Developing a food-safe finish for my wooden spoons

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Raw Wood vs Finished Wood

  • Several comments note that raw wood swells, softens, and raises grain when wet, leading to roughness, cracks, staining, and odor retention over time.
  • Others report cheap, untreated spoons working fine if not left submerged and are content to periodically sand and re‑oil.
  • A “no finish” camp argues that for food-contact objects, bare wood (possibly burnished) is best, especially for kids’ toys and everyday utensils.
  • The article’s focus is more on aesthetics and feel (especially cups) than pure practicality; some keep “cooking spoons plain, salad spoons oiled.”

Trust, Regulations, and “Food Safe” Claims

  • Some trust big brands (e.g. IKEA) more than small artisanal makers, citing compliance departments and liability; others distrust large supply chains (e.g. unknown Chinese glues, finishes).
  • There’s disagreement over whether “all wood finishes are food-safe once cured.”
    • One side claims regulations require this and that cured films are generally non-toxic in normal food-prep use.
    • Others point out exceptions (e.g. certain lacquers, “boiled linseed oil” with heavy-metal driers, temperature limits, and unclear cure state).
  • A detailed wood-finishing discussion stresses that toxicity is mostly a concern at higher temperatures and with uncured components; isocyanates (e.g. HDI in two-part oils) are flagged as particularly hazardous during application.

Finishes: Oils, Waxes, Resins, and Lacquers

  • Common home finishes mentioned: mineral oil + beeswax, pure tung oil, linseed/flax oil (including oven- or dehydrator-cured), water-based polyurethane, and homemade hardwax-oil blends with carnauba or beeswax and natural resins.
  • Rancidity and leaching: non‑drying or non‑polymerizing oils (e.g. jojoba, untreated vegetable oils) may stay “wet” in the fibers, leach into hot liquids, raise grain, and lose protection quickly.
  • Drying/polymerizing oils (tung, linseed) are favored for durability; some accelerate curing by heat (oven, dehydrator) or vacuum impregnation.
  • Urushi lacquer is discussed as traditional but risky for those sensitive to urushiol; severe allergic reactions are documented during handling, with much less risk after long curing.

Hygiene, Cleaning, and Cutting Boards

  • Debate over whether wood or plastic boards are safer:
    • One side cites sources claiming wood allows more biofilm and absorption.
    • Others counter with reviews suggesting little practical difference or even an advantage for wood, emphasizing proper washing and drying over material choice.
  • Most agree on using soap and warm/hot water; dishwashers and boiling water are widely discouraged for wooden boards, though some users do it anyway with cheap utensils.

Feel, Texture, and Use Cases

  • Many dislike the rough, grabby feel of cheap disposable wooden utensils and cardboard lids; this pushes them toward metal or plastic for eating.
  • High-end carved spoons/cups are described as sanded to high grits, repeatedly “water popped,” and sometimes burnished to feel more like smooth, warm ceramic.
  • Several commenters simply prefer metal for eating and reserve wood for non-stick cookware; others are motivated by avoiding plastics and accept shorter utensil lifetimes.

Solvents, Plastics, and Environmental Angle

  • The article’s constraint “no strong-smelling solvents, fast cure” is questioned as overly strict by some, but defended given home-shop VOC exposure and business turnaround needs.
  • There’s a philosophical thread: even plant-based drying oils cure into polymers (arguably “plastics”), raising questions about how different such finishes really are from synthetic coatings.
  • Others respond that renewability and petrochemical origin still matter, even if both result in polymeric surface films.