Best Sauce Spoon

A well-designed sauce spoon not only saves your favorite tablecloths from drips and stains but, depending on the size and style, can make your meals look restaurant-worthy. And while you may be thinking that this spoon is just another gravy ladle, that is so not the case. Today’s sauce spoons have been designed to not only dispense individual portions of thickened, savory sauces but to drizzle an elegant trail of syrups and dressings across a waiting plate. In fact, you may even see them referred to as drizzle spoons. But regardless of how you use them, this simple piece of cutlery is easily one of your more functional, affordable kitchen gadgets you’ll ever own.

What Are the Benefits to Using a Sauce Spoon?

For those who want to add a little panache to their entertaining skills or to simply elevate the presentation of family dinners, a great sauce spoon is a quick and easy way to up your culinary game. Because the bowl of a sauce spoon is shallower than that of a ladle and features a well-placed lip (also called a spout) at the front or side, it’s ideal for dispensing smaller, individual portions of thickened sauces without the messy drips that can happen when working with the larger cup of a ladle. And while they both share the same long-handled silhouette, the cleverly designed sauce spoon is lighter in weight and its unique shape makes it easier for the diner to maneuver its full bowl from a gravy boat or tureen to their plate.

What to Look for When Buying a Sauce Spoon

Construction

Sauce spoons are typically constructed from either mid-range or high-quality stainless steel and offer a simple, brushed or polished finish that works with any table setting. A key difference between this and other serving spoons is the elongated handle that makes it easier to dip into gravy boats, tureens, or deeper bowls. There is a wide range of handle lengths so you may want to identify and measure up the intended vessel in advance. Or, because this is a relatively affordable utensil, perhaps invest in a few different sizes.

Bowl Shape

For heavy or creamier sauces, you want a more substantial bowl size, and typically an elongated side or front lip that allows the diner to scoop up an appropriate amount of liquid, then pour it over the food in one easy motion. Double-dipping is perfectly acceptable, but triple-dipping likely means you’re using too small a sauce spoon for the task at hand. So, keep a few different sizes in your cutlery draw, and ensure the bowl you choose is suitable for the food you’re serving.

Portion Control

Sauce spoons are not ladles and they aren’t intended to overwhelm your plate with a flood of gravy or creamy sauce. As a result, the bowl of the spoon is smaller, tapered, and will typically hold between 1 and 2 ounces – which equals about 2 to 4 tablespoons. For heavier sauces, you may want to opt for the larger bowl with a more generous lip, and when it comes to the syrups used with desserts, a smaller, more delicate type of bowl with a more finely tapered tip would be ideal.

Top 6 Sauce Spoons

IMEEA 7-inch Stainless Steel Sauce Spoon with Matching Soup Spoon

Best Sauce Set

If you’re all about setting a smart-looking dinner table, this top-quality, stainless steel serving set is going to be a welcome addition. Both soup and sauce spoons have been designed with beautifully tapered, 7-inch handles that make them the ideal length for easily dipping into gravy boats or small tureens. And with the sauce spoon’s generous, 3-inch-wide bowl, you not only enjoy a substantial 2 tablespoon serving of your favorite gravies, creamy sauces, or even dessert syrups, but you also get that all-important extended side lip that ensures you and your guests can savor your meal, without the worry of drips and splatters. Best of all, this handsome pair of quality serving pieces can go straight from the table to the dishwasher, for an always sparkling finish.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

For those who enjoy sauces beyond just gravy, this perfectly tapered spoon is a great option. Not only does it cover the thicker sauces, but oils, dressings, and syrups as well.

Pros:

  • 2-piece set
  • Extended side lip
  • Stainless steel construction
  • Dishwasher-safe

Cons:

  • Not suited to deeper dishes

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 7-inches

Capacity: 1 ounce / 2 tablespoons

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New Star Foodservice 13.25-inch Stainless-Steel Sauce Spoon with Lightweight Handle

Best for Behind-the-Scenes Use

If fine dining for you is all about the tasty sauces and gravies, then you’re going to love this substantially sized sauce spoon. Made from top-quality stainless steel, this hard-wearing kitchen essential features an extra-long hollow handle that makes it lightweight, easy to hold, and perfectly suited for quickly adding dressings, jus, or gravy to plated foods when entertaining. And for the sauce lover in all of us, the generous bowl on this spoon holds up to 2 full ounces of your favorite toppings – be it a delicious broth to pour over roast beef, a Hollandaise for your Eggs benedict, or a creamy bechamel topping for ho-hum vegetables. The convenient side lip is perfectly tapered to ensure sauces flow directly onto the foods for which they are intended.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

For those who entertain and prefer to plate and sauce foods in the kitchen, this extra-long spoon with a larger bowl is a perfect choice. Lightweight construction makes it quick and easy to add a splash of flavor to any dish.

