How to Care for Your Wooden Kitchen Tools
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- Equipment expert Adam Ried shares how to care for wooden kitchen tools.
Buy our co-winning wooden spoon: amzn.to/3nGUsLy
Buy our winning wood cutting board: cooks.io/35jS19L
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
americastestkitchen.com
/ americastestkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen
As a builder of cutting boards if you are going to use mineral oil warm it first in a pot set over hot water. This thins the oil and helps it to absorb into the board much deeper.
Great tip. Thank you.
Would that work on a dining table as well??
@@tanyastalking8495 I'm sorry, but I don't feel confident answering your question. My immediate impulse is that it would, but I don't know about wood conditioners for tables, etc.
@@robertsterner2145 thanks
Would saturating a board in mineral oil for like a few days be beneficial at all? Or just overkill?
Just figure it would be a more hands off approach then reapplying the oil ever day.
You can also buy 'butcher block conditioner' which is basically the same as spoon butter, but more liquid and also has carnauba wax. I use it on my kitchen products and items I carve. Looks great!
40 years ago I made an exotic wood grooved cutting board and a massive mahogany and cherry wood butcher block with the help of a true craftsman. I've had them all this time using food safe mineral oil every few months and they look today as the day I created them. The trick he taught me was to warm the mineral oil before application. These days I just bump it into the microwave for a few seconds before application. Thinning it out makes the oil absorb better.
My wife doesn't like the idea of using a petroleum product on our wooden utensils and cutting boards, so I used fractionated coconut oil instead. It works great for making wood butter!
Excellent advice Adam. I make and sell cutting boards and wooden utensils. I also make board butter. You have the correct ratio at 3:1 oil to beeswax. Most online recipes have 4 or 5 to 1. Your recipe makes a board butter that won’t separate. Handy hint - the board butter is great for moisturizing your hands when they get dry and cracked.
Hi folks...
I truly appreciate all the info you put out for us.
It is always helpful.
Thanks again 😊
Thank you for the video. I love America’s test kitchen so many great ideas and solutions. Finally made board butter this week and treated my wooden boards and tools. Being in MB Can (very dry winter air) they loved the treatment.
Good timing Adam, I just purchased my first wood cutting board. Your information is always excellent and very useful. I always watch for new videos from both you and Jack Bishop. Thanks for sharing a great video, keep up the good work.
"If you're gonna take care of your wood..." - Adam Reid, America's Test Kitchen (Feb 2, 2022)
Lots of good info .Thank you I was wondering how to care for the wood.
Thanks Adam, the cutting board, knives, & utensils are smiling again !
Good stuff. Thank you
I love all these videos ATK make.
This reminds me, need to apply mineral oil to my wooden utensils. They get it periodically, but it's time to redo.
Very nice butternut bowl you have there. That spider web grain is unique to the butternut tree. I have been making wood bowls for almost 30 years now. I quit using mineral oil and beeswax years ago. Main reason is the mineral oil offers little to no protection against water. It soaks in and then pretty much disappears. after a couple of days. The bees wax is very soft, and if there is any on the surface, it leaves finger prints. Choice of many bowl turners are walnut oils and carnuba/palm wax. The walnut oil soaks in and then cures and hardens. I prefer the stuff from The Doctor's Woodshop. Only affiliation I have with him is I have found his product to be excellent. There are a couple of others. The salad walnut oils in the grocery store can vary a lot, some cure, and some don't. The walnut oil is heat treated to break down all the proteins that can cause nut allergies. Oh, last coat of oil/wax is applied with a heat gun.
Thank you!!!
I do a layer of mineral oil followed by beeswax every month on my cutting board and wooden utensils--and as needed on my rolling pin (where it makes a huge difference). I love when I read reviews for cutting boards and wooden spoons on Amazon and people post pictures of parched looking kitchen tools. What did you think was going to happen?
