Do you use metal, wooden or plastic utensils with your pans?

Shaun

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If I put a metal utensil within 10cms of a pan at home the wife tells me off and swaps it out for a wooden one before I get chance to blink. She tells me the metal utensils damage the pans, and whilst I can see the logic of what she's saying, is it true?

Surely pots and pans can withstand a spoon, fork, or other metal utensil being used on them?

What do you use - metal, plastic or wooden utensils? ... and why - personal preference or longer lasting pans?

Cheers,
Shaun :D
 
Metal is fine unless you are using a non-stick (coated) pan in which case it can scratch the coating. You will not see professional chefs using wooden spoons very often.
 
I have always used metal utensils in my pots and pans. I never use wooden utensils. Thus, I cannot say which does a better job or which ones are better for the pans. I have never had any problems with using the metal utensils, no scratching or anything like that. Another thing, wouldn't the metal ones be more longer lasting?
 
I have anodised pans so I try to stick to wood or plastic. They're well over 10 years old and most of them are still in pristine condition, but the one I've used a metal whisk now and again (and I guess occasionally a metal spoon when serving things) - although I've always been really careful when I use something metal you can still see where the bottom has been damaged :-(
 
Another thing, wouldn't the metal ones be more longer lasting?
I have a wooden spatula and spoon that I've been using daily for 20 years and they're still going strong....don't think they're going to wear out any time soon :okay: I think they were really cheap ones too (I bought them when I was a student). Just don't put wooden utensils in a dishwasher!
 
Believe it or not, all of my utensils are nylon, because most of my cookware is non-stick coated. :wink:
 
I have anodised pans so I try to stick to wood or plastic. They're well over 10 years old and most of them are still in pristine condition, but the one I've used a metal whisk now and again (and I guess occasionally a metal spoon when serving things) - although I've always been really careful when I use something metal you can still see where the bottom has been damaged :-(
Yes - with anodised the coating comes off too if you use metal. I used to always buy anodized but lately I've become a fan of simple stainless steel. No problem using metal on that!
 
Depends on the pan I am using. Metal pans it doesn't matter. My non-stick I use nylon or wood or silicone.
 
Whisks in stainless steel pans,or plastic spoons or silicone spatulas and silicon tongs ,but I tend to stick to metal for a lot of turning jobs like fish due to the shape
 
I always use wooden spoons and spatulas with the sole exception of my balloon whisks which are metal. However, all my utensils that hang up such as pasta spoons, slotted serving spoon, the big flattish spoon for fishing veg out of water without the serve, flat wide serving spatula and a few others are metal, but they are not used to stir pots and pans only serve with.
 
Let me first point out that I have no idea why we have all these.

However, the instruments on the right are for use in our 12" steel wok or the 10" wok which used to be Teflon coated but has since been relegated to an occasional deep fry in lieu of the electric deep fry. The nylon/plastic instruments on the left are used for all other Teflon coated pans. For the rice cooker and slow cooker, we generally use the instruments provided by the manufacturer. The lone tongs in the middle are used in the Teflon coated electric deep fry (for items cooked without the basket). There are other steel tongs around the house which are used for the barbeque.

cooking stuff.jpg


[Edit: We appear to have spares for some of them also]
 
The item on the left is/was used for removing deep fried items from the old ex Teflon wok which is why it looks like it has some kind of skin disease (we have two more).
 
Let me first point out that I have no idea why we have all these.

However, the instruments on the right are for use in our 12" steel wok or the 10" wok which used to be Teflon coated but has since been relegated to an occasional deep fry in lieu of the electric deep fry. The nylon/plastic instruments on the left are used for all other Teflon coated pans. For the rice cooker and slow cooker, we generally use the instruments provided by the manufacturer. The lone tongs in the middle are used in the Teflon coated electric deep fry (for items cooked without the basket). There are other steel tongs around the house which are used for the barbeque.

View attachment 3279

[Edit: We appear to have spares for some of them also]
What do you use the shovel like thing for?
 
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