# Diference 'tween plastic & steel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791 "2002-05-25T14:26:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791/1 "2002-05-25T14:26:28Z")

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This might not be a cosmic question, and if it isn’t, let it vanish i the big void.

I enjoy cooking. I usually cook dinner every day for myself, and tend to overachieve when I have house-guests. Ít’s a hobby.

With more and more stuff being tefloncoated, I use plastic utensils. One of them is that sort of long tweezer, that’s good for flipping steaks or bacon or whatever in the frying pan.  
I friend of my, said: “You gotta get one in steel instead. It’s a more live material.”  
I didn’t argue, but picked one up, a lo and behold, he was right.  
Of course, both materials are equally dead, but somehow I get a better feel using steel, instead of plastic. Poking the steak to check if it’s done works with steel, but not with plastic.

So why, some sort of feel-conductivity? Why _does_ steel feel more alive?

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**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791/2 "2002-05-25T14:38:39Z")

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Steel is less alive. Plastic is make from formerly living things. Steel has never been alive.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791/3 "2002-05-25T15:10:45Z")

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Steel also conducts heat and vibration better. Maybe that’s it. Plastic pretty much insulates you from everything.

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**Author:** ![KeithT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KeithT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithT)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diference-tween-plastic-steel/110791/4 "2002-05-25T20:51:16Z")

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Short explanation:

Steel is stronger and much more rigid. Plastics are weaker, less rigid, and tend to damp vibrations.

When you poke a steak with a steel utensil, you’re feeling just the way the steak reacts. With a plasitc utensil, not only are you feeling the deflection of the steak, but also that of the tongs.