When you wash a wood cutting board, you have to get both sides wet. Get one side wet and not the other the board will warp. Artists painting on certain papers, like doing a water color bleed technique, and certain hard surfaces know this, that one side wet will warp or curl the that material.
Goddard's Butcher Block Oil works great!
The comments here, are the best !! I'm getting great tips. Thanks Commenters.
I needed this a week ago when I bought a Proteak cutting board on your recommendation! :D I have applied oil now but wondering if I did it too late -- i have small fibers/splintery type things coming off my board. I read somewhere to keep seasoning it for a week, but that also I may need to sand it lightly? Any tips?
I bought a ProTeak too just recently. It came with a splinter -- and they replaced it. Might be a factory quality control issue. You should let them know. I believe their instructions with the board indicated it would not need any oiling for quite a while. Team has natural oils others don not.
@@34jared Teak does have natural oil and tannins but the board should still be seasoned with mineral oil daily until it is saturated and cannot soak up anymore oil. It prevents the wood from drying out and the glue that holds blocks together from delaminating. It's also the mineral oil that acts as an antifungal and antibacterial agent.
The small fiber fuzz is natural and will reduce over time with use and seasoning. That what the instruction from the manufacture said when I bought mine recently
When looking to purchase a cutting board what is the best type of wood and why?
how often do you suggest the wood be conditioned?
I bought an Epicurean cutting board because one of the features was that it's dishwasher safe and I really loved that idea. As much as I like nice cutting boards and having a piece of art with function, I can be super lazy and forgetful with special care instructions. Have used the Epicurean for over 2 years putting it the washer with no problems!
Edit: found the review for one of these boards from 8 years ago. Idk if it's the same board as what they tested and I wonder if they made any improvements since then.
Continued from original post: I'd love to see what you guys have to say about it if you ever get the chance because it's a nice cutting board that can take the abuse from someone who might forget to season their board or just don't treat regular cutting boards properly.
I think they rated it and didn't like it because it dulls knives
@@JosiahMcCarthy uh oh!
@@Bobololo Basically, the Epicurean boards are a wood resin composite, essentially and as such, can be hard on the blade.
@@johnhpalmer6098 gotcha, thank you :)
Tip from a woodworker; pay special attention to the ends (known as "end grain") of any wooden product. You'll notice that any wooden product, (say a cutting board) 99% of the time splits along the ends first. Picture a piece of wood as if it's a bundle of drinking straws; drop water onto the sides, not a lot happens. Put water on the ends, the water is now in the straws. End grain absorbs water and water vapour much faster than face grain. There is now a lack of moisture equilibrium in the wood, areas are now expanding and contracting at different rates, from within the wood as well as the surrounding atmosphere. Something's got to give, and it's going to be the wood.
There are many food safe, durable finishes that are great for sealing the end grain of your beloved kitchen tools!
I have an odd question. I noticed lots of recipes I am interested in using an iron skillet in the oven. I don't have one but I do have an oven safe all clad skillet. Is it usually necessary to use the iron skillet or can I get by with the stainless steel all clad? I am not afraid of the iron skillet, I just don't have room to store one. Thank you for your help.
Should not be a problem, as long as it's stainless steel (yes, I know All clad is stainless, but they also sell nonstick). That said, the reason many recipes say to use cast iron is the dark surface will aid in browning, and there, it's usually helpful to preheat the pan in the oven before adding the food, this will help the pan to heat up evenly, unlike just on the stove, so preheat, then use them on the stove is what's been recommended, or just use in the oven. Otherwise, just use your stainless steel pan (as long as the handle is not plastic) and you should be fine.
@@johnhpalmer6098 Thank you so much for your reply. I now feel better about using what have and not worry so much about the cast iron. ( no plastic handles )
The biggest difference between those two for your application is probably:
1. The cast iron holds onto and radiates heat more, which may affect the way food cooks and the time/temps used.
2. Cast iron has a significantly rougher surface than your All-Clad, and certain foods don't do well in cast iron like acidic stuff for example, but since you're looking at recipes made for cast iron, these points are negligible.
