Which woods are best for Salt and pepper shaker?

[Alan Kalker]

What kinds of wood can and what kinds of wood should not be used to make salt and pepper shakers either because of toxicity or erosion issues?

Do you apply any kind of sealer to the inside? If so which?

[John K Jordan]

What kinds of wood can and what kinds of wood should not be used to make salt and pepper shakers either because of toxicity or erosion issues?

Do you apply any kind of sealer to the inside? If so which?

I have no idea what is "best" but I can tell you what I've used: Cocobolo, cherry, walnut, and dogwood. I use no finish inside. No problems reported.

We have been using these made from cocobolo and dogwood for a bunch of years. (I hate it when I can't tell which one is the salt and which one is the pepper - these are clear to me. :))

383138

JKJ

[James A. Brown]

I have a set I made of oak about 20 years ago with no problems and no sealer or anything. Nice thing about wood salt shakers, the salt never seems to draw moisture and clump up.
Reminds me of a trip the wife and I took many years ago, stopped for breakfast in a little mom & pop place. Good food and neat and clean but they must have had a problem remembering which was salt and which was pepper. They solved it by writing salt and pepper on pieces of masking tape on the shakers. Did seem a little odd though, both shakers were clear glass. We still laugh about that. Jim.

[Jeff Heath]

Mine are walnut. The ones I made 20 plus years ago were maple, and the wife didn't like them because they showed a lot of food grime from her cooking (oil, flower, etc.......) She likes the darker wood much better.

I think it's personal preference more than anything. I don't work much with exotic woods, so can't speak to toxicity levels with them and food. I think you need to be a little bit concerned for someone with a nut allergy, but I can't be certain about that. My niece has a nut allergy, and the cutting boards I've made for her mother (my sister) have no walnut wood in them.

[Stan Calow]

A future project for me, but planned on maple and walnut.

[Don Jarvie]

Just finished one of each and used maple, tiger wood and walnut. No finish on the inside.

[Alan Kalker]

Thanks for the above reponses.