Wooden Spoons

The best innovative spoon we tested, this “spootle” (a combination spoon and spatula), won fans for its light, maneuverable weight and shape; slim, long scraping edge and rounded bowl for scooping food; and tapered, rounded handle that was comfortable and easy to grip in a variety of positions as we worked. The cherry wood had a pleasantly smooth texture and resisted becoming overly dried out and rough, even after 10 dishwasher cycles. (Note: This spoon is available in right- or left-handed versions. We tested the right-handed model; despite this, two left-handed testers gave it high marks.)

Testers raved about this classic wooden spoon. Light, long, and maneuverable, it kept our hands far from the heat, and its rounded, tapered handle was comfortable and easy to grip in a variety of ways as we worked. It also suited both right- and left-handed testers. The slim tip of its nicely scooped-out oval bowl was easy to maneuver under food for turning and scooping, and when angled slightly, the head provided sufficient area for scraping fond. Made of teak, the wood resisted staining or drying out, retained its color, and never became rough to touch, even after 10 cycles through the dishwasher. 

A notch cut into the handle lets you rest this “lazy” spoon on the edge of a pot. We’re not sold on the concept, since we had to take it off the pot whenever we put the lid on. That said, this spoon was comfortable, light, and maneuverable and had a deep, rounded bowl and relatively thin leading edge that helped us scrape and scoop effectively. We liked using the wide, flattened notch area for a thumb rest for better leverage. The wood stayed in pretty good shape throughout testing but felt slightly rough by the end. (Note: This spoon is sold in right- and left-handed versions. We tested the right-handed model; left-handed testers had mixed reactions to the head, which is slightly tilted to the left.)

The large, broad (3-inch-wide) head of this “lazy” spoon, with a notched handle that lets you rest it on the pot edge, was effective for scraping fond and scooping food, but testers had mixed reactions to its single pointed corner, which sometimes felt like it was in the way as we mixed cookie dough or swept it around a skillet; left-handed testers found the shape of its head extra-awkward. The spoon itself also felt a bit heavy and fatiguing during active use. The wood felt dry by the end of testing but remained mostly smooth.

This oversize spoon felt thick, heavy, and clumsy to some testers, though its sturdy handle was useful when we needed to push through thick oatmeal cookie dough. Its light color showed stains. The rough surface texture was a bit scratchy to hold, but the spoon scraped and scooped effectively. 

Even heavier than its round-headed sibling, this “corner” spoon’s single asymmetrical point provided a broader scraping edge, but it sometimes felt like it was in the way as we swept it around a bowl or pan. We liked this spoon’s generous length and sturdiness when mixing heavy dough. Its light color showed stains, and the rough finish felt a bit scratchy to hold.

This sturdy spoon had a comfortable handle and might have been a real contender if it wasn’t so short, but that was a deal-breaker when we wanted an all-purpose tool: Our hands and forearms became uncomfortably hot when we were sautéing the vegetables for the curry or the meat for the Bolognese in the depths of the Dutch oven. Because of its tapered, pointed tip, we had to angle the spoon to scrape up fond. The olive wood remained in good condition and didn’t show stains as much as lighter woods.

We tested the larger of the two pieces in this set. This innovative “spurtle,” a Scottish tool used to stir porridge, is marketed as better than a traditional wooden spoon. We were surprised by how comfortable it was to hold as we worked with it and found that the long curve in the paddle shape helps it stir effectively, though its very narrow head with rounded corners meant we had to take lots of extra swipes when scraping up fond, and it was nearly impossible to scoop up food unless that food was quite thick. The spoon also showed dents from being whacked on the pot, lost much of its smooth finish in the dishwasher, and split along glue lines in three places along the tip. The set includes a smaller 8.5-inch spurtle.

We were intrigued by the shovel-shaped head of this “roux spoon,” which was specifically designed for scraping up browned bits of fond, a key step to making good roux, but its construction posed a few problems. First, we ordered four copies, but each arrived a slightly different color and shape, which made us concerned about quality control. Worse, the roughly shaped, ragged leading edge of our testing copy, which dipped in the middle, meant that it struggled to make full contact with the pan surface—it was like scraping with a pitchfork. While its slick, smooth, clear finish made the handle comfortable, food slid right off the head when we tried to scoop, and the finish chipped off in patches by the end of testing, accelerated by 10 trips through the dishwasher.

This very inexpensive, basic set of three spoons for just over $1 apiece includes two 12-inch spoons and a 10-inch spoon. We tested one of the 12-inch models. Rough and unfinished, the surface of this spoon actually improved with use, becoming slightly smoother and absorbing some oils from cooking and handling, though it also showed stains from curry. We liked that it was lightweight, and the classic shape felt familiar. However, the skinny handle was fatiguing to grip for long, and the head was just too tiny to be as efficient as other models at scraping and scooping. While it felt flimsy and flexed a bit as we tried to snap it, this spoon did not chip, crack, or break during testing.