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

811–820 of 886 posts

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#811

Post by imp0cat »

ars wrote: post #725
imp0cat wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get your point, but what I am saying is that if you are not careful, you can easily overheat empty teflon-coated pan on an induction stove and create toxic fumes, no oil required. And you don't even have to forget about the pan. Just setting the stove to high temperature when the pan is cold can quickly create superheated spots due to the way induction works (the temperature sensor is hidden and so it "lags" a bit)…

It's completely unnecessary to heat as cautiously as you describe. Even the worst performing induction burner is not going to heat the pan hot enough unless you do it deliberately, or just completely forget it. Also, maybe you do it differently, but I put the oil in before heating - so if I had stainless, with oil, heated in your "unsafe" manner I would have toxic smoke in the air long before I would have fumes from…

I think you vastly underestimate the power of induction burners. They quickly concentrate a lot of energy in a small space. Mine came with a warning to always start at 60% power at most, so that's why I am so adamant about it.

I fully understand that this may just be the manufacturer covering his, um, behind. But I am not going to risk it.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#812

Post by khafra »

NoMoreNicksLeft wrote: post #809
RandomThoughts3 wrote: post #791

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As far as I am aware, those are mostly obsolete/moot/whatever. They won’t be if you start pricing plastic packaging generated externalities in the products prices. > it's practically impossible to have a fast food industry without single-use packaging It’s so impossible it’s actually done in France if you eat it and they are mandated by law to use your reusable containers if you bring them.

> They won’t be if you start pricing plastic packaging generated externalities in the products prices. Sure. let's make food more expensive for poor people. That's always grand policy. It'd be one thing if it was limiting how many Chic-Fil-A sauce packets they got in their drive-thru paper bag, but this also (believe it or not) affects those trying to eat at home with minimally processed foods. At some point the 72-s…

> Sure. let's make food more expensive for poor people.

I know I started this whole argument by speaking up in favor of efficiently throwing things away, but I do want to speak out in favor of making (harmful) things more expensive for poor people; and giving poor people enough money to make up for it.

This also applies to a lot of other things, like taxing semi trucks for the insane amounts of damage they do to the roads compared to other vehicles, and then paying poor people for the increased price of goods at Wal-Mart. It may sound like taking extra steps to have the same result; but because you're reducing externalized costs instead of subsidizing them, everybody ends up better off.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#813

Post by therealdrag0 »

bayindirh wrote: post #619
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

Why not wood?

I can’t believe how many people are commenting like metal is the only option when wood and silicon are perfectly plentiful and cheap.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#814

Post by therealdrag0 »

thumbsup-_- wrote: post #788

Years back I took a "common sense" decision to eliminate plastic from my food storage and cooking and only use steel or glass. The basis for this decision was primarily that there have been many instances in world where after decades it was found that something generally used was harmful for humans. Steel and glass have existed longer than plastics and are generally known to be safe (also I have to use some products,…

Glass Tupperware also just feels better, like more mature. Wished I switched sooner.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#815

Post by dotancohen »

fooblaster wrote: post #796
dotancohen wrote: post #724

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose that depends on the type of soap. Do you have a source that I could read? Thank you!

soap does lot contain lye anymore. This is where I learned this: https://youtu.be/zGR-pyLHz1s?si=En2OM2GxfNxhfZKY

Thank you

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#816

Post by andruby »

potato3732842 wrote: post #363
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/

The difference between electricity cost per btu and gas cost per btu is the sticking point for the bulk of consumers.

I'd like to see a good comparison in running cost of a gas stove versus an induction stove.

Comparing BTU's wouldn't be an accurate metric since with gas a lot of the heat is lost just going around the pan/pot and heating the air. This source [1] claims it took 992 BTUs for gas and 430 BTUs for induction to boil 1qt of water.

https://www.treehugger.com/which-more-energy-efficient-cooki...

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#817

Post by nextlevelwizard »

whoitwas wrote: post #795
nextlevelwizard wrote: post #741

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just living my life. If I live a year less because of my cookware then so be it.

I don't think it's like that. These substances cause nasty forms of cancer and are easily avoidable. I don't understand the purpose of Teflon other than to poison people. It's really odd how people follow even when they admit they're killing themselves for no benefit. Other than to fit in.

A) Cookware is expensive

B) Unless you scratch the hell out of your pan the teflon coating (probably) isn't that bad

C) Cooking on a teflon pan is just so much more pleasurable

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#818

Post by RandomThoughts3 »

NoMoreNicksLeft wrote: post #809
RandomThoughts3 wrote: post #791

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As far as I am aware, those are mostly obsolete/moot/whatever. They won’t be if you start pricing plastic packaging generated externalities in the products prices. > it's practically impossible to have a fast food industry without single-use packaging It’s so impossible it’s actually done in France if you eat it and they are mandated by law to use your reusable containers if you bring them.

> They won’t be if you start pricing plastic packaging generated externalities in the products prices. Sure. let's make food more expensive for poor people. That's always grand policy. It'd be one thing if it was limiting how many Chic-Fil-A sauce packets they got in their drive-thru paper bag, but this also (believe it or not) affects those trying to eat at home with minimally processed foods. At some point the 72-s…

> Sure. let's make food more expensive for poor people.

The magic of deposit refund system is that you only pay more once. Plus really poor people can actually collect unreturned items to make some change. Have you ever considered how things worked before plastic?

> I have no clue

That much is pretty clear.

I’m very happy to see that you are able to claw at anything so that your initial impossible as actually been exposed as entirely possible. I think it’s nice that you are so afraid of change you can’t even fathom taking such large steps as using reusable containers to limit trash.

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#819

Post by darajava »

6510 wrote: post #752
r00fus wrote: post #647

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently learned how to cook non-stick with my stainless steel pan [1]. Needless to say it's a bit more involved, but I felt more accomplished when I figured out how to cook with it. Pros: SS can go right in the dishwasher, it's safe & you can use metal spatula, no worry about loss of efficacy over the years. Cons: It takes a minute more to prep, harder to clean (sides/edges aren't non-stick) Personally, between th…

next level is cast iron, good luck

cast iron is so slow and its seasoning is so tedious to build and maintain. I can only really see good reason to use if you cook a LOT of steak or similar. I exclusively use SS, but am I wrong? What am I missing from CI?

Re: Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid

#820

Post by darajava »

zemo wrote: post #670
kristjansson wrote: post #638

The only reason to use ever plastic spatula is to avoid damaging a 'fragile' nonstick pan ... that you probably shouldn't be using anyway. Just use carbon/stainless steel pans, wood turners, and metal spatulas. Your food will be better and the implements will last ~forever.

people generally don't use metal tools on enameled cast iron, which is plenty strong

you can use wood on enamelled cast iron. Why would you use a spatula with enamelled cast iron?
Post reply on HN