People have been cooking with wooden utensils probably since the discovery of fire. So what's so special about Jonathan's wooden spoon? It's all in the details. Carved to fit the hand, balanced in weight, buffed until it feels like butter. These spoons are sexy.

It all started when he forgot to pack a spoon with his lunch. Working as an apprentice furniture maker, Jonathan whittled himself a utensil. When he decided to start his own business, he remembered that spoon. And since 1979, Jonathan has been carving them up and selling them at craft fairs. His booth is a cornucopia of cooking tools weird and wonderful, from ladles and whisks, to spaghetti forks and spootles (that's a spatula/spoon combination). When it comes to spoons, Jonathan found it pays to be lazy. Carved from a single piece of cherry, molded to fit the hand, and with an ingenius notch in the handle, Jonathan's Lazy Spoon planks on the side of your pot, chilling until you need it. These smart, if unmotivated, vessels have legions of fans, including Oprah and Rachael Ray. In my kitchen, they're some of my Favorite Things.

For more about Jonathan's Spoons, visit their store page over at Marketplace.

First image: Tara Bellucci. Others via Jonathan's Spoons.

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Store History

• Founded: 1979
• Founded by: Jonathan Simons
• Headquarters: Kempton, PA

"From the start-up days of producing spoons in a chilly workshop in Maine, Jonathan's Spoons has grown into a successful craft business. I have a shop in rural Kempton, Pennsylvania with ten employees helping to meet the supply needs of my wholesale and retail customers. I exhibit my work at select craft shows around the country."

Mentions

• Jonathan's Spoons: Helpful Hardwood Utensils Store Profile

Website

woodspoon.com