Good quality wooden spoons?

[grayum]

I have a set of wooden spoons that I use all the time for cooking and "serviceable" is about the best I can say for them. I'd like to upgrade and am wondering if anyone has recommendations for a good brand? I'm willing to pay for a set that is good quality and attractive. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

[tanuki soup]

I like bamboo spoons. IME, they are relatively low-maintenance and tend to last a long time.

[Chemicalkinetics]

I agree somewhat. Bamboo utensils are easier to maintain than wood utensils. Bamboo absorbs less water and therefore tends to not smell. However, when bamboo utensil split, they really split and the tools are gone forever.

[Nyleve]

Buy a wooden spoon that has the shape you like - some are more flattened, others more scoopy. Look for a harder wood as opposed to a very soft wood (you'll have to figure that out by feeling the weight in your hand). And then just use it until it becomes an extension of your arm. I don't think the actual price of a wooden spoon necessarily correlates with its usefulness. I've bought cheap dollar store spoons that feel great in my hand, more expensive cooking shop spoons that just feel clunky. Save your fancy olive wood spoons for serving salads. Once you''ve been using your wooden spoons for sauteeing and stirring for a while, they'll darken and will no longer be "attractive" in the way you probably want anyway. For what it's worth, my favourite wooden spoons were ones that I bought in an open market in Transylvania from the person who probably carved them by hand. They cost pennies.

[grayum]

Thanks, Nyleve, that's good advice. I think you're right that there's no need to pay a lot to get good spoons, but the spoons that I have are cheapo and I've never liked them, which is why I'm willing to pay more to get something better if I need to. But I'm happy to buy something economical if they're good quality.

[Nyleve]

You probably just need to check out a bunch of different spoons and see what fits you best. However much they cost, they won't be very much. Harder wood is good, but olive is unnecessary. Shape is most important for me.

[jazzy77]

Hmmm...TBH- my favorites are the ones that I bought before college and are so worn that one of the "corners" are now flattened from so much stirring over the years. They are so well seasoned, they seem indestructable at this point.

BUT, every time I visit my mother I really like the ones I bought her from Williams-Sonoma a few years back (maybe 10 years?) - they look just like new and have kept their shape well. I know that she uses them often.

[grayum]

Thanks, jazzy, I was actually in WS earlier today and thought about buying a set of olive wood spoons but didn't pull the trigger. INot sure whether they're the same as what you bought, but they look like they would last a long time. Guess they're going on the list!

[Chemicalkinetics]

Grayum,

I read olive wood spoon is supposed to be the best. On the other hands, the best wood spoons are the ones which you seasoned. Like, cast iron or carbon steel cookware, the quality of these cookware depends heavily on your treatment of them (seasoning).