The Best Ladles

A good ladle is essential for scooping, portioning, and serving soups, stews, sauces, and sometimes drinks, desserts, and other liquids. Occasionally, we use ladles to press soups and purees through fine-mesh strainers to make them extra-smooth and silky.

Many of us prefer metal ladles, as they are sturdy and nearly indestructible. If you’re careful, you can use them with any type of pot or pan. But if you’re concerned about scratching your enameled or nonstick cookware, we recommend getting a ladle with a silicone or plastic bowl. These materials will be gentler on any surfaces they touch, though they can melt if exposed to high heat. We tested both stainless-steel and nonstick-safe versions, all with capacities of 4 to 7 ounces, the most commonly available sizes.

• A 5-Ounce Capacity: We found that bowls this size were ideal for dishing out soups and stews. Smaller models holding 4 ounces required a few extra passes to empty a pot of soup or stock, and larger versions of 6 ounces or more sometimes felt a tad unwieldy.

• A Pouring Rim: Most of the ladles did an acceptable job of serving soups and stews, but we slightly preferred those with pouring rims—bowl edges that were gently curved all the way around. These curved rims helped direct the flow of liquids, pouring more neatly and precisely than models with straight, vertical bowl edges or dedicated pour spouts. They also let us pour from anywhere on the bowl, unlike the models with dedicated pour spouts, which required us to pour from one side or another.

• A Rigid Bowl: We preferred models with bowls that were hard and rigid. They held heavy stews securely, without flexing, and were tough enough to force purees through a strainer effectively.

• A Medium-Length Handle Set at a 45-Degree Angle: Handles measuring 9.5 to 10 inches were long enough to reach into the depths of a stockpot, but not so long that they felt unwieldy. We liked those that were set at a moderate 45-degree angle in relation to the rim of the bowl. These kept our hands away from hot steam as we dipped into pots, unlike handles set at steeper 60- or 70-degree angles, which put our hands more directly in the line of fire and sometimes made us lift our arms or wrists into awkward positions.

• A Smooth, Moderately Thick One-Piece Handle with Curved Edges: Moderately thick handles with rounded edges nestled into our hands most comfortably. We preferred those without dedicated grips; they were easier to hold in different ways. We also particularly liked handles made from a single piece of metal, silicone, or plastic, as they had no seams to collect debris.

Nice to Have

• A Handle Made from Textured Material: We liked handles that were made from matte, textured, or rubbery materials, as they were easier to grip than handles made from slippery metal, especially in the hot steam of the stockpot.

• Floppy, Flexible Bowls: Floppy silicone and nylon bowls buckled and bounced under the weight of heavy stew or stock parts. They also weren’t sturdy enough to push purees through a strainer and made us worry about their longevity.

• Handles with Square Edges: Square edges cut into our hands as we scooped and served, proving especially uncomfortable to hold as we pressed soup through a strainer.

• Thick Handles and Handles with Dedicated Grips: Even testers with big hands found it uncomfortable to grip thick handles for long periods. Dedicated grips forced us to hold the ladles at the top of the handle, where we had the least control. You could choke up on these handles to gain control, but they were usually less comfortable to hold closer to the bowl.