This Versatile Wooden Tool Has Replaced All of My Plastic Cooking Utensils

Author theartisanabq Reading 4 min Views 10 Published by April 21, 2025

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Allrecipes

If you’re one of the many home cooks who read about the link between black plastic kitchen tools and toxic chemicals last year, you’ve probably already been looking for sustainable swaps. Stainless steel tools are a great option, but they’re not gentle enough to use with nonstick pans. Wooden spoons are the original kitchen multitaskers and a classic choice for everything from stirring soup to scooping out macaroni salad at a potluck; nonetheless, they can be difficult to store and often become stained or scratched with regular use.

Don’t get me wrong, I still find plenty of uses for my trusty wooden spoons. However, I’ve been reaching for another wooden utensil recently: the Earlywood Flat Spatula.

Earlywood Flat Spatula

Amazon

$19 at Amazon

This Earlywood spatula is easily the most versatile cooking utensil in my kitchen. I use it for everyday tasks like stirring, but it’s also perfect for scraping down the sides of mixing bowls or hefty stockpots and flipping burgers or pancakes. I love using two of them as salad tongs as well. The thin handle fits nicely in my hand and is comfortable to use, while the flat design doesn’t jam my utensil drawer like regular spatulas do. Usefulness aside, these handmade tools are simply beautiful. The spatula’s natural wood looks gorgeous in my kitchen—much better than the ugly plastic tools it’s already replaced.

Founded by a mechanical engineer turned craftsman, Earlywood uses four types of ethically harvested hardwoods in its products—jatoba, Mexican ebony, hard maple, and bloodwood—all of which were handpicked for attributes like durability, shock resistance, and density. These are heirloom-worthy tools that will withstand the test of time with proper care. The company goes a few steps further on the zero-waste scale by offsetting extra wood scraps and turning sawdust into briquettes.

Earlywood’s thicker Tera Scraper tool is a close second to my flat spatula (in fact, I’ve already bought two as gifts). If you do a lot of cast iron cooking, this will become your new favorite kitchen companion. The flat edge is durable enough to scrape up all those extra crispy brown bits from the bottom of the pan and break up ground beef, yet it’s still safe to use with nonstick cookware. It also comes in handy while crushing garlic or scraping chopped ingredients off a cutting board.

The company sells a wood oil to keep your wooden cooking utensils and cutting boards in excellent condition. Made with lemon peel and food-grade mineral oil, it features a pleasant citrus scent that’s not overpowering. Earlywood’s website offers more tools, including tasting spoons, tongs, and sets, or you can check out additional shopper-loved options below.

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