A spurtle is a wooden kitchen tool from Scotland, originally made for stirring porridge. Traditional spurtles are shaped like a slim rod. The modern version most people use today is a flat wooden paddle with a straight edge and an angled tip, used for stirring, scraping, flipping, and mixing almost anything.
If you've seen one in a sourdough video and wondered what that flat wooden stick was, now you know. Here's the rest of the story.
How do you pronounce spurtle?
SPUR-tul. It rhymes with "turtle." You'll also see it spelled spirtle, spurtel, or spartle, all names for the same tool.
Where did the spurtle come from?
The spurtle has been part of Scottish kitchens since at least the 15th century, with written references going back to the early 1500s. The name likely shares a root with the word "spatula."
For most of its history, the spurtle had one job: stirring porridge. Oats cooked in a pot need constant stirring, and a regular spoon tends to drag the oats into clumps. A slim wooden rod could move through the pot without causing lumps, and very little porridge stuck to it.
Traditional spurtles often had a carved thistle on top, the national emblem of Scotland. Old Scottish custom even says to stir your porridge clockwise, with your right hand, for good luck.
The spurtle still has a place of honor in Scotland. The winner of the annual World Porridge Making Championship, held in the Highland village of Carrbridge, takes home a trophy called the Golden Spurtle.
The two kinds of spurtles
The traditional rod spurtle looks like a thick, smooth dowel, sometimes tapered or topped with a carved thistle. It's built for stirring porridge, soups, and stews without breaking things up.
The flat spurtle is a wide, thin paddle with a straight edge and a squared or angled end. Scots used a similar flat tool, sometimes called a couthie spurtle, for flipping oatcakes. Today, this is the shape most people mean when they say "spurtle," and it's the more versatile of the two.
How is a spurtle different from a wooden spoon?
It comes down to shape.
A spoon touches the bottom of the pan at one point. A flat spurtle touches it along its whole edge. One pass clears a wide stripe off the bottom of the pot, so nothing sticks or scorches.
The angled tip reaches corners. It gets into the seam where the side of the pot meets the bottom, and into the shoulders of a jar, places a round spoon can't reach.
There's no bowl to fill up. Thick oatmeal, batter, and dough don't pack into a spurtle the way they pack into a spoon. It wipes clean in one swipe.
The thin edge scrapes and flips. It lifts browned bits for a pan sauce, slides under an egg or a pancake, and breaks up ground meat as it cooks.
What is a spurtle used for?
Pretty much everything a wooden spoon or spatula does, often better:
- Sourdough starter. A narrow spurtle stirs inside a jar and scrapes the sides clean. This is how many people first discover spurtles.
- Mixing bread dough. It cuts through stiff, shaggy dough without bending or balling up like a whisk.
- Oatmeal and porridge. The job it was invented for.
- Eggs and pancakes. Scrambling, folding, flipping.
- Sautéing and stir-frying. Moving vegetables around the pan without scratching it.
- Browning ground meat. The flat edge chops it up as it cooks.
- Sauces, soups, gravy, and jam. Keeping the bottom of the pot clean so nothing burns.
- Scraping jars. The last of the peanut butter, honey, or jam.
- Serving. It looks good enough to go straight to the table.
Why wood?
Most spurtles are made from wood, and for good reason. Wood won't scratch nonstick, enameled, or cast iron cookware. It stays cool to the touch even when it's resting in a hot pot. It won't melt like plastic, and it's sturdier than silicone in thick foods. With a little care, a good wooden spurtle lasts for years.
(We wrote a whole post on why wooden kitchen tools are worth it if you want the full list.)
Which spurtle size should I get?
Spurtles come in several sizes. Here's how ours compare:
| Size | Dimensions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Original | 1.5" x 11" | Sourdough starter, jars, everyday stirring |
| Small | 2.25" x 9" | Eggs, small pans, kids learning to cook |
| Wide | 2.25" x 11" | Flipping pancakes, sautéing, scraping |
| Slotted | 2.25" x 12" | Thin sauces, lifting food out of liquid |
| Large | 2.25" x 13.5" | Stockpots, canning pots, big batches |
Not sure where to start? Get the Original. It's the one most people reach for first, and most come back for a second size.
How to care for a spurtle
- Hand wash with warm, soapy water. No dishwasher.
- Don't let it soak. Rinse and dry it right away.
- Condition it when the wood looks pale or feels rough. Rub in a wood conditioner and let it soak in overnight.
Treated this way, a spurtle can last for many years.
Where to get one
Our Spurtles are handcrafted from teak, a dense, naturally oily hardwood that resists water better than most woods. They come in all five sizes above, or as a full set with one of each.
Keep them looking and working their best with our Wood Butter, a simple blend of beeswax and coconut oil you rub in like lotion on dry skin.
And if you're starting sourdough, every one of our Getting Started Bundles begins with two things: a freeze-dried starter and a spurtle.
Five hundred years later, it's still the tool that ends up in your hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is a spurtle? A spurtle is a wooden kitchen tool from Scotland, originally used to stir porridge. Modern spurtles are usually flat wooden paddles with an angled tip, used for stirring, scraping, mixing, and flipping.
How do you pronounce spurtle? SPUR-tul. It rhymes with "turtle."
What is a spurtle used for? Stirring porridge, soups, and sauces; mixing sourdough starter and bread dough; scrambling eggs; flipping pancakes; sautéing; browning ground meat; and scraping jars and pans.
What's the difference between a spurtle and a wooden spoon? A flat spurtle touches the pan along its whole edge instead of at one point, reaches into corners with its angled tip, and has no bowl for thick foods to get stuck in.
Why is it called a spurtle? The word is Scottish and dates back to at least the 1500s. It likely shares a root with the word "spatula."
What size spurtle should I buy? The Original (1.5" x 11") is the best all-purpose starting point, especially for sourdough starter. Add a Wide or Large size for flipping and big pots.
