Aluminum Pots and Kazan Pots

Why use aluminum?

Aluminum is a great conductor of heat which makes it an ideal choice for cookware.

Aluminum is also the third most abundant element in nature.  Read ‘cheaply available’.  Which means aluminum cookware is generally affordable.  Plus it’s lightweight.  It’s no wonder we favor Aluminum cookware over all others. 

The problem with Aluminum is…

Aluminum reacts with acidic food which causes the metal to leach into the food. Because of that, you will find that most of the aluminum cookware that is available is either coated with a non-stick layer or is anodized. 

What is anodized aluminum? 

If you leave aluminum exposed to the air, it will naturally form a thin layer of aluminum oxide on the surface. While this layer is very thin, it is strong and hard.  It prevents the metal from further oxidation by forming a barrier between the aluminum and the air.  Scientist call this process ‘passivation’… meaning it makes the metal passive vs reactive.

Now in order to make the layer of aluminum oxide thicker, the metal is subjected to an electrochemical process called anodization.  This forms a much thicker layer of the non-reactive aluminum oxide, creating what is known as anodized or hard-anodized aluminum. 

Is aluminum cookware safe?

Aluminum does not leach into food from coated or anodized aluminum cookware. 

The amount that leaches from untreated aluminum cookware is not enough to cause a health hazard.