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The problem is that even when there are easy, safe alternatives trying to avoid every little risk in your life will drive you crazy. This is a clear case where

The problem is that even when there are easy, safe alternatives trying to avoid every little risk in your life will drive you crazy. This is a clear case where a regulator should step in and just ban these black plastic utensils in favor of their safe alternatives. That way you're not just protected from exposure in your own kitchen, but also when joining your friends for dinner.

Forgeties79 2y ago
Being deliberate about the materials you choose for your cookware is not the same as stressing out over every little risk in your life. For some people these are the materials that they use to prepare their food literally every day and one purchase will last years.
- xp84 2y ago
  > one purchase will last years Indeed. Although now I’m pretty annoyed about the 6 or so black plastic cooking utensils I received as a wedding gift nearly twenty years ago lasted this long, so I’ve been using them this whole time. Oh well, at least I don’t cook much :/
CalRobert 2y ago
Sure, but this is pretty low hanging fruit. Moving to only metal and wood spatulas, cooking spoons, etc. has been a pretty cheap and easy switch. I would love to ALSO see regulation, but in the meantime I can at least improve things for myself.
- jrmg 2y ago
  Those are either going to (metal) scratch my non-stick pans, which I’m also told (on scant evidence I believe) causes cancer, or they’re (wood) going to be inflexible and hard to wash (can’t dishwasher them), which is inconvenient.
  - NoGravitas 2y ago
    Putting wooden spatulas in the dishwasher shortens their life, but it doesn't destroy them straight away. I don't feel bad at all about putting cheap wooden cookware in the dishwasher. And, of course, if you're using non-stick pans, worrying about black plastic is a mote/beam kind of situation.
    - kristjansson 2y ago
      > shortens their life I'm not even sure it does that. My cheapo wood spoons/turners/spatulas get dishwashed ~every time they're used, and they're 10? years old at this point. One finally cracked a few years ago but the rest are going strong.
  - CalRobert 2y ago
    Well, I stopped using non-stick years ago (though I have a waffle iron which I suppose has a non stick coating) and haven't missed it.
    - wafflemaker 2y ago
      There is plenty non stick that doesn't contain teflon. Like ScanPan CTX.
HumblyTossed 2y ago
> The problem is that even when there are easy, safe alternatives trying to avoid every little risk in your life will drive you crazy. Not really, just avoid them as they come up. Case in point: Throw out your black cooking utensils and use an alt. Simple simple. No crazy to it.
stcroixx 2y ago
Agreed. I don't have the time to pay attention to every 'maybe this is bad' thing. Figure it out for sure then ban it.
mikepurvis 2y ago
Indeed, panicking about everything little thing like this is a psychological nightmare— it leads to the same mental fatigue as the infinite list of item known to the State of California to cause cancer.
- smallerfish 2y ago
  And yet the State of California helps drive regulation forward; e.g. the case of Red 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9dhQIoDw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9dhQIoDw8). CA may err too much on the cry wolf end of the scale, but it's serving a vital function.
  - bigstrat2003 2y ago
    [flagged]
- wwweston 2y ago
  Why, exactly, would those California notifications cause even mild anxiety (let alone "a psychological nightmare") if you know as you claim that they are merely "panicking about everything little thing"? If you're certain they're trivial concerns, then they should be easy to dismiss. If the problem is that you're not sure if they're trivial -- or which are and which aren't -- then what we've uncovered is the shortcomings of a policy oriented primarily around notifications. You'd want judgments made by people with toxicology qualifications whose job it is to focus on questions like this. Which was the point of the comment you're responding to.
simonsarris 2y ago
I don't really understand that POV. It is easier to never have to worry about it if you simply decline to use plastic cooking utensils. You never have to revisit the topic, never had to read any Atlantic articles at all coming out with "new risks" because you just decided to use wood long ago.
- duck 2y ago
  Except, I don't think wood would be any better as you still have to worry about how it was sourced and made to make sure nothing was added to it, right? I see a lot of people using bamboo for example. The only really safe alternative is stainless if you want to avoid thinking about it again.
- n8cpdx 2y ago
  Wood utensils are often coated to improve their stability (just like the inside of cans is coated in plastic, so joke’s on you if you choose cans for that reason). Have you considered the safety profile of the ink used for any markings, the stain on the wood, and any oil or wax coatings?
  - simonsarris 2y ago
    Haha, well, yes. I actually made all of my wood cooking implements from scratch. I cut down the trees and carved them. eg: https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1473049577905401859 https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1473049577905401859 I use Tried and True linseed oil or linseed oil + beeswax for my coatings. Occasionally I'll use pure walnut oil. I understand that not everyone likes to make such things! But I don't suspect its hard to find pure wood ones. Lots of people make them. Even just searching "unfinished wooden kitchen utensils" yields a lot of results.
    - lucianbr 2y ago
      > It is easier to never have to worry about it if you simply decline to use plastic cooking utensils. > I actually made all of my wood cooking implements from scratch. I cut down the trees and carved them. Is this trolling? "It's easy, simple, just carve your own tools out of trees". Sounds like "just don't be poor" to me.
bigstrat2003 2y ago
[flagged]

