Cookware for the Holidays - Pros and Cons of Aluminum Cookware

Its holiday season again so everyone is getting back in the kitchen preparing yummy holiday recipes and dishes. Cooking all the yummy holiday appetizers, main dishes, cakes and desserts, are part of holiday activities that make the holidays fun.

Some of the holiday recipes are easy to follow and can be cooked and prepared almost in any type of cookware. But some are more complicated and need specialized type cookware. So what cookware or cooking tools to use is very important. There a variety of non stick cookware aware and as for the most common ones are the one made with Aluminum.

Aluminum cookware is found very commonly in many kitchens. Whether it is aluminum cookware or bakeware, there are certain things that you need to know about aluminum before you can go ahead and trust it completely. Aluminum being a metal should not be used with acidic foods as it can react and change the entire taste of the food. Even salad dressing or salty foods are not really safe in aluminum vessels because you can never really be sure there wouldn't be any reaction at all. There are a few more unsubstantiated claims about aluminum such as the fact that it causes Alzheimer's disease although someone is yet to prove this claim scientifically.

There is a true reason why aluminum vessels have become a great favorite of many households. It is very inexpensive. The vessels themselves are very light which makes them easier to use. Most importantly aluminum saves a lot of energy because of its great thermal conductivity. Add to it the facts that the metal is highly resistant to corrosion or rust and it gives very good reasons for its presence in the kitchen. However, as cookware you don't want something that might react with your foods making them dangerous. Also aluminum vessels are not preferred for storage of food. If required you can go for their slightly expensive modifications like anodized aluminum that is nonreactive with foods irrespective of whether they are salty or acidic. The aluminum oxide coating is safe but you have to clean it with special techniques which could prove difficult. These are the tradeoffs you need to accept for the safety of the foods. All in aluminum cookware can be used with care, and their conductivity can be put to good use, if one can be careful and avoid storing anything in them after cooking is completed.