Is Aluminum Cookware Safe? A Brief Discussion on Safety
From the ancient time to now, people use many types of cooking utensils, for example nom-stick cookware, stainless steel, nickel and aluminum. Aluminum utensils are common type of kitchen tools popular among its user for long time durability and crystal-clear surface.
Most people often compare this one to the stainless steel, but there is a little difference between them two. However, I often get a question like is aluminum cookware safe for health.
Since it has been engaged with our daily life, raising a question about its safety is very common. To remove all your confusion, I decided to discuss it in brief. Let’s break this down and dive into depth.
I am ensuring you that this article will be beneficiary for you because here you got all the answer related to aluminum safety.
What Is An Aluminum Cookware: Its Nature, Composition And Property
An aluminum cookware is an element that is usually used in different types of components to make it durable and strong. It is a great conductor of heat which makes it an ideal choice among the users worldwide. An aluminum pot and pans can retain 16 times faster heat than other metals. Herein a short list of thermal conductivity of metals, check this out asap.
Material | Thermal Conductivity |
Copper | 401 W/m.K |
Aluminum | 237 W/m.K |
Nickel | 91 W/m.K |
Cast Iron | 80 W/m.K |
Tin | 67 W/m.K |
Stainless steel | 14.2 W/m.K |
Not all kinds of kitchen metals are as good as aluminum. It is solid for having strong elements and considered as the third most abundant element found in nature. Its long-term heating conductivity, iron like durability, affordable price and lightweight made it a popular choice among the people and most professional chefs.
3 Initial Types Of Aluminum Cookware
In order to achieve good knowledge about its quality and manufacturing norms, it is vital to know different types of aluminum cookware.Also, it will help you to choose and purchase the right aluminum cookware which was abundant in ample years of experience.
1. Pressed Aluminum Cookware
The first and foremost type of aluminum cookware is a pressed aluminum cookware. This cookware is renowned for their cheap price and clearer appearance. But it does not last as long as other aluminum cookware.
2. Cast Aluminum Cookware
This second aluminum cookware is very heavy and worth buying for their creative functions as well as their in-depth detailing. The bottoms and the rim of the pots and pans are manufactured with great depth.
Their depthless is so deep which leads anyone to use these utensils for more than a year or two. It comes with better heat retention quality and high levels of aluminum.
3. Anodized Aluminum Cookware
If you’re looking for a utensils with a layer of aluminum oxide, grab this at home. It is a complete masterpiece of the electrochemical process. That means this sort of aluminum has well-oxidized natural film surrounding found in pots and pans.
In fact, anodized cookware sets are hard to break for having this unique films. It is inherited with a tough and non-oxidised finish to reduce the food residues from sticking. Anodized aluminum is a great source of achieving superior hardness than that of stainless steel.
Related Content:
Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe? Things You Must Know
Safety Concerns with Aluminum Cookware and Aluminum Leaching Mechanisms
The long-term health issues associated with aluminum may not reveal entirely but some experts recommend minimizing intake of aluminum as much as possible.
Now, you may ask, how do I eat them? Well, you may be shocked after hearing this that aluminum cookware used in our daily life may cause illness or be defective for long term use.
Aluminum made utensils are our daily gadgets. There is hardly any house found which has no aluminum made glass, pots and utensils.
A small amount of aluminum could be the reason for many unknown, Un assessable diseases. Food that contained uncoated aluminum should be avoided since they cause more of the metal to leach into food.
Besides, some cooking ingredients are highly reactive when they come close to uncoated aluminum of normal utensils. Therefore, you should avoid them while cooking and keep yourself away from intaking.
Health Implications Of Aluminum Exposure
The aluminum utensils that weighing very light have certain tendency to react with many acidic food such as:
- Tomatoes,
- Vinegar,
- Citrus juice, etc.
Such kind of item can cause aluminum leaches into food. A very common food item which we normally make using the stove is tomato sauce.
Making tomato ketchup or sauce in aluminum utensils could lead the aluminum to melt and mix with the food. It happens not because it is salty and liquidy. But also because it requires a long time to cook into the vessel.
Another cooking item you should avoid is baking on aluminum pans and pots. Baking makes the aluminum surface less acidic than tomato sauce. But it makes a joint venture between the food and pot which may make the cooked food inedible. Sometimes you may consume aluminum through the baked food.
There are several research found that highlights the dangerous effects of consuming aluminum to our daily life. When anyone cook with aluminum cookware, a small amount of it could mix with food and can cause several health hazards such as:
- Alzheimer’s diseases
- Kidney damages
- Brain tumors or strokes
- Acidic reactions
- risk of cancer etc.
According to research by the World Health Organization, an adult can eat 1-2 mg of aluminum from their daily utensils. If it crosses the permissible limit of the human body, it can pose a serious threat to your lives.
Aluminum leacheing into your food can cause Alzheimer’s as well as Parkinsonism dementia. Cooking with vinegar, tomato and even with lime could make the food acidic which is the main culprit of creating stomachache and pains in the human body.
There is scientific evidence that proves that consuming aluminum through food will increase toxicity around your body. An accumulated aluminum in kidney, parathyroid glands got stagnant and they stop releasing sufficient hormone need for your body for function.
A significant question may arise how aluminum is released from one aluminum cookware? Well, a research from the Canadian government shows that around 5-10 mg of aluminum can be produced and consumed daily by their individuals.
