When you’re planning a grill out, the most important decision is what to put on your kabob skewers. Soaking the skewers helps to prevent the wood from drying out and catching fire. The general consensus on the Internet is to soak you skewers for 30 minutes, but do you really need to soak them that long? Is there any added benefit to soaking them longer? We ran an experiment to determine the amount of time you should soak your skewers and in this post we’ll share the results!
The Skewer Soaking Experiment
In our experiment, we tested five different skewer soaking lengths at fifteen minute intervals from 0 – 60 minutes. We did this by adding one skewer to our water bath every 15 minutes. We added them from left to right to keep track of them.
We also wanted to simulate the time it would take to add food to your skewers, so at the end of the soaking time all of the skewers were removed from the water for 20 minutes.
Putting The Skewers to the Test
We tested the skewers on a 400 F degree grill for 10 minutes. Cooking times will vary based on your recipe, but since the meat and vegetables cooked this way are typically cut very small we felt a ten minute test was appropriate.
Also, our test is a more punishing scenario than an actual cook since the skewers are being placed directly on the metal grill grate. When used in a real recipe the food is what makes contact with the grate, the wood skewer is slightly raised.
We placed all of the skewers over direct heat.
The Results
The result was somewhat surprising.
In our experiment the 15 minute skewer actually performed the worst, charing and also warping. It may be that the 15 minute skewer performed similarly to the 0 minute skewer, but was placed closer to the center of the coals than the 0 minute skewer was.
The 30 minute skewer performed well, it charred but held it’s shape.
We were very surprised to see how well the 60 minute skewer performed. It held it’s shape and had significantly less charring than the 30 minute skewer.
There did not seem to be a significant benefit to soaking for 45 minutes.
Based on our results, while we agree with the general consensus that you should soak your skewers for at least 30 minutes, our recommendation would actually be to soak your wooden skewers 60 minutes.
There is actually one thing you can do that is even better.
Upgrade Your Skewers
The best solution is to stop using wooden skewers altogether.
The best skewers to use are actually metal. They conduct heat better which means your food will cook more evenly. They don’t char or catch fire like wooden skewers. They also won’t soak up the juices from the meat which could make your wooden skewer weaker if you prepare your skewers in advance.
Metal skewers are also reusable which will save you money over time, and you’ll know that you always have them on hand and ready to go. We made the switch to metal skewers a while back and they have been a worthwhile investment.
We use this set which we picked up for less than $20 and will serve us well for years to come. If you have a bunch of wooden skewers, soak them for 60 minutes and use them up, but pick up a set of metal skewers going forward, they cook evenly, they clean up easily and you can avoid the hassle of soaking altogether!
Final Thought
While it is generally recommended to soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes before using them on the grill, our experiment found that soaking for 60 minutes provided the best results. Additionally, using metal skewers instead of wooden ones is a better option, as they conduct heat better and don’t char or catch fire like wooden skewers do, and are reusable so they will save you money in the long run. Happy grilling!