?

What is the use of scrapper?

What can I use instead of a dough scraper?

What is a kitchen scraper?

Scrapers in the culinary world are exactly that: tools that were made to scrape pastes, batters, and other ingredients from bowls, plates, and other surfaces. A rubber scraper is handy in the kitchen since it can mold to the shape of the bowl or whatever container you are using to get every last bit out.

How do you use a dough scraper?

Using the scraper, you can simply scrape the dough directly from the bowl and on to an oiled or floured surface with minimal mess. A dough scraper is really useful when it comes to kneading dough especially if the dough is on the sticker or wetter side. Using the scraper as you knead helps to lift the dough from the surface as you work it.

Why do pastry chefs use a bench scraper?

Pastry chefs use bench scrapers to cut dough into pieces, to scrape sticky dough remains off work surfaces, to fold together soft dough before kneading, or to lift a rolled dough without stretching or tearing it. A bench scraper is also a good tool for all-around cooking use.

What is a metal scraper used for?

They can also be used for lifting dough from work surfaces, cutting and dividing dough and clearing up flour and dough. Metal scrapers are sturdier and are especially good for cutting, dividing and measuring dough along with scraping dough from a work surface.