Arguably the most widely used and versatile type, utility tongs are suitable for flipping or turning foods during cooking, removing cooked foods from boiling water and handling hot foods from the oven or grill. Most often, these tongs are made of metal, stainless steel or plastic with a scalloped tip for better grip.

Lawrence G. Pillstrom MD

The Essential Kitchen Tool for Summer Cookouts and More

• Flat-surface kitchen tongs. These are essential for thick foods like steaks, burgers and pork chops, offering the greatest amount of stability.
• Forked tongs.
• Small tongs.
• Extra long tongs.
• Canning tongs.
• Bamboo tongs.

Turner tongs combine elements of two essential kitchen tools: turners and tongs. This type of tong has one main purpose – to flip burgers and steaks on grills.

Our Top Kitchen Tong Picks: Best Overall: OXO Good Grips. Best Silicone-Tipped: Food Network TUX Silicone Tongs. Best Tongs Set: Allwin-Houseware Stainless Steel Cooking Tongs.

Silicone-coated tongs are slightly clumsier than plain stainless steel, but won’t damage nonstick and other vulnerable surfaces. Most tong manufacturers offer versions with scalloped ends in either stainless steel, silicone, or nylon, the latter two for use in nonstick or enameled cookware.

Most chefs prefer silicone over nylon because it poses less of a health risk and has higher heat resistance. Nylon utensils, however, are usually affordable, sturdy, and have an average heat resistance of about 400° F.

Because this set has different sizes and shapes of silicone head, it covers most cooking purposes, whether you’re mixing batter, sautéing, frying or cooking pasta, soups or stews. They are dishwasher-safe and easy to clean.

Silicone cookware is heat-resistant, freezer safe, and oven safe, but only up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 Celsius. Moreover, due to its bonded composition, silicon is non-toxic, non-biodegradable and non-recyclable. Here’s what experts feel about the use of silicone cookware in day-to-day cooking.

Silicone utensils and bakeware are safe to use for cooking and baking, provided that you don’t expose them to temperatures more than 572˚F. The key lies in buying food-grade silicone kitchenware that is FDA-approved to ensure that it won’t leach toxins into your food.

The short answer is yes, silicone is safe. According to the FDA, food-grade silicone cookware and utensils do not cause harmful chemical contamination of foods. If you are nervous about using silicone when cooking or baking, focus on using silicone kitchen tools and avoid cookware.

Plus, silicone molds the best non-scratch utensils that protect your pots and pans – thanks to the soft texture. A notable benefit over stainless steel. Second, unlike plastic, these BPA-free kitchen utensils are inert and stable. Silicone endures heating up to 600℉, down to -40℉ without leaching chemicals.

And while theories about silicone implants’ link to breast cancer have since been debunked, the damage to silicone’s reputation lives on. It’s sad to say, but since the use of silicone in cookware is fairly new, there has not been much research into its safety for use with food.

Generally, siloxanes (silicones) are well tolerated by the human organism, and therefore they are an integral part of innovative methods of treatment, health care and nursing. They are commonly regarded as non-toxic to humans and the environment, or toxic to a very small extend.

Silicon crystalline irritates the skin and eyes on contact. Inhalation will cause irritation to the lungs and mucus membrane. Irritation to the eyes will cause watering and redness. Reddening, scaling, and itching are characteristics of skin inflammation.

Is silicone BPA free? Food grade silicone, the material we use to make Stasher bags, is free of chemicals like BPA, BPS, and other phthalates.

A proposed autoimmune condition allegedly linked to leakage of silicone into surrounding breast and/or systemic penetration thereof.

Dull skin and yellow eyes are two common physical symptoms of bad implants, and many people say that their skin clears up once the implants are removed.

Signs that your silicone implant has ruptured can include changes in breast shape and size, and increasing pain, firmness, and swelling over a period of weeks. Rupture can also cause capsular contracture. Silicone implant rupture that doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms is known as “silent rupture.”

The bacteria and mold in saline implants can cause chronic infections and serious health problems when it leaches into the body. Saline implants may also cause the chest muscles to deteriorate, resulting in respiratory problems.

10-20 years

An Institute of Medicine report last year found no link between silicone implants and autoimmune problems; so did a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month.

Because silicone implants have a much more viscous filling than saline (which is just saltwater), rippling and wrinkling is much less of an issue with silicone, so even patients with minimal or thin breast tissue can enjoy a natural look.

One of the many questions that comes up as women consider breast augmentation with silicone versus saline implants is which type of implant is safer. Both silicone and saline implants are FDA approved and considered safe for use in breast augmentation procedures.

The average saline or silicone implants may last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. However, many are removed sooner due to complications or cosmetic concerns. Up to 20 percent of people have their implants removed or replaced within 8 to 10 years.

The average lifespan of breast implants While generally safe and designed to be long-lasting, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons states that implants are not considered to be “lifetime devices.” In many cases, breast implants can remain in good shape for 20 years or more.

In reality, there is no set time to replace breast implants. Capsular contracture: This is the term for hardened scar tissue that can develop around one or both implants, causing discomfort or cosmetic changes. The scar tissue can be removed during implant replacement.

So, how often should you get breast implants checked? The FDA recommends having silicone implants screened via MRI three years after your breast augmentation surgery, and every two years thereafter.

This is particularly true of the form stable (“gummy bear”) breast implant, which is filled with a cohesive gel that mimics the feel of natural breast tissue almost perfectly. However, different types of breast implants can all feel natural to the touch when the correct procedural steps are taken.

Do your nipple still get hard after breast implants? Nipples have smooth muscle which erect the nipples when a woman is feeling cold of stimulated. A breast augmentation does not affect these muscles. This risk is decreased by using an incision away from the areola, such as under the breast.