Lancaster Cast Iron Featured by The Good Trade

A good kitchen tool doesn't need to be complicated. Sometimes, the best tools are the ones made from simple materials, designed with purpose, and built to be used for years.

That's part of what makes us especially excited to see Lancaster Cast Iron featured in The Good Trade's 2026 guide to the 10 Best Nontoxic Wooden Cooking Utensils.

The Good Trade researches and tests kitchenware brands with a focus on natural materials, durability, thoughtful craftsmanship, and products made to last. In its latest guide, the publication recognized Lancaster alongside a selection of kitchenware brands offering wooden utensils that are designed for everyday cooking without relying on plastic or PFAS-heavy materials.

For Lancaster, the recognition is about more than a wooden spoon or spatula. It speaks to the same philosophy behind our cast iron cookware: use good materials, make things well, and create kitchen tools that are meant to stay in the family.

Simple Materials, Thoughtful Craftsmanship

The Good Trade highlights wooden utensils as a natural alternative to plastic cooking tools. Wooden spoons and spatulas are gentle on cookware, don't conduct heat like metal, and can stand up to the demands of everyday cooking. The publication also points to their natural, timeless quality and their ability to last when properly cared for.

Our wooden cooking utensils are made from native hardwoods including Black Walnut, Black Cherry, and Maple, with each piece finished using food-grade mineral oil. The collection includes everything from slotted wooden spurtles and pasta forks to angled corner spoons, giving cooks practical tools for everything from stirring a sauce to scraping the last bit of food from the corner of a pan.

And while each utensil has a purpose, there's something else they share: craftsmanship. The Good Trade specifically notes that Lancaster's utensils are handmade right in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They're proudly made in the USA and backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Made for Real Cooking

We don't believe kitchen tools should be treated like decorations. They should feel good in your hand, work the way they're supposed to, and get better as they become part of your cooking routine.

A well-made wooden spoon can stir a pot of Sunday sauce, scrape the bottom of a Dutch oven, fold together a batch of pancake batter, or help finish a weeknight dinner. Over time, it becomes familiar. The wood develops its own character, and the utensil becomes part of the kitchen rather than something that needs to be replaced every few years.

A Natural Fit for a Nontoxic Kitchen

The Good Trade's guide also puts a strong emphasis on nontoxic kitchenware and avoiding PFAs and other materials you may want to limit in their kitchens. Its selection criteria focus on natural materials, durability, thoughtful construction, and products that are designed for everyday use.

Our utensils are made from natural hardwoods and finished with food-grade mineral oil, no harsh chemicals or dyes. For cooks who are intentionally choosing natural materials for their kitchens, a wooden spoon and spatula set is a simple place to start.

The beauty of wood is part of the overall experience. The grain of every piece is different, the colors change naturally from one species to another, as well as with continued use, and the tools bring a warmth to the kitchen that manufactured materials simply don't have.

Keeping Craftsmanship Close to Home

Our wooden utensils are made right here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, using native hardwoods and traditional craftsmanship. It's the same connection to place that has always been important to Lancaster Cast Iron.

We started Lancaster because we wanted to make cast iron differently. Lighter. Smoother. Heirloom quality, and easy to use every day.

Make something well. Use good materials. Work with skilled craftspeople. Build something that doesn't need to be replaced when the next season comes around. The Good Trade's recognition is a meaningful reminder that these simple choices still matter. We're proud to see Lancaster included among the publication's picks for nontoxic wooden cooking utensils, and even more proud that the recognition centers on the things that matter most to us: natural materials, American craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and tools made for real cooking.

After all, the best kitchen tools aren't necessarily the ones you use once. They're the ones you reach for again and again, year after year, until eventually they're simply part of the family.