Aluminum cookware

Of the various types of cookware on the market aluminum is the most budget-friendly and conducts heat well. However, there are drawbacks. First, aluminum does react badly to acid leaving a funny flavor in your food. It’s also nowhere as durable and stainless or copper.

So when shopping for aluminum look for sets that are anodized, which makes it non-reactive, improves its resistance to corrosion and provides more strength vs. scratching. Anodized cookware comes in a large diversity of colors and styles to fit nearly any home. Be aware like any surface treatment anodized aluminum can be gouged, which removes the coating and the benefit of the anodization in that spot.

This anodized set of aluminum cookware retails for about 200 pounds

Typically you’ll find two types of aluminum cookware on the market – one is cast and one is rolled. Cast aluminum needs seasoning similar to iron. It heats up quickly and stays hot over a longer period. Rolled aluminum by comparison is lighter and retains heat well but might have “hot spots” formed by uneven distribution.

There’s no question that casting creates a superior pan that isn’t as susceptible to warping, but it’s not easy to find these sets because they’re more expensive and visually appear nearly the same as a rolled set. For a starter set in your home, you can do much worse than rolled aluminum for around 100 pounds.

For those of you who have worried over allegations that using aluminum cookware increases the chances of Alzheimer’s, you can rest easy. Studies done on this subject show that while Alzheimer’s patients seem to store aluminum, aluminum itself does not appear causal. Additionally there is only a small amount of metal that can be conducted into your food should an anodized pan chip or scratch unless the food has a high acid content, which increases the leeching.

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