With so many options of materials within your kitchen, the most common utensils being used in the world these days are plastic, stainless steel and wood.
It is interesting to know which one is best for you to use?
Here Is The Reason Why Wooden Spoons Are Better Than Plastic:
Plastic is an inferior material to wood (especially when it comes to heat within cooking).
Plastic can break apart in high temperatures and when used with ingredients including tomatoes and vinegar the plastic reacts to the acidity of the ingredient (changing the thermo chronic additive within the plastic).
So wood is a much better option!
This is the short answer. In this article we are going to go over in detail why wooden spoons are better while cooking and whether wooden spoons are healthy for you. Check it out!
Are Wooden Spoons Better Than Plastic While Cooking?
Yes, they are. Wooden spoons are more durable than plastic spoons for cooking purposes. You can use them for long periods for cooking, and they are comfortable at the same time.
The plastic types will sometimes break away easily or even melt down when exposed to high temperatures during cooking.
You can use a wooden spoon to handle acidic foods way better than plastic ones.
Acidic foods can react with plastic spoons because they have thermo chronic addictive and will change when they come across high temperatures.
This will leave your nutrition with some unsettling aftertaste. This is why it would be best to use wooden spoons when cooking tomatoes, vinegar, and pickling vegetables with some acidic elements.
Wooden spoons have no harmful chemicals in them, unlike plastic spatulas. The types made of wood are made of natural materials which are non-reactive. As a result, they will not leave chemicals like plastic, which react to high temperatures on your food.
Germs and bacteria don’t stay or proliferate on wooden spoons compared to plastic counterparts.
Studies that have been conducted about bacteria and germs infestation show that despite wooden items being porous and holding water for long, bacteria will not grow on wooden elements and will die over time because wood does have antimicrobial properties on them.
On the other hand, plastic spoons are a suitable environment for bacteria to stay and grow.
Wooden spoons are versatile than the plastic spoon.
They can be used to handle a wide range of functions in the kitchen, such as stirring pots, scooping everything from thick brownie batter to lightly whipped cream, muddling cocktails and mixing both wet and dry ingredients. Something that their plastic counterparts are unable to handle all these functions.
Wooden spoons are good for the environment compared to plastic ones. The rigid types are made from natural materials that do not negatively impact the ecosystem, like plastic spoons.
They also don’t require harmful chemicals during the making process. Additionally, when you want to throw them away when they are no longer helpful to you, they will decompose naturally.
Are Wooden Spoons Healthy?
Yes, wooden spoons are healthier to use compared to plastic and metallic spoon. The wood used to make the scoop is naturally antibacterial compared to other manufactured materials.
Therefore, they will not harbour bacteria on them than another type of spoon, which despite having protective measures, will hold bacteria on them when they develop dents and scratches.
Wooden spoons are easy to clean and protect them from germs.
When you use quality wooden spoons, you can treat them using mineral oil which will develop an inert, neutral exterior to give them a shield. Ensure that you treat them well to avoid stains from developing and drying out.
Another beneficial aspect of using a wooden spoon is it will not leave scratches on your cookware.
This is because they are softer and have edges that are not sharp to scratch your cooking pots. This is helpful when you have non-stick cooking utensils that can chip and chip harmful materials into your food.
Do Chefs Use Wooden Spoons?
Yes, for thousands of years, from cave kitchens to modern restaurants, chefs worldwide have been using wooden spoons for cooking. These are some of the reasons why they are ever-present on chefs must have utensils.
(I)Heat Retention:
Wooden spoons are a bad contactor of heat. You can handle them comfortably even when using high heat temperatures. They will not burn you and cool off faster after removing them inside, even hot water or food.
(II)Gentle on Pans:
Another excellent reason why chefs use a wooden spoon is that they have smooth surface ends that will not leave scratches on their pots and pans. Therefore, they are the best to use on non-stick cookware.
(III)Contain no Chemicals:
The problem that chefs encounter, when they use plastic or silicone utensils is that these spoon types are full of chemicals.
These chemicals are harmful, and when they leach into the prepared food can cause strange tastes and sometimes lead to health conditions. This is a problem that they don’t encounter when they use wooden spoons.
