Best Stainless Steel Cookware Without Aluminum – Ultimate Guide
If you are looking at the best stainless steel cookware without aluminum, then you probably know that healthy cooking is not all about the food you are preparing. It also includes the type of cookware you use while preparing your food.
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Finding the right type of cookware for your kitchen can be a bit problematic. Your food might be very healthy but the type of cookware you are using could causes problems to your health.
Aluminium: Characteristics and Uses
One of these cookware that causes health concerns but is still being widely used everywhere in the world is aluminum. Aluminium has a lot of useful properties, meaning that you will find it almost everywhere, including our kitchens. It is light, cheap, durable and conducts heat very well.
However, even with all these advantages, it is not the best choice for kitchen use as it leaches into the food we consume. Even though most aluminium pots are coated with stainless steel, the coating may easily be worn out due to overuse, making the aluminium to be absorbed by leafy vegetables and citrus foods.
Although this might not be dangerous if it occurs only once, the continued consumption over a long period of time will definitely raise some health concerns.
Various studies have linked excessive aluminium consumption to various disease conditions such as Deficit Disorder in small children.
For these reasons, it is important to choose the most appropriate cookware for your kitchen, avoiding those made of aluminium.
Stainless Steel Pots and Pans without Aluminum
Here are some of the best stainless steel cookware without aluminium:
Stainless Steel Copper Core Cookware
This is one of the best alternatives to aluminium and It is, therefore, very widely used.
Pros of Copper Core
- It offers almost the same level of thermal conductivity of aluminium, making it a very efficient alternative
Cons of Copper Core
- Just like aluminum, it can also leach into food. An average adult can only intake about 900 micrograms of copper every day. It is possible to consume more than this amount if you take a lot of food or beverages prepared in copper cookware
- It can be heavy. This makes it a bit more difficult to handle
- Stainless steel cookware with copper core cannot be used on induction hotplates. An induction hotplate uses electromagnetic field to heat the cooking pan. However, copper is not strong enough to conduct the magnetic field that is being produced and will therefore not be able to heat up your food.
There are many copper-based stainless steel cookware that will be brilliant for your kitchen. Here are a few of them:
Sitram Copper Core Cookware
This type of cookware applies stainless steel over a very thick copper wire.
Pros of Sitram
- The copper allows you to cook at very high tempreratures. It can withstand very high temperatures of up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.2. It is suitable for use on gas, ceramic and electric oventops. It can also be used in ovens3. There is even distribution of heat throughout the cookware. It also responds very quickly to changes in temperature.4. Very high quality product
Cons of Sitram
- Each product has to be purchased separately as they do not come in a set. Finding a complete set of utensils might be a bit cumbersome.
All-Clad Cookware
This is a very common type of cookware. It combines both aluminium and copper cores but it has a stainless steel exterior which makes it far much safer.
Features:
- High-quality product
- It allows for even distribution of heat throughout the pan.
- It can be sold both individually and in sets. It also comes in a variety of sizes.
- It is very durable. You will not need replacing due to damages and defects.
Non-Copper Cookware
You can also find stainless steel cookware that do not use both aluminium and copper. These are the safest to use in your kitchen and they are highly recommended by professional chefs.
However, they are very hard to come across. They come in two grades called the ‘300 Series’ : 304 & 316. These two grades are very similar, however, the 316 has a small percentage of titanium or molybdenum).
Pros of the 300 series
- They are resistant to corrosion making it highly durable
- The 316 is resistant to erosion by salt water. For this reason, it is used highly recommended for use by marines in the deep sea. It is also called surgical steel and is used in the medical industry
- It is also highly resistant to leaching by nickel or chromium.
Cons
- They are very expensive
- They are difficult to find in the market. That is why they are mainly used by professionals
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic
These types of cookware are made up of very heavy-duty and premium stainless steel. Their entire body is made up of pure stainless steel. However, there is a very small percentage of aluminium that is hidden deep inside the base of the pan or pot, far away from any contact with your food. This makes it a very safe option.
Features
- It can be used in temperatures up to 500 degress Fahrenheit
- It can also be used in a variety of stovetops such as gas, glass, electric and even ceramic
- It is also safe to use in the oven and broiler and can be placed inside a freezer
Conclusion
As we have seen, in order for you to cook healthy, you have to take into consideration the type of cookware you are using. While purchasing the cookware, make sure you pay attention to the material and do your research to find out which products are safe, for your own health and also for your family.
This is especially so if you have small children in the house. Avoid pieces made purely of aluminium. It may be difficult to find stainless steel pots and pans that do not contain aluminium so you might even consider switching to pots and pans made of ceramic or porcelain.
These have to be the safest options out there as they do not contain any metal in them. These safer options may be a bit more expensive but it is better to spend the extra money for your peace of mind, health and guaranteed long life of a quality utensil.