Bottle scraper
Encyclopedia
The bottle scraper is a Dutch
kitchen tool similar to a small spatula
. It is specifically designed to scrape the contents of long bottle
s that would be impossible to reach with other kitchen tools.
The scraper is made of a long shaft, frequently around 30 cm (1 ft) in length. On one side is a small flexible rubber
spatula head roughly 4 cm (2 in) across set perpendicular to the shaft. The head is flexible and usually has a rounded half-circle shape one side useful for scraping round bottles and jars and a flat side with two right angles useful for scraping out cartons. The head is flexible so that it can be pushed into and pulled out of bottles whose mouth is smaller than the fully expanded head of the scraper but larger than the shaft.
It is a common tool in kitchens in the Netherlands and available in many kitchen stores and supermarkets — although this may vary by region. It is almost entirely unused and unknown outside of that country.
Historically, vla
(a popular dairy product with the consistency similar to custard or yoghurt) was sold in long glass bottles. Vla was frequently delivered by milkmen
in bottles similar to the long, tapered-neck milk bottle
s used in many places in the world. However, while the use of the milk bottle streamlined production and distribution practices, the shape of the container made it hard to extract the last bits with spoons, spatulas, or other kitchen utensils. The Dutch answer was the bottle scraper which was specifically designed to answer this problem.
Vla is now primarily sold in cartons which reduces the need for a bottle scraper or make the design less efficient (e.g., bottles have rounded walls while cartons frequently have square bases with 90 degree angles). Modern bottle scrapers include a spatula-side with right angles useful for scraping vla out of these containers as well. Additionally, the scraper has come to occupy an important role in Dutch kitchens in variety of other purposes being used for scraping the contents of many other bottles and jars (e.g., peanut butter
, Nutella
, etc.). Much of the Dutch population is familiar with the bottle scraper and skilled in its use.
There is an element of the technical and engineering community that sees the bottle scraper as a monument to a wrong type of technical solution. This group argues that the best solution to the problem of remaining vla in bottles was to put vla in different containers preventing the problem from ever occurring, rather than inventing another tool and then educating a population in its use.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
kitchen tool similar to a small spatula
Spatula
The term spatula is used to refer to various small implements with a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift materials including foods, drugs, plaster and paints...
. It is specifically designed to scrape the contents of long bottle
Bottle
A bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth". By contrast, a jar has a relatively large mouth or opening. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids such as water, milk, soft...
s that would be impossible to reach with other kitchen tools.
The scraper is made of a long shaft, frequently around 30 cm (1 ft) in length. On one side is a small flexible rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
spatula head roughly 4 cm (2 in) across set perpendicular to the shaft. The head is flexible and usually has a rounded half-circle shape one side useful for scraping round bottles and jars and a flat side with two right angles useful for scraping out cartons. The head is flexible so that it can be pushed into and pulled out of bottles whose mouth is smaller than the fully expanded head of the scraper but larger than the shaft.
It is a common tool in kitchens in the Netherlands and available in many kitchen stores and supermarkets — although this may vary by region. It is almost entirely unused and unknown outside of that country.
Historically, vla
Vla
Vla is a Dutch food product. It is a type of custard .-Vla custard:This dairy product made from fresh milk first appeared in the 1950s. Traditional vla is made of cooked milk with custard, or with a combination of eggs, cornstarch, vanilla and sugar...
(a popular dairy product with the consistency similar to custard or yoghurt) was sold in long glass bottles. Vla was frequently delivered by milkmen
Milkman
A milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
in bottles similar to the long, tapered-neck milk bottle
Milk bottle
Milk bottles are bottles used for milk. They may be reusable glass bottles used mainly for doorstep delivery of fresh milk by milkmen. Customers are expected to rinse the empty bottles and leave on the doorstep for collection...
s used in many places in the world. However, while the use of the milk bottle streamlined production and distribution practices, the shape of the container made it hard to extract the last bits with spoons, spatulas, or other kitchen utensils. The Dutch answer was the bottle scraper which was specifically designed to answer this problem.
Vla is now primarily sold in cartons which reduces the need for a bottle scraper or make the design less efficient (e.g., bottles have rounded walls while cartons frequently have square bases with 90 degree angles). Modern bottle scrapers include a spatula-side with right angles useful for scraping vla out of these containers as well. Additionally, the scraper has come to occupy an important role in Dutch kitchens in variety of other purposes being used for scraping the contents of many other bottles and jars (e.g., peanut butter
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts, popular in North America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and parts of Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread, sometimes in combination as in the peanut butter and jelly...
, Nutella
Nutella
Nutella is the brand name of a chocolate spread. Nutella, manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero, was introduced on the market in 1963. The recipe was developed from an earlier Ferrero spread released in 1944. Nutella is now sold in over 75 countries....
, etc.). Much of the Dutch population is familiar with the bottle scraper and skilled in its use.
There is an element of the technical and engineering community that sees the bottle scraper as a monument to a wrong type of technical solution. This group argues that the best solution to the problem of remaining vla in bottles was to put vla in different containers preventing the problem from ever occurring, rather than inventing another tool and then educating a population in its use.
External links
- Flessenschraper, "...one of the coolest kitchen gadgets that you've never heard of..."