Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

611–620 of 886 posts

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#611

Post by epcoa »

bluGill wrote: post #357
andruby wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is $59 for a single hub, or $849 for a full cooktop really that much of an "expensive luxury"? These things last for decades and cost less than most mobile phones. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/induction-cooktops-20813/

A hob takes up space my tiny kitchen doesn't have to spare, and besides the limited power available at the wall in the US means it isn't that useful. In the US we almost always use a range not a cooktop. I need one with an oven. Something like https://www.homedepot.com/p/Amana-30-in-4-Burner-Element-Fre... - which is several hundred cheaper than what you linked. As long as I'm going to replace what I have, spending a…

You're linking to literally the lowest end builder grade piece of crap* non flat range, you even picked the one that doesn't have the oven window! I've even had near slumlords at least spring for the windowed glass top GE special when it was on sale. (I say crap, but that is unfair, having used these growing up, they are simple and basically won't break down and exceptionally easy to get parts for and repair [because it doesn't have any, not even a timer], and if the tenants destroy it, who cares). But Ikea doesn't even cater to that market at all, so it's disingenous to use that as a counter example. Most people are looking for something at least slightly better and those are going to cost more in the $800 and up range. And now that I have a job and a little money I would never willingly go back to a calrod electric cooktop. I'm sure there are some John Bircher types that pine for the days of mom's 1961 GE P7, but that seems like a minority.

This might be a better comparison:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-Gallery-30-in-6-2-cu-...

Yes, induction is still more expensive, but it is not crazy more expensive either for middle class homeowners that no matter the fuel want something nicer than that shitty Amana linked (that's low end even for grad student slums).

What must have features are you unable to find in the current crop of induction ranges?

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#612

Post by DowagerDave »

kelipso wrote: post #566
hamhock666 wrote: post #554

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why take the chance? Just buy a metal spatula next time and there’s nothing to worry about if it turns out to be true

Seriously lol, the effort vs risk ratio is insanely in favor of getting rid getting rid of plastic spatulas. Though, it should be pretty obvious even before this study that plastic, heat, and ingesting the result do not go together.

you're only focusing on the immediate, literal replacement cost though; what if (and there are as credible papers as this one, stating so) using a metal spatula on my teflon pan causes it to get into my food and that's what will kill me? Or various metals are an even bigger health risk?

>> should be pretty obvious even before this study that plastic, heat, and ingesting the result do not go together.

I don't think this is true.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#613

Post by asow92 »

rconti wrote: post #559
is_true wrote: post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's all about the angle, wood utensils are usually softer and rounder so they are safer. I accidentally removed a little of the "seasoning" of a cast iron and in the following uses it started to come out around the scratch. Where I live there's another plus to wood utensils, I can help the people that make them locally

(reply really meant for @arrowleaf) Man, I'm so turned off by the entire cast iron hype cult. I've tried so hard to make it work for me, and it just doesn't, and everyone's advice is totally different so it's impossible to know what to do. Wash it. Don't wash it. Scrub the shit out of it. Just remove the chunks and leave the rest. The reply will inevitably be "it's simple, just...." where the words following "just" a…

I think the reason there is so much conflicting advise on the topic is because it's such a forgiving cooking medium, but people swear by their method as the one true method.

It's a piece of iron. It's cheap. It just works™

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#614

Post by carapace »

dfxm12 wrote: post #484

From gidmkhealthnerd, a scientific fact-checker: Counterpoint: this seems to be the crusade of a single researcher - I don't find the data personally convincing and am still using my black spatula for cooking. https://www.threads.net/@gidmkhealthnerd/post/DBxbQERykRx?hl...

Stupidity has always bothered me. Strident pseudo-intellectual stupidity bothers me almost more than cruel ignorant stupidity.

At least now I'm angry in a constructive way.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#615

Post by [deleted] »

timr wrote: post #569
dfxm12 wrote: post #484

From gidmkhealthnerd, a scientific fact-checker: Counterpoint: this seems to be the crusade of a single researcher - I don't find the data personally convincing and am still using my black spatula for cooking. https://www.threads.net/@gidmkhealthnerd/post/DBxbQERykRx?hl...

