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Silicone Kitchen Utensils – Pros and Cons

kitchen utensils - siliconeNon-sticky, easy to use and colorful silicone kitchen utensils are really difficult not to purchase. However, are they completely safe to use? Let’s discuss on advantages and disadvantages of this super popular items.

Pros

Low-maintenance. Silicone kitchen utensils can withstand frequent washing in a dishwasher. In addition, if silicone items fall to the bottom of the dishwasher, they will not melt. Wooden designs, on the other hand, tend to deteriorate when washed in the hot water frequently, therefore they require manual washing up.

Heat-resistance. Unlike most materials, silicone is able to withstand extremely high temperatures. Commonly, silicone kitchen utensils are heat-resistant up to the temperature of 400°F (approx. 205°C). 

Difficult to stain. Compared to rubber kitchen utensils, those made from silicone are way less porous, therefore more difficult to stain. It’s easy to get your rubber utensils stained if you use them with spaghetti sauce, for example. Even worse, it’s really difficult to remove this stains in most cases. With silicone utensils, users don’t have that problem.

Perfect for non-stick coated pans. In order to avoid scratching the coating, using metal utensils with these pans is not recommended. Silicone utensils won’t scratch the coating – bingo!

Cons

Over-flexibility. Silicone kitchen utensils are flexible, that’s what we love about them, but this characteristic can be seen as a disadvantage, too. For example, when dealing with hot food, the last thing you need are hot utensils flopping around. In that case, let’s face it, everybody would turn to something that provides more stiffness.

Hazardous. Some research suggests kitchen utensils made from silicone can be hazardous to human health. If these items are accidentally damaged, released silicone particles can get into food. In addition, filler materials used in producing these utensils can be quite hazardous to our health.

kitchen utensils - silicone muffin cupsFrankly, the use of silicone cookware is relatively new, therefore not many researches have been conducted in this area. However, FDA determined silicone items are safe to use, even when it comes to food-grade contexts. If you are still uncertain about whether silicone kitchen utensils are the right choice for you and your family, it’s better to stick to those materials you are used to. On the other hand, we wouldn’t have been where we are, as a civilization, if we never changed any rules and ways.

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