A celebration of the spoon rest

[baroness]

I saw a 'household hint' that suggested using bread as a spoon rest; when done it was a cook's - or pet's - treat.

Edited June 3, 2011 by baroness (log)

[Darienne]

I saw a 'household hint' that suggested using bread as a spoon rest; when done it was a cook's - or pet's - treat.

Takes one back several centuries to the trencher as a plate.

[heidih]

I tear off some foil and set it next to my work area. Gives me room for multiple utensils and then it gets tossed. I am all about minimizing clean up.

[xxchef]

I don't use spoon rests. Never have liked them. Kind of like pot holders to me, I guess.

If I'm just cooking for a little while or only a few things I'll grab a sheet of ~10x10" patty paper (Kabinet Wax), or maybe several if I'm working at the stove and the mixer and the work table.

If I'm really cranking a bunch of stuff I'll borrow a method from some of the restaurant kitchens where I've worked: a steam table sauce insert or 2-qt liquid measure filled with water. It keeps the utensils clean and ready to go between different dishes so I may only need one set of tongs, one of each type of spoon etc., instead of one for each pot/pan.

[andiesenji]

I used to use that method when I was catering, xxchef. However I used two "cans" but still there were screwups.

One of my helpers grabbed a spoon from the "savory" can and stirred a custard - garlic-flavored custard was not a good thing. Had to start a new custard (18 eggs) and use the other for something else.

[OliverB]

I have a nice very large wooden one that's always right next to my stove. Sometimes I also call it "cutting board" and use it to cut things on, but it's a perfect spoon rest, always there, always handy.

[xxchef]

Oooooh Noooooo, andiesenji!

In a restaurant/catering situation you also have to be careful of cross contamination of raw/cooked foods and potential allergens. Don't want to be getting shellfish in the chicken or peanuts in the potatoes. Where I worked we kept the containers on the back of the flat-top or griddle so it was close to simmering all the time and the water was changed often. That kept things pretty clean and sanitary.

[JHeald]

I think this is probably a great place to ask this question. Watching "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef", I notice that Anne has a large, metal, grate-looking thing next to her range. She uses it as a spoon rest, salt pig rest, etc. Does anyone know what this actually is? I've searched Google multiple times with no luck.

Thanks.

[andiesenji]

Oooooh Noooooo, andiesenji!

In a restaurant/catering situation you also have to be careful of cross contamination of raw/cooked foods and potential allergens. Don't want to be getting shellfish in the chicken or peanuts in the potatoes. Where I worked we kept the containers on the back of the flat-top or griddle so it was close to simmering all the time and the water was changed often. That kept things pretty clean and sanitary.

The cans were in the "hot well" at the back of the stove (Garland).

[GlorifiedRice]

I, of course, being the Oxo GoodGrips Whore I am, have an Oxo Good Grips Spoon Rest.

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Brushed-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000WJMM78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307146918&sr=8-1

However, I must say that someone needs to create a spoon rest, where the spoon dangles above a drip bowl,

so you dont have to clean it every day, just once a week. Otherwise I dont see the point in spoon rests

cause you either clean the counter or you clean the spoon rest. Whats the point?

[Fat Guy]

You can't put the counter in the dishwasher...

[GlorifiedRice]

By hand or by machine its still washing FG....lol

[Toliver]

I didn't see a similar one but my mom has a three-spoon spoon rest. It's a ceramic "leafy" looking spoon rest with enough spaces for three spoons at one time. And yes, she's cooked large enough meals that all three spaces were in use. It's a little worse for the wear these days but then, so am I.

[andiesenji]

I didn't see a similar one but my mom has a three-spoon spoon rest. It's a ceramic "leafy" looking spoon rest with enough spaces for three spoons at one time. And yes, she's cooked large enough meals that all three spaces were in use. It's a little worse for the wear these days but then, so am I.

Items similar to this Pfaltzgraff piece

were pretty common back in the mid-90s. Crate & Barrel sold some that were leaf and flower shaped. Someone gave me one that was three sunflowers and I managed to break it when I picked up a candy spoon, the spoon rest stuck and then dropped off onto the cast iron stove grate.

