Utensils
There are many types of utensils to choose from: stainless steel, silicone, and wooden.
Stainless Steel Utensils
Stainless steel stirring spoons, slotted spoons, potato mashers, and ladles are all very useful. You probably already have these in your kitchen, and it is safe to use them for your first few batches. As long as you clean them thoroughly, there is no danger in using them afterward because the metal does not readily absorb or react with the soap.
Some stainless steel tools are held together with reactive metal screws, bolts, or brads. You probably won't be able to tell what type of metal the fasteners are, so choose utensils that are all one piece or have “all stainless construction” printed on the package. If you're in doubt, pass it by.
If you find yourself making a great deal of soap, invest the time and money in stainless steel tools just for soaping. Mass-market, thrift, and restaurant supply stores sell many grades of tools. While you don't need the super-fancy “chef's choice” utensils, choose products that offer sound construction and ease of handling.
Silicone Utensils
Silicone rubber scrapers, or what many people call “spatulas,” are indispensable tools. Choose a one-piece model so you will never lose the scraper part in a batch of soap. In food preparation it doesn't matter as much, since you can fish the scraper out of a batch of brownie batter with nothing but a messy treat on your fingers. But you don't want to stick your gloved fingers into a batch of raw soap, fishing around for a slippery piece of rubber.
Wooden Utensils
There is a certain romance to stirring your soap with a wooden spoon. If you want to do this, you need to be sure it is splinter-free and sturdy enough to stir thickening soap batter. In making lye-based soaps, the lye will eventually “eat” the wood, rendering it useless.
You can purchase beautifully crafted hardwood soap-stirring spoons, and although you can certainly use them to stir soap, they are, perhaps, best displayed in your soapmaking area. Many soapers like the feel of getting the saponification process going with wood. Then they switch to silicone scrapers, whisks, hand-blenders, or a combination of these.
If you decide to add wooden utensils to your collection, be sure that you never use wooden spoons for food once they've been used for soap. The wood absorbs the caustics and finished soap.
You will also find chopsticks, bamboo skewers, and plastic picnic-type utensils very useful. Be sure to clean them well after using and never use them for food after using them for soap. Discard wooden utensils when they show signs of wear. You don't want the splintered remains of a bamboo skewer or a random picnic fork tine showing up in a bar of soap.
