Why you should re-think using wooden spoons in the kitchen: Home cooks are left disgusted after trying out Matt Preston's simple cleaning trick

  • Home cooks have made revolting discovery after testing out Matt Preston's hack
  • Method involves leaving spoons in cup of boiling water to see what comes out
  • The wooden spoon test lets users know when it's time to bin the cooking utensils
  • The former MasterChef Australia judge came up with the kitchen hack in 2016
  • The wooden spoon test has resurfaced on social media in recent days
Home cooks have made a shocking discovery after testing out Matt Preston's cleaning method of soaking old wooden spoons in a cup of boiling water.
The simple kitchen trick involves leaving the spoons in a cup of boiling water for up to 20 minutes to see what oils seep out of the wood.
Those who attempted the method at home were left disgusted after noticing a heavy layer of cooking oil appear on top of the water within minutes. 
Home cooks have made a revolting discovery after soaking their wooden spoons in a cup of boiling water (pictured of a layer of cooking oil floating on top of the water)
Home cooks have made a revolting discovery after soaking their wooden spoons in a cup of boiling water (pictured of a layer of cooking oil floating on top of the water)
Former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston (pictured in 2018) came up with the 'wooden spoon test' so users can determine whether or not it's time to bin a specific utensil
Former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston (pictured in 2018) came up with the 'wooden spoon test' so users can determine whether or not it's time to bin a specific utensil
'This one is going into the bin. A tip I learned from Matt Preston years ago. Does anyone soak their wooden spoons in boiling water? one woman said in a Facebook group.
Mine always go into the dishwasher every night but that doesn't stop what gets absorbed. Revolting really.'
The former MasterChef Australia judge came up with the 'wooden spoon test' so users can determine whether or not it's time to bin a specific utensil.
'On the surface a perfect present but stick an old one in a cup of boiling water to see what fate awaits all wooden spoons. Give it a sniff. Phew, stinky! And you were going to stir your custard with that,' Preston said in a December 2016 piece for Delicious.
'Ask for a $10 silicon spatula instead. They're hygienic, heat-resistant and flexible, so they are great for getting into the corner of a pan or getting every last skerrick out of a bowl.'
The wooden spoon test has resurfaced on social media in recent days, with many mothers sharing their results
The wooden spoon test has resurfaced on social media in recent days, with many mothers sharing their results
The wooden spoon test has resurfaced on social media in recent days, with many mothers sharing their results.
'Has anyone tried the 'Matt Preston' hack with their wooden spoons? Soak in a cup of boiling water... I do it every week,' one woman said, along with a picture of her cloudy water after soaking the spoons.
Another woman said: 'I find [wooden spoons] have a funky taste if they have been soaked in water so I just grab cheap ones often, chuck them out after a few uses or else the taste leaches into foods or they crack.' 
But some were not convinced by the wooden spoon, with one saying: 'I haven't died yet...', while another said: 'Nor me, I keep mine for years.' 
One woman said she has been using wooden spoons for almost 50 years.
'No one has been sick from it. I just wash and dry it,' she said.
The former MasterChef Australia judge came up with the 'wooden spoon test' so users can determine whether or not it's time to bin a specific utensil
The former MasterChef Australia judge came up with the 'wooden spoon test' so users can determine whether or not it's time to bin a specific utensil
Another mother said: 'Love my wooden spoons... won't cook with anything else. I've always pre-washed and into a dishwasher or just hand washed really well. We've survived 15 years so far and my kids seem fine. 
'I've even cooked some commercial items with wooden spoons and everyone has lived to tell the tale... I use silicone only for mixing baking items.' 
Others revealed how they clean their own wooden spoons and boards at home.
''I never soak my wooden spoon or boards. They get washed straight away with hot soapy water and put on a dish rack to air dry completely,' one said.
Another suggested soaking or dishwashing wooden spoons will 'open the cells in the wood and trap food and bacteria... according to my old home economics teacher'.
And one woman said: 'Lay it in the sun instead. Sun does wonders for bacteria on cooking utensils and chopping boards.'

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