Why I Keep Reaching for This OXO Wooden Spoon Set
I switched to this OXO wooden spoon set about a year ago after my old plastic spoons started warping near the stove, and honestly, I haven’t looked back. There’s something about a solid wooden spoon that just feels right in your hand — no wobble, no weird plasticky smell when it gets hot, none of that. This particular set comes in 3 sizes and covers pretty much everything I cook: the small one’s great for sauces, the medium handles most everyday stirring, and the big one is what I grab for stews or anything in a deep pot.
What’s In the OXO Wooden Spoon Set
- Beech wood, one solid piece: No glued sections to worry about splitting apart down the line. Beech is dense, so it holds up well and doesn’t hang onto smells the way cheaper woods sometimes do.
- Won’t scratch your pans: If you’ve got non-stick, ceramic, or cast-iron cookware, these are safe to use — the edges are smooth and rounded, not sharp.
- OXO’s chunky, comfortable handles: You’ll notice this if you cook a lot. Stirring a big pot of chili for twenty minutes doesn’t leave your hand aching the way a thin handle would.
- Three sizes, one set: Small, medium, large — covers mixing bowls all the way up to stockpots without needing five different spoons in a drawer.
- Comes with a light oil finish: Straight out of the box they look good and the wood’s protected. It’s a food-safe oil, nothing weird.
Who This Wooden Spoon Set Makes Sense For
Pretty much anyone who cooks regularly, but especially if you’ve invested in decent non-stick or ceramic pans and don’t want metal utensils anywhere near them. Also a solid pick if you’re just tired of plastic spoons melting a little at the edges.
Taking Care of Your Wooden Spoons
- Wash by hand: Skip the dishwasher — the heat and prolonged water exposure isn’t great for wood over time. Warm water, a bit of dish soap, done.
- Dry them right away: Don’t let them sit in a wet sink. A quick towel-dry after washing keeps them from warping or cracking.
- Oil them every so often: Every couple of months, a bit of food-safe mineral oil or butcher block conditioner keeps the wood from drying out and splintering. Takes two minutes. (The EPA has guidance on what counts as food-safe for kitchen materials, if you want to double-check any conditioner you’re using.)
Common Questions About the OXO Wooden Spoon Set
Will these scratch my Teflon pan?
No. That’s kind of the whole point of wooden spoons — hard enough to work through thick batters or sauces, soft enough that it won’t touch your non-stick coating.
Is there some kind of chemical coating on them?
Nope, just a natural food-grade oil applied for shipping and to protect the wood. No lacquer, no paint.
Do they end up smelling like garlic or whatever I last cooked?
Not really, as long as you wash them soon after use. Beech is fairly dense and doesn’t soak up odors as easily as some softer woods. Leave it soaking overnight with onion still on it, though, and you might notice something.