Aluminium saucepans - help please

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Aluminium saucepans - help please
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tawny owl

Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 563
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:45 pm Post subject:
Well, low-grade stainless will attract a magnet. I don't know any other way of telling, I'm afraid. I'm assuming you're asking because of the possible link between aluminium and dementia? The Alzheimer's Disease Society says that there is little evidence of this, and that the only foods you might be advised to avoid cooking are those high in acid. HTH

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:47 pm Post subject:
Aluminium may not be as shiney as s/steel. I've just tried holding a magnet to our s/steel pans and they are not magnetic.

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:48 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Steel will be a lot heavier- you should be able to tell by comparing them- if not try a magnet- it won't stick to aluminium.

A magnet won't stick to stailess either. Look for a stamp or a mark 18/12 ? what are the pans you have now? unless they are enamelled they will be one or the other. Compare.

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:52 pm Post subject:
stainless steel pans will be smooth and aluminium pans are rougher or more coarse on the surface and as mentioned frequently a dull grey/silver colour vs shiny and reflective. you will also often notice denting or grooves in aluminium pots

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:53 pm Post subject:
The pans I have now are s/steel, but the new ones have heavy bases so it's a bit difficult to compare weights!

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:54 pm Post subject:
Well, weight is sure to give it away.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:57 pm Post subject:
Aha. Aluminium is a better heat conductor than stainless steel, so Al pans are usually a constant thickness throughout, whereas S/Steel pans have a thick 'sandwich base' attached to the bottom. Does this help?

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:58 pm Post subject:
Got no aluminium ones to compare it to, Rob!! The new pans are about 6mm thick on the base, I don't have any others like it. I suspect they are steel though.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 8:59 pm Post subject:
Sean i think you just answered it for me conclusively!! Thanks

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 9:14 pm Post subject:

Some stainless steels *are* magnetic (a magnet will stick to it), not all. No Aluminium alloys are magnetic.
Aluminium is much softer, so a mirror polished finish would look very tatty very quickly. Polished means stainless.
If the sides are "thick" and its not as heavy as a LeCreuset, its Aluminium.

The only thing to watch with aluminium is acid. Lemon, vinegar, etc will attack any exposed metal surface. While this seems *not* to be harmful, its not beneficial to you, the food or the pan. The Alzheimer's scare of a few years ago seems to have been unfounded - Aluminium isn't dangerous.

Silas

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 6848
Location: Staffordshire

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 9:16 pm Post subject:
Fill em up with caustic soda and light a match, you'll soon find out if they are aluminium.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 9:26 pm Post subject:
Thanks for all you replies folks! Well they're definitely steel, shiny , heavy base etc, they are also made by Prestige and I just checked on their website, all their ranges are stainless steel. I think i got a good result there!

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 9:29 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

Aluminium isn't dangerous.

Unless you're a woman and it's in your deodorant!! But that's another thread....

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 9:45 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Got no aluminium ones to compare it to, Rob!! The new pans are about 6mm thick on the base, I don't have any others like it.

I suspect they are steel though.

If you compare them to the steel ones of similar size, I meant. Didn't know about stainless being non-magnetic, you learn something everyday

Or maybe it was just me being thick

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon May 30, 05 10:46 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Didn't know about stainless being non-magnetic, ...

Some stainless is magnetic, some isn't.
No aluminium is.

This gets important if you have an *induction* hob...

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