Kamenoko
Kamenoko
Kamenoko is the company behind Japan's most iconic cleaning brush, a tawashi made from natural palm fibre that has been an essential part of the Japanese kitchen since 1907. The Kamenoko tawashi is one of those objects so perfectly suited to its purpose that it has remained essentially unchanged for over a century. The oval form fits comfortably in the hand, the palm fibre bristles are firm enough to remove stuck-on food from cast iron and ceramic without scratching the surface, and the natural material dries quickly and resists bacterial growth better than synthetic sponges.
In Japan, the tawashi is used for tasks that range across the entire kitchen. It scrubs burdock root and other earthy vegetables clean without peeling away the skin. It cleans cast iron pans after cooking without disturbing the seasoning layer that makes them non-stick. It removes residue from wooden cutting boards and utensils without damaging the surface. It cleans the inside of teapots and the perforations of strainers where a cloth cannot reach. It is, in short, one of the most genuinely versatile cleaning tools available for any price.
Beyond the classic tawashi, Kamenoko produces a range of other cleaning tools including scrubbing brushes with handles, bottle brushes, vegetable brushes and twist brushes for cleaning narrow items. All of them share the same commitment to natural materials and honest function that has made the brand a household name in Japan.
These are tools that also make excellent gifts — practical, beautiful in their simplicity and carrying the weight of a genuine Japanese tradition behind them.
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Keep your cast iron cookware and cutting boards in top condition with these brushes.
Kamenoko: the tawashi brush that has cleaned Japanese kitchens since 1907 — history, uses and why natural fibre beats synthetic.
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