Since ancient times, wood has been a popular option for some cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas. Even today a lot of people prefer wood over other options, because of both traditional and practical reasons. There are a number of advantages of using wood kitchen tools compared to stainless steel or plastic. Here are some of them:
Wooden Utensils won’t Scratch Your Cookware
Wooden utensils are soft and very gentle in use with the most delicate cooking surfaces. One of the distinct advantages of wooden spatulas is that they are not going to scratch the finish on your non-stick coatings. They also won’t scratch your cast iron or stainless steel pots, and in opposite to metal utensils they are nice and quiet to use.
Wooden Spoons don’t Conduct Heat
Another reason that wooden utensils are superior to metal utensils is that they don’t conduct heat. If you leave a wooden spoon in the hot pot for a long time, the handle will still stay cool. With a metal spoon, you’ll end up with a burned hand. The plastic spoon will melt if it stirs something really hot or it rests on the side of a hot pan.
Wood is an Inert Material
Another plus for the wooden utensils is that wood is non-reactive and won’t leach harmful chemicals into your food. Wooden utensils won’t react with the acids in foods and leave a metallic taste, like metal spoons.
Easy to Grip Handles
Holding a metal spoon can be uncomfortable to grip, while hard edges can damage delicate ingredients. The wooden spoon handles are gently rounded and feel nice in your hand. And you feel comfortable while using it.
Design
Another benefit of wooden kitchen tools is that they look fabulously beautiful and elegant. The creative and artistic design of wooden utensils gives a beautiful appearance to the kitchen. Handcrafted wooden spoons are truly unique functional works of art that make wonderful gifts.
Durability
These utensils are very durable, and as long as you take proper care of them, you can expect them to give you long service. They are hard to break, and you can stir even the thickest ingredients or scrape foods off of the bottom of the pans. Since they can withstand heat, they won’t melt, even in an unattended pan. A little sanding from time to time can help remove burn marks and stains.
Germs and Bacteria don’t Like Wood
Research indicates that the wood appears to have natural germ-killing properties. It has been proven that germs and bacteria grow much faster on plastic and metal than on wooden kitchenware surfaces.
Environmentally Responsible Choice
Environmentally-conscious individuals can choose wooden utensils with confidence. Wood is natural and renewable resource and more environmentally responsible choice. We can help save our environment by using kitchen utensils that are made from renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic substances.
The Disadvantages of Using Wooden Cooking Tools
Wooden kitchen tools do have several downsides:
Wooden utensils are harder to clean than stainless steel or plastic cooking utensils. Food particles easy stick to the porous surface of the wood. Wood expands in water, so soaking it in dishwater is generally not advised.
Wooden utensils quickly lose their glossy finish, and might develop splinters or cracks if they are not improperly stored or handled.
Wooden spoons tend to pick up stains if used in soups and sauces.
It is hard to determine if a glossy finish on your wooden kitchen utensil is food safe, especially for imported items. A wood finish will wear off as you use them and you don’t want unsafe wood finish particles ending up in your food.
Original article: healthy cookware.
