Silverware "taste"?

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This is something that has really only come to bother me in the last few years, as I get into my mid-20s. Most silverware just "tastes" horrible. I say "taste" because not only does it taste metallic, it feels somewhat like there's something electrical going on as well, like a current to my tongue. It reminds me of when I put aluminum foil in my mouth as a kid and was revolted by the experience. Some pieces of silverware seem to be worse than others, but I haven't taken the time to go through our silverware drawer and pick out the "culprits". Some days I really wish I could afford golden silverware! Generally, I would rather eat with my fingers... I wish that were more practical, day-to-day. Often I just toss the fork or spoon in the sink and try another, or I eat very carefully so that the metal doesn't touch my tongue. Perhaps I would have better luck with more expensive silverware? I know some of the ones I can taste are stainless steel, but with most of our silverware, I have no clue what they're made from or coated with.

Anybody else have this issue? Sometimes it really bothers me. I just got aggravated and threw another fork in the sink, prompting me to write this post.

Probably most of it is stainless. The thin cheap ones taste worse than smoother thicker stainless.

Get silver or silver plate, maybe? If you don't care if it matches you can get lots pretty cheap at thrift-stores. Unless you hate the taste of silver, too. I like the taste of silver.

I know what you mean by the taste of them.. how some seem to taste different then others, however I personally quite enjoy that taste. I think I would probably chew on aluminium foil like gum if I didn't have fillings.

Have you tried plastic forks and spoons? They certainly don't have the same thing going on, and you can get some that are dishwasher safe. (If you have a dishwasher... most are fine if you hand wash them.)

I know exactly what you mean. Also, I have facial piercings.. lip and nose. The weird thing is, when something metal is touching my lip stud, I can taste that metal through the stud, where normally it tastes like nothing. Usually it's forks and spoons and such. And when aluminum touches my nose ring, it gives me a shock through the nose that's sorta painful. I'm told it's much like chewing on aluminum foil if you have fillings.

I'd say going for plastic is your best bet for new flatware. It's cheap and you can wash it a few times then throw it out.

why not just get plastic ones - even though they are disposable you can wash and re-use them several times- just don't eat anything steaming hot with them

Ugh... I know exactly how you feel about the taste. I'm generally desensitized to the taste of my dining utensils(with only a few exceptions), but restaurant forks bother me immensely, so I never eat out.

I've found that higher quality(probably silver or silver plated?) flatware doesn't taste that bad, so since you have big issues you should definitely look into some if you can, or you could just get some plastic forks, spoons, etc.

Here's hoping you find a speedy solution.

If you have different metals on your body it makes electricity like a battery
and then if there is metal in your mouth you can taste it even more than you would
if it was the only metal on you.

Thanks, all!

I used to use plastic 'ware, the really stiff kind made reusable for camping, but I get nervous from reading all the articles about plastics leaching toxins. Also, they always have little ridges that make them difficult to clean.

The cheapest metal silverware is the worst, absolutely. I LOVE going to Asian restaurants that use chopsticks- I would use nothing but wood if it was a realistic option. As is, I'm considering investing in a few nice pairs of chopsticks, or perhaps a bulk kit of disposable ones.

I'll definitely have to check out actual silver flatware. I have no problem buying used. It's certainly worth a try.


And to nekowafer- I wanted a lip ring for many years, but I did not do well with a tongue ring, so I figured it was probably best I didn't go there. I don't remember having this issue when I had my tongue bar, but I paid SO much less attention to my bodily sensations while I was a teen and in my early 20s.

The thrift store around here often has lacquered wooden chop-sticks, too.

Most of their boxes of flatware are just a lot of stainless, but you'll find silver plate in there pretty often. You'll probably want to look at its outer edges, the plate wears off and then you've got some other metal underneath (usually an alloy called 'melchior' which tastes okay to me) and you might hate it.

You might ask older family members if they've got real silver, or plate. I have tonnes of it, 'cause I'm the only person in my generation who cares, but previous generations were obsessed with spoons. I know a living person who is obsessed with spoons (and interested in mine because some of them are coin-silver and approaching 300 years old) who is forever finding isolated examples of special patterns on ebay and showing them off to me.

The solid sterling stuff is worth a tidy bundle in an emergency, too, and it's superior because of some ephemeral quality of resonance-to-the-touch. Get silver plate for soup-spoons and for stirring when cooking, though, the solid silver conducts heat too well, the handles becoming unpleasantly hot.

New silver is great... most stainless is fine.. old sterling silver and aluminium get micro pitting that gives me a pretty nasty sensation.... who would lick a copper spoon?... brass is bearable, bronze too.

But what gives me the electric shock feeling/taste most is electroplated nickel silver with the plating wearing off.

Worse than chewing on tinfoil.

but the weird one is the shower in my last house...
I could get that taste by putting my foot on the metal drainhole.

I assumed it was a lifted earth and i was tasting the current... like licking the electrodes on a 9v battery.
(i can see the different metals in the plated spoon creating an electopotential... but millivolts only... )

what throws me is that i got that taste from the kiwifruit grown in the house i grew up in.

I can taste silverware, but normally I only taste the food I'm eating. I only taste silverware if I put it in my mouth without any food, e.g. I lick a spoon clean.

I can't say I find the flavor terribly offensive.

I can only taste it if I only put the silverware in my mouth and haven't eaten anything in a while or when I'm drinking water, I liked the taste, remember doing it a lot when younger. sorry you don't like the taste.

The taste of it has been highly noticeable in the past, but upon using better silverware, the taste doesn't seem as bad.

Yeah, better silverware really helps. This used to drive me bananas and my parents were forced to get other forks.

I can't stand cutlery in my mouth, I generally eat with my fingers unless its messy food when I eat it off the end of the fork. I can't stand it anywhere near my mouth its horrible.

There is an alternative to metal and plastic and that is wood, you can either

1. Eat with chopsticks or
2. Buy these really sweet bamboo knives forks and spoons, I saw these in a store close to me last week infact .. very smooth .. not at all rough and may be preferable to some of you.

http://www.aspenware.ca/ ( the brand is WÜN Cutlery)