Teflon is a plastic. Using non-stick cookware also precludes the use of metal utensils. Many people choose to use plastic spatulas. I recommend wooden spatulas.
I have a non-stick pan that was supplied with my rented house. I do not use plastic utensils with it. I prefer wooden spatulas. How many plastic spatulas have you destroyed from excessive heat? When the edge of a wooden spatula gets worn and ragged, you can fix it with a utility knife.
Teflon is the only surface to which a gecko cannot stick. I don’t know of anybody that has gecko and eggs for breakfast, and I think that responsible consumers should avoid consuming Teflon cookware.
Polytetrafluoroethylene was discovered by accident during the first half of the 20th century. My generation is the first for which ‘non-stick’ cookware is not a novelty.
A carcinogen is used in the production of Teflon and Dupont paid residents near its plants $400 million out of court after perfluorooctanoic acid was found in ground water.
Cast iron pans are superior to Teflon coated pans in many ways. The proper care of cast iron pans is slightly more complex than with other cookware, but it is worth the effort.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
okay…i think i should start buying wooden cooking materials.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
what about non-plastic means of food preservation/storage? alternatives to saran wrap, ziploc, tupperware, etc?
July 24th, 2008 at 6:53 am
James, nothing beats a good quality mason jar for many food storage purposes…
August 8th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
[…] Teflon is the only surface to which a gecko cannot stick. I don’t know of anybody that has gecko and eggs for breakfast, and I think that responsible consumers should avoid consuming Teflon cookware. […]
August 19th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Great post! I’ve been really concerned about plastic lately. But I like to make meals in large batches and freeze some of it … not sure how to freeze stuff without plastic. Can use freezer safe glass containers, but they don’t stack well and take up a lot of room. What do you think?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Good question. I don’t use my freezer much because we are trying to eat fresh, in season, local stuff as much as possible. I think plasticless options for the freezer is worth making a post, I will have to do some research and maybe try a couple of options first. You can sometimes get ice cream treats that are in paper packaging. Butchers paper might be another option for some things as well.
August 30th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
there is a website which promotes safe stainless steel alternatives, with locking tops, for freezing. can’t see through it, but stacks well.
September 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Great suggestions. Sustainably-sourced bamboo utensils are also nice to use. I have just started baking and many times recipes call for using plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. I didn’t like the idea too much, so I used a damp towel instead, and that didn’t quite work. Do you have any suggestions?
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Jennifer, I seem to remember my mom using a huge bowl and a large tightly woven piece of cotton. I can’t be sure what you mean when you say something didn’t work out too well. I think some of the most widespread uses of plastic got to be that way because nothing else worked quite as well. I have stuck to it with my old school razor for the most part but I will admit to anyone that asks that it doesn’t work as well as a state of the art plastic multi-blade.