Caring for wooden kitchen utensils: wooden spoons, charcuterie boards and serving boards
You care for wooden kitchen utensils just like a cutting board: wash by hand, dry straight away and oil now and then with a cloth. That goes for wooden spoons, charcuterie boards and serving boards. The care oil is suitable for every type of wood.
If you look after a cutting board well, you already have the routine at home. Wood is wood. A wooden spoon dries out just like a board and a charcuterie board warps just the same if you leave it to soak.
The three fixed rules
- Wash by hand. Briefly, with warm water and a little washing-up liquid. Never in the dishwasher and never leave to soak.
- Dry straight away. Stand boards upright. Do not put spoons and spatulas in a drawer wet.
- Give oil as soon as the wood feels dry or turns dull. Rub the oil out thinly with a cloth, leave it to soak in for 4 hours and wipe away what is still on top.
The detailed rhythm for a cutting board is in Caring for a wooden cutting board.
Per kind of utensil
| What the wood suffers from | What to watch for | |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden spoons and spatulas | Heat, sauce and being left in the pan | Take them out of the pan, wash them straight away and oil the handle too |
| Charcuterie boards | Fatty cheese, sausage and moist fruit | Wipe remains away quickly and oil both sides |
| Serving boards | Warm dishes and wet glasses | Dry rings straight away and oil the edges as well |
| Cutting boards | Knives and a lot of washing up | 20 ml of oil twice a month |
Which oil for which wood?
Kitchen utensils are rarely all made of the same wood. A beech wooden spoon, an acacia charcuterie board, a bamboo bowl. You do not need a separate oil for them. Our care oil is 100% grapeseed oil and suitable for every type of wood: beech, oak, acacia and bamboo.
The oil is food safe and odourless. That is just as important for a wooden spoon as for a board, because it stands in your food. We advise against olive oil and sunflower oil. They are thicker, soak in less well and have a smell and taste of their own. More about that in Which oil for a wooden cutting board?
How much oil do you need?
For a wooden spoon a few drops on the cloth are enough. You treat a charcuterie board or serving board like a cutting board: rub out thinly until the whole surface is covered, the edges and the underside too. If you oil everything in one go, a bottle runs out sooner. With the oil calculator you see which size fits.
If a serving board often has to deal with wet glasses or moist fruit, you can seal it with beeswax after oiling. That keeps moisture out.
Frequently asked questions
Can wooden spoons go in the dishwasher?
No. The heat and being wet for a long time dry the wood out and it can crack. Wash them by hand and dry them straight away.
How often do I oil a wooden spoon?
As soon as the wood feels dry or turns dull. With a spoon you use every day, that is sooner than with a serving board that comes to the table now and then.
My wooden spoon feels rough. What now?
Sand it lightly with fine sandpaper, grit 180 or 240, along the grain. Remove the dust and then oil it generously.
Does the oil also work on an oak or acacia charcuterie board?
Yes. The care oil is suitable for every type of wood. You apply it in the same way as on a beech cutting board.
