Wondering about Aluminium Cookware? Here is an interesting fact about every aluminum cookware that you use.
According to the Cookware Manufacturers Association, aluminum cookware sales accounted for almost 60% of all cookware sold in the UK in 2015.
So basically, more than half of us are using aluminum cookware and also many buy aluminum cookware online. Yet we do not seem to know enough about it. Not a day goes by when experts don’t get some amount of queries about aluminum cookware or a request to do an in-depth review. Questions like these always arise about aluminum cookware:
- What is anodized aluminium?
- What is hard anodized aluminium?
- Difference between hard anodized aluminum and non-stick cookware?
- And the overriding question: Is aluminum cookware safe?
So, let us understand in simple language about why one should buy aluminum cookware online.
Why use aluminium?
Aluminium is a great conductor of heat which makes it an ideal choice for cookware. Here’s a table so you can see how Aluminium compares to other metals. The thermal conductivity of metals is measured in w/m.k. or watts per meter-kelvin. Aluminium has a thermal conductivity that is 16 times that of stainless steel.
What that means for you is that Aluminium will heat up quickly, evenly and 16 times faster than a stainless steel pot!
There however, lies a certain problem with aluminum. Aluminium sometimes also 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 when webuy aluminum cookware online.
What is anodized aluminium?
We should give time to some chemistry 101 back from school if we buy aluminum cookware online. 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 calls this process ‘passivation’ which means that it makes the metal passive vs. reactive. As a matter of interest, both sapphires and rubies are gems made of aluminum oxide with different colours. Because of its hardness, aluminum oxide is also used as a commercial abrasive.
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 when we buy aluminum cookware online.
Is anodized aluminum the same as hard anodized aluminium?
While both imply a layer of aluminum oxide on the surface of the metal, there is a difference. Hard anodized is, in simple terms, an even thicker layer of aluminum oxide than regular anodized. The resulting metal has twice the strength of stainless steel and is durable, non-reactive and resistant to corrosion and abrasion.
Can hard anodized aluminum peel off?
The layer of aluminum oxide in anodized aluminum is not like paint or a coating but is completely fused into the base metal. Meaning it’s a part of it as we buy aluminum cookware online. This means that it cannot peel away or chip off.
