Cooking utensils help needed

[Jammie]

I bought a stainless steel set basically basing it on my kitchen decor of all stainless steel/black. However, it's scratching my stainless steel pots/pans set and I can't use it on my nonstick so I'm trying to find a black cooking utensil set of about 8 pieces. I'm a college student and I spent alot of money on the pots/pans so I want them to stay looking new for a while.

I had plastic cooking utensils before the stainless steel set but the tips of the spoons would just melt. It's kind of a pet peeve that's driving me nuts and I'm hoping for some help. I've spent so much time looking on amazon, bb&b and I just can't seem to find anything.

Could someone please offer advice?

 

[Wart]

I bought a stainless steel set basically basing it on my kitchen decor .... it's scratching my stainless steel pots/pans ...

Grandma always said "Pretty is as pretty does".

I read your post over in the Knife forum, I have to say looks are important .... but looks are the least important.

If your actually going to work in this kitchen your going to have to stop worrying about the stiling factor and matching the decor and buying things in sets and worry more about function. Function can be ugly but ... it serves the purpose of getting the task done.

 

[DaveSoMD]

I bought a stainless steel set basically basing it on my kitchen decor of all stainless steel/black. However, it's scratching my stainless steel pots/pans set ............and I can't use it on my nonstick so ...... I spent alot of money on the pots/pans so I want them to stay looking new for a while.

I had plastic cooking utensils before the stainless steel set but the tips of the spoons would just melt. .....Could someone please offer advice?

I have have a mixture of SS, non-stick, cast iron, and enamled cookware that I use all the time.

SS cookware will get surface scratchs from everyday. Get some BarKeeper's Friend (BKF). It is a powder cleanser that you can use to clean your SS. It will remove the surface scratches and help keep it looking "new". The only time I really have gotten scratches on mine is when I am mashing potatoes. What were / are you doing that is causing so many scratches that is is causing you concern?

Look for silicone utenslils not plastic for your non-stick to supplement your SS utensils. All you should need a a spoon, spatual, and tongs. Silicone wisks, IMHO, are a waste of $. They do not work very well at all.

 

[pacanis]

I have Oneida tongs and am happy with them. I just found these and they might work for you Oneida Stainless Steel 7-pc. Home Chef Kitchen Utensil Set : Target

I was actually looking for TFal utensils. I have a couple sets of black utensils I use all the time. They are around twenty years old and I imagine they don't make them anymore...

That said, when I pull out my SS pans I usually pull out my SS utensils

 

[Jammie]

Response to all

@wart

Style isn't important to U. Some of us actually care about how our homes are presented to others. You can have style and functionability. If you want your home to look tacky then that's your business but don't diss on me. All your post did was critique me and not offer any actual brands or usefull information.

To the rest, thank you for your advice and I decided to go with calphalon nylon utensils.

 

[Robo410]

good wooden utensils are a kitchen standard. Silicon can take the heat up to 600*F so silicon scrapers etc are great. Years ago I bought one of those mesh bags of black nylon cooking utensils for $5 thinking, "well these will be trashed soon!" Not so. Still got them and they are great! No scratch and easy to clean. They will melt if you leave on the heat, but with care they will do you years of scratch free service. [I keep my spoon rests,, I have two, on either side of my range but not on it. I don't leave spoons etc in pots.] Kitchen stores etc carry them. LNT, BBB, Gourmet Chef, Sur La Table, Kitchen Connection, etc.

A few SS items are probably needed for occasional use for heavy items.

 

[Wart]

@wart

Style isn't important to U. Some of us actually care about how our homes are presented to others. You can have style and functionability. If you want your home to look tacky then that's your business but don't diss on me. All your post did was critique me and not offer any actual brands or usefull information.

Yep, Thats me! Mr. Tacky!!!

You want(ed) an easy answer, instead I gave you the best advice you could have gotten by my attempting to shape your paradigm.

Louis Sullivan wrote:

"It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law.

If this makes my kitchen tacky so be it. LOL

 

[bowlingshirt]

That form ever follows function. This is the law.

If this makes my kitchen tacky so be it. LOL

+1000

I'd rather have mis-matched stuff that works than a bunch of matching garbage.

 

[Caine]

You can buy all the black nylon cooking/serving untensils you need individually at the 99¢ Only store

 

[Leolady]

Grandma always said "Pretty is as pretty does".

I read your post over in the Knife forum, I have to say looks are important .... but looks are the least important.

If your actually going to work in this kitchen your going to have to stop worrying about the stiling factor and matching the decor and buying things in sets and worry more about function. Function can be ugly but ... it serves the purpose of getting the task done.

I have got to say that I agree with Wart. I buy most things in my kitchen based on the "beauty is only skin deep" principle.

That being said, I have found that I do like Oxo nylon utensils, and they are in your required black and stainless steel and are not very expensive.

 

[Katie H]

Omigosh, I have such a mish mosh of kitchen tools, etc. it's not even funny, but I've been cooking for 50 years. Some of my tools are 30-40 years old and still going strong. My potato masher is over 40-years-old and it's not one of those old-fashioned "S" ones.

I'm not too particular on the color/style of my utensils. Prefer perfomance and "feel" over decor. That's just me. However, I really can't handle the ones that have thick, clunky handles. Even though I have big hands for a female, I just can get into the thicker ergonomic tools. Also, because I have limited space, these oversized tools take up more of my space.

Glad you found something you are happy with. Best wishes for lots of stirring, flipping and whisking with your new tools.

 

[AllenOK]

Honestly, I agree with Wart. Form follows Function. Nothing I have is matched, unless you count the collection of cast iron skillets as a matched set. I have SS tri-ply pans, cast iron, a couple enamelled pieces, and some really big, really thin stock pots that are only good for simmering/boiling/poaching.

I buy my utensils along the same lines, functionality first. However, I will admit that most of my utensils are either black plastic, or black plastic with SS. They're all cheap. I buy them with the expectation that they will eventually meat a horrible end, and have to be replaced.

On that note, it will be a very sad day with my SS flat whisk gives up the ghost. I haven't seen one since the store I bought it at went under.

You can place me in the "Tacky" group; I won't mind.