The Best Bench Scrapers to Help You Clean and Prep Like a Pro
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Portion dough, scoop veggies, and clean your countertop, all with our top picks of chefs’ best-kept secret tool.
Food & Wine / Marcus Millan
A bench scraper, a handheld tool usually made of a thin metal square with a handle or flexible plastic, is a staple in professional kitchens and especially with bakers. In commercial kitchens and bakeries, they’re primarily used to scrape bread dough and other items off the metal prep tables, also called a “bench.”
But many restaurant chefs and savvy home cooks know they can do much more. A bench scraper is the sleeper tool every home cook should have. Beyond shaping and scooping dough, they’re perfect for seamlessly scooping up mountains of chopped veggies, cleaning the counter after a messy flour project, cutting butter into flour for biscuits, leveling measuring cups of flour or sugar, and more. We spoke to chefs specializing in dough and spent hours researching the best bench scrapers for frequent home use in your kitchens.
Best Overall: OXO Bench Scraper
Pros: This bench scraper is versatile, easy to use, and durable.
Cons: The handle attachment can make it difficult to clean properly.
This is the bench scraper you’ll find on most pastry chef’s prep tables in the drawers of most chef's home kitchens. Although basic, it’s the Goldilocks of scapers — not too heavy, but still hefty enough to put some power behind your hand, affordable but not cheaply made, and a large handle that’s not too large. It also has measurement markings on the blade for added convenience. The best thing about this scraper is the handle; it’s rounded and ergonomically shaped with a slight texture that makes it easy to grip, even if your hands are buttery.
Price at the time of publish: $12
Size: 6.25 x 4 x 1.75 inches
Material: Stainless steel blade with plastic handle
Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Best Value: Chef Craft Classic Plastic Dough Scraper
Pros: We love this scraper's flexibility and the versatility of its varied edges.
Cons: This scraper isn’t great for cutting.
For less than a cup of coffee, it’s hard to argue with the value of this scraper. It’s made of flexible plastic which can bend slightly to form to your hand. A rounded and straight side for various tasks ensures comfortable hand positions no matter how you hold it. The material is flexible, which is excellent for some scooping and bending, but its thinness makes this one difficult to use to cut through dough or other soft foods.
Price at the time of publish: $4
Size: 5.5 x 6.25 x 4 inches
Material: Plastic
Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Best Large: Bleteleh Large Bench Scraper
Pros: This bench scraper is perfect for cake decorating or large-batch cooking.
Cons: The added weight from the size of this scraper can make it challenging to maneuver.
Beyond the laundry list of handy things a regular bench scraper can do, this extra-large-sized model is perfect for cake decorating. It’s tall enough to smooth frosting over your cake's height without making an extra pass. It’s also perfect for batch cooking or meal prep. For example, suppose you often find yourself dicing three or four onions and an entire bag of carrots for a batch of freezer soup but want to cut down on the time you spend ferrying your mounds of veggies to the pot (and save your knife blade from damage from scraping it across your cutting board to usher food inside). In that case, this giant bench scraper is perfect for the job. The trade-off of this scraper’s jumbo size is that it’s pretty heavy, making it feel a little more wiley when trying to perform more precise tasks.
Price at the time of publish: $20
Size: 3.5 x 10 inches
Material: Stainless steel blade with polypropylene handle
Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Related: The 10 Best Cake Decorating Tools of 2023
Best for Dough: Indigo True Flexible Bowl Scraper
Pros: This scraper is super flexible, and the finish doesn’t allow dough to stick to it.
Cons: The flexible material makes this scraper a poor choice for cutting.
This flexible, rounded scraper is perfect for getting under dough and cleaning bowls. The rounded edge allows it to conform against almost any bowl, making it easy to scrape out every last bit. While the material is soft and flexible, there’s no edge, so this scraper isn’t well-suited for cutting or scooping effectively. However, the soft surface means even your stickiest dough is no match for this scraper; it can easily move the dough without the stickiness you’d run into with your hands.
Price at the time of publish: $10
Size: 6.4 x 4 inches
Material: Plastic
Dishwasher-safe: No
Related: The 6 Best Stand Mixers for 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Best Set: Chef’n Pastrio 3-in-1 Bench Scraper Set
Pros: We loved this set's versatility and user-friendly features like nesting storage and dishwasher-safe materials.
Cons: The dough scraper is stiffer compared to other dough scrapers.
If you can’t decide on material or size, turn to a set with options. This set offers unmatched versatility, including a standard metal bench scraper, a curved and flexible dough scraper, and a blend in a squared-off rigid plastic scraper. These scapers are also a cinch to use because they all go in the dishwasher or easily wipe clean, and the metal scraper has handy measurement markings for added convenience. All three scapers nest together, so storage is the same amount of space for just one as it is for all three.
