When I whip cream, pour batter, or mix dough, Iām intent on getting every last bit out of the mixing bowl and into my dessert. Baking is all about precision, after all, and if canāt effectively scrape the bowl cleanā¦that just doesnāt feel precise. Sure, a bit of leftover batter has never ruined a recipe, but itās annoying to feel inefficient. When I scrub brownie batter out of a bowl, I canāt help but think, I could have baked that! And if Iāve gone to the trouble of weighing ingredients to the gram, do you really expect me to immediately forgo the diligence and say, Eh, I got enough out of this bowl, Iām good?
A rubber spatula helps, sure, but getting everything out of a bowl still feels tedious when I use one. Most of the time I feel like Iām paying baking taxes. Like Iām forfeiting a quarter cup or more to subterranean bean countersāor, I guess, batter countersāliving in my sink drain.
Thankfully, Epi contributor Clarice Lam, a professional baker, introduced me to the joys of a bowl scraper. āItās so satisfying to get all of the goop out of your mixer bowl,ā Lam told me.
A bowl scraper, much like its more popular sister the bench scraper, is perfectly designed for scraping every last bit of whatever. But bowl scrapers differ from bench scrapers in a couple of ways: Theyāre typically flexible like a rubber spatula, and they have curved edges. Basically, theyāre designed to fit into the curves of a bowl, whereas stiff, flat-edge bench scrapers are designed to scrape your counter or a cutting board.
But not all bowl scrapers are created equal. The best, according to Lam, are larger than average, have extra-flexible edges, and can be maneuvered around a range of sloped sidesāsteep-sided mixing bowls and shallow-sloped serving bowls alike. Lam also likes the bowl scrapers that have a sort of asymmetrical D-shape, versus the kind that look like squat tombstones. The asymmetrical curve, she notes, means better maneuvering around shallow and steep bowls. Her favorite bowl scraper has a stiff silicone body, with softer, more flexible edges. The stiffness really allows for control and stability, while the edges still offer the ultimate maneuverability.
The bowl scraper comes in handy for batters, whipped creams, glazes, sticky sourdough, and just about any other viscous thing that you might want to dislodge from a bowl. You can also use the flat edge to smooth out frosting on the tops and sides of cakes. No disrespect to the rubber spatula: Her long handle means sheās better suited for getting to the bottom of blenders, jars, and other hard to reach placesābut a bowl scraper is who you should rely on for any and all bowl duties. Those batter-grabbing tax specialists living in your drain or your trash can may not be pleased with you, but the loved ones enjoying your brownies will be.
