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#223338 - 05/10/11 06:13 PM Aluminum pots
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
I have read countless articles and posts about alumninum pots and pans becoming black after only boiling some water in them. Most writing focus on ways to clean them. However, I am only interested in knowing WHY do they turn black.

We are not talking about greasy food over-cooking. You only put water in the pot, and after boiling the water the water and/or the pot turns black !!!!!!

It maybe hard water or whatever but I need toi understand this, preferrably in chemical terms. Is the black material dangerous or toxic ?? Are there other aluminum pots that do not turn black ??? etc.

The issue is important for preppring cookware for a BOB. Aluminum is lighter and cheaper , but stainless steel is worry-free in this regard.

Thanks

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#223340 - 05/10/11 06:19 PM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
I wouldn't say "black". Darker, yes, but it's more of a discoloration. I think of black as in cooking over a wood fire. That's black.

I don't think the discoloration is a big deal, at least I've never heard of any issue over it. Maybe others with a chem background can chime in on this...

HJ
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#223343 - 05/10/11 06:41 PM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
A definitive answer to your query requires a real chemist. But do remember that various compounds are dissolved in the water you are boiling. You are probably observing the reaction of that material with the aluminum. I have encountered this on occasion; all I can say is that it cleans up readily. I have used aluminum pots for decades, and all of them are as shiny as when they were new.

Stainless cookware is heavy, strong and cheap; aluminum is light, cheap, and not incredibly strong; titanium is light, strong, and expensive.

Light, strong, cheap - pick any two.
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#223345 - 05/10/11 07:09 PM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: hikermor]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: hikermor
Light, strong, cheap - pick any two.
lol. Yep, that's about the size of it.

HJ
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#223351 - 05/10/11 08:37 PM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
Art_in_FL Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 2432
The only black I've seen is on the outside where sooty fuels leave deposits. I generally leave it be if its not so thick that it threatens to smear over everything. In that case I wipe the worse of it with sand.

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#223352 - 05/10/11 08:40 PM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078

The Coleman Fyrestorm Hard Anodised Cook Kit @ around $10 is great value and is tough, reasonably lightweight and strong

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=31009&product_id=8552-305

The pots will not darken as they are already hard anodised and are just as tough as Stainless steel. They also come with a very good non stick inner coating. The fit and finish are excellent and the bottom of the pans have grooves so that they don't slide of the top of the gas stove.

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#223362 - 05/11/11 12:39 AM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
I'm pretty sure the blackening effect is just a simple oxidation reaction. My aluminum pots always darkened with use. And when anyone used a aluminum-shafted paddle during a day on the river, they always had black hands. Sure, it's a nuisance, but I sincerely doubt it's in the top 20 things that will kill you.

BTW, anybody who uses anodized/hardened aluminum pots: does this have the same effect on the flavour of food/tea/coffee that the old aluminum pots used to have? Very interested in your experiences.

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#223371 - 05/11/11 04:03 AM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
Hey thanks everyone for the responses

The reason I want an answer in chemical terms is that I have read somewhere ( FWIW ) that LEAD is used in these pots as a prt of aluminum lead alloy. I don't know why lead would be used because aluminum itself is soft enough and can better handle the high temp than lead. It may be just another one of those ( someone said ) very common over the net. But in any case, I wanted to be sure, especially that I have checked the theory of aluminum oxidizing during cooking . I found that the color of aluminum oxide is WHITE !!! So, what is this blackish stuff ??

In addition, I am thinking of buying some of my BOB cookware from $1 stores ... very cheap and almost disposable. Some will go in my survival caches. Also, I am thinking to include those disposable pots made of thick aluminum foil ( can be folded in a kit and better to use for boiling water than a foil) So, does anyone think that those cheap ones may contain lead or any other harmful stuff ?

And while we are at it ...
Many preppers on U-tube and others talk about cooking in cans (like bean cans) , but I have heard one of those ( someone said ) that welding material in those cans have some lead-tin alloys. Anyone can confirm or reject ?

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#223373 - 05/11/11 04:40 AM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
jzmtl Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/18/10
Posts: 530
Loc: Montreal Canada
Probably just reaction of aluminum with minerals in water, nothing to worry about.

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#223375 - 05/11/11 07:42 AM Re: Aluminum pots [Re: Chisel]
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
OK, I can understand that but it chould make sense.

For example, someone said the aluminum reacts with phosphate in the water . But when I checked the color of aluminum phosphate , it was white ?? So, the colored stuff isn't aluminum oxide, not aluminum phospahte. What is it ?

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