That's true of nearly everything in this space. You'll find lots and lots of comments below about PFAS and Teflon pans, for example, ranging from factual-but-misleading (e.g. "Teflon pans can emit harmful gases when overheated") to bald assertions (multiple variations on "Teflon pans are harmful to your health") with no context or specificity to the claim. Setting aside the fact that the purported harms (if specified…

[deleted]

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#616

Post by neild »

0_____0 wrote: post #504
asow92 wrote: post #453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been a fan of using stainless steel spatulas on cast iron for years now and it doesn't seem to scratch or degrade the "seasoning" on the cast iron in any apparently meaningful way.

Seasoning isn't that precious either. I accidentally left my cast iron on the stove and burned off most of the seasoning, took it as an opportunity to smooth out the surface with sandpaper, gave it a couple of coats of canola and put it back into service. Within a couple of days it was basically where it was before. I also do 70% of my cooking in that pan!

I do almost all my cooking on cast iron—no philosophical reason, it just works well and once I figured out how to use it I found that I pretty much always reach for a cast iron pan over stainless steel or non-stick. (Except non-stick for omelettes and stainless steel for anything where I want the find.)

My big realization was that there’s a lot of macho information there about the care of cast iron, and it’s pretty much all pointless because the stuff is indestructible and the seasoning doesn’t matter much. Every time I make tortillas in a pan the seasoning gets wrecked, and it’s just not a problem. So long as you get the pan to the right temp and have enough fat, nothing sticks regardless of the quality of the seasoning. Skimp on the oil or set the temp too low, and stuff sticks no matter how good the seasoning.

I wash the pans with soap and water (and not too much scrubbing), I never season them deliberately, and they work wonderfully. It’s a very forgiving cooking surface.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#617

Post by bayindirh »

ronyeh wrote: post #599
steelbrain wrote: post #584

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to get cast-iron necessarily. Try carbon-steel. My mother doesn't like cast iron because of the maintenance required, and we don't use non-stick for the alleged health issues. Got a bunch of carbon-steel cookware and she loves it.

Don’t you need to season carbon steel cookware? Or do you perform a quick season on the cooktop right before frying / searing? In that case, you could also use stainless steel cookware, which is even less maintenance than carbon steel.

Yes, you need to. I have a couple from IKEA and they come with seasoning directions inside.

Stainless steel is very foolproof actually, but at the end of the day, we mostly prefer silicone/wood utensils in the house, except a couple of items.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#618

Post by DowagerDave »

observationist wrote: post #483
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #468

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you find a non-Teflon waffle iron?

A superficial web search reveals a handful of options; I'm sure if you spent a little time, like 10-15 minutes, you'd find dozens. If you only look at what's on offer in stores, and aren't in a place with a lot of variety, then you're not going to have many options.

what will "kill" us faster: buying local, or deeply-involved research projects to buy $600 waffle makers that are shipped across the globe?

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#619

Post by bayindirh »

hamhock666 wrote: post #554
dfxm12 wrote: post #484

From gidmkhealthnerd, a scientific fact-checker: Counterpoint: this seems to be the crusade of a single researcher - I don't find the data personally convincing and am still using my black spatula for cooking. https://www.threads.net/@gidmkhealthnerd/post/DBxbQERykRx?hl...

But why take the chance? Just buy a metal spatula next time and there’s nothing to worry about if it turns out to be true

Why not wood?

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#620

Post by russdill »

timr wrote: post #569
dfxm12 wrote: post #484

From gidmkhealthnerd, a scientific fact-checker: Counterpoint: this seems to be the crusade of a single researcher - I don't find the data personally convincing and am still using my black spatula for cooking. https://www.threads.net/@gidmkhealthnerd/post/DBxbQERykRx?hl...

That's true of nearly everything in this space. You'll find lots and lots of comments below about PFAS and Teflon pans, for example, ranging from factual-but-misleading (e.g. "Teflon pans can emit harmful gases when overheated") to bald assertions (multiple variations on "Teflon pans are harmful to your health") with no context or specificity to the claim. Setting aside the fact that the purported harms (if specified…

An overheating Teflon pan nearly killed my pet birds. I don't see how that's a factual but misleading statement.
Post reply on HN