Reader question: Possible addition to your Dutch Oven Deals blog post: I spotted these Art & Cuisine cast aluminum cocottes at Amazon.com, at just under $40 for the 2.5qt size in a gorgeous purple. This appears to have a metal lid knob & handles, too. The only thing is that it’s manufacturer-rated oven-safe to only 400 degrees F – possibly because of the removable silicone handle grips included. Here’s a link to the manufacturer’s website. And here’s a link to the listing on Amazon. I know it’s cast aluminum, not cast iron – but would this be worth investigating? ~ Catherine M., Dwight, IL
Hi Catherine. Thanks for keeping your eyes open for good deals on a pot for making Glorious One-Pot Meals. I wish the pots you found would be a good option for making GOPMs, but here are the reasons why they won’t work and you shouldn’t use them:
1. Cast aluminum has different heat conduction properties than cast iron does. There’s a reason top chefs like to prepare food with cast iron cookware: it absorbs, retains, and distributes the heat differently than any other type of cookware. This affects how the food cooks.
2. You should never cook with aluminum cookware because it will leach aluminum, a heavy metal, into your food where you will ingest it. Aluminum is not biodegradable or digestible; instead it is bio-accumulative, meaning that it builds up in your body. Too many heavy metals in your body can cause symptoms of poisoning. Aluminum toxicity may cause effects ranging from flatulence and heartburn to skin problems, liver disease, mental retardation, and Parkinson’s. If you own any aluminum cookware, you should stop using it for food immediately.
Aluminum cookware will usually be value-priced as aluminum is a cheap metal, but this is one time when you should pass up the bargain.
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Good afternoon,
I saw the answer you made on your blog about cast aluminum and I would like to add some precisions because cast aluminum features many advantages.
First of all, it is one of the best heat conductors even better than cast iron.
Cast aluminum is much lighter compared to cast iron items (approximately half weight). That why it’s more convenient to use and therefore suitable for cooking. It’s also easier to care for.
The price is another benefit of cast aluminum which makes it more affordable.
Art & Cuisine Team
Thanks for answering my question! I recently purchased a 2 qt. Bayou Classics non-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven from Overstock (I had some Club O Rewards credit saved up, and it was the only 2 qt. cast iron Dutch oven they had); however, through ignorance, I managed to smoke up the entire kitchen when I tried seasoning it for the first time. (My dentist’s assistant (a big cast-iron fan) told me afterwards that I only needed to season the inside, not the outside as well. 🙁 )
After I clean the gunk out of my oven, I should probably season the inside of that Dutch oven 1 or 2 more times – or just save my money for that Cajun Classics porcelain-enameled Dutch oven you mentioned in an earlier blog post (available at Amazon.com for just under $40 with free shipping). Thanks again!