Food Encyclopedia

turner

A utensil for lifting or removing food such as pancakes, hamburgers, eggs and cookies from a pan or baking sheet, or for turning food that's being cooked so the second side can brown. Turners come in a variety of shapes and designs in order to meet different cooking tasks. Some have holes or slots to allow liquids or fats to drain off the item being lifted. Others are shaped for special uses—like the Chinese turner, which has curved edges to fit wok contours. Turners are usually made of nylon (so as not to scratch nonstick finishes) or stainless steel. See also spatula.