Metal utensils and cookware are affordable and convenient, and there are countless different styles available to use.
While most metals are safe for cooking and eating, there are some risks that you need to be aware of.
Before you buy your next pot, pan, cooking set, or cutlery and utensils, consider which metal utensils can be dangerous for your health.
Cooking in Copper with Heavily Salted Ingredients
Copper pots and pans look gorgeous and they’re long-lasting, but there are risks involved with certain foods.
Cooking extremely salty broths, salted fish, and other salt-rich foods in copper can cause a chemical reaction where some of the copper can leach into your food.
Some copper in your diet can be processed but you want to be careful to avoid making it a regular thing.
If you’re cooking something salty, use anodized aluminum cookware or even cast iron to avoid contamination.
Make Sure Your Aluminum Cookware is Anodized
Aluminum cookware is affordable and it’s the standard in households today.
While carbon steel and cast iron are increasing in popularity, the majority of products sold are aluminum-based with steel bottoms and non-stick coatings.
Avoid bare aluminum cookware that hasn’t been anodized or coated.
It can leach aluminum into your food which compromises your immune system.
Likewise, avoid cheap aluminum utensils. Invest in quality stainless steel utensils instead.
- This Cuisinart Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized Cookware Set is ideal for everyday cooking. Durable hard-anodized construction and comes with a lifetime warranty.
- Try this Stainless Steel Flatware Silverware set for everyday meals. Has an exclusive design and is made out of outstanding quality.
Don’t Use Metal Utensils if the Coating is Failing
If you have coated metal utensils or coated non-stick cookware, discard any items where the coating is starting to flake, crack, or otherwise fail.
The coating can include dangerous trace chemical elements.
While they might not immediately make you sick, consuming a lot of debris over time could cause health complications.
Even if there’s no discernible health impact, you should avoid putting anything in your body that doesn’t have nutritional value.
Is Stainless Steel Safe to Use?
There’s a misconception that stainless steel metal utensils can be dangerous for your health.
Some critics claim that stainless steel can leach various compounds like zinc and silicone into your food.
The reality is that stainless steel has been used for years and there are no large and reputable studies to suggest that it isn’t safe.
Stainless steel is used around the world for culinary purposes, and it’s also the most widely used surgical-grade metal.
If it’s good enough for complex surgical procedures, then you can be confident that it won’t compromise your health when used for cooking.
Stainless steel utensils are ideal for cast iron and carbon steel cookware, as well as some ceramic cookware that has been designed for use with metal utensils.
Stainless steel is inert, even at high temperatures, and won’t release elements into your ingredients.
If you’re looking for a reliable metal utensil set, consider this Home Hero Stainless Steel Kitchen Utensil Set. It has 29 unique cooking utensils that can be used for stovetop cooking, meal prep, and baking. There are even specialty utensils like measuring spoons, cups, a wine opener, a can opener, a pizza cutter, and an ice cream scoop. This set offers great value and is designed to last for years in even the busiest home kitchen.
Metal Utensils and Cookware are Safe for Home Cooking
When considering which metal utensils can be dangerous for your health, you only need to avoid copper in some scenarios and discard any coated metal utensils and cookware.
Outside of these scenarios, metal utensils and cookware are often the best choices for your cooking needs.