Dexter-Russell 4-by-2.5-Inch Stainless Steel and Walnut Pancake Turner

If I had to replace all my cookware this turner would be at the top of the list for things I wanted immediately.I use it for anything I cook on a stainless steel or cast iron pan/skillet.

What I like:

-The blade is thin enough to where I can easily slide it under eggs cooking on a cast iron skillet rather than just pushing them around, which is what happened with other turners/spatulas.The end is not sharp but it has enough of an edge to cut a piece of chicken apart when checking to see if it's cooked all the way through.

-Blade flex is perfect as it provides a slight bit of flex when you really push it into the pan (i.e. when I burn something onto the pan) but otherwise it's perfectly rigid.

-As far as size the 4"x2.5" is extremely versatile and I haven't had a need for anything smaller or larger.For reference the smallest pan I use is a Lodge Logic L5SK3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron 8-Inch Skillet that has tall sides and this size turner is easily operated in it.

-I wasn't crazy about the look of the handle at first, but it's grown on me and I really like the feel of the wood and the balance it provides

-Made in the USA: I know this doesn't matter to everyone but if I can find a quality product made here for a reasonable price I'm going to buy it.For me the fact that this is made in the US is just icing on the cake for an already great product.

What I don't like:

-Nothing: I can find something to complain or modify on most things and I am stumped here.(It's, a major reason why I bought a second one.)

Other notes/thoughts:

-I'm intrigued by the one reviewer that said he sharpened the edge.I haven't found a need for it yet as it splits most things already, but it sounds cool.

-One reviewer mentioned that the sticker was difficult to remove.It's not that hard, you just can't use something soft like a paper towel with dish soap.Use something more abrasive like an abrasive sponge, ie: Scotch-BriteDobie All-purpose Pads, 3-Count (Pack of 8).(You don't have to worry about hurting it.)

Conclusion:

I'm pretty conscious with how I spend my money but I'm willing to pay for quality and this is quality.I don't know for sure as I've only had my first one a few months so far but I think it's built well enough to last a lifetime given that you don't regularly abuse it beyond normal use.

This is a wonderful turner.I bought this to use with a new cast iron skillet because I read you should never use plastic in cast iron.I figured this would be the perfect thing because even the handle isn't plastic so even if I set it resting on the skillet, no harm done.This actually reminds me of an "heirloom" gagdet one of those nice quality tools that your grandmom has but you can never seem to find.I believe it is supposed to be handwashed but I'm not sure.I handwash mine so I don't know how it would hold up in a dishwasher.Get yourself a cast iron pan and this tool and go back to the basics.You won't regret it.I'm going to get the Dexter Russell fork next :]

UPDATE 6/28/12:I went back to non-stick.Cast iron is just too darn heavy.But, my review stands on this turner.

Buy Dexter-Russell 4-by-2.5-Inch Stainless Steel and Walnut Pancake Turner Now

I had originally bought a 0.99 turner, and didn't think it could get any better."What can a better quality turner do for me?" I asked myself.Well, this turner is every egg and pancake flippers dream!It slides under the food with little effort, scrapes the bottom of my pans when there's a little too much "stickage", and is really easy to clean at the end!What more can I say about it?It's great!

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This is a fine product very well made. (Like another reviewer mentioned, I wish it was full-tang.) When it first arrived, I was surprised it was smaller than I expected. I soon found though that it is perfect!

This turner is just right for any cast iron or stainless steel skillet cooking.It works equally well in an 8 Inch skillet as it does in a 12 Inch skillet. The blade is flexible enough to really get in and scrape around the edges like you need to sometimes.

The size and flexibility of the blade makes all the difference it allows you to get the angle you need to get past the lip of the pan. Anything bigger wouldn't do the job. (I also own the Dexter-Russell 5-Inch Turner, but it never sees the light of day except when I open the drawer to grab my 4-by-2.5-Inch!)

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There are many five-star reviews for this, so maybe I got one that slipped through quality contol.But there are some basic problems that I did not expect from a higher-priced item:

The steel only goes half-way up into the handle, and the gap cut out for it is a little bigger than the width of the steel, so water/food will be able to get stuck in the gap.Also, the edge of the metal is sharp and rough all the way around and the wood is rough at the end of the handle (just not sanded down with a small enough grit paper to make it smooth), giving the feel of a cheap kitchen tool.But it is not priced that way. I can fix the finish problems with some steel wool, but the gap between the blade and the wood is not fixable and will cause the wood to go bad ealier than it should due to water getting trapped in the gap.

Update after a few weeks of use:l I did take some steel wool to this and made it really nice with just 5 minutes of effort.I worked down the sharp edges all around the metal and gently buffed down the rough wood at the end of the handle, so now it feels really good.So now the only problem is the gap due to the cut in the wood being a bit too big for the steel, leaving a small gap between the handle and the metal where the metal fits in the handle.That will eventually do the handle in as water sits in there after each washing.

Too bad the manufacturer didn't spend a few minutes finishing this, but the material now feels really good so I've raised this from 1 to 3 stars.