Kitchen Utensils: Safety, Quality & Design

  • Thread starter Thread starter Oxygenne
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the safety, quality, and design of kitchen utensils, particularly those made in China. Participants express concerns about the materials used in these utensils, especially regarding claims of stainless steel and the appearance of rust or discoloration after minimal use. The conversation includes considerations of material properties, potential health risks, and recommendations for purchasing better quality utensils.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the appearance of reddish-brown discoloration on utensils labeled as stainless steel and expresses concern about potential copper toxicity.
  • Another participant questions the choice of purchasing utensils from China, suggesting that the low price may indicate lower quality.
  • Some participants propose using a magnet to test the utensils, indicating that true stainless steel is magnetic and that the discoloration may be rust from chrome plating.
  • There is speculation that the utensils may be made from low-quality stainless steel with insufficient chromium content, leading to rusting.
  • Participants discuss the types of stainless steel, including austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic, and their respective properties and uses in kitchen utensils.
  • One participant shares personal experience with machining different types of stainless steel and expresses a preference for other materials.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of rust in wounds and its relation to tetanus, leading to clarifications about the nature of tetanus infections.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the safety of the utensils in question, with some suggesting they should not be used while others provide explanations for the observed discoloration. Multiple competing views on the quality and safety of stainless steel utensils remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the exact materials of the utensils and the implications of rust or discoloration. There are unresolved assumptions about the definitions of stainless steel and the manufacturing standards of utensils from different regions.

  • #31
Moonbear said:
High quality chef's knives won't have visible rivets. The versions for household use still do, but the ones meant for professional chef's cannot have rivets anymore. I don't know when this was instituted, but the rivets apparently allow a place for bacteria to get inside and grow, so it's part of sanitation code now that knives used in restaurants have to have sealed handles. I'm sure they still have rivets, but they are entirely covered by the grip on the handle now.

Yeah, good point moonbear.

Some of my best knives are WWII era, (and some don't have rivets)and wiil rust like the dickens if left uncared for, but with care they will last forever and hold an edge (sometimes razor edge) even in the most abusive conditions. They remain unparalleled by anything you can buy in any store today.

I take them on my camping/survival trips all the time.

JIm
 
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #32
edward said:
Without spending an arm and a leg or two ,It is difficult to find anything for the kitchen that is not made in China. Sometimes it is just impossible at any price.

A lot of their spoons ect. are nickle plated steel. The nickle wears off fairly fast.

They are also cranking a lot of counterfeit name brand products.

You get what you pay for. When China starts to increase quality and such, prices will go up and then you'll start complaining again.

I try not to be cheap when it's things that can directly affect my health, like eating.
 
  • #33
jmnew51 said:
Some of my best knives are WWII era, and wiil rust like the dickens if left uncared for, but with care they will last forever and hold an edge (sometimes razor edge) even in the most abusive conditions. They remain unparalleled by anything you can buy in any store today.
My parents have some carbon steel knives they got as a wedding present 40 years ago, they are now worn away by sharpening (use a steel, not one of those nasty wheel things!)
I tried to replace them, but high street stores didn't believe me that you could have non-stainless knives and professional cook's shops were very sad that you couldn't buy them anymore.
 
  • #34
Alton Brown explains the correct way to sharpen knives.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #35
Evo said:
Alton Brown explains the correct way to sharpen knives.



Although if you are going to use a grinding wheel, please wear safety goggles!
And cue a whole new thread about grinding destroying heat treatment and temper.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #36
JasonRox said:
You get what you pay for. When China starts to increase quality and such, prices will go up and then you'll start complaining again.

If you had bothered to read my post with a bit of comprehension rather than just snap out a quick one liner you would have realized that my complaint was that for many consumer products there is no longer a reasonable choice. We have to buy either the $20 tableware or the $400 tableware. When it comes to small kitchen appliances there is no choice period.


I try not to be cheap when it's things that can directly affect my health, like eating.

It isn't a matter of being cheap, or buying the best, it is a matter of knowing where those items that affect your health come from. 30% of the seafood consumed by Americans comes from China. It contains drugs and other substances not approved by the FDA. Labeling with country of origin was required starting in 05 for fish and seafood sold in grocery stores. But people who eat in restaurants don't have a clue as to its origin.

Of the billions of dollars worth of food and dietary supplements consumed by Americans, 70% comes from China and there are no labels to indicate the country of origin.
 
Last edited:
  • #37
Resale shops..RESALE SHOPS...you can still get very good quality kitchen items for very very low cost.
 
  • #38
Somehow, years ago, my 6" forged steel Sabbatier chef's knife went missing. I have never found a replacement. Life is not the same.
 
  • #39
turbo-1 said:
Somehow, years ago, my 6" forged steel Sabbatier chef's knife went missing. I have never found a replacement. Life is not the same.

That's the big problem with those life time warranties. I tend to lose stuff before I wear it out.
 
  • #40
edward said:
That's the big problem with those life time warranties. I tend to lose stuff before I wear it out.
We were moving a lot, following jobs and trying to "pare" expenses in rents. That knife was an extension of my right hand - perfect size, perfect balance, and it would hold an edge like nobody's business. When I made chili or spaghetti sauce or stews, that one knife was my "go-to". I have some OK knives now, including a couple of older steel chef's knives, but they just don't fit me. I could halve, core, and chop a big bell pepper in seconds with that knife, and it feels like I'm wading through molasses trying to accomplish the same tasks with my current knives. I paid $25 for that knife in 1976 (that was over 4 hours gross wages for me back then) but I knew as soon as I picked it up and thumbed the edge blade (high-pitched ring!) that it would be my favorite knife and I had to have it. :cry:
 
  • #41
Sabbatier chef's knifes go from 25 dollars up on e-bay..maybe you could drop a little hint in Santas ear.
 
  • #42
hypatia said:
Sabbatier chef's knifes go from 25 dollars up on e-bay.
But remember that 'Sabatier' just refers to an area in France that originally made this style of knife. It doesn't say anything about the quality of any other knife that some marketing person stuck the name on.
 
  • #43
mgb_phys said:
But remember that 'Sabatier' just refers to an area in France that originally made this style of knife. It doesn't say anything about the quality of any other knife that some marketing person stuck the name on.
Yes, and I am leery of buying a knife that I cannot personally inspect, even if it has the stars and elephant logo that my old knife had. There is no knowing what a previous owner might have subjected it to, either, including overheating the edge by letting someone sharpen it on a belt grinder or grinding wheel, like in that Alton Brown video above. My knives are all sharpened on a lubricated diamond-impregnated stone, then honed with a steel.
 
  • #44
And to mention that none of my best knives have ever been inside a dishwasher.
 
  • #45
jmnew51 said:
And to mention that none of my best knives have ever been inside a dishwasher.
Another good point. My 6" chef's knife was sharpened and honed when necessary, and never once was the handle ever immersed in water. The blade was washed and promptly dried after every use. And I never removed the oxidation stains from the blade. They are a shield against further oxidation. I made a small paring knife out of a high-carbon industrial blade years ago and tempered it so it would hold a great edge, then I blued it (like bluing guns) to prevent further oxidation. The blade was made by Hyde and is a great piece of steel. It's a sweet little knife.
 

Similar threads

Is my fictional Solar System stable and realistic?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
What are Some Futuristic Designs for Autonomous Transport Vehicles?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
5K
Today's Fashions or the Lack Thereof
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K