kicthen utensils

[smuggles]

hi all , just a quick one ,is rustins danish oil good to use for kitchen utensils, and is there anything else i could add to it to make it better ,or if anyone wants to share what finish they ,thanks

[Bob K.]

I like Howard's Butcher Block Finish.

[smuggles]

thanks bob , im in ireland tho nd my options are limited theres not a great selection in my local shops ,ive never heard of or seen butcher bolck finish anywer b4

[Claude]

If these utensils are cooking spoons or spatulas, I do the following:

After sanding to 400 grit, I take it to the sink, wet it all over, then use a hair dryer to dry it. Using a piece of used 400 grit paper, I lightly sand all the fuzzies off that the water raised up. Another trip to the sink, another drying, another sanding, etc. After about 4 iterations (20 minutes total time at the most), the wood still feels smooth after drying it. All the fuzzies are gone. Then I place it on a paper towel and use another to apply a heavy coat of olive oil to it. About every hour for the next 4 or 5, I re-coat it with the oil. I then let it sit overnight for the oil to soak in. In the morning, I wipe it off with a clean paper towel and either send it to someone, or put it in my kitchen drawer. Since I use olive oil for cooking, that's what I put on the spoons and spatulas. Since I cook with them on a daily basis, the oil never has a chance to get rancid.

If you are worried about rancidity, another option is to buy some food grade mineral oil at the pharmacy and use that, applied the same way.

Since danish oil and boiled linseed oil contain chemicals to hasten the drying process, I personally would never use them on something coming into contact with food.

Claude

[schwert]

I use food grade flaxseed oil on all my kitchen tool carvings. It does not go rancid, hardens slowly over time to a very nice finish so it does not get washed out.

I generally sand to 600g, then immerse the spoon in flaxseed oil for 3-7 days. I make long "Food Saver" bags to fit the tool so I can easily immerse the whole thing in flaxseed oil. I buy pint bottles of flaxseed oil at Trader Joe's for a decent price. Keep the bottle in the fridge between uses. As the bottle ages the oil will tend to cure faster as while the spoon is soaking the oil has air exposure.

Sand again with 600g with plenty of oil then wipe down and let cure for about a month before I use it much.

It takes 3-6 months to fully cure, but you can use the spoon during the process as long as you do not soak it in dishwater for a long time.

I am not a fan of mineral oil on kitchen tools as it leaches out so rapidly with use.

[smuggles]

hi guys thanks for all the info bought ans hav been a good help i shall give them ago i like the sound of using olive oil as it is cheap nd easly availible but claude what is the reason for the soaking and drying would this not affect the quality off the timber? and i while try to find some flaxseed oil too nd giv it ago. thanks again

[Claude]

If you mean the wetting under the faucet then drying, this raises the wood fibers so I can sand them off. Eventually, usually after three or four wet/dry/sand cycles, the drying doe not raise up any more fibers and the wood still feels smooth.

If you mean the repeated application of the oil, it's because I think that if the wood is saturated with the oil, then less of what I'm cooking can soak into the wood. For example, I use my wood spatula to break up ground beef while it's cooking. With all the oil in wood the "meat juices" can't soak in...

I haven't noticed an difference in the quality of the woods I've used. My favorites for kitchen utensils are walnut, maple, cherry, and olive

Claude