STEPHAN WOODWORKING

Many are surprised to learn that, with a durable finish, wooden bowls can be used as a daily bowl for milk and corn flakes. Washed with the soft side of a kitchen sponge and a drop or two of mild liquid dish soap, the bowl can be used for years. And the sound of a spoon on wood is much more pleasing in the morning than the clang of a spoon on ceramic.

The diameter of these bowls is between 6 1/2" and 7", and the height about 2 1/2". There is a narrow outside band at the rim which adds visual interest but also makes holding the bowl more secure while it is being washed. The pictured bowls are from Cincinnati area black cherry and black walnut trees. Similar bowls from Cincinnati area red oak trees also have been used with great satisfaction.

Moving up the side of the bowl, the diameter decreases slightly at the rim, making cereal and snacks more likey to stay within the bowl, than if the diameter was constantly increasing. Richard Raffan, a well known Australian wood turner, has popularized this detail as a "containing bowl."