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Kitchen Scoop and Disher Guide

Whether it's used to serve a big or small scoop of ice cream, cookie dough, or mashed potatoes, every foodservice establishment needs a scoop, disher, or even both. These essential kitchen tools help with portion control to reduce food waste, while also providing an easy way to serve food without sacrificing presentation.

Scoop Size Chart

Dishers are commonly categorized by their size, which is based on the approximate amount of servings it takes per quart or the number of ounces it holds. To make these scoop sizes both easier to identify in a busy kitchen setting and to prevent cross-contamination between foods, specific handle colors are assigned to each size.

Check out our disher size chart to better understand the variety of kitchen scoop sizes on the market. This scoop size chart includes common industry standards, but each brand may have slight variations, so keep that in mind as you shop for the various disher scoop sizes.

Click below for a downloadable scoop size chart that you can keep in your kitchen:

Download Our Disher Size Chart

Disher Sizes

For a more technical version of our scoop sizes chart, see our table below.

Disher Size (Approx. servings per QT.)	Color	mL (Approx.)	Fluid Oz. (Approx.)	Cup/Tablespoon/Teaspoon (Approx.)
#4	Orange	236.6 mL	8 oz.	1 Cup
#5	Teal	177.4 mL	6 oz.	3/4 Cup
#6	White	140.5 mL	4.75 oz.	5/8 Cup
#8	Gray	110.9 mL	3.75 oz.	1/2 Cup
#10	Ivory	96.1 mL	3.25 oz.	3/8 Cup
#12	Green	85 mL	2.875 oz.	1/3 Cup
#14	Sky Blue	70.2 mL	2.375 oz.	1/3 Cup
#16	Royal Blue	59 mL	2 oz.	1/4 Cup
#20	Yellow	55.5 mL	1.875 oz.	3 1/2 Tablespoons
#24	Red	44.4 mL	1.5 oz.	3 Tablespoons
#30	Black	33.3 mL	1.125 oz.	2 1/4 Tablespoons
#36	Mushroom	25.9 mL	0.875 oz.	1 3/4 Tablespoons
#40	Orchid	22.2 mL	0.75 oz.	1 1/2 Tablespoons
#50	Terracotta	18.5 mL	0.625 oz.	4 Teaspoons
#60	Pink	14.8 mL	0.5 oz.	1 Tablespoon
#70	Plum	11.1 mL	0.375 oz.	2 3/4 Teaspoons
#100	Orange	7.4 mL	0.25 oz.	2 Teaspoons

Kitchen Scoops and Dishers

In the same way a fork isn't an appropriate utensil for eating soup, a disher isn't the right tool for serving ice cream. So then why are scoops, dishers, and spades always grouped together? They generally perform the same role, but in different capacities. For the longevity of your product, it is important to understand these differences.

Thumb Press Disher

Thumb press dishers allow the user to dispense product quickly and easily by simply pushing down on the side press with their thumb.

Use on softer foods like scooping cookie dough, vegetables, rice, batter, and ground meat
Come in a variety of sizes for accurate measuring and portion control
Various handle colors for quick capacity identification and to reduce cross-contamination

Squeeze Handle Disher

Squeeze handle dishers allow the user to use their whole hand to activate the blade, which minimizes hand fatigue. This design makes it comfortable for both left- and right-handed users.

Use to scoop softer foods like vegetables, rice, dough, batter, and ground meat
Come in a variety of sizes for accurate measuring and portion control
Most come in a variety of handle colors for quick capacity identification and to reduce cross-contamination
Some boast an ambidextrous handle for ease of use

Ice Cream Scoop / Dipper

Ice cream scoops and dippers create the classic ice cream scoop shape. These dippers are the best option if you're starting an ice cream shop.

Generally used for hard ice cream
Easy-to-clean, one-piece construction eliminates moving parts and minimizes the chance of malfunctioning
Many have handles with defrost liquid inside that aids in the smooth rolling of ice cream and helps prevent ice crystals from forming and mixing with the ice cream
Most come in a variety of handle colors for quick capacity identification and to reduce cross-contamination

Ice Cream Spade

Given their unique shape and design, ice cream spades are generally used for gelato and creamier frozen desserts.

Designed with better leverage than scoops and dishers, making it an ideal tool for scraping, scooping, and packing frozen desserts
Helps minimize wasted product and maintain your establishment's bottom line
Sharp edges and smooth surface allow the user to quickly scoop, lift, and release ice cream
Provides great leverage for scraping the bottom of large ice cream tubs

Kitchen Scoop Material Options

While dishers are primarily made of stainless steel, scoops and spades can be constructed from one of a few different materials. However, you may notice not many seem to be made of plastic. That's because plastic tends to be less durable for the types of jobs these products are used for and may even chip off into your food if overextended.

Aluminum Kitchen Scoop

Corrosion-resistant and light-weight
Can be both chilled or heated
Ideal for scooping hard ice cream

Non-Stick Kitchen Scoop

Non-stick surface allows for faster service
Easy to clean
Consistent size with each scoop

Stainless Steel Kitchen Scoop

Extremely durable and corrosion resistant
Can be chilled or heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
Easy to clean and low maintenance

Zerolon Kitchen Scoop

Eliminates compression to create the appearance of a bigger scoop
Allows for 20% more scoops per gallon
Protected from hard or highly chlorinated water

Kitchen Scoop Cleaning Guidelines

Some food dishers and scoops are dishwasher safe, but many need to be hand washed to maintain their appearance and functionality. Here are some cleaning and maintenance tips to extend the longevity of your kitchen scoops:

An anti-freeze ice cream scoop cannot be used in the dishwasher. The conductive fluid within the handle will solidify and lose its ability to warm to the user's touch.
If your material is aluminum, hand wash it with a non-abrasive sponge using warm water and mild soap.
All kitchen scoops should be dried immediately after washing to prevent rust or limescale from forming.

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