Some people prefer to order take-out, some people love to cook at home. Regardless of your ability, you must eat well. Every time you cook for your special someone, you always make sure to select the finest ingredients, spices, vegetables, cooking medium, and everything to have a yummy and nutritious outcome.
However, are you paying attention to the type of utensils you’re using to cook your favorite meal? It is crucial to know that there are great positive or negative after-effects in the cookware you are using. There are many amazing utensils and sets. But what makes a good quality kitchen utensil?
Cooking Utensils
There might be some health risks lurking if you don’t pay attention to the cooking utensils that you used in cooking meals for your household. Here is a shortlist of cooking utensils that is essential for cooking. You can find more cooking utensils at Alice Perkins’s Food Blog.
Metal and Silicone Spatula
A metal spatula is a high-quality plastic or sturdy metal. A spatula is essential for tossing, flipping, and serving all sorts of foods.
A silicone spatula is essential to scrape off the side of the mixing bowl or food processor. Also for folding egg whites to the cake and swirling frosting to a cake. Make sure that your spatula is not rubber but silicone, otherwise it may melt under high temperature.
Chef’s knife
There are various types of knives that you can buy. You only need one knife, and chef knives are the most flexible knife. You can use it for bulk cutting, chopping, and slicing needs, just make sure you buy a chef’s knife that is made of stainless steel so it won’t easily rust.
Wok
A wok is an essential utensil for stir-frying, this shovel-like utensil makes scooping and cooking in a hot wok efficient, quick, and easy. It is made of plastic, bamboo, stainless steel, and metal, it can be cleaned easily and is not too hot to handle. Woks are one of the most popular kitchenware in almost any kitchen. Foodal.com has everything you need to know about the humble, yet invaluable wok.
Kitchen Shears
It is the most basic and useful for everyday use. You will use shears to snip away herb stems, trim meat fats, or open up the packaging. Now and then, you’ll use it to trim the pie crust off or cut up a whole chicken.
Tongs
With a little money, you can already buy a pair of cheap metal tongs that can last long. It is commonly used to turn chicken parts in the pan to reach the oven and check the roast. It is an extension of your fingers, and also for serving family-style dinner.
Measuring Spoons
A measuring spoon is also an essential utensil since you always need to have the precise measurements. Also, it is a two times measurement of a mini spoon to scoop dried herbs and spices. A measuring spoon set is sufficient enough to fit into spice jars and it will stick together, you won’t have to worry about misplacing a teaspoon or tablespoon.
Fish Turner
It is easy to use utensils and can be used for everything. Its base can easily flip fish, pancakes, burgers, and over-easy eggs. Its thin edges can easily slide the food you are overturning, it clears out any grease.
Cookware Materials That You Should Avoid
Cooking using different kinds of utensils provides additional health benefits. From another point of view, some materials may lead to health risks if you use them while cooking. Here are some materials in cookware that you should be mindful of.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a metal that contains excessive thyroid hormone or thyrotoxic. If you used aluminum while cooking, it can leach in the food easily and may cause paralysis, liver disorder, brain disorder, and constipation.
Ceramic
Undoubtedly, ceramic cookware is the best option when doing stir-frying. Thus, the bitter part is that cookware with a ceramic finish, mostly have deficient amounts of coating and beneath there might be an aluminum coating that may cause a serious health risk when used in cooking.
If you are using ceramic cookware, ensure to purchase those with thick ceramic coating and those from a trusted brand or store.
Non-Stick Cookware
Many people are aware of their fitness and health, and using non-stick cookware is one of the latest trends nowadays. But, these types of cookware are being coated with tetrafluoroethylene or Teflon which contains mercury and cadmium. These elements may cause health risks such as heart disease and cancer. Those elements will be stored up slowly in the body and might cause nerve and mental disorders.
Granite
Granite utensils can cause serious health problems since it is coated with tetra fluoro ethylene and it is a harmful substance. It is not a healthy utensil to use for cooking food.
Takeaway
Now that you already know the cookware that you should use while cooking, you can avoid those harmful utensils completely. Be wise and smart in choosing your cookware, so that you and your household can eat and enjoy healthy foods coming from your kitchen.