Aluminum bakeware is not dangerous and can be safely used when proper precautions are taken. No need to fork out a bundle for stainless steel.
Part of being a savvy homemaker is knowing when to fork out the bucks for new kitchen equipment and when not to. That being said, I noticed a number of years ago that it can be rather costly to replace aluminum bakeware with enameled or stainless steel pans and for what?
Yes, aluminum is a toxic metal and you definitely don’t want it in your food for fear of long term health implications like Alzheimer’s Disease. But, that is no reason to toss out your perfectly good aluminum cookie sheets, cake pans, and muffin tins!
You see, aluminum, as it relates to bakeware, is only released if you scratch it. I remember this quite vividly from my university Chemistry class.
Therefore, when removing cookies and the like from your aluminum bakeware, just take care not to use metal utensils that can easily scratch the aluminum and release this metal into your food. Wooden spatulas would be the best choice for handling the food when working with aluminum.
There also is no risk from aluminum vapors when baking with aluminum bakeware. The heat used for at-home baking is not nearly high enough to cause inhalation dangers like what workers at aluminum factories experience.
Heating of aluminum must approach its melting point for vapors to be released (1220 F). My oven doesn’t even get that hot when on “self-cleaning” mode.
Using Aluminum Bakeware Safely
If you want to be extra careful, use unbleached parchment paper as a cover on top of the bakeware and have your food touch that instead. For aluminum muffin tins, use unbleached baking cups.
This same approach would be advised for aluminum foil. I see folks putting vegetables and butter in foil and wrapping it tightly to roast them .. all of which is perfectly safe. The problem arises when they open the foil after cooking and scrape the veggies into a bowl with a metal fork! This is a no-no. Make sure you use only wood or plastic utensils when dealing with foil!
Watch out for store-bought pie crusts that come in aluminum pie pans too. While there is nothing wrong with baking your pie in a decent quality pie crust from the health food store, it becomes a problem when you cut that pie with a metal knife that scratches the aluminum pie pan underneath the food!
I’ve been to many a potluck where I passed on eating a piece of pie from an aluminum pan that had been cut with a metal knife!
One last word of caution – watch out for ice cream machines. My Cuisinart ice cream machine has an aluminum interior as do many other models.
Again, this is fine and safe as long as you don’t use a metal spoon to scrape out the last bits of homemade ice cream that get stuck to the sides! A small wooden spatula or spoon works great here and will not scratch that aluminum in the least.
Options for Unsafe Aluminum Cookware
Of course, cookware is another issue entirely. Aluminum should be avoided in that case as cooking acidic foods in aluminum can leach the metal into the food.
Using fluoridated tap water in that aluminum pan leaches even more heavy metals into the food! (1)
Stainless steel cookware poses similar issues, although, for neutral pH or alkaline foods, it is fine. For acidic cooking, ceramic coated cast iron such as Le Creuset and Lodge are a good idea. I don’t recommend unenameled cast iron especially if there are adult males in the home.
Glass cookware is an excellent and very affordable option as well. Just be sure to get a brand tested to be lead-free.
Copper cookware is safe too, though it is rather pricey.
For longer cooking and acidic foods, such as tomato-based sauces or slow simmering of traditional bone broths, safe options include certified toxin-free clay pots (such as Vita-Clay), glass, or ceramic coated cast iron.
While convenient, stainless steel pressure cookers are not ideal for cooking acidic foods either.
While cookware is a bit tricky, as for bakeware, I still am using the same aluminum equipment I’ve used for years. What’s more, I have no plans to replace it with expensive stainless steel or any other material for that matter.
Teflon and Silicone a No Go for Cooking in Any Form
While it’s possible to salvage your aluminum bakeware (not cookware) and still use it safely, make sure you ditch all Teflon kitchenware. (2)
Most people don’t realize that the shiny pasta from the store was shaped in Teflon. This article explains how to identify healthy pasta shaped in traditional bronze dies instead of toxic Teflon.
Note that silicone for baking or cooking is unsafe too, so be sure to avoid that type of equipment as well. Silicone is fine for cold temperature uses, however, such as molds for candy or popsicles.
