A ladle spoon is an essential kitchen tool for pouring and serving soups and stews. However, this essential tool is often times overlook due to how basic it is. There are many different type of material and shape that goes into a spoon. Things like metal vs plastic or pouring lip can make all the difference in your ladling experience. The Best Ladle Spoon should be comfortable to use, while giving you full control while pouring.

What is a Ladle Used For?

A ladle is a spoon with a long handle. It is typically used for soups and stews. The reservoir is larger than your typical spoon allowing you to pour more liquid quicker. Depending on the models, these reservoir might be predefined for accurate measurement. One of the most popular sizes is 8 oz. This lets you quickly measure ingredients and serve predefined portion sizes. While this might not be important at home, its more important in a professional kitchen.

Different Materials

Much like pots and pans, there are a wide variety of materials to choose from. The most popular variety are plastic, metal and wood. All of will have different characteristic. For example, Metal is the most durable and generally preferred in a professional kitchen. It wont melt and you can leave it in the pot. However, they can damage pots with nonstick coating. A simple scrape on the bottom can take a huge chunk out of it. It will also get screaming hot if you are not careful.

To combat, manufacturer have many plastic variety. Plastic ladle spoon are soft enough so that it wont scratch the nonstick coating. It wont leave marks on the pots like metal one will also. A lot of time manufacturer will put rubber or other type of silicone grip for comfort and heat resistant. This means it wont burn your hand.

While plastic might sound great, they do have its downside. If you are not careful, the handles or stem can melt on the side of the pot. You dont worry have to worry about the plastic melting in the soup. Most of them have heat resistant rating much higher than what liquid can get.

If this is off putting to you, then you can always go with a classic wooden spoon. They wont scratch teflon or stainless steel pan. Plus, they have a rustic look that you cant beat. Just pair it with a cast iron dutch oven and you will bring rustic cooking to your home. There are downsides to wooden spoons. Since its typically hand made, you will often time find issues in quality. If you are not careful and let it sit in liquid, it can split and crack.

Bowl, Neck and Hook

These three component makes up a Ladle. The bowl is the reservoir where it contains liquid. As stated before, some of them have predefined size. This lets you portion out liquid easily. Models with a curved lip are better for pouring. They break the surface the tension of water and lets you pour without spilling. Models without a rim or pouring spout can result in liquid flowing down the side. This can cause a mess and ruin your table.

The Neck is the handle between the end of the ladle and the bowl. A simple bar is all that is needed. There are some models that have ergonomic grip and that is great if you are cooking all day. However, a simple texture for grip is all that is necessary.

At the end of the ladle, models with a hook are the best. They let you have it on the side of the pot. Generally, you wont find this in plastic models as they can melt. Another added benefit to the hook is that you can hang it on a rack.

Best Ladle Spoon List

Below, you will find a list of some of the Best Ladle Spoon. There are quite a few different models available, choose one that works best for you.

Rösle Stainless Steel Hooked Handle Ladle (Best Overall)

For the Best of the Best nothing beats Rösle. Their ladle is made of a high grade of stainless steel. The design is simple and you get full control while using it. The bowl has a curved lip so its easy to pour. Not only that, you have your choice of predefined sizes. At the end of it, there is a hook for easy hanging. It wont fall down into the pot like other models. While its a bit pricey, you wont be disappointed by its quality.

OXO Good Grips Silicone Ladle (Best Silicone Model)

If you have a nonstick pot and dont want to scratch it, a plastic or silicone model might be better for you. OXO Silicone ladle is one of the best made silicone model I have ever used. Its slightly flexible but firm enough to hold liquid. The rims are rounded for easy dripless pouring. The handle is rubberized for better grip and it wont get hot. The heat rating is up to 450 degree Fahrenheit so its unlikely to melt in your stew.

Olive Wood 13″ Large Soup Ladle (Best Wooden Model)

If plastic is not for you and you want a wooden charm, go for a olive wood model. The olive wood is beautiful with a natural marbled appearance. However, since its hand made, there will be imperfection in the wood. When you receive it, check for cracks or wood glue repair. It also lack the pouring lip and hook that the other model provided. Nevertheless, they are great if you want a rustic looking cooking gear.

Best Ladle Spoon Thoughts

There are more to a ladle spoon than most people think. From the Bowl to the handle. All are important feature. While I think that the metal are the best choice, they can damage the pot. However, you can always go for plastic or wood as an alternative. Just be aware, they do have some downside as well. If it was me, I would go for the wooden one though.

Looking for more spoon. Check out our article on the Best Spoon for Cooking.