It also reveals the side effects of cancer produced by aluminum, other health hazardous diseases which may be the reason of falling you in serious health problems. Toxicity of aluminum leach into food not only produced by the aluminum pots and pans but also through aluminum wrapping foods.
Aluminum foil packaging or parchment paper contain some solid ingredients that can also cause serious toxicity in the human body.
How To Mitigate Aluminum Leaching: Safe Cooking Practices
In this section, I will discuss with you how to lessen the extended exposure of aluminum from your utensils. Check them asap to get a complete hazardous life and safe cook with aluminum.
1. Avoid Using Uncoated Aluminum
Fix your choice only on stainless steel, non-stick or ceramic coated utensils. These utensils are less risky for your health and don’t put any certain residues over the surface of the utensils.
Avoid using uncoated aluminum or cheap type material which have zero tolerance to high heat and can be melted away while cooking. Hard anodized aluminum cookware will be best in this regard which have sufficient tolerance to retain the normal temperature of the cooking.
2. Don't Cook Acidic Food
Cooking acidic foods on aluminum cookware can be dangerous since many of the ingredients are responsible to occur serious health effects. Especially, use your uncoated aluminum utensils for baking and steaming.
These sorts of cooking will not produce toxic elements which may cause several health risk. Do not cook any acidic food items like tomato paste, salt, vinegar and even alcohol in the uncoated aluminum saucepan, fry pan or in other cooking material.
3. Always Cook In Low Flame Of Heat
While cooking, make sure to keep the temperature is in normal, low to medium heat. Don’t extend the heat of the stove which may lead aluminum to leach and enter into the food additives.
4. Try To Finish It Earlier
Your cooking utensils made of aluminum may very prone to excessive heat. The more heat it will get, the more aluminum leach it will exposes which may transfer to your food. Therefore, try your best to finish it earlier.
5. Buy High Quality Cookware
While going to shopping consider to buy high quality cookware. Always give preference to reputable brands which may reduce the chance of leaking out heavy metals of aluminum from the utensils.
6. Replace Scartchy Cookware
Scratched aluminum cookware isn’t well-worthy to use if you don’t want to aluminum expose anymore. Although most of the cooking utensils are scratch resistant, they’re not totally free from it. There is a 45-50% chances of their scratchings. However, whenever you get scratches in your pan, try to avoid it or replace them with new one.
7. Consider Seasoning
Consider seasoning whenever you’re cooking with your pans and pots. If you really in want if that make sure to use only cast iron or stainless steel coated aluminum cookware since they provide extra protective layer between the aluminum and your food.
Some Alternate Cookware Can Be Used Before Aluminum
There are many alternative cookware can be used before aluminum. You can buy them if you’ve serious concerns about the aluminum leaching toxicity and side effects. Here are some alternate kitchen tools which you can use asap.
- Stainless steel: Stainless steel made cookware is essential for having excellent heat retention. It is widely used and popular in the market for cheap price, high durability and versatility.
- Cast-Iron: Secondly, you can grab cast-iron cookware. Those kitchen appliances are a good alternative before aluminum and produce less chemical residues during the cooking time. It can be used for seasoning, well-known for high durability and can lasts generation to generation.
- Ceramic: Choose any ceramic cookware sets which have recently proved to be free from teflon and all kind of harmful chemicals. They’re also a good source of non-sticky cooking surfaces with an affordable price.
Copper: Copper is the most expensive metal than all other metallic surfaces available in the market. They’re budget friendly and worthy for professional usage. It also bear the potential capability to distribute heat evenly throughout the surfaces during the cooking period.
Do Aluminum Cookware Really Not Safe For Use: Know What Expert Say
The conflicts of aluminum toxicity towards food additives is still on under investigation. But many researchers and food enthusiasts have ensured the presence of toxic chemicals which may produce by metals, and uncoated aluminum exposing. The CDC considered it is safe to use if not use with extreme heat exposure. For reduce its tendency of health risk in human being, it has been banned in 6 countries in Europe for so long.
However, a research team of King County’s Hazardous Waste Management program (may, 2022) claimed and find a dangerous amount of lead in many imported aluminum pots and pans sold on many renowned website like Amazon and ebay etc. Although aluminum cookware have some serious health threatened elements, still it wasn’t as harmful as other metallic utensils fully.
FAQs-
Do Using Aluminum Cookware Safe?
Apart from cheap quality and bare aluminum made cookware, all the high quality and expensive type aluminum is safe to use in low heat. You need to strategic while buying an aluminum cookware.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Aluminum Cookware?
Aluminum cookware had only one downside which is leaching aluminum to the food. It can react badly if come in contact with acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon, tomato and others.
What Are The Most Effective Pans To Cook With?
The most effective pans to cook with are generally cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic and carbon steel. Besides, you can choose hard anodized aluminum as an alternate which is effective also in this regard.
Conclusion:
Although the certain research found regarding the question: is aluminum cookware safe with some serious health issues, you should be aware of some facts. Remember that cheap types of aluminum contain toxic chemicals and other hazardous elements which is a serious threat for your health. Other than this, high quality aluminum like hard anodized, ceramic and non-stick coated aluminum cooking utensils are safe to use.
Avoid cooking in high temperature and don’t rushed off with excessive high heat towards the utensils. Wash them throughly after every use. Also, keep it away from acidic food like lemon, vinegar, alcohol, tomato sauce etc. Dry it off properly to prevent early damage through metal, copper and manganese which are too much prone to tarnish or corrosion.