Wooden spoons are a staple kitchen utensil all around the world, and humans have used them for thousands of years. Wooden spoons are sturdy yet incredibly gentle; they're softer than metal utensils, making them less likely to scratch or damage pots, pans, and other cookware, especially non-stick surfaces. Cooking acidic foods like tomato-based sauces or dishes with citrus with metal cooking utensils can cause a chemical reaction that leaves the food with a metallic aftertaste; cooking with a wooden spoon prevents this altogether. In this article, we've compiled a list of the best wooden spoons and what to look for in a wooden spoon before buying one. The OXO Good Grips Large Wooden Spoon wins the best overall spot because of its natural oil finish, which protects the beechwood, and its large, comfortable handle.
Before buying any wooden spoon in the market, it is essential to be familiar with some factors that will help you avoid spending money on a product that doesn’t fit your needs or will break down easily. We will see these factors that will aid our buying process:
Features To Keep In Mind While Buying Wooden Spoons
There are various materials used for the construction of wooden spoons. One of the reliable woods is pinewood, the best wood to use in designing wooden spoons, but they don't last long compared to other materials. During the first day of using the spoon, you might perceive a piney smell in your meals. If you don't like pinewood, other options available are maple wood, beech, olive, or bamboo wooden spoons.
This is another factor buyers have to consider when purchasing wooden spoons because of the various constructions used to produce them. Some wooden spoons are designed in one-piece construction, while others might be two-piece or more depending on the brand or manufacturer. From personal use, it is discovered that one-piece wooden spoons break after compared to others. Also, if you don't dry the spoon properly, they will inhibit bacteria.
While design and construction might seem to be practically the same thing, they aren’t in this case. There are wooden spoons used to serve meals, while some might mix ingredients or cook meals. Before purchasing a certain type of this cooking utensil, you must have a definite purpose regarding its usage. If its usage is for food scraping, wooden spoons with straight edges and sharp angles will be the ideal ones to buy.
In the market, there are wooden spoons that come individually, while others are manufactured in a set for users to have various sizes or certain features. If you feel you want something that will suit different purposes, your best option will be to purchase a set of wooden spoons. On the other hand, if you don’t think you’ll be using wooden spoons often, purchase a single wooden spoon.
The grip of any kitchen utensil is important to avoid accidents or oil spills. Some come with silicone handles, which offer a softer grip, while others have another material for their handles. Also, you have to take your time to check the length of the wooden spoon. A longer handle will keep you safe from kitchen accidents compared to shorter handles. The choice of buying either a longer or shorter handle depends on your preferences.
Before buying a wooden spoon, the price is the first thing that should come into your mind. Price has a significant role in things like construction, design, size, and many other features. If you desire to buy a wooden bamboo spoon, you should be ready to invest more money than wooden spoons made from other materials like cherry, pinewood, etc.
Benefits of Using Wooden Spoons
Its construction and design prevent it from scratching pots or pans. For this reason, it is preferable to use them over metal spatulas that leave marks on pots and contaminate meals.
Wooden spoons are the best use because they have strong handles. These spoons can stir stews or mix ingredients without getting damaged. Also, it can scrape the bottom of burnt pots without causing damage.
The wooden spoons don't leave any irritating odor or smell in your meals like metallic spoons will do. Foods contain chemicals and acids that can be contaminated when an external body comes in contact, especially in hot temperatures. Plastic spoons can break at the edges, leaving pieces inside your meals. The best spoons to use are wooden spoons because it is hard to break them.
Cooking utensils can absorb heat, leading to temperature changes in meals. The spoon could be a serious problem during food preparation that a precise temperature is needed. Wood is not a good insulator, so a wooden spoon won’t absorb any of the heat, which will help maintain the original taste of any meal.
Wooden spoons have no chemicals that will be harmful to the human body other than natural germ-killing properties that they possess. Any spoon you want to buy must follow the regulation of the FDA. If you can maintain your wooden spoons properly, they won't store bacteria or transmit pathogens into your meal.
How To Maintain Wooden Spoons
It is essential to have great knowledge of maintaining this cooking utensil. How you clean a wooden spoon is different from the method you will apply for metallic spoons. If you can maintain them, you can use them for longer. You can follow this process:
- Pour lukewarm water into a container, add liquid soap, and keep the wooden spoon inside. It is not advisable to keep it inside water for many hours to prevent it from absorbing moisture.
- Use a soft scrubbing pad inside the soapy water to remove food remnants from it.
- Rinse your spoon with lukewarm water and later dry it using a neat kitchen towel. After this, you can hang it for storage inside a clean rack or drawer.
- You can sanitize your wooden spoon weekly to fight against bacteria accumulation. Hydrogen peroxide is a wonderful chemical you can use to sanitize wooden spoons. After pouring some drops into a container, you can keep the spoon inside for fifteen minutes, then rinse it and allow it to dry.
- Oiling wooden spoons help preserve their look, which is why some wooden spoon manufacturers recommend the right oil to use. Try checking the product labels to see if there is a particular oil mentioned or contact the manufacturer so see if they recommend a certain oil to use with the wooden spoon.
