Plastic in the Kitchen
As anyone interested in cooking can tell you, learning new techniques can open up a whole world of dishes and flavors in your food. What they might not realize is that many innovations in the kitchen in the past century were thanks to a little material known as plastic. Plastic plays an important role in the kitchen these days, from how we store food and organize our kitchen to the preparation and serving when we’re entertaining friends and family. It’s exciting to think how the plastic prototypes of today could change the kitchens of tomorrow.
One of the products that is often used today that we might not think about is plastic wrap. First introduced in 1933, plastic wrap has become an integral part of how many of us not only store food, but how we prepare it as well. Another food storage advance, the plastic containers known as Tupperware, became popular during the 1940s and 1950s. Some of the latest advances that have taken the cooking world by storm are silicone bakeware and oven mitts. Processes such as injection mold design allows for unique and affordable serving pieces as well.
There are a large number of food festivals held during the summer, making it a cooking aficionado’s unofficial season. These events often serve as the stage for introducing new products and cooking techniques. While not all of the plastic innovations are of interest to those who cook on a professional level, they serve to enhance the cooking experience in our homes.