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Edit: I decided to throw it out and order a new stainless steel one that's all one piece. Thanks for the help!
I can relate to not wanting to throw something away if you can just fix it, but I guarantee you will save yourself a lot of time and stress if you just go down to your local thrift shop with a kitchen section and pick one of the dozens of spatulas they will have for like $0.50.
The last thing you want is the mess and possible pain of your repaired spatula breaking under the stress of lifting a hot, oily food from the pan.
This. If it's plastic it should be solid plastic. This kind of failure will happen again.
Just get metal with a plastic or wooden handle. I got a $3 one 5 years ago and it works great. Cast iron can handle metal on metal.
Not great for ceramic coatings though.
Ours is like this and is at least 12 years old. I believe the plastic is over molded directly onto metal handle which sits about 1.5 cm into the plastic.
I strongly recommend NO glue and liberal use of your TRASH CAN. Then go get a cast iron frying pan and a METAL flip turner.
Do this so you do not die a horrible micro plastic PFOS death one day.
Best!
I already have cast iron pots and pans, but you make a good point. I'm going stainless steel!
At least upgrade to silicone. I'm baffled that cooking utensils even come in nylon. Options should only be metal, wood, silicone if intended to use near heat.
As far as I have seen, nylon is considered food safe and dishwasher friendly. https://weeklypellet.com/2016/06/10/the-tricky-business-of-choosing-plastic-for-food-contact-applications/
The Weekly Pellet is a website for people in the plastics industry.
Here's a site focused on people in the food industry:
https://www.chefsresource.com/is-nylon-food-safe/
Nylon is considered food safe while it is in good condition, but not if it has been damaged or used at temperatures higher than what it is rated for. If you cook at max on your stove top, you can exceed the safe temperature of Nylon very easily.
https://chefreader.com/how-hot-does-a-frying-pan-get/
These types of plastic spatulas tend to be recycled plastic. Which....you'd usually be all like "Oh, that's great!"
WRONG! Unfortunately it means you're getting an unknown exposure level of forever chemicals and there's rarely any oversight on what types of plastics are put into these. So it's worse than just cooking with plastics. It's cooking with an amalgam of unknown plastics that may be putting a huge amount of chemicals into your food.
Instructions unclear, trash can now wedged into my dishwasher and a pipe burst behind it
Any glue that is a) food safe and b) able to be stuffed in a dishwasher is probably going to be more expensive than a new spatula.
I applaud the effort to repair, but sometimes, it’s just not viable. Especially because the problem is in the relatively weak design of the part.
ETA: Food grade silicone or epoxy would do the job for a while, but neither will bond very well to the spatula. It would essentially be a mechanical bond and probably weaker than before
The glue would cost the same price as a spatula at a dollar store.
.
Round up another $1.25 and head to dollar tree
This right here unfortunately, the glue will cost more if you only use the glue once. We live in a world where items are easier/cheaper to throw out then repair.
Though I guess the cheapest thing you could do is drill a hole on the backside with a drill and put a screw through it. Only a short screw that goes into the cylinder/shaft.
Also fyi, most plastics from the dollar store are not guaranteed to be toxic free. You may find most of these plastics melt on pans with use over time and might end up being consumed. Usually what I opt for is metal on a metal pan or silicon cooking utensils that don't seem to melt or loose peices of them in what I am cooking.
Smash a tech screw in it, problem solved till the screw rusts.
Drill a hole through both and put a bolt/nut
Who needs glue, if you're hellbent on keeping it, stick the plastic back in and figure out a good place to put a screw/nail through and file it down if it goes out the other end.
If it breaks again you'll most likely be forced to completely replace it though, which is a good thing as it will mean didn't deserve the second life you've given it.
Get a proper single piece silicone spatula for your non stick and throw this one away. Get a single piece metal spatula for your stainless steel pan.
Alternatively, throw out your non stick pans and skip step one above.
Edit: Disregard what I said about metal spatulas. Get a two piece, wood handled, metal fish spatula. It is my new favorite item in the kitchen.
Modern non-stick is great, but you have to get the right ones. The cheap non-stick is terrible, stuff like Calphalon is great. You spend a bit more, but it makes cooking and cleaning so much easier.
