Anodized Vs. Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum cookware has advantages over other types of cookware. Anodized aluminum cookware costs more than plain aluminum cookware, but offers some benefits as well. The Electrochemistry Encyclopedia defines anodizing as the growth of an oxide barrier coating on aluminum by electrolysis.

Speedy Cooking

Aluminum cooks faster

Aluminum pans and anodized aluminum pans cook more quickly than other pans. According to Dr. Leona Hawks of the Utah State University cooperative extension service, good heat conductivity is a characteristic of quality cookware. Aluminum cookware conducts heat four times as quickly as iron or steel cookware.

Light Weight

Lightweight

Both aluminum and anodized aluminum cookware are lighter than iron or steel pans of similar size. This makes them much easier to handle than other cookware.

Durable

Durable and scratch resistant

Plain aluminum cookware is easy to scratch or dent. The oxide coating on anodized cookware makes it very resistant to damage from scratches or dents, and as such, this anodized pans last longer than plain aluminum pans.

Easy Clean Up

Easy clean-up

Aluminum pans are prone to sticking and are harder to wash. Anodized pans have an oxidized surface that is non-stick and much easier to clean.

Health Issues

Can aluminum make you ill?

According to Dr. Georgia Lauritzen of Utah State University, some people with Alzheimer’s disease have higher levels of aluminum in their brain tissue.
While there is no direct tie between aluminum cookware and Alzheimer’s disease, using anodized aluminum pans can greatly reduce the amount of aluminum leached into food.

References

• Cook tops and cookware
• What is anodized cookware?
• Electrochemistry Encyclopedia

Resources

• Aluminum for the Home
• Contamination with Aluminum Compounds, and Effect on Human Neurophysiology and Behavior