Pros:

  • Stainless steel construction
  • Extra-long handle
  • Substantial 2-ounce capacity
  • Lightweight, hollow handle

Cons:

  • Too long for table-top use

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 13.25-inches

Capacity: 2 ounces / 4 tablespoons

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Mercer Culinary 8.5-inch Stainless-Steel Sauce Spoon with Finely Tapered Spout

Best for Restaurant-Quality Results

For a great sauce spoon that can turn your traditional plated desserts into stunning signature finishes, this elegantly designed stainless-steel option is the one you want. Not only is the bowl generously sized to hold one full ounce of your favorite sauces and syrups, but the extended front lip is also deeply tapered for better control and more precise streaming of all those chocolate, caramel, and fruity tastes and colors. And if desserts aren’t on the menu, you’ll appreciate that the longer, 8.5-inch handle of this sauce spoon is perfectly sized for easy dipping into those deeper pots of salad dressing making it a snap to pre-dress plates with a drizzle of balsamic reduction or any of your favorite vinaigrettes, for a show-stopping start to any meal.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

This sauce spoon is a kitchen essential for the aspiring home chef who wants to improve their presentation skills.

Pros:

  • Stainless-steel construction
  • Fine-tapered lip
  • Ideal for syrups or salad dressings
  • Micro-serrated, easy-grip handle

Cons:

  • Not suited to thicker, creamy sauces

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 8.5-inches

Capacity: 1 ounce / 2 tablespoons

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RSVP 9.25-inch Stainless Steel Sauce Spoon with Front Lip

Best for Thick or Thin Sauces

This well-designed sauce spoon is a great option for those who appreciate kitchen utensils that can do double-duty. Not only is this beautifully shaped stainless-steel spoon ideal for serving heartier, savory sauces, but it’s also perfect for drizzling dessert syrups and salad dressings. The deeper bowl holds up to 1 ounce – or 2 tablespoons – of liquid for a perfect single portion. But it’s the wider front spout that allows this piece of cutlery to function as both a sauce and a drizzle spoon. While the tapered lip delivers full control when dispensing thinner syrups, oils, and dressings, it’s still broad enough to allow for an easy flow of heavier sauces and gravies. Even better, the polished bowl and brushed steel finish of this easy-care spoon mean that it’s dishwasher safe.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

This is a great all-around choice for the home chef who wants a sauce spoon that can pour thicker sauces with ease but also drizzle thinner syrups or dressings with a measure of precision.

Pros:

  • Hard-wearing stainless steel
  • Tapered front spout
  • Pours both thick and thin sauces
  • Longer, easy-grip handle

Cons:

  • Too long for standard gravy boats

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 9.25-inches

Capacity: 1 ounce / 2 tablespoons

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HSTYAIG 7-inch Stainless Steel Sauce Spoon with Side Lip

Best for Self-Serving

Let your guests pour their ideal portion of sauces and gravies by offering an appropriately sized sauce spoon. Smaller than a bulky ladle, this beautifully designed utensil is constructed from high-quality stainless steel and features a tidy, 7-inch handle that allows this non-imposing utensil to tuck in alongside a gravy boat or sauce dish. The 1-ounce bowl of this spoon is perfectly sized to hold a full portion of your favorite salad dressings, savory sauces or dessert syrups. And because the elongated side lip provides such a generous pour opening, it works well with all those heavier cream sauces and gravies that we love, but that can often be too thick for a sauce spoon with a more finely tapered lip.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

This smaller spoon is perfect for use on the dining room table. It offers optimal portion control and can be tucked in unobtrusively beside any gravy boat or sauce bowl.

Pros:

  • Shorter handle ideal for table use
  • High-quality stainless steel construction
  • Generous pour spout
  • 12-month warranty

Cons:

  • Not suited to deeper bowls or tureens

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 7-inches

Capacity: 1 ounce / 2 tablespoons

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BuyGo 8.5-inch Stainless-Steel Sauce Spoon with Fade-Proof Rainbow Finish

Best for Creative Entertaining

How fun would it be to use this rainbow-colored stainless-steel sauce spoon when plating your desserts table-side. Constructed from quality stainless steel for a long-lasting finish that won’t fade over time, this unique piece of cutlery can be used with hot or cold sauces – including those delicious hot syrups that look great when drizzled across a plate, cake, or bowl of ice cream. And unlike a large ladle that’s used behind the scenes for saucing dishes, the 8.5-inch handle of this showstopper makes it the perfect size for table-side use. Not into desserts? The wider side spout of this sauce spoon is the ideal shape for pouring thicker savory sauces as well as all your favorite salad dressings. And just like your other stainless-steel pieces, it’s dishwasher safe.

Who Should Buy This Sauce Spoon?

For those who want to add a little quirkiness to their entertaining without sacrificing quality, this rainbow-colored sauce spoon is a funky yet functional option.

Pros:

  • High-quality stainless-steel
  • Non-fade, dishwasher-safe
  • Large side pour spout
  • Hang for easy storage

Cons:

  • Non-neutral pattern

Specs for Comparison:

Material: Stainless-steel

Handle length: 8.5-inches

Capacity: 1 ounce / 2 tablespoons

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Bottom Line

A sauce spoon is that simple kitchen essential you never knew you needed but are thankful that you found. Designed to work with a wide range of sauces, this elegantly tapered piece of cutlery makes enjoying your favorite toppings easier and drip-free. And unlike a larger ladle cup, the bowl of a sauce spoon is typically designed to hold just a single ounce of liquid, so you and your guests can opt for the portion size that’s right for you.

Photo credit: RESTOCK images/Shutterstock

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