M
MM in Wisconsin
October 27, 2019
This XL size is PERFECT!
I've been in love with silicone utensils for a while now.Here's what I've learned about silicone cooking spoons:1) Make sure the utensil is one solid piece, all silicone. That way nothing can get in at the connecting place, it can't fall apart and the top, it won't melt when it comes in contact with the hot pan.2) Get the highest Heat Resistance you can. This 600 degrees is the highest I've seen! I think 450 is pretty common and very acceptable, too.3) Choose a dark color if you cook with foods that tend to stain...tomatos, chili powders, turmeric, etc. (If you do stain your silicone, try making a paste with Dawn Dish Soap and Baking Soda. Let it sit overnight. It should take off quite a bit of stain. If that doesn't work, try a paste with baking soda and the strongest hydrogen peroxide.) Baking soda + dish soap also works wonders if your silicone/plastic utensils and bowls feel greasy even after you wash them.4) Pay attention to the "bowl size" of the cooking spoon. There are many wonderful silicone utensils out there, but while many work great for stirring, they hardly hold anything when you want to dish up your food. That exact issue is what brought me to this XL spoon and I find it PERFECT for both stirring and dishing up. The "bowl" of this spoon holds about 1/4 (4 oz) cup of liquid whereas my other silicone cooking spoons hold just over 2 oz. While a traditional ladle will usually hold more than 1/4 cup, I find that this XL spoon does double duty and it holds plenty of soup and stew, so I don't have to dirty a ladle.5) If bowl size doesn't matter to you, it is also great to find silicone utensils that have metal inside of them. That makes them super sturdy and non-bendy when you're serving up something heavy. However, I will say that this XL silicone spoon is nice and strong and does not bend. Also, some silicone utensils with stainless steel inserts actually will break at the point where the stainless steel ends inside the utensil.6) Note that some silicone cooking spoons have a thin spatula type edging, which is wonderful for cleaning the last bit of goodness from your pan. This XL spoon does not have that feature. However, I've found that the ones with that great "spatula" feature can get torn there on the edge where the silicone is so thin. Over time, almost all of my silicone utensils with that feature have gotten ripped or torn, or appear nibbled.To sum up, I think I have found the holy grail of silicone cooking spoons here. I expect that it may last the rest of my life. If it lasts at least 2 years and still looks brand new, I'll start gifting them to all of my favorite people. The cool original spoonula that I gifted 5 years ago to everyone had a lot of the features that I've discovered were negative...the technology has advanced and we are the beneficiaries! Yeah!
✔ Verified Purchase
F
Food, Glorious Food!
August 13, 2019
This info will extend the life of your silicone tools! I would purchase again. Love them!
I purchased this Starpack silicone XL Large Serving spoon two years ago, it has been in constant rotation in my utensil jar next to my cooktop. I have not experienced the issues that some other reviewers have had at all. I have two different Starpack sppons and just recieved my larger Starpack Spatula/Spoonula and am happy to report that it seems to be the same high quality as the other Starpack items I have purchased.I have had no chipping, splitting and, no handle breakage and in fact these silicone tools seem to be much heavier quality than other brands I have in my kitchen arsenal. I have a number of the Tovolo silicone utensils also, and although I would purchase those again too, I did have one piece melt after dropping through onto the coil of my dishwasher during use (not a failure of the silicone per se) and I cut one spatula on the blades of my food processer (also my fault)BUT no issues with the Starpack ones so far. I think that perhaps some of the other customers who report issues, have made silly mistakes like I did with my Tovolo pieces, or who have subjected thier tools to too much heat, rather than the tools themselves failing!Please see the info on silicone heat tolerances below - it is extremely likely that the reviewers have experienced issues due to leaving the tools in a high heat environment for lengthy times leading to hardening and then chipping. I don't cook with my silicone tools sitting in the pot, maybe others do. This would be the most likely cause of the reported issues, and just requires a different approach (I recommend purchasing the high heat version of this spoon which wasnt available when I purchased mine) for your silicone tools to last a long time.My research into the heat tolerances of silicone shows the following:If silicone is heated up to 302F you would see very little change in the silicone, even if held at this temperature for a very long time, At 392F the silicone will slowly become harder and less stretchy with time, and if the silicone was heated up to a temperature beyond 572F, you would quickly see the material become harder and less stretchy in a very short time, due to such extreme temperature conditions but it would not melt. Special grades are available to further increase silicones already naturally high resistance to heat which can be used intermittently at temperatures up to 572F.So the important take away is that the non-high heat silicone version of this tool would become brittle if heated up to 392F regularly. Especially if that temperature was held. I haven't experienced any issues with my lower heat one, but if I purchased another I would opt for the higher heat version.Special grades are reported to last if heated to 572F intermittantly - the all important word being again, intermittant! The high heat version of this Starpack Spatula/Spoonula states that it is suitable for up to 600F. This would mean intermittant 600F heat. Don't leave your silicone tools in a heated environment. Invest in a spoon rest and take the utensil out of the pot during cooking, and your silicone tools should last a long, long time (unless you use it to clean the food processor with the blades in like I did - duh)If the seller explained the intermittent heat clause then they would get a less negative reviews about chipping, splitting and snapping, I'm sure. Hope this helps!I have been known to taste test 10 different soy sauces in one sitting. I recently purchased 9 different lemon zesters just to determine which one was best (you can view the results on my profile page) I enjoy writing reviews and this hobby of mine gives me an outlet to share my culinary explorations.If this review has been helpful to you would you please click the helpful button? I like to think that my reviews help filter out the crap for other like-minded buyers who are hunting for the same products that I am :) It makes my day to see that my kitchen insanity helped a fellow customer.You might also like to visit my profile page and check out some of my other ingredient and recipe book and kitchen tool reviews and idea lists. You can also click to follow me on my profile page to be notified when I post a new review.
✔ Verified Purchase
Looks like a quality product
Liked the spoon, but decided it was too shallow and a bit too small in length. I ordered the XL version of the same spoon instead.
✔ Verified Purchase
Great but absorbs smells
It's quite a heavy spoon, but that makes it nice and sturdy for cooking many different kinds of foods. The only thing I have to say is that I used it to stir some curry flavored yakisoba and then for a long time it smelled very strongly of the curry powder that I used so even though it went through a few rounds in the dishwasher it's only kind of dissipated. I like the spoon but next time I'll probably go with a silicone that doesn't stink so easily. I won't be able to use this for desserts for instance because I don't want them to smell like curry.
✔ Verified Purchase
L
LisaG, Monroe MI
May 04, 2019
My favorite spoon!
I got this spoon from Star Pack, along with a spoonula, back in August 2016. This is the BEST SPOON EVER. I was not interested in silicone before- it only seemed to come in bright colors, and I had only seen utensils with wood or stainless handles, and silicone heads. I’ve seen those fall apart during use, so no, thank you! After finding this spoon, completely encased in silicone, I decided to give it a try- I’m so glad I did! This a very sturdy spoon, and it never gets hot. I’ve used it to make toffee (which gets screaming hot) and the handle stays cool. I like the finish on the Star Pack silicone, as well- it’s slightly shiny, so it’s easy to clean, and comes out the dishwasher looking new. My silicone from another company comes out of the dishwasher looking powdery. If you’re looking to try just one silicone utensil, I would recommend this one! But, fair warning, you will want to buy more...
✔ Verified Purchase
