If You Fluff Rice With A Metal Spoon, Be Prepared For This Annoyance - Tasting Table

"The chipped-off coating can go into your cooked rice, which you would end up ingesting. It is also possible for the non-stick coating of the inner pot to release microplastics and other compounds into your rice. Additionally, over time, as you continue to use the rice cooker, the cooked rice can stick to and burn on the inner pot, due to its damaged coating."

"Reach for a plastic, bamboo, or silicone rice paddle. Typically, when you buy a rice cooker, it should come with its own rice paddle, and this utensil shouldn't damage the inner pot when you fluff rice with it. I also like to fluff rice with chopsticks, silicone or wooden ones, and not the fancy metal ones we reserve for our dinner guests."

Metal utensils can scratch nonstick inner pots, causing coating to chip into cooked rice and potentially release microplastics and other compounds. Damaged coatings make rice more likely to stick and burn, and eventually require costly replacement of the inner pot. Use a plastic, bamboo, or silicone rice paddle to fluff rice; most rice cookers include one. Silicone or wooden chopsticks are also safe alternatives. Avoid metal utensils on nonstick frying pans and cookware for the same reasons. Metal utensils are acceptable when cooking in uncoated cookware such as stainless steel or cast iron.

Read at Tasting Table