Olive wood is one of the most beautiful wood out there. It has a striking pattern and adds a rustic look to your kitchen. The wood is smooth and wont add a grainy texture like other wood. Not only that, its also neutral in flavor. It is the preferred choice for butter spreader. Metal utensils can impart a metallic flavor to it. However, quality can vary from manufacturer. The Best Olive Wood Utensils will be free of cracks and use minimal wood glue.

What is Olive Wood

Olive wood is made from Olive Trees. Olive have a botanical name called Olea europaea. They come from a species of small tree called Oleaceae. While they originated in the Mediterranean Basin, they are now grown all over the world. California is actually one of the biggest producer of olives today.

Although Olives are known for its taste, nutritional value, and oil. The Wood is also a very sought after item. It is beautiful, smooth, hard and gets better with age. On the Janka Hardness scale it is rated as 2690. Quite high compared to other wood. Hard Maple for example has a hardness of 1450. This means that it is quite durable and robust. It also has natural oil which moisturize itself. This means you do not have to oil it as often.

Because of this, its a preferred wood for Kitchen Utensils. Most olive wood utensils that you find these days are made in Italy. However, because of Global production, you can often find utensils from America, Turkey and the Middle East.

Olive Wood vs Bamboo Cooking Utensils

Bamboo wood product seems to have came out of nowhere. They are cheap, affordable and grow fast. However, they are not as attractive and the texture is grainy. They commonly split and leave splinter. If you ever used a bamboo spoon, you can feel the off putting texture. Where as Olive Wood have none of that issue. It is smooth to the touch and gives a good mouth feel.

There are some issues with Olive Wood though. Since they are so hard, they do crack and snap. A lot of time manufacturer will use wood glue and dust to fill the gap. If it gets soak in water, the glue disintegrate revealing deep cracks. I would personally inspect if after you receive it.

Which Olive Wood Utensils Should I Buy?

Olive wood makes for great kitchen utensils. They are usually hand carved and each models are different. They vary in shape and sizes. Below are a list of some kitchen utensils you should look for.

Olive Wood Spoon

Olive Wood Spoons are one of the best stewing spoons you can buy. They do not impart any off taste and it feels great in your mouth. Staub makes one of the best olive wood spoon. It is 12 inch in size and great on nonstick cookware. A great alternative to plastic spoon which might melt and get in your food.

Spatula

If you are just looking for a spatula. Eddington’s make a great spatula. They are made in Europe from Italian Olive wood. Their wood is specially sourced from the south of Italy. The surface is wide and flat to really let you get under food.

Sauteing Spoon

We all love Nonstick cookware, but they cannot take the abuse of metal spoons. For this reason, the 2 piece set by RSVP is so good. The curved spoon will fit nicely on the edge of your pan. The spatula helps you flip and turn food. These are 12 inch and length and made from Italian Wood.

Olive Wood Spreader

A olive wood spreader is often used to spread butter. It is said that they do not impart flavor like a metal one. You can often see them used by French chef for this reason. To get the real taste of butter, I recommend the one by Naturally Med, they are relatively affordable. Just be aware that it does not come with the dish. I dont know why they include that in the picture.

Utensil Set

If you just want a set, then the one by Tramanto is a good choice. You get 5 piece and they are 12 inch. They are hand made in Tunisia with a reasonable price.

Sauce Pot

A olive wood sauce pot looks great at your table. It comes with a lid and a cute wooden spoon. This attractive pot will have all your guest grabbing for it. You can find this rustic pot at Sur La Table.

Olive Wood Board

Olive wood board makes for a great presentation piece. If you are serving charcuteries or cheese, they give it a striking contrast. You can make it a true Italian dish by using the same board the Roman uses.

They come in many different shape and sizes. However, I personally prefer boards that are more natural in shape. There are some that looks more like a traditional serving board, but that is up to you.

I recommend that you get board that are large, 14 inch and above. Board that are thicker are also better. Sometimes they get moldy or have other issues. The extra thickness lets you sand it down and get rid of the issue.

Naturally Med makes a pretty good board to use as a cheese board. Some people use it as a cutting board, but I recommend against doing so. It ruins the natural beauty and its too hard for a knife.

Issues with Olive Wood Kitchen Utensils

There are some problem that comes with Olive Wood. I recommend that you inspect any item that you get. Look for obvious cracks. Sometimes manufacturer will use wood glue and wood dust to fill it. When you soak it in water, that glue will soften and come loose. Eventually the utensil will start cracking and then you have to replace it.

For the Wooden Board, you should always dry it properly. Do not let it rest where it will stay damp. This will often form mold and you are going to have to sand it down.

Best Olive Wood Utensils Thoughts

Olive Wood Kitchen utensils are a great way to add flair to your kitchen. They are naturally oily and hard so they should last a while. While they are a little bit more expensive than bamboo, the beauty of the pattern more than makes up for it.

I hope you like this Best Olive Wood Utensils article, If you would like to see more, please visit our Pots and Pans Review page.