Should you replace your kitchen utensils?

The right cooking utensils could help reduce your risk of stroke. A few weeks ago, Dr. Davis discussed risk factors for stroke, and mentioned a study of people with 70% or worse carotid blockage, atherosclerosis, having far more inflammation in their plaque if they had more micro- and nano-plastics. The people with more microplastics also had less collagen in their carotid arteries. Collagen helps keep you supple.

Of course we can't avoid our food touching plastic--pretty much everything is packaged in plastic. But we can avoid heating plastic, which causes it to break down and release micro- and nanoplastics a lot faster.

With that in mind, I replaced my plastic ladle and spatula with metal ones. I also looked at my 30-year-old aluminum pressure cooker, chipped and stained on the inside, and wondered if it was time retire it. Brave AI said it should be replaced immediately: "Black chips or flakes inside the cooker indicate that the internal surface has deteriorated, which can compromise the structural integrity of the pot and potentially lead to dangerous failures during use."

My new and old pressure cookers. I may have averted a disaster.

I'm not an affiliate for any of the items I'm going to describe--they're just products I've used and liked.

I got a new four-quart stainless steel Presto pressure cooker. It's shorter than the old one, but still holds a beef tongue easily. It uses less heat, but the handle is a lot bigger around, which makes it hard for me to carry or move it with my child-size hands. The small handle on the opposite side helps.

My cooking utensils and cutting board.

I also got this spatula and this ladle. Both of these are stainless steel and have grippy handles. The ladle looks rather flat, but even when I was canning, it scooped up plenty of sauce.

I use my canning funnel (the big round thing in the middle) all the time for yogurt making and fermenting food. I've had it for ages, can't remember where I got it, but you can pick them up at hardware stores, some grocery stores, and other places where canning supplies are sold. Aluminum ones do get pitted; my mother had an ancient one she probably should have replaced.

The right tools can make food prep more sanitary. The kitchen scissors shown come apart completely (just twist and separate), letting you clean all surfaces. They wear a lot better than the cheapos from the grocery store, too--I've had these for five years and they're still like new.

Likewise the cutting board. Wood has antimicrobial properties and of course won't leach any plastic. I bought this one (I think--it's been several years) in maple. It's made in Ohio, and the size fits in the kitchen sink.

The right tools can even help you navigate different measurement systems. The spoons and cups in the picture show teaspoons, tablespoons, cups and milliliters. Not only that, but the spoons are long and narrow enough to fit in spice cans. I've used this set for eight years and it's like new. It doesn't look like the 12-piece set is available anymore, but the eight-piece set would work just as well for most people, and it's only $14.

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