4 ms·

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 revisi

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.
    - simonsarris 2y ago
      I'm not trolling, the commenter asked me if I had considered something, and it happens I have actually made them myself. Not because I think its necessary, it certainly isn't, I simply like to make things by hand and use things that I've made. It is inexpensive to buy unfinished wood utensils, anyone can search for them. And in the context of the problem, silicone is just as well if wood seems too difficult to find.
    - UnFleshedOne 2y ago
      To be fair, making wood utensils from scratch is multiple orders of magnitude easier than not being poor.
      - afh1 2y ago
        If you are a regular city dweller, not necessarily...
armada651 2y ago
Sure and that protects you in your own kitchen, but not if you're eating anywhere else. Also what about all the other harmful chemicals with easy alternatives that you don't know about yet? Only a regulating agency can truly protect you from exposure to harmful chemicals, because they can spend the time cataloguing all these chemicals and remove them not just from your home but everywhere else as well. I'm not saying you shouldn't try and reduce your own exposure, it seems like a good idea. But ultimately it may just be a token effort because of all the other ways that you're exposed to those chemicals.

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.
  - simonsarris 2y ago
    I'm not trolling, the commenter asked me if I had considered something, and it happens I have actually made them myself. Not because I think its necessary, it certainly isn't, I simply like to make things by hand and use things that I've made. It is inexpensive to buy unfinished wood utensils, anyone can search for them. And in the context of the problem, silicone is just as well if wood seems too difficult to find.
  - UnFleshedOne 2y ago
    To be fair, making wood utensils from scratch is multiple orders of magnitude easier than not being poor.
    - afh1 2y ago
      If you are a regular city dweller, not necessarily...

armada651 2y ago

Sure and that protects you in your own kitchen, but not if you're eating anywhere else. Also what about all the other harmful chemicals with easy alternatives that you don't know about yet? Only a regulating agency can truly protect you from exposure to harmful chemicals, because they can spend the time cataloguing all these chemicals and remove them not just from your home but everywhere else as well. I'm not saying you shouldn't try and reduce your own exposure, it seems like a good idea. But ultimately it may just be a token effort because of all the other ways that you're exposed to those chemicals.