Say Goodbye to Harmful Plastics With These Kitchen Utensils, From $8

Oct 15, 2024

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Non-reactive utensils safe for your cookware.

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If you’ve read the recent news about the dangers of black plastic, then you might be rethinking your kitchen utensil choices. Plastic tools may seem inexpensive and convenient, but there’s concern that harmful chemicals are leaching into our food.

"Plastic as a material is harmful throughout its lifecycle, from production, use, to disposal," says Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future and co-author of From E-waste to Living Space. She continues, "Higher levels of toxic flame retardants (FRs) were associated with styrene-based plastics, which are known for use in electronics." These electronics are often recycled into kitchen products like food storage containers and utensils, putting users at risk for exposure to FRs.

“People can protect themselves from unknowingly using products that contain harmful FRs or toxic chemicals by replacing black plastic kitchen utensils with wooden or stainless steel kitchen utensils,” says Liu. Based on this information, we found 10 stainless steel and wooden utensil sets, including spatulas, turners, forks, slotted spoons, and ladles. They’re made from materials that are non-reactive and won’t leach into your food, no matter how high of heat you’re using.

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Earlywood has been around for a while, making some quality kitchen utensils. They sent me The Essentials bundle, a tasting spoon, and a big tera scraper to test, and so far, I’m loving all of them. They’re sturdy, easy to hold, and work great. They’re beautiful, too, and I love using the salad tongs. All of the utensils are made from wood like jatoba, Mexican ebony, hard maple, and bloodwood, which are known for their unique quality and durability. If that isn’t enough, Earlywood’s sustainability efforts include donating $1 from every order to plant trees in Brazil, repurposing wood scraps into DIY pen blanks, and all sawdust into burnable briquettes.

(One word of caution: some of these utensils may be labeled dishwasher-safe, but anything made of wood should always be hand-washed to avoid damage.)

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Everyone knows the All-Clad name from its line of stainless steel skillets and nonstick cookware, but the brand also makes kitchen utensils. Each of these stainless steel kitchen tools is durable and sturdy enough for use on cast iron and stainless steel cookware. This 6-piece set includes a convenient caddy for easy storage and access — or you can use the loop on each tool to hang them from your utensil rack.

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I have a few bamboo kitchen tools, which are my go-to cooking utensils. They’re light, sturdy, and work great on cast iron and my Dutch ovens. This set isn’t the exact brand that I have, but they’re close. Bamboo tools can really take a beating, and best of all, the material is sustainable, biodegradable, and renewable. It’s like wood, but it’s actually a species of grass that grows very fast and doesn’t need to be replanted since it does so on its own.

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]This 10-piece kitchen tool set has the best of both worlds — stainless steel heads with wooden handles. The set includes everything from slotted and solid utensils to mashers and skimmers. In my opinion, they’re perfect for home cooks because they can be used for multiple jobs. The stainless steel tools are strong and sturdy, while the rubberwood handles have a hanging hole if you don’t want to use the caddy.

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I picked this wooden utensil set because it reminded me of when I was growing up. Did anyone else have that gigantic wooden spoon and fork hanging in the kitchen or dining room? Well, these cooking tools are reminiscent of days gone by, and I’m drawn to them. You can use them as salad tongs, turners, and pasta servers, and they’ll still look gorgeous. The rich dark teak wood means these utensils are strong, sturdy, and solidly built. For nostalgia’s sake, my only critique is that they’re missing the leather strip in the hanging holes.

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I admire the deep, rich look and feel of these stainless steel and teak wood utensils. Plus, I’m a fan of the contour and inlaid style of the handle. Unlike other sets on this list, this one comes with a handy wok spatula. My only complaint is that it doesn’t come with a caddy, so I’d recommend either purchasing a utensil crock or use the hanging holes.

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Yes, this is another all-teak kitchen utensil set, but this one has a couple of great additions. Not only do you get spoons and turners, but you also get a spoon rest and caddy made of teak. Instead of salad tongs, you get a salad fork and spoon, which are perfect for grabbing a serving of salad without spilling it all over the dining table. The rest of the utensils are standard spatulas and turners. This would be a fine addition to your existing set of utensils if you need more oomph in your kitchen tool repertoire.

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This set is just like the Riveira set above but also comes with a pair of tongs. One of the things I like about bamboo utensils is that you really can’t damage them. Sure, you can burn and scorch them, and sometimes they can get stained, but after a while, it’s just part of their charm. Not only that, they’re so sturdy and practically indestructible that you toss them in the drawer without worrying about breaking, scratching, or denting.

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This stainless steel set’s utensil caddy is reminiscent of my days in the commercial kitchen. Should you go this route, the tools are entirely made from stainless steel and have a loop at the end for hanging. This is also the first set on this list with a stainless steel whisk. I think this could be a perfect beginner set for those moving out on their own for the first time or those new to cooking.

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No list would be complete without a utility tong. My preferred option is a tong made by Mercer Culinary, but unfortunately, they’re no longer available. However, these 12-inch springloaded tongs are the next best thing. There are a lot of tongs on the market, but these don’t have that annoying locking clasp or that sliding ring that either breaks or gets stuck. Plus, they’re a good size for a number of kitchen tasks.