Most wooden spoons available in the market are natural and do not contain varnish or oil elements entirely. Therefore, they will not leach those elements into your food.
Many of them are made from bamboo, which after drying up, are digestible by humans and not harmful.
(IV)They are Sustainable:
Many wooden spoons are made from bamboo trees, making them the most sustainable items that chefs will have in their kitchens. These spoons can last longer.
(V)Price:
Wooden spoons are cheaper in the market because they are made in large amounts because of the availability of raw materials.
(VI)Versatility:
Chefs prefer wooden spoons to other types of utensils because of their versatility. They can use them to stir different kinds of food they will be preparing in a vessel of any kind available in their kitchen.
(VII)Designed for comfort and ease:
Most wooden spoons are made using thick and sturdy handles, which help chefs when they are cooking to maintain a solid grip.
Therefore, whenever one is cooking, the utensils fit comfortably in their hands, and they can maneuver with ease during the cooking process.
How Do You Sanitize Wooden Spoons?
The following steps are essential to follow when you want to sanitize your wooden spoons and leave them safe.
(I)Wash with soap:
After using your wooden spoon, ensure that you hand wash them with water and soap. After, leave your scoops to dry correctly.
(II)Treat with Oil:
Whenever the spoons are washed and they dry up, they will naturally look dry. Use oil to treat them.
Oil will prolong your wooden spoon life and make them appear new. Hang them out to dry after boiling them until they are dry completely.
(III)Remove buildup using vinegar:
Your wooden spoon may harbor harmful bacteria after coming into contact with food products or any surface. Vinegar will help to sanitize them.
(IV)Combat odors with baking soda or lemon:
Your wooden spoon will develop smells when they come into contact with organic acids or when they develop cracks.
Baking acids or lemon is crucial for neutralizing such acids to eliminate the odor coming out.
(V)Sanitize using Hydrogen Peroxide:
After cleaning your spoon, you can then use 3 percent of hydrogen peroxide to sanitize them by laying them on a flat surface.
After pouring this chemical on them, wait for about fifteen minutes before rinsing them off and hanging them somewhere to dry.
The simple way of sterilizing your wooden spoon is to profound them into a cup with boiling water and leave them for up to 20 minutes to remove all the elements on their surfaces.
Then wash them with soap and let them dry thoroughly. It would be best not to leave your spoon to soak overnight.
Is Disposable Wooden Cutlery More Eco-friendly Than Plastic?
The simple answer is yes. Disposable cutleries are more eco-friendly than plastic ones. Many restaurants and companies that provide food services worldwide have been using plastic tableware.
This is because this tableware is a cost-effective and convenient choice to purchase for personal or commercial use. They are also very light in weight and can be transported with ease. However, they cause a lot of harm to the environment.
Plastic materials have become popular in making functional products such as spoons but affect nature due to the harmful ingredients used in their manufacturing.
This ingredient includes bisphenol A (BPA), which can find its way into the prepared food, groundwater or soil and cause environmental pollution, rivers and ocean blockages. It can also cause the suffocation of fish and birds.
According to the data released by World Economic Forum, almost 40 billion used plastic utensils are discarded yearly in the United States alone.
Because of their minor nature, these plastic utensils and the food waste that contaminates them are not always recycled. They will end up being deposited in the ocean or enter landfills. Therefore, they will destroy the life of plants and animals found on water and land where they are deposited.
But wooden cutlery is not the same as plastic types. This is because they are 100 percent compostable which is a plus when they are used. When you use disposable wooden tableware, you can protect the environment from harm because they are compostable.
Much disposable wooden tableware like knives, spoons and forks are carved from birch wood. These leave these items with high chances of composting when they are no longer needed.
If you want to start a green business, it would be best to go for disposable wooden tableware to save the environment from harmful effects caused by chemicals released by plastic materials that are not decomposing.
If you cannot find disposable wooden tableware, you can go for plastic cutleries that are 100 percent made of recycled plastic or use reusable cutlery that you will keep for many years.
Here is a great article on how wooden spoons are better for the environment.