If I really wanted to keep it I wouldn't use glue I'd put part of a balloon or a finger from a glove on the spatula and force it back in. IMO any kitchen utensil that's 2 parts like this will always fail quickly. I believe that's a force fitting with ridges intended to keep it in so slightly enlarging the piece that goes in will recreate the tight fit
I've used tin foil to make the same repair. You can be as sloppy as you like, after it fits snuggly, you can just peel/rub off any excess.
You have to sniff all the glue options you have and then and only then will you know which one is right
LPT: Write down your notes. By the time you're ready to do the install you'll have forgotten which Glue was the strongest.
Glue causes... memory problems?
Water proof JB Weld. But honestly it should be tossed. You want a spatula with a full tang. Even after you JB weld this the metal is going to fatigue and it will break again because there is so little connection between the tool and handle.
Can I introduce you to hand crafted spoons and spatulas:
I don't think these would be happy in a dishwasher
I wash all my wooden stuff in the dishwasher. It's not ideal but it's not like they fall apart after the first wash.
I have wooden spatulas that are years old that have always been machine washed.
That looks like a friction fit. Put it in place and try and crimp the tubing just a little bit. This is a 'controlled pressing force' type of operation. Don't hammer or push too hard too fast. Creative thinking can go a long way in training your inner MacGyver (ancient US TV show reference).
One idea is to use a dining room chair. The leg of a chair can exert a lot of pressing force on a small area. This can work if you lack hand tools, a vise or other methods. Position the tube and lower your weight onto the chair in a controlled manner to alter the geometry enough to securely hold the insert in place.
Two part epoxy would be the only type. The catalyst in most epoxies is probably toxic, there are specialty food safe types, but they cost a fortune. I don't think this is the solution though. I would go with crimping the tube.
Looks like someone needs a trip to SPATULA CITY!!! https://youtu.be/4BUDwj_mXKE
Just get a Spurtle.
Plastic items aren't meant to be repaired and it's not a good idea to use them with food for very long. The plastic parts will disintegrate. Just throw it out.
Buy one that's made out of wood.
Don't buy trash in the first place. Better for the environment, better for your workflows.
"How can I fix this so I don't have to throw it away?"
"Go back in time, idiot!"
Cut out a strip of tinfoil to wrap once or twice around the lower connector, then jam it back on.
West Systems 105 epoxy and 205 fast hardener. Roughen the area with some 220 grit sand paper, blot on some epoxy with a chip brush, wrap in fiberglass. Repeat until you have 2-4 layers of fiberglass. Use epoxy with 406 high-density filler to blend the edges if desired. Vacuum bag it until the epoxy has cured. Wet sand smooth if necessary, working up to 4000 grit.
Sir, this is a dollar spatula.
In my experience the only thing I think it will endure the dishwasher is the 2 part epoxi but that's toxic. I did use in my cup handle but I don't drink out of it. If its going to touch food I don't think you have a safe glue.
Edit: if there is plastic inside the metal you can try melting and bonding both. If its metal on plastic then forget it
Stick it back in, put it in a clamp, and drill a screw straight into the end of that rod. Ain't going nowhere unless you break it in the process, but at least you'll have had some fun. No, I'm not being serious.
I mean, that's not the worst suggestion? Drilling a hole and adding a screw could work. Now, whether that screw will start rusting and shedding rust shavings/dust into your food after a few washes is a different matter.
Honestly though, OP, it's best to just replace. If it's got sentimental value for whatever reason, you could try crimping the end of the tube or do go the drilling route and use a non-metallic holding mechanism (e.g. plastic screws or even a small circular plastic rod with an end that flares out after exiting the other side so it stays in place).
Assuming it's a press-fit...
I would do what another user suggested and use a bit of food grade silicone. Put it around the insert part and push on the handle. Then, take a flathead screwdriver and a hammer to put a little indent where that well is on the top of the spatula part, just under the edge of the metal.
God this gives me PTSD of the similar spatulas my grandparents insist on getting for some reason XD a big reason I don't skimp on quality kitchen supplies now. I recommend, if it's available, anyone who wants good kitchen stuff that won't break easy, try finding an Asian market of some kind with an appliance etc. section. The Korean market near me sells all type of great wooden spatulas, tongs, etc. and also stainless steel, for a great price. Way better than the overpriced trash at the big box stores.