References
(1) Leaching of Aluminum and It’s Incorporation into Rice During Cooking Under Different Fluoride Concentrations in Water
(2) Why to Avoid all Teflon Kitchenware
Thanks for the great post – I love things that challenge my way of thinking. I would tend to frown at aluminum anything too, but this has put me at ease a bit about he massive aluminum cookie sheets we have in our community kitchen (they do get covered with parchment paper too). I recently bought (second-hand) some metal ice cube trays – I'm pretty sure that they're aluminum, but now I don't have to worry about using them – for water at least, the original plan was for lemon juice when/if I could test to see what metal it was. I'm assuming the lemon will cause the aluminum to leech, even if it isn't being heated. In regards to silicone I was told by my chiropractor (who is VERY into health and gives Real Food seminars and stuff) that it is not safe.
Sarah,
I linked to this in my post today – I love your suggestions. 🙂
Kel
I have aluminum bakeware – I bought inexpensive stainless steel once but it rusted horribly – and my bakeware has already been scratched by metal spatulas, etc. Is it now unsafe, or is it "current" scratching that causes the problems? I use mine mostly to bake rolls from freshly ground whole grain flour.
Cindy
Cindy (and anyone reading this), the STAINLESS steel does not rust. The plain steel rusts like crazy if not handled like cast iron, in that it must be THOROUGHLY dried immediately after cleaning. I have STAINLESS steel pots, pans, and baking sheets that never rust, but my bread pans are plain steel. I must remove the loaves right out of the oven, wipe them out with a cloth, using water if necessary to get them clean, then put them back in the still hot but cooling oven to get them really dry fast. It’s no big deal, just a new habit to learn. They have darkened over the years with use and make nice crusts on the bread now.
Hi Carmie,
What stainless steel cookware and bakeware do you use? I have done a little bit of research and have found that some stainless steel cookware has aluminum in it and the bakeware has aluminum as well…and a couple brands are made in china… Just wondering what brand(s) you have? I buy organic food and then cook it in what I now know to be TOXIC cookware…what’s the point!? I’m trying to keep my family as safe and healthy as possible, and then I find out even more crap like this…the govt. should be regulating this stuff a lot more!
Thank you, Carmie.
Regarding silicone bakeware, all the "healthy" websites I found said that it was stable up to well over 500 degrees F. However, I was very disappointed with its performance – cleanup is not much fun either. I do have a couple of silicone spatulas that work great – I prefer silicone to other plastics that could be less "stable."
I love my silicone mats for the cookie sheets! I don’t understand the comment about clean-up being hard because for me, it makes clean-up easier. Food does not burn on and stick to the pan. I have a slicone muffin pan and you do have to put it on a cookie sheet for stability which makes one more thing to wash but the muffins pop right out. You can even push the pan inside out to wash easier. I’m pretty sure I bought my first Silpat sheet about 15 years ago and it’s still very nice. Any other metal bakeware would be scratched up and ruined in my house within five years. We did ruin one small mat when my husband put it in the bottom of a pan to roast veggies so it doesn’t work for everything.
I almost felt guilty for not using them great post. I'd like to hear what you think about herbal home remedies
It is a good idea to look for anodized aluminum. It is harder and more durable than ordinary aluminum; it’s more scratch resistant; and it doesn’t rust or react with foods.
Here is a link that might be useful:
http://www.helpful-kitchen-tips.com/kitchen-blog/2009/03/16/bakeware-review-bakeware-sets-cake-pans-muffin-pans/
What’s the word on this new silicon bakeware/utensils/etc?
I got a piece or two to try it out. Seems to bake fine, but I’m wondering if there are any health issues to consider.
In my investigation recently I read that pure silicone is ok (I was only using as a lid to keep food from splattering in my oven) and a way to determine if it is pure is to fold the silicone and if you see white on the fold it is not pure and one should avoid it. Don’t know if that is true, but I try to avoid using it. I am still looking for a safe cover over my splattering salmon burgers I place in a stainless steel pan.
I really appreciate this article and I am following your suggestions. I have 2 questions: I use a calphalon pan to scramble eggs, never use metal instruments; is that ok? I don’t use high heat. Also, I am considering buying a juicer; do you use one and I found a Jack LaLane for very reasonable. What do you think of it? One last thing…I am so hopeful to get to come and meet you in person at the Dallas, Texas seminar in Nov! SO EXCITING to think of being surrounded by so many like-minded folks!!! God bless!
Was wanting to make home made sour dough hot dog buns and have found hot dog bun pans online. However, they seem to be made of aluminized steel. Here is one example . Was wondering if you thought these were safe.
Thanks 🙂
Thanks for addressing this, it has been a big concern for me for a while!