Choosing a food grade wood sealer brings many complications with the decision. If you only want the safest and most quality wood sealer, there are a heap of potential factors to run through your head, like material, affordability, manufacturer, and trustworthiness.
Choosing a woodworking-related product is more or less the same process regardless of specifics. And by that, I mean whether you’re picking a food grade wood sealer, the right whittling tools, or the best maple wood stain, it all comes down to making a pros and cons list and comparing the top products.
Next up, I’ll talk about five food grade wood sealers on the market right now and my personal recommendation.
Here we go!
| Product Image | Product Name | SimpleWoodWorking Rating | What We Like | What We Didn’t Like | Link |
 | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac Spray | Best Shellac Sealer | – A quick-drying formula (30 minutes) – Natural-looking color palette – Ease of use – A straightforward cleanup | – On the other hand, this sealer definitely has some drawbacks. – One of the main disadvantages is a faulty nozzle. Many versions of this product reportedly ship with a nozzle that doesn’t work correctly. While the nozzle is easy to replace, it does count against the spray. – The price tag also makes this wood finish a bit costlier than other alternatives. | Check Price Here |
 | Watco Danish Oil Wood Finish | Best Over All Oil Finish | – The main advantage of this wood finishing oil is its ease of use. Just about anyone can apply the oil to a wood surface with little to no difficulty. – The product also has a notable ‘shine’ to it that can make your wood project stand out a bit more in the light. | – While Watco Danish Oil has considerable strengths, we can’t avoid its downsides. – This wood sealer has a lengthy six-hour drying time, so those looking for a quick sealing solution will probably be disappointed. – Another drawback is the darkening effect the finish can have on some surfaces. This can be a big obstacle if you want to keep the wood light-colored. | Check Price Here |
 | Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane | Quickest Oil Sealer | – You might have guessed from the name, and you’d be right: One of the strengths of the Minwax wood sealer is its quick drying time. After about 4 hours of a coat of the finish, you can reapply a second! – This food grade wood sealer is also quite durable, allowing for various uses. | – The main disadvantage of the Minwax sealer is its price tag. $14.89 for 2.05 pounds of this product is pretty steep. – Additionally, multiple reviewers have said this wood-finishing oil came in dented cans, so delivery might pose some challenges. | Check Price Here |
 | Godora Pure Tung Oil | Top Nut-Based Oil | – First, Godora Pure Tung Oil is highly waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about damaging a coat with exposure to liquids. – Godora wood finishing oil is also easy to use and apply, and you can easily reapply it if you make a mistake during the finish. | – One significant downside of this wood sealer is that some users report it takes an abnormally long time to harden. Some have even said it took over a week before the product finished hardening. – At the oil is also definitely on the more expensive side. | Check Price Here |
 | Interstate WoodWorks Beeswax Paste | Best Organic Choice | – To start, this wood sealer is relatively very cheap. $13.95 for approximately 6 ounces is quite impressive! – It’s also said to be an excellent option for beginners and has a noticeable shine after the finish has dried. | – Unfortunately, WoodWorks Beeswax Paste also has some flaws. – Some reviewers noted difficulty getting the paste to dry after applying it to a wood surface. – Others also shared that the sticky texture of the paste made applying it more of a challenge than they anticipated. | Check Price Here |
Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac Spray – Best Shellac Sealer
To kick off our discussion of the best wood sealer, let’s first talk about Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac Spray.
Made by Rust-Oleum, this sealer is a 12-ounce shellac-based spray intended for wide use, but its nontoxic ingredients make it a strongly viable choice for a food grade wood sealer. Shellac in food fortunately poses no known dangers to humans.
But, besides the nontoxic contents of the sealant, what are some of its bright sides…and sore spots?
Pros
- A quick-drying formula (30 minutes)
- Natural-looking color palette
- Ease of use
- A straightforward cleanup
Cons
- One of the main disadvantages is a faulty nozzle. Many versions of this product reportedly ship with a nozzle that doesn’t work correctly.
- While the nozzle is easy to replace, it does count against the spray.
- The price tag also makes this wood finish a bit costlier than other alternatives.
Verdict
With its fast drying time, easy-to-use design, and pleasant color choice, Zinsser Bulls Eye is generally a solid choice for those looking for the best wood sealer.
But, it does come relatively pricey, and many bottles need a better nozzle.
