There are spatulas, and then there are spatulas.
You know the kind we grew up with? Plastic handle, plastic business end, frayed around the edges where they had melted a little in the dishwasher or being too near a hot pan, but useful for scraping the last wonderful bit out of bowls and jars. Not great for stirring -- made your shoulders tired -- so you used a spoon for that and just broke out the increasingly stiff spatula for its limited scraping operations.
Then there's this whole Le Creuset family of spatulas.
I don't care what size -- they're all wonderful. First the handle -- it's a very comfortable wood, well made, with a great feel, that almost effortlessly transfers the motions of your muscles to whatever its in. More economy of effort, less tiring -- so yes, I do stir with it now, instead of dirtying a spoon as well.
Second, the head -- oh my! Silky smooth, incredibly pliable, scrapes much more easily than those old plastic heads -- a true joy to use. And the bigger the better -- stirs more, scrapes more -- I can scrape a huge mixing bowl in just 3 swipes. And it feels great.
Last, and most surprisingly, it cooks! Yes, use it to stir a stir-fry! to scrape the last of a simmering tomato sauce out of the pan! To retrieve that last sticky lasagna noodle from the bottom of the huge stock pot that was boiling merrily 5 seconds ago! Yes, yes, yes. And the spatula is still soft, silky and unmarred the next day to scrape out a batter bowl.
I had a large one of these from Crate and Barrel for a year and then realized it was my most cherished cooking tool. Seriously. Then I lost it for a while and was surprisingly upset. By the time I found it again, I had ordered 4 more in different sizes on Amazon, figuring correctly that the Le Creuset line was the same as my original. Now I'm throwing out all the old plastic ones with a sigh of relief. I even managed to flip pancakes with this beauty last weekend. :)
If you think they're expensive, ask yourself how long a regular plastic one will last in its pristine condition (unmelted, I mean, unscratched, etc.) and how much value you place on a tool that functions immeasurably better and makes you feel good at the same time. I think you'll convince yourself, and I'm sure you'll be glad if you do!
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED in all sizes.
P.S. To be honest, I never run into the problem of the separating head that the previous reviewer mentioned -- because I just wash the whole thing, intact, in the dishwasher. Yes. Does it wear the wood out a little bit? Of course. Does the year-old one look a little less fresh in the handle than the brand new one from Amazon? Yeah... but do I care? no! The wood just looks a little more weathered, which is fine with me. It still feels wonderful in my hand. The new ones have all gone in the dishwasher now, too, and I expect they'll all do just fine. If not, it's my choice, and I'll just replace them a little sooner but enjoy both the luxury and the convenience in the meantime.