Teak, Olive or Bamboo? Shopping for the Best Wooden Ladle

A steel ladle is the right tool for serving most soups, and our best ladle guide covers those. A wooden ladle does a different job. It stays quiet against a clay olla, will not scratch an enameled Dutch oven or a nonstick pot, and its handle does not turn hot when it rests in a simmering pot of beans. It is also the ladle many cooks reach for when they stir as much as they serve.

This guide names eight wooden ladles in teak, olive wood and bamboo from FAAY, Naturally Med, Totally Bamboo, Lesvos Woodcraft, Woodenhouse, Woodlands USA and Bloomhouse. For each one we give the length, the bowl size where the maker states it, the finish exactly as the maker describes it, and how to care for it. None of them are the steel and silicone ladles on our main ladle page.

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Quick verdict: which wooden ladle to buy

Five wooden ladles compared

Our five standout wooden ladles, one for each kind of cook. All eight are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Lengths are as each maker or listing states them.

Our picks for the best wooden ladle

The eight ladles below cover three materials: teak, olive wood and bamboo. They run from a 1.3-ounce pouring ladle to a 14-inch ladle for deep pots, and include a three-size set and a ladle with a hooked handle. Wooden ladle listings often leave out the capacity and the finish; where a maker does not say, we write “Not stated” rather than guess.

Teak, olive wood or bamboo: the best wood for a ladle

There is no single best wood for a ladle. Each of the woods sold on Amazon has a different trade-off, and the makers’ own descriptions point to them.

Teak

Teak is a dense tropical hardwood with natural oils. FAAY says teak is known to be heat and moisture resistant, and its ladles carry only a coconut oil finish. Teak darkens with use; FAAY says that is normal. It is the best all-round choice for a ladle that sits in a hot pot.

Olive wood

Olive wood is heavy and close-grained, with a strong swirling pattern. Bloomhouse says its olive wood resists stains and odors from acidic and strongly colored foods, and Lesvos Woodcraft describes it as durable and stain resistant. It costs more than teak and needs occasional oiling.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a fast-growing grass, not a tree, and it is light and inexpensive. Totally Bamboo says its Moso bamboo is durable and safe on all cookware. It looks more uniform than wood, and Totally Bamboo says not to soak it or put it in the dishwasher.

Beech and maple

Beech is the wood of the classic French cooking spoon and hard maple of many American-made spoons; both are good, plain choices. We found beech and maple ladles on Amazon, but the ones from identifiable makers were showing limited stock or very little information, so none made this list. Our wooden spoons guide covers beech and maple spoons.

How to choose a wooden ladle

Bowl size. Wooden ladles are usually smaller than steel ones. FAAY’s original holds about 2.4 ounces and its duck’s tail about 1.3, against the 4 to 5 ounces of a typical steel soup ladle. Fine for stirring and serving beans; for big bowls of soup, a steel ladle is quicker.

Length. Measure your deepest pot. A 10- or 11-inch ladle suits saucepans and Dutch ovens; for a tall stockpot, look at 13 or 14 inches, such as the Lesvos Woodcraft or Totally Bamboo.

Finish. Makers finish wooden ladles with oil, wax or lacquer, and many listings do not say which. If you want to avoid a lacquer coat, buy a ladle whose maker states the finish, as FAAY does. A lacquered ladle needs less oiling; an oiled one needs re-oiling but has nothing to chip.

Hook or notch. A hook on the back or a curved handle lets the ladle rest on the rim instead of sliding into the pot. Woodenhouse and Woodlands USA have one; most others do not.

Care you will actually do. Every maker here says to wash by hand, and none lists its ladle as dishwasher safe. If you want a ladle that goes in the dishwasher, buy steel or silicone instead.

Caring for a wooden ladle

The makers’ instructions agree. Wash the ladle by hand in warm, soapy water soon after use, and do not leave it soaking; Totally Bamboo says so directly and FAAY suggests no more than five minutes in water to loosen stuck food. Dry it at once, by hanging it as FAAY suggests or with a towel, and store it dry.

When the wood looks pale or feels rough, rub in a thin coat of oil: Lesvos Woodcraft suggests olive oil or mineral oil, and FAAY simply says to keep oiling when dry. A ladle that has cracked deeply or stays sticky after washing is worth replacing.

Wooden ladles in a Mexican kitchen

Beans are where a wooden ladle earns its place. Frijoles de olla simmer for hours, often in a clay pot, and a wooden ladle can stay in the pot without scratching the glaze or getting too hot to hold. It stirs and serves the same beans, and later mashes a few against the side to thicken the broth. Our guide to charro beans vs refried beans covers what happens next.

A small wooden ladle is also a natural fit for a taco bar, where each salsa, crema and guacamole gets its own spoon; the Woodenhouse set suits that well. For pozole and menudo served in big bowls, a deep steel ladle is faster; see pozole vs menudo for those two soups.

How we chose these eight wooden ladles

We looked at wooden ladles in teak, olive wood, bamboo, beech, maple and pakkawood on Amazon and kept only those showing as in stock when we checked, from makers we could identify. Specifications and finish details come from the Amazon listings and the makers’ own descriptions; we repeat a finish claim only when the maker states it. We left out a Berard olive wood ladle and a Modern Artisans maple ladle because both were showing limited stock, and several unbranded ladles with thin listings.

We avoided the products already on our best ladle, best wooden spoons and wooden spoon set guides. FAAY appears on those pages with spoons; its ladles here are different products. We searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listings for each brand and found no recalls. We have not used these ladles ourselves; the picks reflect specifications, maker information and what a restaurant kitchen looks for.

Wooden ladle questions, answered

What is the best wood for a ladle?

Teak and olive wood are the best widely available choices. Teak is lighter and, per FAAY, resists heat and moisture; olive wood is heavier and denser, and its makers describe it as stain resistant. Bamboo is a lighter, cheaper alternative.

Can a wooden ladle go in the dishwasher?

None of the makers here list their ladles as dishwasher safe. Totally Bamboo says not to put its ladle in the dishwasher or soak it, and the others say to hand wash.

Do wooden ladles need oiling?

Yes, from time to time. FAAY says to keep oiling its teak ladles when they look dry, and Lesvos Woodcraft and Bloomhouse suggest an occasional thin coat of oil for their olive wood.

Is a wooden ladle better than a steel one?

For stirring and for nonstick, enamel or clay pots, yes. For serving large bowls of soup, a steel ladle with a bigger bowl and a pouring rim is faster; our best ladle guide covers those.

Will a wooden ladle stain?

Wood darkens with use, especially with red chile and tomato. FAAY says teak darkens with oil and heat but stays usable, and Bloomhouse says its olive wood resists stains and odors.

The wooden ladle to start with

Buy the FAAY 12-inch teak ladle if you want one well-finished wooden ladle for beans and soup. Choose the Naturally Med or Lesvos Woodcraft for olive wood, the Totally Bamboo for a tall stockpot, and the Woodenhouse set if you serve several dishes at once.

For the rest of the drawer, see our guides to the best ladle in steel and silicone, the best wooden spoons and the best Dutch oven for the pot itself. If you would rather leave the beans to our kitchen, see the menu or call to order.