I'm trying to use as little aluminum as possible as it can be related to health problems, and I'm just trying to be a little more careful. I just bought the Emerilware pro-clad pot and pan set, and it's stainless steel but says Emerilware Pro-Clad is constructed with an aluminum core bonded between two layers of stainless steel ideal for... Therefore, I'm still cooking with aluminum. Is it safer since it's between 2 pieces of stainless steel? Does any stainless steel cookware not use aluminum? Thanks.
First of all, there is no link between health problems and aluminum. Years ago, they thought there might be a link between alzheimer's and aluminum, but that has since been disproved. Secondly, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat. But the stainless is a great, sturdy, non-reactive metal to use for cookware. So they add aluminum or copper to it's core to help it heat properly. Copper will cost you an arm and a leg, so all other cookware uses aluminum. If you had stainless cookware with no aluminum, it would take you an hour to boil water and your food would cook terribly unevenly. The outsides would burn before the inside cooked. So no, you won't find stainless without aluminum unless it's copper cored. But again, aluminum will do you no harm. You wrap your food in tin foil, which is aluminum. You eat food that has been sitting in aluminum cans on the shelf for god knows how long. And the anti-perspirant you use every morning? Check the ingrediants. Aluminum. Right on your lymph nodes. Stop worrying. Still worrying? aluminum is basically poreless. No aluminum will leach through. You are safe.
Aluminum and titanium are lighter, but they are easier to scratch (due to non-stick coatings) and do not hold heat as well. Stainless steel is more durable and distributes heat better. You can also clean it with sand or ice without having to worry about scratching it. If you are going to fry with it, you will need oil since the food will stick without it. When I go ultra light, I use a jet boil with a titanium pot to boil water for cooking. When I want to go gourmet, I use the GSI stainless steel set.
