Is it dangerous to cook tomatoes with aluminum cookware and does it harm the cookware? I’ve read elsewhere on Quora that tomatoes are acidic and leach metals. Is there a health risk?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “is magnalite cookware safe“
It depends on the aluminum. If the aluminum is anodized, it is safe. The anodization process hardens the surface of aluminum cookware making it non-stick, scratch-resistant and easy to clean.
Anodized aluminum cookware doesn’t react to acidic foods, so these pots and pans are top choices for high acidity foods, such as cooking rhubarb and sauces with tomato, wine and lemon juice.
Here is the study: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/pdf/hgic3864.pdf
I would look this up for you, but Google is saying the Wagnerware website may be unsafe. Hope you don’t blame me for not wanting to catch any nasty germs.
Aluminum cookware is also commonly coated with teflon, t-fal or stainless steel, serving as a barrier or non-stick surface between the food and the aluminum. If your cookware has any of these coatings, I’d say it is safe. The reason why many cookware manufacturers use aluminum is due to its excellent heat conductivity properties, but it’s not always the best for cooking surfaces.
Now, what if the aluminum is not anodized? Well, you take your chances. Nobody disputes that ingesting aluminum is not good for you, but there are no conclusive studies suggesting aluminum cookware is either dangerous or safe.
Article here. http://www.treehugger.com/culture/ask-treehugger-is-aluminum-cookware-bad-for-you.html
Hope this helps.
Please take note of Federico Concas important safety warning about old pans.
10 Pcs Non Stick Cooking Set w/ Frying Pans & Saucepans
“Is it dangerous to cook tomatoes with aluminium cookware and does it harm the cookware? I’ve read elsewhere on Quara that tomatoes are acidic and leach metals. Is there a health risk?”
This answer is based solely on my personal experiences whilst cooking.
Tomatoes are acidic…cover some tomato sauce with aluminium foil and watch the foil discolor and dissolve! Milk is acidic enough to do it too, just takes a bit longer. Rookie mistake: substituting aluminium foil for cling film (I ran out) when refrigerating something I was marinating (which was an acidic solution).
I only did it once, and I was probably 12 or 13 years old, but I reheated some tomato sauce in an aluminium pan and was horrified to find that it was discolored permanently. Thought it tasted faintly metallic too.
Many years ago, there was a slight panic at the news that cooking in aluminium pans increased your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. Don’t remember that being disproven, but we still cook in aluminium, so it must have been, right? There is cookware constructed with a layer of aluminium between other metals, so you get aluminiums superior heat conducting properties, and yet it’s not in direct contact with the food.
Thanks for asking me this question, Shirley Johnson.
BELLA 21 Piece Cook Bake and Store Set
This is what Garrick didn’t write in his answer and will ONLY happen if your pans are old, scratched or not properly coated.
It is indeed true. Aluminum is partially soluble in acidic solutions; this can result in aluminum poisoning. After years of accumulated exposure and storage of it in body tissues, this poison can have results ranging from brain degeneration to skeletal deformities. It can also result in a decreased ability to absorb calcium and other useful chemicals.
For further explanations read this:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=164929
Non-Stick Cookware Set, Pots and Pans – 8-Piece Set
Doing my own research, I found this discussion on Magnalite, which is the brand name for the type of aluminum skillet I was asking about: http://www.finishing.com/225/51.shtml
There are several pages linked to from there, including information from U.S. department of health. Their stance is that aluminum cookware and utensils aren’t dangerous, whether anodized or not. They say that there’s more aluminum in antacid tablets than you get from using aluminum cookware.
Aluminum is everywhere (the 3rd most abundant element on earth), and our bodies are pretty good at discarding it. It’s in the air and in the plants and animals we eat.
Also, regarding the page that Federico Concas linked to: I didn’t see anything there that linked aluminum poisoning to using old aluminum cookware.
Calphalon 10-Piece Pots and Pans Set, Nonstick Kitchen Cookware
i also think it makes the tomatoes taste bad. i swear that i can even taste that metallic flavor if i store a hot tomatoes sauce in an aluminum container.
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick 17 Piece Cookware Set