1. It’s strong; this means that it can stir thick things without breaking, and it can scrape things off of the bottom of pans;

2. It’s soft; this means that, with the possible exception of nonstick pans, it’s not going to scratch the finish of your cookware;

3. It’s insulated; this means that, if you’re making candy or something else sensitive to sudden temperature changes, you’re not going to cause sudden crystallization by putting in a tool that will suck a bunch of heat out of part of your dish;

4. It has a high heat tolerance; this means that it won’t melt if it rests on the side of a pan or stirs something really, really hot;

5. It’s wood; this means that it looks nice, and also that it feels nice in the hand. For those who went through classical training and interned with someone also classically trained, there’s a good chance that they learned to cook with some wooden spoons, so there’s some familiarity and maybe a bit of nostalgia there.