To Thrift or Not to Thrift: Metal cutlery

It seems I find a bin, tucked in the back of every thrift store, filled with metal knives and forks and spoons. In my house (I don't know about yours), forks have this way of disappearing. Maybe they go the same place as the mates for my socks (forks and socks: star-crossed lovers?). In any case, I peer into the bins, thrilled by the hope that maybe I'll find something great to fill in the fork section of my cutlery drawer.

And then I remember my cutlery drawer. Ahh, those thrift store purchases from long ago; the odd forks and spoons brought home accidentally from my husband's former job as a caterer. None of them were stainless steel, and one day I had a particularly large sink of dirty dishes and got out one of the thrifty purchases. I could distinctly taste the metal along with my pie. That can't be good for you.

Unless you can see the stainless symbol on the cutlery at the thrift store, stay away! The last thing you need is to introduce more metal into your diet (the mercury in your tuna is already too much). If you can taste it, it's certain that some of it is wending its way into your digestive system. I'm no expert on metallurgy, but I'm sure that these metals are not healthful dietary supplements. When you're out looking for a bargain: pass up the spoons and forks.

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.