For the most part you should be good, with perhaps a little tweaking here and there.
Thanks! I knew water was like Kryptonite but I didn't know about Mineral Oil, et al! 👍🏾
I have a good question. How do you get rid of mold spots in the wood products that haven’t been treated before?
White vinegar, lemon, and salt a few times. Rub down with the grain. Rinse it good after. Wait for it to completely dry before oiling.
@@john-paul3271 thank you sooo much?? Any particular ratio of the 3?
@@hulksta3223 ruclips.net/video/uof56capHnQ/видео.html
This is where I learned this, but if it don’t work then trash can, my friend!
Water is woods natural for aigh??
Would food grade walnut oil work as well?
I would use wood grade flaxseed oil first. That will at least polymerize eventually.
👍👍
Use tung oil in stead of mineral oil, much better and it only has to be applied a few times before the cuttingboard is used and then only once in a few years! Saves a lot of time, work and money.
I believe tung oil has a drying agent added, which is not foodsafe.
@@StableNomad it depends on what type of tung oil. Some are with drying agents and some are without.
What if a cutting board has been used countless times, never oiled, and submerged in water for washing? Can I still oil it? I had no idea they needed to be oiled
Dry it out, then oil it. Hopefully it isn't warped or cracked. It should absorb a lot of oil. Do a few coats over several days. It will darken and be more resistant to absorbing water or other liquids. It will look less dry. You don't need to fully saturate the wood, you can stop after 2-6 coats once it looks almost full. Then you can just reoil one coat whenever the wood looks dull and dry, like the oil has come out.
I just got a new board and it came dry and absorbent. I've done four coats of oil over four days and tomorrow I'm going to finish with one or two coats of board wax.
If you like, you can finish the board with some board wax for more water resistance. Board wax is oil with some wax melted into it, usually mineral oil and beeswax but you can use alternatives like fractionated coconut oil (MCT oil) and some vegetable waxes if desired. Some enthusiasts add a little carnauba wax to the beeswax. Not necessary, beeswax and oil works fine. Though I just spent three dollars on a packet of carnauba wax to try it, ⅛ carnauba and ⅞ beeswax to three parts (¾) MCT oil is the recipe I'm trying tomorrow. But you can eyeball it somewhat and vary the texture to preference. Carnauba wax is brittle and hard (it's used as an automotive finish and for hard candy shells like M&Ms), so it's used in small proportion just to impart some little shine to the cutting board wax blend.
Q: someone suggested using coconut oil instead of or better than mineral oil, is that true?
It can work. I use it instead of mineral oil on my cutting board. But you must buy fractionated coconut oil, MCT oil, or coconut oil sold specifically for this purpose like Caron & Doucet or Clark's. They're all the same oil, just different names and prices. It's just distilled coconut oil, with the types of fat that readily go rancid removed. The remaining medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) shouldn't go rancid for many years and are the next best thing to mineral oil.
Some brands claim their fractionated coconut oil will never go rancid, but others admit that it's a natural oil and after some years may eventually go rancid. I don't think this have been used for this purpose long enough to know whether there's a problem long-term. I would use mineral oil on heirlooms and wood handles. But my wood cutting boards aren't particulal expensive and I can afford to replace them in five or ten years if they start to smell. I use MCT oil, as it's sold as a health supplement for people to eat unlike the oil sold as fractionated coconut oil or cutting board oil. So it's even more food-safe, as it's actually food (meant to be consumed in small quantities). Odorless and nearly tasteless, so if it goes bad I'll probably know. I bought organic and it was half the price of the Caron & Doucet cutting board oil I've used before, which works well but includes essential oils (mostly lemongrass) which smell nice but go rancid in a few years (though the amount for fragrance is so small it probably doesn't affect the board at all).
