Stainless or aluminum ?

jCarroll · Jun 28, 2015

How can I tell if a cooking pot is aluminum or stainless steel?

JGayman · Jun 28, 2015

A quick Google search yielded the following:

•Aluminum sounds duller and has less of a ring than stainless steel. Rap your knuckles on the edge of the pot or bang it with a wooden spoon.
•Aluminum feels slightly warmer than stainless steel at room temperature.
•After being washed, aluminum tends to dull slightly, while stainless steel usually stays bright.
•Because aluminum is softer than stainless steel, a key will scratch aluminum much more readily than stainless steel.
•If a magnet sticks to the side of the pot (even weakly), it is definitely stainless steel and not aluminum. (Note: If a magnet does not stick, you still can’t tell which metal it is, but you can be sure it’s stainless steel if the magnet does stick!)

Texasmark1 · Jun 28, 2015

Look at it and feel the weight; does it feel light or heavy for what you expect it to weigh? Usually the aluminum is a casting where SS is stamped/drawn through a mandrel. Rough alum. casting,even if an "investment" type casting, smooth SS. Or more destructive, take a sharp object and see if you can score the bottom......on the outside obviously. If a poor grade of SS there will enough iron in it to hold a magnet somewhat.....course I have never seen a rusted SS pot; cheap utensils yes but not pots and pans. Some pots are dual material with a SS liner in an alum pot. Reason is quicker and more uniform heating but the ruggedness of SS where it counts, inside.

jon f mn · Jun 28, 2015

Stainless will be thin and aluminum will be thick.

D beatty · Jun 28, 2015

IF you have good stainless steel pans a magnet will not stick (not even weakly). Every pot and pan we have that is stainless is stamped so on bottom. We have gotten away from using aluminum pots and pans because of the oxidation given off by aluminum pots.If you don't believe me cook rhubarb in an aluminum pan and watch the acid in the rhubarb take the oxidation off pan.

jCarroll · Jun 28, 2015

Cannot resist getting "off topic". We bought the American canner - heavy duty aluminun. First use turned the inside a dark brown/black.
Old family friend told us to cook some rhubarb in it - we did - turned "pretty" again.

Pot in question is a Presto pressure cooker which comes in both metals - cannot trace the model number to a material spec.
The cook at our house does not like aluminum cookware. Let's don't argue that issue!

504 · Jun 28, 2015

SS will ring when you hit it with a spoon,aluminum will sound dull, more thunk than ring.

Mike M · Jun 28, 2015

I think it can be both ! I got some scrap stainless steel once and I swear it was soft in the middle as it gummed up a saw blade. I came to the conclusion it was stainless on both outsides and aluminum in the middle. I also figured it must of been for cookware applications.

dr sportster · Jun 28, 2015

Ours is aluminum with a liner of stainless. You have to look close.

Charles in Aus. · Jun 28, 2015

A drop or two of Hydrochloric acid in an inconspicuous place will soon tell you if it is Aluminium . No reaction to stainless , aluminium will pit or fizz reasonably quickly , keep some baking soda/ water solution handy to neutralise the reaction .

Skip to the one minute mark if you are in a hurry .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaaORZ0ofCY

parisspringstom · Jun 30, 2015

stainless is heavier. Made several stainless pans for the wife in years gone by.

Stainless or aluminum ?

jCarroll

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JGayman

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Texasmark1

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jon f mn

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D beatty

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jCarroll

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504

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Mike M

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dr sportster

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Charles in Aus.

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