20 types of spoons & their purpose

Imagine eating, cooking, and serving food without using a spoon. It would be quite a strenuous task. Over time, to make cooking, eating, and serving more convenient, different types of spoons have been introduced.

One of the biggest advantages of using spoon utensils is to maximize efficiency and minimize time. Spoons come in different types, shapes, and sizes. So, the shape of a spoon will determine the purpose, either for cooking, eating, or serving.

To give a better perspective regarding the different types of spoons and their uses, here are some of the names of spoons that might come in handy while purchasing one.

• Iced Tea Spoon

You must have often noticed that these types of spoons have long handles. With a longer handle, it is to reach the bottom of the glass. These spoons give the advantage of mixing the residue be it sugar or salt in the bottom when you are having lemonade or flavors of other kinds.

• Parfait Spoon

These spoons are used for eating desserts. It is also called the dessert spoon. This teaspoon is in a shape of a bowl with long and slim handles. These ideal types of spoons come in handy with glasses that are tall and filled with parfait, and other desserts.

• Saucier Spoon

Also known as the French Sauce Spoon, these are the spoons that are meant to pour gravy over foods. These spoons have bowls that are deeper as compared to other spoons with a pouring nozzle combined with long handles.

• Soup Spoon

These names of spoons themselves determine the purpose for their use. Their round bowls are larger and oval which makes them easier to put the spoon inside your mouth.

• Grapefruit Spoon

Also known as a fruit spoon, this is a type of spoon that looks similar to other spoons except that it has sharp teeth at the very tip of the bowl. This spoon is used for scooping melons and citrus fruits.

• Gumbo Spoon

This spoon is meant to be used for meat and vegetable soups that are thicker. With 7 inches in length, a wider bowl, and a shallow surface, it is very convenient as the soups cool faster before going inside the mouth.

• Egg Spoon

As the name suggests, these are spoons with a short handle and a short bowl designed to scoop out boiled eggs from the egg stand. The tip of this spoon is pointed more and has a much-rounded bowl compared to a normal teaspoon.

• Demitasse Spoon

These types of spoons are much smaller and are used to scoop out the froth from a cappuccino for tasting and mixing sugar. These are also called espresso spoons as they have the size of an espresso cup.

• Absinthe Spoon

This type of spoon is designed especially for drinkers. These spoons with holes usually create small currents while mixing the drink. These spoons are flat with a perforated hole and have a notch in the handle for resting the spoon on the rim of an alcohol glass.

• Salt Spoon

These are the most common types of spoons that every household has. These spoons are smaller and are used with salt containers.

• Ladle

These large spoons are generally used for pouring gruel or soup. It has a large and deep bowl combined with a long handle. It is designed to reach the bottom of the pot enough to fill a bowl with gruel or soup.

• Panja Rice Spoon

  Panja rice spoons are excellent for scooping rice and serving. This flat spoon has an indentation that is in the shape of a finger with a flat surface that is excellent for scooping rice and serving.

  • Serving Spoon

  As the name suggests, these large spoons are used for serving. This spoon has a bowl that is rounder in shape, combined with a long handle which makes it easier to serve vegetables, lentils, and other food portions.

  • Table Spoon

  These are the most common types of spoons used in households. These types of spoons are mostly used for eating purposes, but they can also be used for serving purposes and preparing foods.

  • Slotted Spoon

  This type of spoon with holes is used for draining out excess liquid from the food. It is one of the most valued utensils in the kitchen. It comes in different shapes and sizes each suited for a different purpose.

  • Olive Scooping Spoon

If you love olive, then you must be familiar with these types of spoons. These spoons have a perforated hole in the bottom which makes it easier to scoop out an olive from a jar. They are also used to scoop out garlic, cherries, and other items that are dipped in sauce and contained in a jar.

• Caddy Spoon

These spoons are used to measure the exact amount of dry tea leaves before tea making. These types of spoons have short and wide handles with shallow curves. The short handle gives good control while measuring dry tea leaves. The ones that are found today in the market are more minimalistic in design.

• Risotto Spoon

Risotto spoon is generally used for making risotto, which is a kind of rice. This spoon has a unique feature in which one side of it comes slightly towards the right angle and has a hole in the middle. This allows risotto to flow freely through the hole without breaking the rice grains while stirring.

• Spaghetti Spoon

This is one of the most convenient spoons for cooking spaghetti because it has big tines at the edges of the bowl and a hole in the middle. This type of spoon helps to prevent the breaking of spaghetti while cooking.

• Wooden Spoon

This type of large spoon is gaining importance when it comes to cooking in non-stick utensils. Wooden spoons are quite cost-friendly and their overall build quality is also equally good. One of the best advantages of cooking with a wooden spoon is, it doesn’t react badly with the food items that you cook.