That's one of the reasons I don't like the flat ones, spoons do stick to them too easily.

(I didn't care much for the sunflowers anyway but I felt bad about breaking it.)

[kayb]

I have one like Andie's pictued one, except that the insert where the spoon actually rests is porcelain instead of metal. I like it because it can move elsewhere on the counter if I am using a deep fryer or my crockpot. I also have a lacquerware tray I acquired in Japan, about 3 inches wide and about 6 inches long, which works well for holding a couple of spoons or spatulas at once. Other stuff usually lands on the cutting board.

I don't use them so much to keep the stovetop clean, since, if I'm cooking, the stovetop is GOING to get dirty, because I'm just sloppy like that. Can't stir without splashing something over the side, forget to turn the heat down and let something boil over....I'm hopeless. I've fallen in the habit of giving the stove a wipedown when I clean up after cooking, and then two or three times a week, a good scrubbing with boiling water from the teakettle after I've poured the hot water in my French press in the morning -- it's nice to feel virtuous that early!

[tirgoddess]

Somewhere in my old junk I have a little skillet shaped one made by Griswold back in the '30s.

One of my client's is a Griswold, she hails directly from the Griswold foundry and has some lovely never been used pieces ... I will have to tell her about this conversation.

[andiesenji]

Somewhere in my old junk I have a little skillet shaped one made by Griswold back in the '30s.

One of my client's is a Griswold, she hails directly from the Griswold foundry and has some lovely never been used pieces ... I will have to tell her about this conversation.

There have been a lot of fake reproductions - my little skillet is red enamel on the outside and cream inside - I don't think anyone has tried to fake this one yet. It was my grandma's.

[messyjessy]

FatGuy, I think I must know where on the internet I can find a "spoon rest" like yours! It is beautiful, and unfortunately I won't be able to find anything remotely similar in my locality.

edited because my fingers weren't typing what my brain was thinking.

Edited June 10, 2011 by messyjessy (log)

[Norm Matthews]

I don't use these much anymore but the two fish ones I made on the potters wheel and decorated with "chinese" cobalt. The other one is cast iron and made by Lodge.

[andiesenji]

FatGuy, I think I must know where on the internet I can find a "spoon rest" like yours! It is beautiful, and unfortunately I won't be able to find anything remotely similar in my locality.

edited because my fingers weren't typing what my brain was thinking.

Where is your locality, Jessy?

I was showing my neighbor (originally from Mexico) this topic and she mentioned that long Asian style plates similar to the one Fat Guy uses as a spoon rest can be found at Pier 1 Imports. She was there to buy some of the "Mexicali" dinnerware for a granddaughter's new apartment and spent some time looking at the other "ethnic" tablewares.

She said that if you can't find something suitable for a spoon rest in that store, you are just too "demsado keekiloso" (picky). (I am guessing at the Spanish spelling, not my language. Her daughter says it means picky.)

Edited June 10, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[nakedsushi]

I cut & prep on the counter directly adjacent to the stove, so I just use the cutting board as a spoon rest. That or balancing it on the stove. It helps that I almost always cook vegetarian (unless guests who like meat are over) and don't worry much about cross-contamination.

[messyjessy]

andiesenji-

I'm in rural Indiana, near Purdue university. We do actually have several asian grocers and the like, because of the large number of international students, but they are almost strictly groceries and no pretty things. We do have a Pier 1 though! I had completely forgotten about it because it's badly located. I'll check it out later today!

[Susie Q]

I use a small, oblong plate that I got at Cost Plus Imports. Long enough and wide enough to hold a spatula when needed.

[deepfryerdan]

My spoon rest is so nice looking on my stovetop that I usually use a paper plate or towel next to the stove to hold my stirring tool. Breaks my heart to see it dirty

[PetersCreek]

More decorative than functional, my wife bought one similar to this fellow on one of our weekend trips to Homer, Alaska:

Edited June 15, 2011 by PetersCreek (log)