OTOTO Red the Crab Review: The Spoon Rest That’s Actually a Crab
Verdict: Worth it — a red silicone crab whose claws grip your spoon and whose legs prop the pot lid open to vent steam. Playful enough to make you smile, practical enough to earn its stove-side spot.
Our rating: 4.5/5
Why we noticed it
“Spoon rest shaped like a crustacean” is not a category anyone shops for — and that’s the charm. Red the Crab comes from OTOTO, the design studio that turns everyday kitchen tools into little characters, and it nails the design-charm surprise: the photo alone makes you grin. The crab’s claws hold your spoon or tongs, and its legs brace the pot lid slightly ajar so steam escapes without boil-overs. It’s a two-job gadget wearing a Halloween costume, and it’s become a recurring wedding-registry and white-elephant pick — giftability built in.
What it does
It’s a heat-resistant, food-grade silicone utensil rest that sits stove-side: the sturdy claws grip spoons, tongs, and ladles, the non-slip base catches drips so they don’t hit your counter, and flip it around and the body doubles as a steam releaser — the legs prop your pot lid ajar to vent steam while you cook. It’s dishwasher safe and BPA-free.
What we like
- Design-studio wit: OTOTO’s whole lane is playful kitchen design, and Red the Crab is the signature piece — claws that hold your spoon, legs that vent your pot.
- Two genuinely useful jobs: spoon rest plus steam releaser, so it’s not just a joke sitting on your counter.
- Stove-side safe: 100% food-grade silicone, BPA-free, and heat-resistant enough to sit next to the pot.
- Proven giftability: a recurring wedding-registry and white-elephant pick, with editorial coverage from Taste of Home.
- Strong buyer feedback: 4.5 stars across roughly 13,800 Amazon ratings — a big, genuine sample with gift-guide presence.
- Easy cleanup: dishwasher safe, non-slip base keeps the mess contained.
The catch
- It’s a spoon rest: the charm is the whole point — don’t expect more utility than holding a utensil and venting a lid.
- Small footprint: about 4 inches square; it won’t hold oversized ladles or multiple tools at once.
- Silicone stains: like all silicone, it can pick up color from turmeric or tomato over time.
- Knockoffs abound: buy the genuine OTOTO listing, not the lookalike crabs that flood the category.
- Not for minimalists: if novelty kitchen items make you twitch, this is the opposite of your aesthetic.
Who it’s for / who should skip it
For: Home cooks who like whimsy in the kitchen, gift-givers (housewarming, white elephant, stocking stuffer), and OTOTO / Genuine Fred collectors.
Skip: Minimalists who hate novelty kitchen items, or anyone wanting a large multi-utensil rest.
Price
Red the Crab typically runs about $14.95 on Amazon (list price $19.95) — firmly stocking-stuffer territory.
Where to buy
Price is approximate and may change.
How we evaluated it
Rbay Finds reviews are researched and curated, not hands-on tested. We corroborated the ASIN through a dedicated price-tracker’s product page and consistent rating counts across deal trackers (Amazon’s bot protection blocks automated listing checks, so the listing page itself couldn’t be read directly — worth a sanity check of the link before publishing), checked buyer feedback volume and distribution for manipulation patterns, and noted the editorial gift-guide coverage. No free products, no affiliate pressure.
3 alternatives
- OTOTO Nessie Tale Ladle Set — the Loch Ness monster ladle and colander, same playful design-studio lane.
- OTOTO Avocado Spoon Rest — the studio’s newer avocado design, for a different flavor of whimsy.
- Genuine Fred Spaghetti Monster colander — another design-gift-brand kitchen piece for the playful cook.
FAQ
Is it heat-safe on the stove?
Yes — heat-resistant, food-grade silicone. It sits stove-side next to the pot without issue.
How does the steam releaser work?
The crab’s legs prop the pot lid slightly ajar so steam escapes — no boil-overs.
Dishwasher safe?
Yes — toss it in with the regular load.
Will it hold big utensils?
It’s about 4 inches square, so standard spoons, tongs, and ladles are fine — oversized tools or several at once, less so.
Final verdict
Red the Crab is the rare novelty kitchen item that isn’t a one-joke purchase: the spoon-rest-plus-steam-releaser combo is genuinely useful, the buyer record is deep and enthusiastic, and at around $15 it’s an easy gift. This is design-charm surprise done right.
Would you buy this?
