How come no one seems to like aluminum?

cramsey3006

cramsey3006

Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
2,129
Just wondering about aluminum gear. It used to be kind of popular, but now it seems that everyone is raving about stainless, titanium, and polymer stuff like the Nalgene's.

What's so bad about aluminum?

It would seem to be the ideal material to me...

It's lighter than steel... you can boil or cook in it without worrying about it burning (like polymer)... it's cheaper than titanium....
 
Stainless is popular because of its durability. People who carry the Zebra pots etc, arent too concerned about weight. Aluminum bottles are nice. I own a few Siggs and love em. However I have yet to see one that is unlined, and unpainted so that I could boil in it like my Guyots, and Klean Kanteens. As far as Aluminum cookwear vs. Titanium, no clue. I dont own any of either. I have a SS Zebrapot, SS canteen cup, and SS mini Wok that I cook with. I know alot of guys who have cooked many many meals in a GI canteen cup without problems though....
 
Interesting reading, but I have to point out that they don't say anything about aluminum cookware or other solid alumium objects in general.
 
aluminum cookware is claimed to be a cause of Alzheimers.

now, if you buy into that claim or not is up to you.
 
cramsey3006 said:
I was wondering more about bottles, canteens, and cups.
Click to expand...

i've used some in the past that tended to give a flavor to whatever you were eating or drinking from them.

granted, some of the newer stuff is coated or anodized and may not make stuff taste like the old stuff did.

if you have the budget, Ti will be almost as light and much more rugged. SS will be more rugged and heavier.

it's a personal decision. i doubt you'll get a ration of crap if you show pix or talk about using aluminum stuff. :rolleyes:
 
fixer said:
aluminum cookware is claimed to be a cause of Alzheimers.

now, if you buy into that claim or not is up to you.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's it! I kind of forget what it was claimed to be a cause for...and who I was or where I was...:D

I've got some anodized aluminum that is excellent.

ROCK6
 
I think it is mostly durability, and If I remember correctly it can melt relatively easily. If I don't remember correctly, maybe that Alzhiemers thing has something to do with it.
 
The alzheimers thing began with research in the early 1960's, and nothing ever came of it. I think durability is most of the problem. And as others have mentioned, it doesn't disburse heat evenly for cooking unless it is excessively thick, easily scratches so that food sticks, and it does oxidize easily, meaning it flavors high acid foods and drinks.

Newer stainless steels and manufacturing technology have made stainless lighter and more attractive. Titanium is a relative newcomer and it's attractivness is part fact and part fad. Plastics have improved greatly over the years as well and displaced some uses for aluminum.

I still have a lot of old aluminum camp cookware, but my newer stuff is heavier and has a coating, or is lightweight stainless or plastic. Use what you like and like what you want! There are still a lot of manufacturers making and selling aluminum campware, and they usually have the best prices.
 
I prefer aluminum for certain things. Flashlights for example. Its a much better heat conductor than Titanium. Also nice square threads make an action to me, and aren't easy to do in Ti.

For cookware I just don't like Al.

I had to machine Al for one of my engineering jobs. Its really an awful PITA to work with. I still have some prejudices against it from that. But for flashlights, its the bees knees.
 
Titanium, along with gold and stainless steel, is one of the few metals that will not, supposedly leach into food or water. I've used a few Aluminum items that seem to taint my food and I prefer to not have to deal with funky metallic flavor. I don't even like beer in a can if I have a choice.
 
+1 on what Fiddleback said, Al flashlights are great. I've also read that either Al or Steel cookware/cups which you might cook some food in over a fire, don't cook as evenly as Ti, but then Ti is a very efficient a transferring heat, and in some cases too much, with it burning food or cooling down too quickly.
 
Titanium is actually a much poorer conductor of heat than aluminum. When you are burning food in Ti pots, you are probably getting localized heating that causes the burn.

Addressing the primary question of Al for drinking cups, bottles, etc - it is normally OK, but be careful with acidic fruit juices. With acidic drinks, you will leach more Al from the container.
 
Josh K said:
That's why when I backpack I always bring my cast iron skillet. :)
Click to expand...

Holy crap, I hope the rest of your stuff is on the lighter end of the spectrum.

Regarding aluminum, if you want to use it for cookware, then get stuff that is hard anodized. It is more expensive, but it has much better antistick properties and also holds up well against scratching. For bottles, the whole reason that everyone freaked out about plastic was BPA. Some aluminum bottle companies like Sigg were using a BPA liner in the bottles, so that did not help them out, even though it was proven not to leech.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top