As an amazon associate, I have provided links to a few helpful products. I receive a small commission from these links at no cost to you.
Intro
In our pursuit to avoid toxins, we usually overlook the small things like finding non toxic cooking utensils. Yes the big stuff like pots and pans are important to look in to, but what we use to flip and stir our meals with is equally as important. They are also exposed to heat, wear, and tear making them just as vulnerable to breaking down in our foods, and us ultimately consuming them those broken down bits over time.
What We are Trying to Avoid
I think a better way of thinking about it is not, “what we are trying to avoid”, but rather, “what can we minimize”. There are definitely things you want to avoid like PFOS, PFAS, aluminum, and lead. There are other things we like to minimize like copper or iron. Depending on your health, some options may be better than others to look for what finding non toxic cooking utensils to add to your kitchen which we’ll talk about a little below.
Wooden Materials
Worth it?
I think so! Wood is a beautiful and fairly non reactive to foods. If you are one who likes to display cooking materials, these are definitely the perfect combination of functional and beautiful. In addition they don’t react to certain foods like other materials. This makes them great for any home. Granted, there is a bit of upkeep to keep these utensils sanitary and working for you for years to come.
Care Instructions
If you decide to go with a wooden set of kitchen utensils, you will want to keep up on a few things to ensure they last you a while. Here are a few suggestions:
- Hand wash them as much as possible, and try to avoid placing them somewhere where they will be soaking in water
- Treat them with non toxic mineral oil. (Since you invested in non toxic cooking utensils, you may as well keep condition them with something non toxic as well).
Suggested Products
Here are a few of my favorite picks for wooden cooking utensils that are not only beautiful, but also functional.
These Premium Uncoated Teakwood Utensils are great!
This is also a beautiful mixing spatula.
If you are just loving the look of wooden materials these days, these cutting boards are also a beautiful non toxic addition to a home.
Stainless Steel Materials
Worth it?
Stainless steel tools are also a great investment to make. They are a great buy if you are someone who RELIES on the dishwasher (like myself).
A few things to look out for when purchasing stainless steel:
- Stick with high quality products as lower quality stainless steel products have a tendency to react more with food when heat is involved.
- Look for tools that are made from a single piece of stainless steel. When multiple pieces are involved there is more room for things to break. If multiple pieces of steel are being used in a product, things could become sharp when unattached from their original placing.
Care Instructions
Here a few care instructions I would follow when owning stainless steel:
- Allow your tools to cool down before attempting to clean to reduce the risk of warping
- Refrain from using abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool or abrasive sponges.
Suggested Products
If stainless steel products are more your style, here are a few products I love:
- This stainless steel set is a well worth investment.
- I also think this stainless steel spatula is a beautiful piece to add.
Conclusion
Lessening our toxic load is important to our overall health. Making the switch to even small things, like finding non toxic cooking utensils, can be a tiny…yet mighty switch. Even small things add up over time.
