Incredible analysis, great blog post! What’s wrong with using raw wood? Will that go bad quickly?

If you use the appropriate wood, you can wet and sand many times to get a smooth finish. You can burnish it (rub with hard metal) to close the surface well. But it will still stain and absorb smells, just to a lessor extent. You'll notice if you use the same spoon for coffee and tea, or the same spoon for curry and miso soup.

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Freak_NL 2 days ago | parent [-]

Why would you use a wooden spoon for those? I use wooden utensils for frying and stirring in metal pots and pans. Everything else is just the usual stainless steel type suitable for utensils.

	▲	coryrc a day ago \| parent [-]
		I don't know either, but the article is about wooden coffee cups.

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awestroke 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

When the wood fibers get wet they swell and become soft. When soft, the surface will be very sensitive to damage. Fibers on the surface will raise and then not return to their original position, causing surface roughness. Repeated cycles of wet/dry will cause cracks.

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Saline9515 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

From experience, even the cheapest wood spoons won't bulge, as long as you don't leave them immerged in water for a long time.

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mmooss 2 days ago | parent [-]

Could that be because they are treated somehow?

	▲	Saline9515 20 hours ago \| parent [-]
		They were likely treated with mineral oil, but the finish has been gone for a long time now.

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2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

[deleted]

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convolvatron 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I don't have a problem. if they get a little funky I just sand them down. and let them soak in food-grade mineral oil for a while. same with cutting boards and butcher block tables.

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esperent 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Depending on the climate, it can go moldy very quickly.