Wood for kitchen utensils

Pecan sure is hard and durable.

It is and they have a few good priced pecan blanks (24" x 2" x 2" for $7) at the local Rockler. Just was looking for a lighter wood that would hold up to the rigors of cooking. I had some olive wood utensils a long time ago. They we're beautiful but can't seem to find a good supplier for Olive wood.

I have made some tables/chairs for the grandkids out of hard maple with the top out of birds-eye maple. I used a lot of the scraps to make spoons and spatulas and they are several years old and holding up fine. When they are used and get a little moisture on them the birds-eye and the fiddle back comes out and is kinda neat.

Hard Maple is a good wood for kitchen utensils and cutting boards. It is the only wood that is approved by FDA for use in cutting boards because of its tight grain and smooth surface. Porous woods are not good for food-contact surfaces because the pores can harbor bacteria and are difficult to clean.

Barry

Beech or sugar maple.

As others have mentioned - pecan too porous, walnut has a taste of its own, though I wouldn't worry too much about it. I make and sell a few hundred pieces out of cherry every year. Easy to work with, handsome, and the heartwood resists mildew even if left immersed accidentally. Maple has a tendency toward black mildew if left immersed, but if you oil the daylights out of it - two or more of walnut oil my recommendation, it will stand up to casual water and stains reasonably well. Since I carve my stuff more than turn, I don't use beech. Crumbly, only the heartwood seems to resist stain, and there just isn't that much in proportion in our American stuff.

One other which I recommend for durability and grunge shedding is tamarack, which is so loaded with resin that a quick set in the micro is all you need - no oil. Pain in the rump to carve, because fifteen careful minutes can go to waste as you sand into a pitch pocket. Frustrating.

I've made a set of wooden spoons from apple. I got this wood from a neighbor who chopped it down and offered me the knarled twisted wood. After drying it for three years I started making various small items from it. It is very strong and seems to hold up well. If you visit a kitchen store you'll find utensils made from a variety of woods. I know olive wood is often used.

Eastern Maple aka Rock Maple aka sugar maple (as in the tree that maple suyrp comes from), totally food safe.

Pat in Greenacres, WA

The original posting is no longer on the server, so I'll reply here. Besides these two woods one very important 'treen' wood is American Sycamore. This wood is a favorite for wooden spoons. Sycamore can withstand repeated immersion in water, even boiling water, without checking when it dries. Dan

Hi Dan

Yes I think sycamore behaves a lot like beech and it is stronger, I had be thinking that maybe black and honey locust and also acacia would be good but I have never used it for kitchen utensils for the thought that they might start checking after some use, you ever tried them?. Also hornbeam and hop hornbeam how do they stand up to the repeated water and drying cycles, there are a lot of woods that do not fare well under those circumstances, even though one would think they might be excellent for such use.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Dan Boll>>>I'm going to be turning some kitchen utensils for Christmas presents and > > was

There are many "safe" woods for utensils. You can get some good ideas from visiting kitchen stores. I've seen spoons made from olive wood. I made a set of spoons from apple wood and these are holding up very well.