The Best Spider Skimmers

When we’re deep-frying, blanching, or boiling, we use a spider skimmer (spider strainer)—a long-handled stainless-steel wire basket—to remove food from the pot. Spiders have larger capacities than slotted spoons and more open area for faster, safer drainage. They generally have longer handles, too, to keep your hands farther from the hot pot. 

Spider baskets come in two different styles. One type of basket is made from thin wire mesh. The other uses concentric circles (or a spiral) of smooth, slightly thicker wire.

• Smooth Wire: Spiders with baskets made from smooth-wire circles or spirals scooped up delicate ravioli and craggy fried chicken without snagging on their surfaces, ensuring that the food got to the table intact. Models with smooth-wire baskets were also much easier to clean than those with wire mesh baskets, in which bits of food often got stuck. 

• Small Gaps: We preferred models that had gaps measuring about ⅛ inch or less between their wires; these prevented smaller bits of food from escaping the basket when we tried to scoop the food up. 

• Large, Relatively Shallow Baskets: Baskets measuring at least 5 inches across were big enough to hold plenty of food. We also preferred baskets that were fairly shallow, with a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches; these let us scoop up and unload foods of all sizes without piling too many pieces on top of each other. Shallower baskets couldn’t hold as many pieces of food, requiring more passes to clear the pot, and they didn’t hold larger items as comfortably. Deeper baskets sometimes allowed pieces of fried chicken to sit on top of one another and jostle against each other, which marred their crispy exteriors; they also proved harder to empty without food getting stuck. 

• Long Handles: Models with handles measuring at least 10 inches in length allowed us to use the spiders at a safe distance from the hot water or oil. Models with shorter handles put our hands too close to the hot pot. 

• Long, Rubbery Grips: Every handle came with a dedicated grip—a thicker area at the top of the handle where your hand should go. We preferred models with longer grips measuring about 5 inches in length, and we especially appreciated those that were made from rubbery materials. These were easier for hands of all sizes to hold comfortably and securely. Large-handed users had a hard time holding models with small grips. And while a smooth metal handle didn’t automatically disqualify a spider from our top rankings, we found this type of grip to be a touch slippery and harder to keep our hold on, especially when our hands were wet.

• Light Weight: We preferred models that weighed less than 7 ounces. Lighter models were easy to wield for longer periods, particularly when we were handling heavier foods such as fried chicken.

• Large Gaps: Models with gaps of ¼ inch or more between their wire circles or mesh sometimes let smaller foods such as French fries slip through, making it harder to collect all the food at once.