Favorite New Utensil: Sauté Tool from Epicurean

We never would have thought we’d be completely smitten with something as basic and universal as a spatula. But this wood-composite spatula from Epicurean is one of the best tools to come into our kitchen in a long time! We’re thinking this would make a great gift for all our foodie friends and family this year.

Epicurean calls this particular style of spatula a “sauté tool.” But after finally picking one up and using it for a few weeks, we feel that it’s usefulness goes way beyond sautéing.

The business end is curved on one side and more angular on the other, making it perfect for both stirring and for scraping the corners of high-sided pans. We love having the slot in the middle and the handle is long enough to reach to the bottom of our deepest stock pot. The blade is also tapered to a fairly fine edge, so we can use it to portion and scoop things like casseroles and brownies.

The spatula also just feels good in your hand. It’s hard and polished smooth, but has the tactile warmth of wood. It doesn’t need to be oiled, and we’ve run it through the dishwasher several times without the color fading or the edges becoming rough. We’re curious to see if it stands the test of time, but have every reason to believe that it will.

This tool has been in such regular use since we bought it that it’s barely made it back into the drawer. If you’re in the market for a new spatula, we definitely recommend picking one up from either the Epicurean website or any of the kitchen stores that carry their products.

• Find It! Sauté Tool, $9.99 from Epicurean

Related:

Twist on a Classic: Square-Edged Wooden Spoon

(Image: Epicurean)