Aluminum utensils – benefits and harm to the human body, care for products and a review of the best with prices

The content of the article

• What is aluminum
• Is aluminum harmful to the body?
• Advantages
• What is dangerous
• What can be cooked in aluminum dishes
• Why can not be stored in aluminum dishes
• How to care for aluminum utensils
• The price of aluminum utensils

Aluminum is used to make bowls, pots, pans, gooseberries, baking dishes, spoons, forks. Some housewives bypass such kitchen tools, referring to the mythical harm of aluminum utensils. Opponents of such products claim that the metal from the container enters the food and harms the body. Is it so? Is it possible to cook in aluminum cookware without danger to health?

What is aluminum

Aluminum has a silver-white tint; it easily bends and melts. The main advantage of this material is its weight, it is one of the lightest metals. It is also valued for its good thermal conductivity. At one time, aluminum was called “flying”, this metal was used in the construction of aircraft. To give strength to the composition add an admixture of magnesium. Such an alloy is called duralumin; it is often used in the manufacture of dishes. To reduce the cost of products, silicon is added to aluminum to obtain silumin.

Is aluminum harmful to the body?

The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1998 made a statement that aluminum does not harm a person if the amount of metal in the body does not exceed 30-50 mg per day. It was also stated that this material is not a carcinogen, that is, it cannot cause cancer. As for Alzheimer’s disease, no connections were detected between it in the body of aluminum either..

Is aluminum cookware harmful

It has been established that a person receives a portion of natural aluminum every day along with food and water, but this does not affect health in any way. But what about the dishes from this metal? Scientists have conducted studies and proved that the minimum dose of aluminum that enters the food during storage and cooking does not exceed 3 mg, which is 10 times less than a safe amount.

Advantages

Aluminum cookware has a lot of advantages, so no one refuses its production. Among the advantages, the following factors stand out:

• price;
• durability;
• ease;
• variety of forms;
• corrosion resistance (does not rust).

These qualities are explained by the prevalence of aluminum and its low weight. This metal is plastic, it can be easily machined (stamping, bending) in production. The melting temperature of aluminum is low, which allows casting. The manufacture of products from this material does not require a large number of energy costs and cash investments.

If you decide to get a new bowl, then ask the seller what method the aluminum dishes were made of. Buckets, trays, bowls will last less if they are stamped, and cast aluminum cookware is strong and durable, but it costs more. Pay attention to the wall thickness: if it is a frying pan, then the bottom thickness should not be less than 1.5-2 mm. Thin-walled extruded aluminum cookware easily bends, undergoes deformation, quickly fails, but with proper care and operation it will last forever.

What is dangerous

When cooking acidic foods, such as marinade in a pan, the walls of the dishes turn white. This is due to the fact that under the influence of an aggressive environment, the oxide film is destroyed, which appears as a result of the oxidation of aluminum in air. This film is a corrosive layer arising from the diffusion of oxygen molecules with a metal. Initially, it is formed after anodic oxidation (chemical anodization) in the manufacture of.

If the dishes are anodized, the resulting artificial oxide film will be more resistant and durable. It prevents the penetration of pure metal into food. If it is destroyed, then food can acquire a metallic taste, but this will not affect health in any way. The film can be restored, but it will not be so durable. To do this, fill the container with water, wait 15 minutes. After this, the dishes must be wiped with a dry, clean cloth. These actions will lead to partial renewal of the film..

What can be cooked in aluminum dishes

You can’t sow cabbage in aluminum dishes or cook and store acidic dishes in it, otherwise the saucepan will become unusable. Even film restoration will not save. In dishes made of aluminum, you can cook any dishes that do not contain acidic ingredients:

• porridge of any kind;
• dairy, but not dairy products;
• soup;
• meat;
• fish;
• pasta;
• non-acidic vegetables cooked without the addition of vinegar;
• sweet fruit jam.

Why can not be stored in aluminum dishes

Take an enameled saucepan for storing and cooking marinades and sourdough, and set aside a metal one for another occasion. Otherwise, the protective film of aluminum cookware will dissolve and give the product an unpleasant aftertaste. If nevertheless you cooked borsch in such a saucepan, then it is better to transfer it to another container after cooking. Aluminum spoons do not have time to be exposed to acid, so they can safely eat the same sauerkraut.

How to care for aluminum utensils

Aluminum kitchen utensils must be taken care of very carefully. Do not use iron brushes or abrasive substances. A soft sponge and liquid detergent perfectly remove all dirt from aluminum dishes. If in the process of cooking for a pan or pan, something is burned, then use the following means:

• Soda solution. Dilute one tablespoon of baking soda in one liter of warm water. Wash carbon deposits and perform oxide film recovery.
• Acetic solution. This detergent is used to brighten the outside. Dilute the vinegar with water in equal proportions. Soak a clean cloth in the mixture and wipe the pan, stewpan, gooseberry and other aluminum products. Dry with a towel.
• Mustard Powder. Such a simple tool will save your cooking utensils from fat and clean the non-stick coating. It is necessary to grate the walls with mustard and rinse with clean warm water.
• Coca Cola. You will be surprised, but you can wash the old soot or scale with an ordinary cola. Moisten the sponge in the drink and gently wipe the walls of the dishes made of aluminum, leave for a few minutes and rinse. If there is contamination at the bottom of the pot or pan, then just pour the cola, boil, wait two minutes and rinse with clean water. Cinder will come down.
• Ammonia. To restore the former beauty and shine to aluminum utensils with ammonia. For a liter of water, take one tablespoon of ammonia and a little detergent. Mix these components and wipe the dishes with the mixture, rinse with water. She shines again.

The price of aluminum utensils

The production of aluminum spoons, bowls and pans has not stopped. Popular companies produce a series of such products that on the stove look no worse than expensive dishes. The prices in Moscow and St. Petersburg for aluminum utensils are as follows: