There other day when I was preparing a meal, I pulled out my aluminum colander and used it to rinse vegetables. I shouldn’t call it mine because I got it from my mother-in-law’s kitchen when we cleaned out her apartment. I think of her every time I use it.
Her kitchen was fully stocked with items old and new. We parceled out what family wanted and donated the rest. Her adult children and adult grandchildren already have well equipped kitchens so there wasn’t a lot anyone wanted. But I wanted that colander. It’s large, light, and easy to clean. I had a small plastic one, but never used it much. Now I’m wondering what I ever did without this aluminum one. I use it all the time.
My mother has a lot of old kitchen utensils that she’s used for many years. Some of them need replaced, but she won’t let us get her new ones. She says they work just fine and she likes how they feel in her hands. Other items are old but irreplaceable. She has a black handled knife she uses every meal. It’s been sharpened so many times it’s got a bend in the blade. But my sister already has dibs on it after Mom doesn’t need it any more. I have my name on an ancient jar opener that’s metal and wood and works better than any modern thing I’ve tried.
Sometimes it’s the old things that work the best. The plastics and silicones of today’s kitchen utensils and aids, even with new engineering, can’t hold a candle to the old knifes, jar openers, and other kitchen items of the past. Back then, they were metal which didn’t melt when you accidently got them too close to heat. I’ve melted my fair share of plastic handles.
At the same time, some old things are full of lead and other toxins. The old plastics weren’t made to be used in microwaves because they release carcinogens into the food. Some glassware contains lead. You have to be careful because sometimes the newer things are safer with our modern appliances.
All this to say, old is good but beware. New is good but sometimes not as good. Figure out which is which. Let go of the bad. If you won’t use it because it’s dangerous, throw it away and don’t feel guilty about it. Hang on to what’s good and make the most of it.
Test all things; hold fast what is good. I Thessalonians 5:21