From what I've since read online, there's not much reason to spend more on organic coconut products. Sometimes coconuts are preserved with toxic chemical preservatives like formaldehyde outside their shell, but several studies have never found any of these preservatives to penetrate the shell. Anyway, organic or not, MCT oil isn't very expense and a small bottle will last for a lot of wood oilings. Mineral oil is even cheaper, and I don't think it's dangerous, but it's inedible petroleum. I'd rather use something edible like MCT oil. I have used these fractionated coconut oils on my wood handles as well, but I'm planning on buying a bottle of pharmacy mineral oil sold as laxative (the best kind for this purpose) for handles, since it's the only oil safe to consume that seems to never oxidize or go rancid. But for anything that comes into contact with my food, I'll use MCT oil.
I also mix oil with wax to make a board wax paste for application after oiling a board. I've used beeswax, but I've recently purchased carnauba wax to supplement it and am planning on trying 7:1 beeswax to carnauba wax (⅛ carnauba) for my wax in a 3:1 oil to wax (¼ wax) recipe. I'll make two ounces. Just melt it together. Keep the temperature low to maintain the fragrance of beeswax. For that reason, I'll melt the carnauba into the MCT oil first, then add the beeswax.
How do you make spoon butter?
Mix three parts mineral oil to one part beeswax by gently Heating and stirring
Will this have that ‘greasy touch’? Can it be used for wooden plates?
If you follow directions carefully and take continuous care, these items can last you a lifetime! Enjoy!
@@annek1226 that’s literally what he said like three times why would you comment that
I have not found it to have a greasy touch after it's season properly and wiped down properly. I use a product I got on Amazon. Clark's cutting board oil. I like it a lot. I use the oil first and then wax everything down with the wax and then wipe well. I've not had a problem.
@@nancyoffenhiser4916 thank you I will try it!
I just use straight mineral oil on mine and wipe it good, repeating as needed and it's not greasy, nor oily.
Go natural for seasoning, use *Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil.* Mineral oil is a byproduct of crude oil as in the same distillate as the oil in your car and the gasoline.
Crude oil is natural too. Even water has plenty of scary-sounding industrial applications. Don't fall too hard for the woo.
What about coconut oil?
Do I buy (and use) the regular MINERAL OIL out of the Pharmacy ?
Yes
@@Heizenberg32 Thank You! :)
Go to the local tack shop, they sell mineral oil for horses by the gallon for $10
Walmart online sells the mineral oil that is *food grade* for wooden cutting boards.
@@SimplyJoyful oops, my reply was supposed to go to you instead of general comments.
Walmart online sells *FOOD GRADE* MINERAL OIL, intended for wooden cutting boards.
You want a horror story, company I used to work for installed a beautiful set of maple butcher block countertops in a kitchen, months later got a call back for warped countertops, turns out the home owner chopped vegetables directly on the countertop and then used bleach to clean up, all the finish was gone, they were grayish-green color and cupped about 2 inches from being continuously wetted on one the bare area.
I take care of my wood twice a week. I hope it lasts me as long as cast iron 😂
tung oil (perhaps diluted with food safe solvent) is the much better. Mineral oil is not very effective, it does not harden and will not last.
Whats the weird ending about?
🤔
You may want to investigate long term ingestion of mineral oils in small quantities.
Back in 2004, I had to drink a gallon of mineral oil to clear my intestines out before surgery, had to drink the whole thing before midnight! Not so fond memories!
@Mr. Cool One in about three, yes, three people will develop cancer in their lifetime. A lifetime of exposure to the chemistry we are bathed in daily just might be part of the reason why. What part of that sounds wrong to you?
@@Kenjiro5775 Yeah bro I'm sure it's the micro amount of mineral oil, not the micro plastics in your blood, not the bpa's, not the fast food loaded with seed oils, sugar, and grains.
It's the mineral oil...
