The Best Skimmer Spoons for Your Cooking

Skimmer spoons, often called spider strainers or draining spoons, are the kitchen utensils you can’t do without for things like scooping pasta or eggs from boiling water, skimming fat or foam from soups or broths, or removing fried foods from hot oil. These skimmer spoons will help you cook just like a food show star with just the right tool for every recipe!

Choosing the Right Skimmer Spoon

Consider these essentials when purchasing a skimmer spoon:

• Design: A skimmer spoon is much like a ladle, with its long handle and cup-like bowl. The difference is that the bowl of a skimmer spoon is usually shallower and wider than the cup of a ladle; the angle between the handle and the bowl is typically less than 90 degrees, making it flatter than a ladle; and a skimmer bowl has holes or slots in it so that it functions as a colander. The depth of the bowl is related to its use in cooking: a flatter bowl is better for skimming, while a deeper bowl is better for scooping. The diameter of the bowl determines how much food you can pick up, but it also affects the size of the pot you can use: because of the handle/bowl angle, skimmers need a little extra space to work in. The number and size of the holes in a skimmer cup determine how quickly it drains: smaller holes have a slower drain, while larger holes drain very quickly.
• Material: Stainless steel is the best material for a skimmer spoon because it’s used in high temperatures. Handles can be made of stainless steel, silicone, or wood. Plastic is not a good material choice for skimmer spoons.

Pick one of our recommended skimmer spoons for your next indispensable kitchen tool!

Best All-Purpose: Newness Focus On Stainless Steel Skimmer Spoon

With its 4.5-inch diameter and 15-inch length, the Newness stainless steel skimmer is perfect for your stockpot, saute pan, or frying pan, and the teardrop holes drain water or oil quickly, making it perfect for typical cooking needs like scooping up fries, poached eggs, and vegetables. The interior of the handle is a vacuum to keep it cool when in use.

Best Spider Skimmer: Helen’s Asian Kitchen Skimmer Spoon

This traditional Asian-style skimmer, also called a spider, is nice and lightweight,0 and its stainless steel open mesh design gives you speedy drainage. The bamboo handle is comfortable and heat resistant. The diameter of this skimmer is 7 inches; it also comes in two smaller diameters.

Best Mesh Skimmer: TEMCHY Hot Pot Skimmer Spoon

The TEMCHY skimmer, with its fine stainless steel mesh, is perfect for skimming fat and foam when you’re boiling or removing bits of batter when you’re frying. It’s 9 inches in length and comes in four diameters: 4, 5, 5.5, and 7 inches.

Best for Pasta: Swify Set of Three Skimmer Spoons

This set of three stainless steel skimmers with a spiderweb design will drain your noodles in a flash, from spaghetti to soba and spaetzle. The small skimmer is 4.3 inches in diameter and 12 inches long; the medium is 5 inches across and 12.5 inches long; the large skimmer is slightly under 6 inches across and 13.7 inches long.