Teak, Beech or Olive Wood? How to Pick the Best Wooden Spoons

Every Mexican kitchen runs on wooden spoons. They stir frijoles de la olla for hours without scratching the pot, scrape the bottom of a Dutch oven when the rice is toasting, and mash beans straight in the pan. They do not get hot in the hand the way a metal spoon does, and they do not melt on the edge of a skillet like cheap plastic.

This guide covers nine spoons and sets worth buying, from a teak spoon that America’s Test Kitchen rates among the best to American-made hand-carved cherry, French beech, Italian olive wood and an inexpensive bamboo set. It explains how the shapes and woods differ and how to keep them in good condition.

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Quick verdict: which wooden spoon to buy

Five wooden spoons side by side

Our five standout picks, one for each kind of cook. All nine spoons and sets are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Woods, lengths and finishes are as the maker or its listing states them.

Our picks for the best wooden spoons

The first four are everyday shapes: a classic round spoon, a three-spoon set, a flat scraping spoon and a corner spoon. Then come a heavyweight French beech spoon, an olive wood spoon, a hand-carved American cherry set, an angled maple set and a bamboo set. Each review gives the wood, size and finish the maker states, who it suits and one honest reason to skip it.

Teak, beech, maple, olive, cherry or bamboo?

All the woods here are hard, close-grained and widely used for kitchen tools. The differences are mostly weight, look and price.

Teak (FAAY) is naturally oily and, in America’s Test Kitchen’s review, resisted staining. Beech (OXO, Le Creuset, HIC) is pale, even-grained and the most common wood for European kitchen spoons. Hard maple (Modern Artisans) is similar in use and the classic American choice. Olive wood (Eddington’s) is dense with a strong grain. Cherry (Lancaster) is lighter in weight and darkens with age. Bamboo (Totally Bamboo) is a grass, light and inexpensive, but the tools are usually thinner.

Any of them will turn orange in a pot of chile colorado or salsa roja; that is colour from the chiles and tomatoes, not a fault in the wood. A spoon kept for savoury cooking and another for sweet things like arroz con leche saves the rice pudding from tasting faintly of garlic.

How to choose wooden spoons for your kitchen

1. Shape for the job

A round spoon stirs and scoops; a flat or corner spoon scrapes the bottom and edges of a pot; a slotted spoon drains. Most kitchens want one round and one flat or corner spoon.

2. Length

For deep pots and Dutch ovens, choose 12 inches or more so your hand stays out of the steam. America’s Test Kitchen marked down a 10-inch olive wood spoon for exactly that reason.

3. One solid piece

Every pick here is carved from a single piece of wood or bamboo, so there are no joints or glue lines to crack or trap food.

4. The finish, as the maker states it

Makers here state coconut oil (FAAY), a natural oil (OXO) or linseed oil (Modern Artisans); others state nothing. We report only what each maker says, and we do not add claims of our own about any finish.

5. Dishwasher or hand wash

Only Totally Bamboo says its set is dishwasher safe. Every other maker here says hand wash. America’s Test Kitchen did run spoons through the dishwasher in its review, but we would still follow each maker’s care instructions.

Caring for wooden spoons

The makers’ instructions all say much the same thing. Wash by hand in warm, soapy water soon after use; do not leave spoons soaking in the sink, which is how wood swells and cracks; dry them standing up or hanging; and rub them with oil when they start to look pale and dry. HIC and Eddington’s name mineral oil, FAAY says to oil occasionally.

The oils and creams sold for wooden cutting boards work for spoons too, and our guide to the best cutting board oil covers mineral oils, creams and waxes and what each maker says about food contact. If a spoon gets fuzzy after washing, a light rub with fine sandpaper followed by oil brings it back.

How we picked these nine spoons and sets

We looked at wooden spoons from OXO, Le Creuset, FAAY, Lancaster Cast Iron, HIC, Eddington’s, Calphalon, Modern Artisans, Totally Bamboo, Chef Craft, Imusa, Scanwood and Earlywood, plus many unbranded sets, and kept only those showing as in stock on Amazon when we checked. Wood, size and finish come from the Amazon listings and, for Le Creuset, from Le Creuset’s own product page.

The one review we read in full is America’s Test Kitchen’s wooden spoon review, which named the FAAY teak spoon and the Jonathan’s Spoons Spootle co-winners and recommended spoons from OXO, Le Creuset and Lancaster Cast Iron. We could not find Jonathan’s Spoons sold on Amazon, and Earlywood’s Amazon listings are spatulas rather than spoons. The same review recommended Imusa’s inexpensive three-piece set only with reservations because the heads are small, so it is not on our list. We have not used these spoons for this guide, and we did not rely on Serious Eats or Wirecutter.

Wooden spoon questions, answered

What is the best wood for wooden spoons?

Any dense hardwood works: teak, beech, maple, olive and cherry are all used by good makers. Choose by weight and feel rather than species. Bamboo is lighter and cheaper but less sturdy.

Which wooden spoon does America’s Test Kitchen recommend?

In the review we read, its co-winners are the FAAY 13.5-inch teak cooking spoon and the Jonathan’s Spoons Spootle, with OXO, Le Creuset and Lancaster Cast Iron spoons also recommended.

What are the best wooden spoon brands?

For the spoons here: FAAY for teak, OXO and Le Creuset for beech, Lancaster Cast Iron and Modern Artisans for American-made hardwood, HIC for French beech and Eddington’s for olive wood. Prefer a maker that states its wood, finish and care.

Can wooden spoons go in the dishwasher?

Most makers say no. Of our picks, only Totally Bamboo says its set is dishwasher safe, and even it warns against long soaks.

When should I replace a wooden spoon?

When it cracks or splits, when the edge is badly chipped, or when it stays rough even after sanding and oiling. A well-cared-for hardwood spoon lasts a long time.

Why do wooden spoons turn dark or orange?

Oils, chiles and tomatoes stain wood over time. FAAY notes that teak darkens with oil and heat and is still perfectly usable.

Our pick for the spoon jar

Start with the FAAY teak spoon for everyday stirring and add a flat or corner spoon, the Le Creuset or the OXO corner, for scraping. If you want everything at once, the OXO three-piece set is the simple answer.

More specific guides: the best wooden spoon sets and the best wooden spatulas.

Related guide: Wooden spoon alternative.

A wooden spoon belongs next to a heavy pot; our best Dutch oven guide covers that, and the best molcajete guide covers the stone mortar that sits beside them at the salsa station. For what to stir, read charro beans vs refried beans or what is mole; the rest of the basics are in Mexican cooking tools. Or let us do the stirring: see the menu and call to order.