Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid.
In 2018, Turner published one of the earliest papers positing that black plastic products were likely regularly being made from recycled electronic waste. The clue was the plastic’s concerning levels of flame retardants. In some cases, the mix of chemicals matched the profile of those commonly found in computer and television housing, many of which are treated with flame retardants to prevent them from catching fire.
Food and two different metals at once (that also touch each other) shouldn’t either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyrj-CYC5I8
Basically, electrochemistry happens and the metal breaks down, seeping into the food. This is problematic for aluminum.
I had this happen when I made a tomato-based dish in a cast iron pan, covered it with foil, and then stored it in the fridge. The aluminum was electroplated to the top of the food, and the pan had iron pits in the bottom.
Yes, I know I was bad for doing that to a cast iron pan. I was young and foolish.
I don’t blame you, very few people know this and it’s not intuitive. With plastic items, everyone learns early that they don’t take heat well. Arguably, it’s not much of a problem anymore since every metal container and silverware is stainless steel and basically only aluminum foil remains. At least now you know why coins make that smell in a sweaty hand.
Food should never touch anything artificial. If it hasn’t been levitating since the day it was hand harvested from old growth forest, it’s basically pure poison.
I yeet my food so high it stays in the air/orbit just long enough before I plan to eat it. Sometimes, it hits wild geese on the way up and they get cooked during reentry.
metal is best shit we got, mate.
stainless steel is OG all purpose.
cast iron is best for some use cases.
enabled cast iron is niche for the more elite chef.
anything is else is trash but willing to hear suggestions.
EDIT: other brought up other strong choices to support the above, glass, ceramics, and food utensils.
Between all of these normal products, you don’t need plastic.
My only issue is storage containers, plastic is so easy and you got so much of it. But got to cut that too.
No one has suggested carbon steel in this comment thread yet, but others have elsewhere - just wanted to say it’s amazing. I use either stainless or carbon and have moved on entirely from cast iron apart from for casserole type food.
I got carbon wok, solid product!
Another solid choice
Makes me wonder hownin sea of options we ended with teflon slop as dailt driver for so many people
Ceramics.
for baking?
Ceramic coated pans and ceramic bakeware are both solid non-toxic options for cooking.
I have ceramic coated, cast iron, steel, and something else I can’t remember the name of and use them all with the main consideration being how much oil will be used and heat retention.
Clay pots or bust, maybe the occasional meat on a stick
Science Luddism x Cottagecore I love it
How about wooden spatulas and glass jars?
chad, obvi
Glass or stoneware has its applications.
true true.
What is enabled cast iron?
Bet you aren’t activating your carbons either
Enameled
This is very specific since he even build up a little rice tower pressing up against the foil.
Well, you need wet food, metal and another metal all touching each other for this to happen. I’ve seen my sister make the mistake IRL so it certainly does.
How did she manage to do it? I usually only see people use this example for topping half eaten pots, which means the amount of food in them should be far away from the aluminium foil.
What kind of utter madman both (a) doesn’t have matching lids for his pots and also (b) refuses to take the leftovers out of a pot (which is a vessel for cooking, not storage) and put them into a more appropriate container?
Wait until you find out that I even eat out of the pot!
One dirty pot meals. Depressed people have to eat, too.