what material are your kitchen utensils?

BlueMnM

i need to buy some kitchen utensils. i was thinking about buying wood, to avoid plastics. is that a good idea? aren't the stainless steel ones damaging to pots and pans?

i also need to buy a wok. any suggested brands?

Jen&Joe06

I have a mix of wood, plastic and stainless steel. You can get bamboo utensils now too.

huddlstn

I have this organic bamboo set from Crate and Barrel:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=748&f=27519

They've held up really well.  I sometimes use our stainless steel utensils, but I'm careful not to scrape the pan with them. 

smurfette2682

we use mostly stainless steel utensils, and a few wood.  almost no plastic.

stainless steel utensils will damage non-stick pots and pans, but we only have stainless steel pots and pans, and glass and ceramic baking dishes.  Non-stick doesn't exist in my house!

suzymarie

We have mostly plastic.  We got them all as wedding gfifts, and they work fine so I am not going to replace them.

I don't worry about using metal on my non stick pans.  We have pretty crappy pans and I have yet to scratch the coating.  When my pans do get scratched i am planning to replace them with SS ones anyway.  I hate having nonstick ones but again it seem like such a waste to replace them when they work fine.

PurposelyVague

You shouldn't really use metal on nonstick, but it's fine on other surfaces.

Tambcat

I have mostly plastic, but when those need replacing, I'm going to replace them with stainless. I have stainless pots and pans too, so I'm not worried about them scratching the surface like I would be with non-stick. I do have a couple of wooden spoons for stirring, and I like those, but I can't imagine using a wooden spatula. I don't think I've even seen one!

SuperGreen

huddlstn:

I have this organic bamboo set from Crate and Barrel:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=748&f=27519

They've held up really well.  I sometimes use our stainless steel utensils, but I'm careful not to scrape the pan with them. 

I really like these, very cute!  We have plastic right now, we also got them for the wedding and I don't see any need to replace them.  We got rid of all our nonstick cookware awhile ago.  We use a cast iron pan, 2 ceramic pans, and the pots are SS.

You really shouldn't use metal utensils with non-stick cookware.  Or non-stick cookware at all. You may be scraping off the coating without seeing visible scratches, and now that coating is in your food.  If you read the instructions for non-stick cookware carefully, they say to replace them yearly because the bonding of the Teflon comes apart over time and on high heat.  Here's info from EWG on the dangers of Teflon:

http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon

Some tidbits:

Non-stick surfaces are aluminum pans coated with a synthetic called polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon, a DuPont brand trademark. Learn more about Teflon and its perfluorinated chemical ?family? (PFC?s) in our chemical dictionary.

Toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical are released from pots and pans at high temperatures, potentially killing pet birds and causing people to exhibit flu-like symptoms (called "Teflon Flu" or, as scientists describe it, "Polymer fume fever"). Manufacturers' labels often warn consumers to avoid high heat when cooking on Teflon. But EWG-commissioned tests conducted in 2003 showed that in just two to five minutes on a conventional stove top, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces could exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases.

daisygirl17

suzymarie:

We have mostly plastic.  We got them all as wedding gfifts, and they work fine so I am not going to replace them.

I don't worry about using metal on my non stick pans.  We have pretty crappy pans and I have yet to scratch the coating.  When my pans do get scratched i am planning to replace them with SS ones anyway.  I hate having nonstick ones but again it seem like such a waste to replace them when they work fine.

ditto exactly...in the next few years I hope to phase out my nonstick, but i'm not in a huge rush since they work for now.

huddlstn

SuperGreen:

huddlstn:

I have this organic bamboo set from Crate and Barrel:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=748&f=27519

They've held up really well.  I sometimes use our stainless steel utensils, but I'm careful not to scrape the pan with them. 

I really like these, very cute!  We have plastic right now, we also got them for the wedding and I don't see any need to replace them.  We got rid of all our nonstick cookware awhile ago.  We use a cast iron pan, 2 ceramic pans, and the pots are SS.

You really shouldn't use metal utensils with non-stick cookware.  Or non-stick cookware at all. You may be scraping off the coating without seeing visible scratches, and now that coating is in your food.  If you read the instructions for non-stick cookware carefully, they say to replace them yearly because the bonding of the Teflon comes apart over time and on high heat.  Here's info from EWG on the dangers of Teflon:

http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon

Some tidbits:

Non-stick surfaces are aluminum pans coated with a synthetic called polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon, a DuPont brand trademark. Learn more about Teflon and its perfluorinated chemical ?family? (PFC?s) in our chemical dictionary.

Toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical are released from pots and pans at high temperatures, potentially killing pet birds and causing people to exhibit flu-like symptoms (called "Teflon Flu" or, as scientists describe it, "Polymer fume fever"). Manufacturers' labels often warn consumers to avoid high heat when cooking on Teflon. But EWG-commissioned tests conducted in 2003 showed that in just two to five minutes on a conventional stove top, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces could exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases.

I didn't say we use non-stick pans.  We only use stainless steel Calphalon pots and pans (or cast iron for things like eggs and pancakes).  I just don't like the stainless steel utensils scraping against the stainless steel pans (the sound of it, and it sometimes leaves marks).  I especially like using bamboo to deglaze the pan.

AppleBear

Stainless steel, never had an problems with damage to pots and pans, although we don't have any non-stick.  We have stainless steel pots and pans. 

xxSOMMERxx

I have wood, stainless steel and plastic.  My plastic I am trying to slowly faze out along with my non-stick pans.  The only problem is I absolutely LOVE my Paula Deen frying pans.