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Who hasn’t sat in their grandmother’s kitchen as a small child and seen it back then, the wooden spoon. It seems old-fashioned in the form of a large, long cooking spoon at grandmother’s, who strictly refuses to sort out the old, discoloured cooking spoon. Instead, she might as well replace it with a new plastic cooking spoon. One wonders why she doesn’t do it.
It is equally interesting to note that in the zero-waste movement, the wooden cutlery set, including spoons, has been gaining traction in recent years. So the advantages of wood in both eating and cooking seem to outweigh the disadvantages when old and young love wood.
Summary
- The wooden spoon is a hygienic and sustainable solution for the household. Wood is a very good material for cooking and eating.
- You should avoid both the dishwasher and soaking in water for too long. This could damage the wooden spoon.
- You should clean a wooden spoon by hand with washing-up liquid. Boiling water with salt, vinegar or citric acid will help to clean it more thoroughly. Oil, on the other hand, serves to care for the wood.
The Best Wooden Spoon: Our Picks
Now we will show you different types of wooden spoons so that you can see what choice awaits you. There should be something to suit all requirements.
Buying and evaluation criteria for wooden spoons
To help you with your purchase decision, we have summarised the most important buying and evaluation criteria for wooden spoons. These are as follows:
In the following, we explain the criteria in more detail so that you get a good insight into the various points. This should help you to make a well-considered purchase decision.
Type of wood
Wooden spoons are available in both domestic and imported wood. For example, there are spoons made of domestic beech, maple and cherry wood. In the case of imported wood, you will find olive wood as well as teak. In addition, spoons made of bamboo are booming at the moment, as they are advertised as being particularly sustainable due to their rapid growth.
Size
Wooden spoons come in all kinds of sizes. For example, there are wooden cooking spoons with longer handles for domestic use on the one hand and with extra-long handles for industrial kitchens on the other. You can also find wooden cutlery in normal sizes.
But there are also wooden spoons for on-the-go use in smaller and combined (spoon or “spork”) shapes and also disposable spoons for fast food and ice cream. There is also a mini version for tea, coffee, spices or salt.
Shape
A distinction can be made between cooking spoons and tablespoons. There are also decorative spoons with shapes, such as a heart, on them. Cooking spoons can be oval or round and have a flattened side. A special shape is the honey spoon with its grooves.
Processing
There are already oiled wooden spoons, but also untreated and even lacquered ones. The quality and price depend on the processing. Oiled and lacquered wooden spoons therefore appear to be of a higher quality.
Dishwasher safe
Wooden spoons should not be washed in the dishwasher, even though some spoons are advertised as dishwasher-safe. When cleaning by hand, they should not be in contact with water for too long to avoid swelling.
Ease of cleaning
Contrary to what you might expect, cleaning a wooden spoon is relatively easy. Even though it is important that the wooden cutlery is not put in the dishwasher, it requires little effort to clean.
Dishwashing detergent and warm water are sufficient for everyday cleaning of your spoon. The wooden spoon can be cleaned hygienically with boiling water.
Guide: Frequently asked questions about wooden spoons answered in detail
We will try to answer the most frequently asked questions here for you in as much detail as possible so that you know everything you need to know before you buy.
Why use a wooden spoon for cooking?
However, wooden spoons are also ideal for coated pans and pots to avoid scratching them. In addition, the wood of the wooden spoon can prevent your water from overflowing when cooking. This is because the wooden spoon breaks up the surface of the cooking water. Too much foam, such as when cooking pasta, can therefore not develop in the first place.
What types of wooden spoons are there?
Equally, however, sustainable reusable wooden spoons, including wooden spoons, are also finding great popularity as to-go cutlery. These can be handmade and high quality spoons. But you can also find slightly cheaper models from machine production.
How do you clean and care for a wooden spoon?
For hygienic cleaning, you should place the wooden spoon in boiling, salted water for six to ten minutes.
Discolouration can be removed by soaking the wooden spoon overnight in vinegar or lemon juice. Soda water can also help. To care for the wooden spoon, rub it with a little oil from time to time.
Conclusion
Wooden spoons are tried and tested kitchen aids. After being replaced by plastic cutlery and utensils for a long time, they now seem to be having a revival. Compared to plastic utensils, they score points for hygiene and sustainability.
Although wooden spoons are not allowed in the dishwasher, they can be cleaned quickly and easily by using simple household products. Dishwashing liquid, salt, vinegar and lemon juice are sufficient.
The price ranges from low to high. So there is something for everyone. You are also sure to find your favourite in terms of the type of wood and its appearance.
(Cover photo: Tiko Giorgadze / Unsplash)
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