Bench Scraper to the Rescue

A bench scraper, also known as a dough scraper or pastry scraper is one of those kitchen tools often overlooked by average home cooks but used routinely in a professional kitchen. The only single use tool in my kitchen is a fire extinguisher. Most people do not have the luxury of huge kitchens, unlimited storage, or fat wallets. This means we spend the money to buy quality tools that work in several jobs.

One of the tools that I ignored on the beginning of my cooking journey was the lowly bench scraper. It seemed to be a tool best left to bakers and pasta makers. Since then I keep finding new uses for this great tool. They are available in metal with plastic or wood handles or as one piece of metal with a roll on the end for a handle. They are even available in nylon although I cannot imagine those would last nearly as long, especially the edge. I would also avoid the wood handled scrapers as wood tends to get slippery and do not survive well in dishwashers. Many of them have measurements etched on them, especially useful for new cooks and those looking for specific portion sizes.

Bench Scraper Uses

First things first, it IS a scraper. After a mad chopping station with vegetables flying everywhere it is much more efficient and kind to your knife to use the scraper to gather up all the pieces and scraps and scrape them right into a pan.

The second great use for a metal scraper is to chop fresh herbs. I like I can have a solid motion of gathering up herbs, chopping, re-gathering and finishing the chop. Then I scrape the herbs up and into the pan.

Need to crush a bunch of garlic cloves? Lay them on your board, cover with the scraper and hit it with your fist. Scrape the smashed cloves into your bowl.

Another great secret use for a bench scraper is to oil a sheet pan or cookie sheet evenly. This is a great way to help brown vegetables and prevent a lot of sticking. Pour a good tablespoon of oil in the center of your cookie sheet and lean the scraper and drag the oil across the pan. Finish by using the scraper on the same angle around all four sides of the cookie sheet.

Toss it into oven and heat it to 400°F. Give the pan about 10-15 minutes to heat up completely. Using a towel or oven mitt to pull the pan out of the oven and pour your vegetables on the pan. Shake the pan to evenly distribute while you listen to the music of the sizzle.

Put the cookie sheet back in the oven and cook until just starting to brown. Then carefully remove the pan and use the bench scraper to scrape and flip the vegetables. Return it to the oven until the right level of brown crusty perfection is reached.

When the vegetables are out of the oven use the bench scraper one more time to scrape them into a serving bowl or onto individual plates. Enjoy.

Example Uses

• Scrape items after chopping
• Gathering and chopping herbs
• Portioning cookie, pasta and bread dough
• Oiling cookie sheets and flat pans
• Cutting anything from brownies to lasagnas

Do yourself a favor and add a great inexpensive tool to your arsenal and stop using your precious and expensive knives to scrape things. Use knives to cut and scrapers to scrape.

Bench Scrapers We Recommend

Check out our article on Kitchen Shears.