Hibachi & Teppanyaki Spatula Buyer's Guide Shape

The shape of the spatula depends on its purpose. Most spatulas have long, wide blades for flipping food, mixing (such as teriyaki), or cutting (yakiniku or Korean BBQ).

Then you have a small wide block spatula with a very small handle along the upper edge of the blade. This is used to scrape things like eggs off a griddle, and when it sticks together, it's also used in dishes like okonomiyaki.

Heat-Resistant

The most important thing when buying a spatula is heat resistance, which you can use on a teppan or hibachi grill. Since you're holding the spatula close to the griddle or grill grate, you don't want to burn your hands while handling it.

Some spatula handles have insulation on them, which makes them resistant to heat and transfer heat, so you won't burn yourself.

Material

In terms of materials, stainless steel for the blades is the best for 3 main reasons:

• Stainless steel is a strong and durable material, so you can flip, scrape and move food without worrying about warping and folding.

• It is very rust and corrosion resistant, which is important because you have to wash the spatula.

Handle

A long handle of 16-19 inches is ideal because then there is no risk of melting or burning. But even shorter handles are fine, as long as they are well constructed.

Find a wooden handle as it won't get hot as quickly.

Plastic handles are easier to hold and operate because they provide a secure grip. The problem is, they melt when exposed to flames.

But since you're mostly using them on a teppan or other type of griddle surface, it doesn't really matter.