Ladle is a deep-bowled, long-handled utensil used to transfer and portion liquids such as soups, stocks, sauces and batters. Ladles are commonly identified by their capacity, allowing kitchens to standardise portions and maintain consistency. The French term is louche.
Choose a ladle size that matches the recipe’s portion standard and use the same measure consistently. Common capacities include 30 mL, 60 mL, 120 mL and larger sizes, although exact capacities vary by manufacturer. A ladle is a practical portioning tool; use a scale or graduated measure when a recipe requires greater precision.
A small ladle is useful for sauces and controlled plating, while a larger bowl is suited to soup, stock and bulk service. Bowl shape, handle length and material should suit the vessel and the product. A pouring lip can help with clean sauce work, while a deeper bowl can reduce spills when transferring liquid from a stockpot.
Example: use a 120 mL ladle for a standard soup portion or a 60 mL ladle for a measured sauce portion, according to the recipe specification.
Standardised ladle portions help control food cost, maintain recipe consistency and ensure guests receive the intended serving size. Train staff to fill the ladle consistently and avoid topping portions differently from one service to the next.
Chef’s tip: label or colour-code ladles by capacity where several sizes are used on the same station. Clean and sanitise between products, especially when handling allergens or moving from raw to ready-to-eat preparations.
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