Forgeties79 2y ago

Being deliberate about the materials you choose for your cookware is not the same as stressing out over every little risk in your life. For some people these are the materials that they use to prepare their food literally every day and one purchase will last years.

xp84 2y ago
> one purchase will last years Indeed. Although now I’m pretty annoyed about the 6 or so black plastic cooking utensils I received as a wedding gift nearly twenty years ago lasted this long, so I’ve been using them this whole time. Oh well, at least I don’t cook much :/

CalRobert 2y ago

Sure, but this is pretty low hanging fruit. Moving to only metal and wood spatulas, cooking spoons, etc. has been a pretty cheap and easy switch. I would love to ALSO see regulation, but in the meantime I can at least improve things for myself.

jrmg 2y ago
Those are either going to (metal) scratch my non-stick pans, which I’m also told (on scant evidence I believe) causes cancer, or they’re (wood) going to be inflexible and hard to wash (can’t dishwasher them), which is inconvenient.
- NoGravitas 2y ago
  Putting wooden spatulas in the dishwasher shortens their life, but it doesn't destroy them straight away. I don't feel bad at all about putting cheap wooden cookware in the dishwasher. And, of course, if you're using non-stick pans, worrying about black plastic is a mote/beam kind of situation.
  - kristjansson 2y ago
    > shortens their life I'm not even sure it does that. My cheapo wood spoons/turners/spatulas get dishwashed ~every time they're used, and they're 10? years old at this point. One finally cracked a few years ago but the rest are going strong.
- CalRobert 2y ago
  Well, I stopped using non-stick years ago (though I have a waffle iron which I suppose has a non stick coating) and haven't missed it.
  - wafflemaker 2y ago
    There is plenty non stick that doesn't contain teflon. Like ScanPan CTX.

HumblyTossed 2y ago

> The problem is that even when there are easy, safe alternatives trying to avoid every little risk in your life will drive you crazy. Not really, just avoid them as they come up. Case in point: Throw out your black cooking utensils and use an alt. Simple simple. No crazy to it.

stcroixx 2y ago

Agreed. I don't have the time to pay attention to every 'maybe this is bad' thing. Figure it out for sure then ban it.

mikepurvis 2y ago

Indeed, panicking about everything little thing like this is a psychological nightmare— it leads to the same mental fatigue as the infinite list of item known to the State of California to cause cancer.

smallerfish 2y ago
And yet the State of California helps drive regulation forward; e.g. the case of Red 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9dhQIoDw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9dhQIoDw8). CA may err too much on the cry wolf end of the scale, but it's serving a vital function.
- bigstrat2003 2y ago
  [flagged]
wwweston 2y ago
Why, exactly, would those California notifications cause even mild anxiety (let alone "a psychological nightmare") if you know as you claim that they are merely "panicking about everything little thing"? If you're certain they're trivial concerns, then they should be easy to dismiss. If the problem is that you're not sure if they're trivial -- or which are and which aren't -- then what we've uncovered is the shortcomings of a policy oriented primarily around notifications. You'd want judgments made by people with toxicology qualifications whose job it is to focus on questions like this. Which was the point of the comment you're responding to.

simonsarris 2y ago

I don't really understand that POV. It is easier to never have to worry about it if you simply decline to use plastic cooking utensils. You never have to revisit the topic, never had to read any Atlantic articles at all coming out with "new risks" because you just decided to use wood long ago.

duck 2y ago
Except, I don't think wood would be any better as you still have to worry about how it was sourced and made to make sure nothing was added to it, right? I see a lot of people using bamboo for example. The only really safe alternative is stainless if you want to avoid thinking about it again.
n8cpdx 2y ago
Wood utensils are often coated to improve their stability (just like the inside of cans is coated in plastic, so joke’s on you if you choose cans for that reason). Have you considered the safety profile of the ink used for any markings, the stain on the wood, and any oil or wax coatings?
- simonsarris 2y ago
  Haha, well, yes. I actually made all of my wood cooking implements from scratch. I cut down the trees and carved them. eg: https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1473049577905401859 https://twitter.com/simonsarris/status/1473049577905401859 I use Tried and True linseed oil or linseed oil + beeswax for my coatings. Occasionally I'll use pure walnut oil. I understand that not everyone likes to make such things! But I don't suspect its hard to find pure wood ones. Lots of people make them. Even just searching "unfinished wooden kitchen utensils" yields a lot of results.
  - lucianbr 2y ago
    > It is easier to never have to worry about it if you simply decline to use plastic cooking utensils. > I actually made all of my wood cooking implements from scratch. I cut down the trees and carved them. Is this trolling? "It's easy, simple, just carve your own tools out of trees". Sounds like "just don't be poor" to me.

bigstrat2003 2y ago

[flagged]