Stupid Kitchen Tools Video: Michael Ruhlman Had Something to Say
Michael Rulhman “Had Something to Say” – Stupid Kitchen Tools
We’re back with new episodes of the Had Something To Say video series! Michael Ruhlman visited us at our studio and we spent a few hours together stirring up some heated conversations about everything from kitchen tools to Ruth Bourdain. Amy Scattergood, editor of Los Angeles Weekly Squid Ink and food writer for Los Angeles Times Food, makes special appearances as the “voice of reason” to keep Michael in-check and accountable for his opinions.
Stupid kitchen tools is the topic at large and round wooden spoons are on Michael’s hit list. Watch the video to understand how he makes his case against round wooden spoons.
I, Todd, do have a disclaimer for the opinions expressed in the video. Diane and I both love Michael. He’s a great writer, lover of food, challenger of ideas, and a man/father/husband who we respect to no end. He listens and thinks heavily with his heart and mind together.
Collaborating with Michael on these personal video projects is nothing but joy. Want to love what you do? Then surround yourself with people who share your same creative energy and make something. And most times I see eye to eye with Michael. Most times…
His attacking of the rounded wooden spoons is warranted from a cooks perspective, from one who spends more time caressing the innards of a pot or pan. Yet obviously the man doesn’t bake much.
I’m one of those rare few who both love to bake and love to cook from the hip. Maybe it’s from being born on a zodiac cusp, who knows? But having spent significant time shuffling in both the pan and the mixing bowl, there are times when a rounded spoon trumps a flat edge.
Round bowl, round spoon. It works. Straight sides= square peg in a round hole, and since 90% of of the flat tipped wooden spoons also have straight sides, they become that square peg in the round bowl and they just don’t scrape the curve of the bowl well. Poor lonely flour being left untouched by the flat sided spoons.
Still, I agree with him to a point and if I had to choose between only a flat edged wooden “spoon” or a rounded edge spoon, I’d have to go with flat. But I don’t have to choose. I can have what I want and I want both. Or even better, my all-time favorite stirrer is a silicone spatula with a nice curve on one edge, and a nice flat tip and straight other edge. The best of both worlds.
Since I do admit that I half agree with Michael, I give him this round. Grudgingly.
Yet we’d love for you to weigh in on the round edge wooden spoon debate? Use them for kindling or do they have a legitimate roll in a kitchen’s artillery?
-Todd
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Did the video not play for anyone else?
That was funny!! Even thought I see his point and I do have rounded AND flat wooden spoons, (both have their purpose in the kitchen), I tend to go more with my rounded spoon, not sure why. Habit maybe. But there is something about the smooth rounded edges of the wooden spoon that creates calm when stiring chocolate in a mixing bowl.
I use my rounded and flat wooden spoons for different reasons. If I’m baking I almost always reach for the rounded spoon. Scraping fond? Flat. And a rounded wooden spoon is not even close to being as stupid as the floating egg poacher I saw at Target the other day.
I am so getting flat edge wooden spoons! I realize I go to a spatula when I need to scrap the bottom of the pan. I am using two utensils instead of one (and washing). Love the video – really made me laugh. I will keep my wooden spoons.
I went and counted too. 6 to 1. Only 1 flat spoon in my kitchen. I have to disagree with Michael on this one. I use my round spoons. Big round bowl of batter…round spoon to get all the edges. Mixing a thick brownie batter…round spoon. I even use one to make pretty shapes on a frosted cake. I do use my flat wooden spoon on occasion, but I reach for my round ones more. Truth.
Yes, I use my flat wooden spoon a lot, but I love my old round wooden spoon and will never part with it…how could I possible stir up a batch of brownies with out it?
I disagree. I have one flat and one round spoon and I use both equally. The round spoon is good for scraping the sides of the cooking pan. Since all my pans are round and none of them are polygons, my round spoon comes to the rescue 🙂
Well, I have wooden round, wooden flat, and silicone round and flat, and plastic round and flat. Oh, and wooden salad spoons. Hmmm.
I have to say that the one I reach for the most is a flat, round wooden paddle, really, with a straight edge. It manages to do the best of both – scrape the bottom of a pan without scratching it, or a scrape a pan with curved sides. In fact, I’m wearing it out – maybe Michael can make another one for me!
I have to admit I never ever though much about it until I saw Michael illustrate the point about having rapidly move the spoon about to loosen up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. When he did that I instantly got it!
With that said I admit to having two traditional wooden spoons in my kitchen, (none of them flat), I guess I’m going to have to make a visit to Sur La Table soon:-)
PS: Love the black and white documentary style footage. Awesome work guys as always.
I love my round ones. Use them all the time.