Consider the Spootle
Plus: How to revive worn-out wooden spoons
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The Recommendation

January 30, 2026

“My kitchen would be incomplete without my beloved Spootle”

A collection of kitchen tools, featuring a wooden Jonathan’s Spoons Spootle and a blue spatula, is arranged in a white ceramic crock. The central image is set within a decorative vintage-style frame against a purple textured background.
NYT Wirecutter

What is a Spootle, you ask? It’s a cross between a spatula and a spoon, and of the 22 (!) cooking spoons in writer Maki Yazawa’s kitchen, it’s the most-used tool in her arsenal.

Its unique flat edge makes it just as good at scraping as it is at stirring, and the sturdy handle and curved profile make it extremely ergonomic — comfortable enough to hold for even an hour of risotto-stirring.

“I can’t remember the last time I reached for a rounded wood spoon”→

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Plus: How to revive worn-out wooden spoons

Several wooden spoons on display in front of a blue background.
Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter

Without proper care, wooden spoons can get parched, discolor, or even crack. But restoring them to their former glory only takes a few minutes and some basic supplies.

Please keep them out of the dishwasher→

More for your kitchen

A collection of products we recommend in our gifts for people who love food guide on display in front of a light blue background.

The best gifts for people who love food

Including a gorgeous little yuzu tree and a cheery ceramic butter dish→

A Kamado-San Double-Lid Donabe Rice Cooker with a domed lid and small side handles rests on a square brown tile. The vessel features a natural, unglazed tan base.

“The clay rice cooker that made me cherish weeknight dinner-making”

It churns out picture-perfect, fluffy rice→

Veggies on The Boardsmith Maple End Grain Butcher Cutting Board.

The best meal kits

By shipping all the ingredients you’ll need and providing relatively simple recipes, a good meal kit makes it easier to figure out weeknight dinner→

Your daily deal: Our favorite immersion blender

The Braun MultiQuick 7 Immersion Hand Blender MQ7035.
Braun

In our latest round of tests, this immersion blender dominated, whipping up a thick mayonnaise in less than a minute. And we liked its various attachments (though they require some finesse), including a chopper cup that dices onions in seconds.

We found it for $30 off→

One last thing: Don’t let the name fool you. This flexible fish spatula can do it all.

A Victorinox Swiss Army Slotted Fish Turner resting on a baking sheet on a wooden surface.
NYT Wirecutter

This lightweight spatula has a thin, long, flexible surface that can wiggle cleanly under just about anything, perfect for turning delicate fried eggs, flipping crepes, transferring brittle shortbread, and much more.

A very versatile spatula→

New recipes, easy dinner ideas and smart kitchen tips from Melissa Clark, Sam Sifton and our New York Times Cooking editors.

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New recipes, easy dinner ideas and smart kitchen tips from Melissa Clark, Sam Sifton and our New York Times Cooking editors.

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One of Maki’s favorite recipes to stir with her Spootle.

You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.

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