Wooden Spoons Are The Ultimate Utensil For Time-Consuming Cooking
Wooden spoons have been with us from the beginning of our experience with food. They have been found at archaeological sites from ancient Egypt to Paleolithic Europe. Though it wasn't much more than a crude device used solely for eating, as cooking evolved and became more sophisticated, so too did the wooden spoon. As history has proven over the centuries, in spite of the availability of other materials, there is still nothing better than a wooden spoon when it comes to time-consuming cooking.
These types of cooking utensils really come into their own with these longer dishes, especially ones that require a lot of stirring. The comfortable grip in your hand, along with its stiff structure, means that a wooden spoon can move food around without being uncomfortable. Wooden spoons are also non-conductive, which means you can leave them in or resting on hot pans and know that when you return the spoon will not destroy your hand because it's holding heat from the pan. Wooden utensils, when compared to other materials like rubber or stainless steel, also have additional benefits that will extend the life of your pans and make cooking all the easier.
Wood utensils versus metal and rubber
Wooden spoons have the added benefit of being extremely gentle on cooking surfaces. While stainless steel may have an edge in terms of overall durability and are easy to clean, the material does scratch pans. If you use cast iron, copper, or even non-stick pots and pans, stick with wood for the simple reason that it won't scratch away at the lining of these surfaces. Stainless steel will eventually wear down the lining of a pan, thereby rendering it useless. Stainless steel also conducts heat, meaning it will get hot if you leave it sitting on a pot for too long.
On the other side of the scale, you can have something that is too gentle, like rubber. This material is extremely popular for good reason. It has a variety of uses and is great for handling gentler foods like egg whites or for getting every last drop of batter out of the mixing bowl. However, rubber spatulas will melt if exposed to heat for too long and the market is flooded with flimsy versions.
Ultimately, wooden utensils have stood the test of time because they work. Sure, there are pros and cons to anything, but if you want an overall sturdy, comfortable, well-rounded cooking utensil, then wood is the way to go.