This Old-School Tool Hasn't Been Dethroned After Centuries Because It Still Works In Modern Kitchens

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There are plenty of essential tools that every kitchen must have whether your home decor is sleek and modern, filled with vintage throwbacks, or somewhere in between. Though kitchen tools can come and go over the years, there are a handful that possess a certain timelessness, proving as useful today as they've ever been. Rather than worrying about cooking with a wooden spoon, it's time to embrace this old-school kitchen necessity for its versatility. The ultimate utensil for time-consuming cooking, wooden spoons have stood the test of time to remain the top choice of stirrers.

Bridging the gap between old-school and new, these humble tools are ideal for a number of different reasons. Aside from the obvious points about not scratching up precious pots and pans, the ergonomic grip, and the fact that wooden materials don't conduct heat as well as other materials, there is more to this favorite tool than meets the eye. Stylistically speaking, wooden spoons have a fairly basic design that can fit well within a rustic-styled setting. Depending on your decor, you can choose from a range of wooden materials and stains to find a wooden spoon that effortlessly matches just about any style imaginable. For example, an Island Bamboo Black Pakka Spoon would be the perfect fit in a darker, modern kitchen whereas a colorful Totally Bamboo Baltique Montego Bay Collection spoon would look right at home in a more bohemian kitchen.

A sturdy and helpful kitchen companion, the wooden spoon stands up to stirring thicker foods where a lesser utensil would falter. This makes it a great choice for stirring hot cereals such as oatmeal, grits, or porridge. Wooden spoons are also excellent for use in cooking dishes like risotto and arroz caldo. Unlike their metal counterparts, wooden spoons do not react to acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or wine. Consider a wooden spoon an absolute must when browning meat for a tomato sauce.

It's also worth noting that many sauces like an onion pique béchamel require time to thicken, and one of the best ways to gauge the thickness of your sauce is by checking to see if it will coat the back of a spoon. The surface area and materials of a wooden spoon make it the optimal tool both for stirring and testing your sauce to ensure it's reached the proper consistency. For practical and aesthetic purposes, the wooden spoon is one old-school utensil worthy of its place in the upper echelon of kitchen gadgets.