Ditch the Black Plastic and Use These Kitchen Utensils Instead

Editor’s Note: A mathematical error was identified in the From E-waste to Living Space article on December 15, 2024. The corrected data indicate that the levels are not as high as initially reported, and the risk of exposure is lower than previously stated. Despite the reduced risks, we continue to recommend environmentally friendly kitchen utensils.

If you’ve read the recent news about the dangers of black plastic, then you might be rethinking your kitchen utensil choices. Plastic tools may seem inexpensive and convenient, but there’s concern that harmful chemicals are leaching into our food.

"Plastic as a material is harmful throughout its lifecycle, from production, use, to disposal," says Megan Liu, science and policy manager at Toxic-Free Future and co-author of From E-waste to Living Space. She continues, "Higher levels of toxic flame retardants (FRs) were associated with styrene-based plastics, which are known for use in electronics." These electronics are often recycled into kitchen products like food storage containers and utensils, putting users at risk for exposure to FRs.

“People can protect themselves from unknowingly using products that contain harmful FRs or toxic chemicals by replacing black plastic kitchen utensils with wooden or stainless steel kitchen utensils,” says Liu. Based on this information, we found nine stainless steel and wooden utensil sets, including spatulas, turners, forks, slotted spoons, and ladles. They’re made from materials that are non-reactive and won’t leach into your food, no matter how high of heat you’re using.

Best Stainless Steel and Wooden Kitchen Utensils at Amazon

• Earlywood 3-Piece Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set, $40
• All-Clad 5-Piece Professional Stainless Steel Kitchen Tools, $100
• Riveira 6-Piece Bamboo Utensil Set, $9, originally $21
• Woodenhouse Lifelong Quality Wooden Spoons Utensil Set, $56, originally $66
• Mooues 9-Piece Natural Teak Wood Kitchen Utensil Set, $37
• Eisinly 7-Piece Bamboo Cooking Utensil Set, $9
• Berglander 8-Piece Stainless Steel Cooking Utensils, $20
• Winco 12-Inch Stainless Steel Tong, $11

Earlywood 3-Piece Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set

Earlywood has been around for a while, making some quality kitchen utensils. They sent me The Essentials bundle, a tasting spoon, and a big tera scraper to test, and so far, I’m loving all of them. They’re sturdy, easy to hold, and work great. They’re beautiful, too, and I love using the salad tongs. All of the utensils are made from wood like jatoba, Mexican ebony, hard maple, and bloodwood, which are known for their unique quality and durability. If that isn’t enough, Earlywood’s sustainability efforts include donating $1 from every order to plant trees in Brazil, repurposing wood scraps into DIY pen blanks, and all sawdust into burnable briquettes.

(One word of caution: some of these utensils may be labeled dishwasher-safe, but anything made of wood should always be hand-washed to avoid damage.)

All-Clad 5-Piece Professional Stainless Steel Kitchen Tools

Everyone knows the All-Clad name from its line of stainless steel skillets and nonstick cookware, but the brand also makes kitchen utensils. Each of these stainless steel kitchen tools is durable and sturdy enough for use on cast iron and stainless steel cookware. This 5-piece set includes a convenient caddy for easy storage and access — or you can use the loop on each tool to hang them from your utensil rack.

Riveira 6-Piece Bamboo Utensil Set

I have a few bamboo kitchen tools, which are my go-to cooking utensils. They’re light, sturdy, and work great on cast iron and my Dutch ovens. This set isn’t the exact brand that I have, but they’re close. Bamboo tools can really take a beating, and best of all, the material is sustainable, biodegradable, and renewable. It’s like wood, but it’s actually a species of grass that grows very fast and doesn’t need to be replanted since it does so on its own.

Woodenhouse Lifelong Quality Wooden Utensil Set

I picked this wooden utensil set because it reminded me of when I was growing up. Did anyone else have that gigantic wooden spoon and fork hanging in the kitchen or dining room? Well, these cooking tools are reminiscent of days gone by, and I’m drawn to them. You can use them as salad tongs, turners, and pasta servers, and they’ll still look gorgeous. The rich dark teak wood means these utensils are strong, sturdy, and solidly built. For nostalgia’s sake, my only critique is that they’re missing the leather strip in the hanging holes.

Mooues 9-Piece Natural Teak Wood Kitchen Utensil Set

Yes, this is another all-teak kitchen utensil set, but this one has a couple of great additions. Not only do you get spoons and turners, but you also get a spoon rest and caddy made of teak. Instead of salad tongs, you get a salad fork and spoon, which are perfect for grabbing a serving of salad without spilling it all over the dining table. The rest of the utensils are standard spatulas and turners. This would be a fine addition to your existing set of utensils if you need more oomph in your kitchen tool repertoire.

Eisinly 7-Piece Bamboo Cooking Utensil Set

This set is just like the Riveira set above but also comes with a pair of tongs. One of the things I like about bamboo utensils is that you really can’t damage them. Sure, you can burn and scorch them, and sometimes they can get stained, but after a while, it’s just part of their charm. Not only that, they’re so sturdy and practically indestructible that you toss them in the drawer without worrying about breaking, scratching, or denting.

Berglander 8-Piece Stainless Steel Cooking Utensils

This stainless steel set’s utensil caddy is reminiscent of my days in the commercial kitchen. Should you go this route, the tools are entirely made from stainless steel and have a loop at the end for hanging. This is also the first set on this list with a stainless steel whisk. I think this could be a perfect beginner set for those moving out on their own for the first time or those new to cooking.

Winco 12-Inch Stainless Steel Utility Tong

No list would be complete without a utility tong. My preferred option is a tong made by Mercer Culinary, but unfortunately, they’re no longer available. However, these 12-inch springloaded tongs are the next best thing. There are a lot of tongs on the market, but these don’t have that annoying locking clasp or that sliding ring that either breaks or gets stuck. Plus, they’re a good size for a number of kitchen tasks.