Price at the time of publish: $9
Size: 6.4 x 4.53 inches
Material: Stainless steel with a plastic handle, plastic
Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Related: The 8 Best Utensil Sets for Cooking and Baking in Any Kitchen
Our Favorite
No kitchen is complete without the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Scraper, the gold standard of versatility, durability, and user-friendliness among bench scrapers. For those that want both a bench scraper and a dough scraper, we recommend the Chef'n Pastrio Set Bench Scraper because, between the three pieces, there’s the perfect tool for any task.
Factors to Consider
Material
The first decision to make when shopping for a bench scraper is whether it is metal or plastic. Plastic scrapers are better if you know you’ll work with doughs, batters, or other sticky mixtures. Plastic scrapers work like a hand-held rubber spatula, so they’re great for baking but not as adept at clean-up or large-scale scooping as their metal counterparts. Metal is more versatile but doesn’t work as well when handling dough and can be harder to maneuver due to the extra weight.
Size
Most bench scrapers are around four to six inches long and around five inches tall, but some are larger or smaller. Larger scapers are great for cake decorating, moving big slabs for rolled-out cookie dough, or even just clearing off your cutting board quickly. Smaller scapers are great if you have smaller hands or for more precise dough tasks. For most cooks, the standard size is the most versatile and useful.
Blade Shape
The blade is generally a squared-off shape on metal scrapers, perfect for cutting, slicing, scooping, and more. You’ll sometimes find the same squared-off shape on plastic scapers, but in a flexible material, it’s much less rigid. More often, plastic scrapers are rounded and can easily mimic the curve of a bowl or fit under a large ball of dough.
Measurement Markings
Measurement markings can be handy in all kinds of cooking and baking projects. Things like biscuits or cinnamon rolls benefit from precise measurements, and if you’re already using your bench scraper to cut and fold your biscuit dough or score your cinnamon rolls, it’s convenient to have it right there. Of course, you never know when a quick measurement might be helpful, but it isn't necessary for all cooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bench scraper used for?
What can’t a bench scraper do? You can use it to cut and shape dough, move chopped veggies from your cutting board to the pot, clean your cutting board or counter, portion food into piles, score soft foods, and even cut food that isn’t too tough. Once you incorporate a bench scraper into your kitchen utensils collection, you’ll find new uses for it daily.
What is the difference between a bench scraper and a dough scraper?
Most people use these two terms interchangeably, but technically, they can be two different things. A bench scraper is usually used to refer to the metal version made of a 4-5 inch rectangle of thin but rigid metal with a handle, usually made of plastic or wood. It’s a great all-purpose tool suited for a variety of kitchen tasks. A dough scraper usually means a flexible plastic, D-shaped tool. Zoey Davidov, Owner and Baker/Pizzaiola of Heirloom Pizzeria in Los Angeles, California, knows all about dough scrapers; she uses one daily in her pizzeria. “A dough scraper is usually made of a plastic material and not very sharp at the end,” she says. “They are better suited for delicate applications such as picking up and moving a ball of already shaped dough.”
What is the best material for a bench scraper?
The best material for a bench scraper depends on what you plan to use it for. Stick to metal if you’re unsure or plan to use it for dough and other things. It’s more versatile and can be used for tasks. Natasha Tatton of BReD, a bakery in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, loves her metal bench scraper. “We prefer solid metal ones coated with a specially developed PTFE nonstick coating so it doesn't stick to your dough and a fine beveled edge for a precise cut,” she says. “The perfectly rectangular shape makes it easy to hold and transport food and dough.”
Should a bench scraper be sharp?
A metal bench scraper should be able to cut through things like dough, but it shouldn’t have an edge like a knife. Metal bench scrapers can be slightly sharp, so it’s best always to be cautious of the edge when using your bench scraper and when storing it. You want it to be sharp enough to sail through food easily and able to get flush with a surface, but not too dull where you have to press extra hard to cut through things.
Our Expertise
Nick DeSimone wrote and compiled this piece. They are a seasoned restaurant veteran with nearly a decade of experience, some of that time in the pastry department. During their time cooking professionally, Nick has used many bench scrapers in both pastry and savory cooking as well as their home kitchen. To gain more industry insight, Nick spoke to Natasha Tatton, an expert in sourdough bread baking, and Zoey Davidov, an experienced pizza maker. Both chefs handle dough for a living and have some strong opinions and experience with bench and dough scrapers.
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