question: finish on bowls for hot food

[Maria Alvarado]

Hi guys,
I'm making a bowl that will be used for hot cereal or maybe soup. Originally I thought I would just go with an oil finish, because I thought it would tolerate wood movement best. However, the bowl is out of pear and I've not had the best luck with oil-only finishes retaining their looks on pear wood. Will a varnish (e.g. salad bowl finish) be o.k. either in contact with hot food, or at least on the outside of such a bowl? Or should I stick with walnut oil and hope for a nice patina? (it's a gift, so it matters)
Thanks for your help

[Jim Becker]

There is no "danger" using other finishes...all of them sold today are "food safe" once fully cured. The issue with film finishes for this application is that they often don't hold up and adding hot food to the mix furthers that issue. A renewable finish such as the walnut oil or mineral oil may still be a good choice. The issue you describe is not unique to pear, either, in these circumstances.

[Reed Gray]

I have a bowl that I have been using for 10 years at the shows that I go to. It is made from Eastern Ash. I finished it with mineral oil and walnut oil from the grocery store. I now use Mahoney's oil. The bowl was white, and now is almost the color of aged osage. I have eaten everything that will fit into a bowl out of it, from soup to ice cream, and it has done well. No other treatment other than the origional. I prefer the oil. I prefer a soaking in type finish rather than a film/surface finish. They don't move with the wood that well, and tend to crack and chip eventually, especially under heavy use. They are all food safe after they have totally dried and cured.
robo hippy

[Marc Himes]

Happy Holidays everyone. I am a new arrival to the forum but have been turning for a few years. What type of finish to use that will hold up in day to day use is an excellent question. I have tried several finishes for salad bowls but have not used any bowls for hot food yet. The walnut oil wears off and the wood gets fuzzed up in my experience. I think it comes with washing using soapy water. I have used poly urethane and Salad Bowl Finish in my own salad bows and they both are wearing off after only about six months. The main salad dressing I use is Balsamic vinegar so it is acidic. We wash the bowls out with a soapy cloth and dry them quickly, but they still are loosing the finish. I share your interest in what type of finish to use, but also would ask how should the bowl be cared for when in use to maintain a finish and avoid the fuzz. How often is walnut oil reapplied?

Marc Himes

[Jeff Nicol]

Of all the wood items I use in the kitchen from wood spoons to bowls and cutting boards, no matter what you use them for they will change color and shape. Like any thing the more you use it the more it needs to be maintained. If the bowl gets used every day then maybe once a week or more to keep it looking good and lasting longer. On some things like cutting boards, dough bowls and salad bowls the utinsels being used will cut, dent and scrape the wood. So after they start getting rough and fuzzy a light sanding or use a sharp scraper to remove the fuzz a little then reapply what ever your favorite oil finish is. I make my own out of food grade mineral oil and beeswax heated together to make a semi liquid paste. With the heat from your hands and friction it melts real fast and does a great job!

Hope this helps out with the big pictire!

Jeff

[Maria Alvarado]

Sounds like oil will be best in this situation then. I've read somewhere that raising the grain with water in between higher grits of sanding can reduce the fuzz from washing, so I'll try that before applying the finish. Thanks for the advice.

[Reed Gray]

A couple of things here. First, I turn green to final thickness, and then I do a LDD soak (half dish soap, and half water) and dry before sanding. I think this does raise the grain a bit which solves the fuzzy problem. I also think that power sanding helps this problem. It is more of a problem if you hand sand, especially if you don't put it in reverse to raise the fibers that are laying down from sanding in the same direction all the time. As far as the oiling, I haven't oiled mine at all since the first time. You don't need to soap it out every time, and I rarely do soap mine. Most of the foods have plenty of oil in them, and a good rinsing, and ocasional scrubbing with a plastic scouring pad will keep them clean, and reduce the fuzz. The only time I use soap is if I have left food in it for a day or so, or didn't get to rinse it out the last time I used it. If your bowl starts to feel greasy, or gummy from residue, then it is time to soap it. If you are a clean freak, then minimal amounts of soap only, don't pour it on thick. You can also use table salt and a wedge of lemon or lime. Both disinfect, and the salt is a oil emulsifier. If you do use a lot of soap each time, then you need to oil each time. Just about any oil will do, just wipe some on, then let it soak in a bit, then wipe off the extra. Wood bowls need to be out where they can breathe. You can drip dry them, you don't have to really totally towel dry them out.
robo hippy