If you have an especially tight budget or need a wood finish that works right out of the box, you might want to look at some alternatives.
Watco Danish Oil Wood Finish – Best Over All Oil Finish
Moving on to the next wood sealer, Watco Danish Oil Wood Finish comes in a 1.8-pound liquid oil form.
This wood sealer is another general-purpose sealant sold under the Watco brand for $24.99.
What are its strengths and weaknesses, though?
Pros
- The main advantage of this wood finishing oil is its ease of use. Just about anyone can apply the oil to a wood surface with little to no difficulty.
- The product also has a notable ‘shine’ to it that can make your wood project stand out a bit more in the light.
Cons
- While Watco Danish Oil has considerable strengths, we can’t avoid its downsides.
- This wood sealer has a lengthy six-hour drying time, so those looking for a quick sealing solution will probably be disappointed.
- Another drawback is the darkening effect the finish can have on some surfaces. This can be a big obstacle if you want to keep the wood light-colored.
Verdict
Watco Danish Oil is easy to use and features a fantastic shine effect.
On the other hand, the slow drying time and darkened coloring effect the finish can have will likely put off some potential buyers.
Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane – Quickest Oil Sealer
Now, let’s take a look at the Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane.
Like Watco Danish Oil, this is an oil-based wood finish. But, the main difference is that this sealer is a polyurethane-based product.
Now, there’s a good chance you’re wondering: Is polyurethane food safe?
Absolutely! Polyurethane is completely nontoxic and 100% food safe.
Pros
- You might have guessed from the name, and you’d be right: One of the strengths of the Minwax wood sealer is its quick drying time. After about 4 hours of a coat of the finish, you can reapply a second!
- This food grade wood sealer is also quite durable, allowing for various uses.
Cons
- The main disadvantage of the Minwax sealer is its price tag. $14.89 for 2.05 pounds of this product is pretty steep.
- Additionally, multiple reviewers have said this wood-finishing oil came in dented cans, so delivery might pose some challenges.
Verdict
The Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane sealer has a short drying time and a durable makeup, but the higher cost and delivery concerns bring down the value a bit.
Overall, it’s still a solid option for a wood sealer.
Godora Pure Tung Oil – Top Nut-Based Oil
Godora Pure Tung Oil is yet another oil-based food grade wood sealer.
However, unlike the other two oil-based sealants on this list, the 32-ounce Godora mix is a nut-based oil.
As with other nut wood sealers, such as walnut oil for wood sealing, this comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Pros
- First, Godora Pure Tung Oil is highly waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about damaging a coat with exposure to liquids.
- Godora wood finishing oil is also easy to use and apply, and you can easily reapply it if you make a mistake during the finish.
Cons
- One significant downside of this wood sealer is that some users report it takes an abnormally long time to harden. Some have even said it took over a week before the product finished hardening.
- At the oil is also definitely on the more expensive side.
Verdict
While Godora Tung Oil is easy to use and benefits from a waterproof product consistency, the price tag and potentially long hardening time might be cause for concern.
Interstate WoodWorks Beeswax Paste – Best Organic Choice
Let’s finish this post with an unorthodox wood finish: Interstate WoodWorks Beeswax Paste.
The product name isn’t lying; this is a beeswax-based food grade wood sealer! And, as with the other sealants on this list, the ingredients are completely nontoxic.
So, how does it hold up against its competitors?
Pros
- To start, this wood sealer is relatively very cheap. $13.95 for approximately 6 ounces is quite impressive!
- It’s also said to be an excellent option for beginners and has a noticeable shine after the finish has dried.
Cons
- Unfortunately, WoodWorks Beeswax Paste also has some flaws.
- Some reviewers noted difficulty getting the paste to dry after applying it to a wood surface.
- Others also shared that the sticky texture of the paste made applying it more of a challenge than they anticipated.
Verdict
The affordable price, ease of use, and pleasant shine make this an attractive wood sealer option. But, the long drying time and stubborn texture might make the paste more trouble than its worth for some.
Conclusion and Recommendation
So, we’ve covered the pros and cons of each wood finish on the list. But which one do I actually recommend?
I have to say that, once you weigh the pros and cons, Watco Danish Oil strikes me as the highest quality product.
While it has a longer drying time, I think this is more than offset by the easy application and beautiful aesthetic. These qualities make it, in my mind, an outstanding food grade wood sealer.
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