Enamel ware - what is it?

[erin a]

Is it safe?
I was given a beautiful enamel tea pot but I really do not want to use anything aluminum (history of Alzheimer's in family). Is enamel ware aluminum?

[quietserena]

I wanted to post this exact question

I keep seeing really nice pieces at flea markets and I really wonder whether they're ok to use.

Can you take a magnet to it? Aluminum is definitely not magnetic so if it sticks then it's steel underneath.

I'm interested in whether the enamel itself is safe too and whether there are different kinds.

[quietserena]

There's an article I found that gives a little more info on enamel:

ceramic, enameled and glass - Cookware made properly of enamel-coated iron and steel is safe to cook with, according to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Because of the high firing temperatures required, lead which could present a safety concern is not used in the enamel for this cookware. Some older enamel cookware contained the potentially toxic substance cadmium, which was sometimes contained in the red, yellow and orange pigments used to color the interior of enamel cookware. Cadmium was used mostly by foreign manufacturers. But manufacturers have discontinued its use, and consumers today are not in danger of cadmium poisoning from enamelware marketed today.
Some countries do not have strict lead and cadmium limits. If you bring in glazed ceramic cookware from abroad, be aware that it may not meet permitted levels for lead and cadmium.

[erin a]

Ok, so whatever it's made of it's not aluminum b/c it's magnetic and according to the link, since it's a new pot it should be safe. Great!

[quietserena]

I'm taking a fridge magnet with me next time I go places in case I see some interesting pieces.

Just have to stay away from bright colors and stuff made overseas. That might not be easy to tell but never know...