18/10 stainless steel...

[nicolelynn]

I was super excited last night to get what looked to be a very high quality stainless steel cookware set from Costco from my parents for my birthday. It is very thick stainless steel with copper bonding. Up until I just had 3 peices of cheap stainless steel from Target.

Upon opening the package today though I read the label again and saw that it is a copper core, with 2 layers of aluminum and 2 layers of stainless steel on top.
Ack! Is the aluminum in it so bad if it's just the middle layer? I'd hate to take back such an expensive gift ($200 for the set) from my parents, but I won't poison myself and DH just to be polite (they are the type of gracious, laid back people who would understand my reasoning, anyways). It DOES have the "NSF" stamp of approval meaning it supposedly has undergone rigorous testing to assure it is environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

What to do?

[krankedyann]

I have read that the aluminum core can leech and cause problems, but unfortunately I can't site the source for that- it's been a while back. Maybe a google search would turn it up?

[velcromom]

Uh-oh! I have a pan with an aluminum core too... I was thinking that was ok since the food only touches the stainless part...

[Taedareth]

I'm not an expert, but I've read that anodized aluminum is bad (a very thin coat of another metal over aluminum) but the "aluminum core" kind is fine because the steel completely encases it.

If that isn't true, then I'm in trouble too!

[nicolelynn]

I did a touch of research last night. I have decided to keep them. It may leach out some, but it would be a very insignificant amount. Not that most of us eat restaraunt or processed food very often at all, but those are a much higher source of aluminum then from these pans.

If you take antacids or buffered aspirin that is one of the worst sources (up to 1,000 milligrams in antacids), processed cheese slices have 40 milligrams. Compare that to even pure aluminum pans which would leach at most 4 milligrams a day into your diet if you cooked all 3 meals in them. So I'm imagining these pans would be significantly less than these (and most of us use cast iron for at least half our cooking anyways).

At least my stock-pot is pure stainless steel, so I won't be doing much prolonged cooking in these pans anyways.

[Dillpicklechip]

Originally Posted by nicolelynn

If you take antacids or buffered aspirin that is one of the worst sources (up to 1,000 milligrams in antacids), processed cheese slices have 40 milligrams.

Wow, I didn't know that! Especially about processed cheese slices. What ingredient in the processed cheese contains aluminum?

[nicolelynn]

It's a "food grade" salt that is essentially an aluminum salt- that is what is in all the processed stuff. All the more reason to cook at home and use yummy sea salt eek!

[paquerette]

I had to have DH check this thread out; he's a metalworker. He says that would be perfectly safe (and he is VERY anti-aluminum). The aluminum is about as likely to leach out into your food as your food is likely to leach out of the pot onto the stove.

[counterGOPI]

: we spent the thousands of dollars for all clad pots and pans and they have aluminum cores too

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by paquerette

I had to have DH check this thread out; he's a metalworker. He says that would be perfectly safe (and he is VERY anti-aluminum). The aluminum is about as likely to leach out into your food as your food is likely to leach out of the pot onto the stove.

:

The aluminum is there because of it's heat conductivity.

[mommabear]

Originally Posted by nicolelynn

It's a "food grade" salt that is essentially an aluminum salt- that is what is in all the processed stuff. All the more reason to cook at home and use yummy sea salt eek!

Oh man, how did I miss that? Slightly OT, but what else is it in? What other names does aluminum masquerade under? TIA!

[Pogonia]

Most quality stainless steel have an aluminum core. And most say to not use high heat, just medium. Although my Cuisinart ones say can use med. high to bring water to a boil. If I want to sear anything, I use my cast iron. But rarely do I need a high heat once I got used to the medium setting.

[AJP]

I don't think there's any way for the aluminum to leach through the stainless steel. The steel should be impermeable, in both directions, with no way for the food and the aluminum to touch.