ATK,,ADAM,HELLO, YES MINERAL OIL,IS ALL I USE, INCLUDING MY KNIFE BLOCK, STAY WELL CHERIO,🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Take care of your wood!
And Since witches are burned at the stake, they must be made of wood, since it burns as well. Wood floats on water, as do ducks. Therefore, if the woman weighs the same as a duck, she must be able to float on water, which means she is made of wood, and consequently must be a witch.
seems legit to me
Bring me……a shrubbery!
Not being a fan of bleach, I use a bit hydrogen peroxide wiped across the board as a disinfectant. It is odorless, less toxic and caustic.
Do what you will, but no one is saying use bleach. The idea is to use a very diluted bleach solution, a mixture of 1 part bleach in 256 parts water. Think about the amount of liquid you'd be using on your cutting board, and imagine 1/256th of that liquid being bleach. That's not very toxic or caustic.
I see peeps cutting meat on wooden boards and it creeps me out...how can it ever be properly cleaned...none of these methods seem adequate..
Nothing to worry about as wooden cutting boards are naturally antibacterial. Using oil and board wax is to protect the board from splitting, not to keep it clean, although it does help make the latter job much easier.
@Mr. Cool Actually, ATK a number of years ago in the Christopher Kimbal days did a test of wood Vs plastic, and both come out even as far as cross contamination of germs etc go, the main difference is plastic can go in the dishwasher. Both types will get cut marks when a knife is used.
Wipe down cutting boards with bleach mixtures will disinfect them enough. I use one board for meats and another for vegetables.
@Mr. Cool No, not true. Both boards should be replaced when the cuts get trully deep. The difference is, you can sand down wooden boards to restore them for a time, plastic, not so much, but both will clean just the same.
I beg to differ. I would absolutely advise against a petroleum source mineral oil on a surface used to cut food. It beads water because it stays on the surface and isn’t truly absorbed into the wood. This over time ends up in the food.
Coconut oil or olive oil works very well. The wood drinks in these natural oils better and the wood ages well. A cutting board does not need to be water proof to age well. Even bees wax is a better option than mineral oil. And you avoid mineral oil in your food.
Nut oils, such as peanut or almond oil are better than olive or vegetable oil for wood.
Food-grade or pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil is perfectly safe to ingest in the trace amounts you might get from a cutting board treated with the stuff. Food oils are not ideal because they can go rancid.
@@trickvro I’ve got a feeling that the trace amount of oil left on the surface wouldn’t go rancid unless the lights were off and the humidity was high for a significant amount of time
@@cutl00senc well most people don't leave their kitchen lights on all day. Not to mention humidity in the south is no joke, I can totally see those oils going rancid, even when I don't use my cast iron for a while I get suspicious about the smell.
@@chickennuggetscoon9912 preheating a pan kills all possible germs and it only takes a small amount of light to ward off mold and mildew growth
I agree, dishwasher extra hot cycle will clean them thoroughly! Thanks test kitchen!
😂
Yeah, good luck with that
I hope you have a wood stove or a fireplace, because putting a wooden cutting board into a dishwasher is a great way to turn it into firewood.
My Mom used to put her wooden stuff in the dishwasher (except cutting boards and the knives) and they all came out shriveled and dry
Yes!!! That is the best way...however, I never put cast iron in the dishwasher. It must only be cleaned by soaking overnight and then giving a good hard scrub in the morning with steel wool and left to air dry.
Why do you freaks call rubbing oil on cutting boards and cast iron "seasoning?" Its "finishing" the wood and "blackening" the pan. Seasoning is for food!
I've never heard anyone call it "blackening the pan". They call it seasoning because that's the usage that their audience more widely understands. Other people are under no obligation to use language the exact way you want them to.
@@trickvro WHATEVER, FREAK!
I'm just saying it's imprecise language, a different vocabulary would be helpful in the kitchen. I know I'm not going to change the world with this