Love my hard-anodized aluminium cookware

For Christmas my boyfriend got me a whole set of hard-anodized aluminium cookware (I think he might of been hinting at something l.o.l.) and I love it. I had been considering hard-anodized for awhile, but didn't want to shell out a couple hundred dollars for a whole set, and I had a hard time finding just a single skillet for under $40. Fortunately, I found one at T.J. Maxx for under $20, and I have been a convert ever since.

Hard anodization is an electro-chemical process by which the aluminium is dipped into an acid bath and submitted to an electrical charge. What the process does is make aluminium 30% harder than stainless steel, while retaining the light weight and convenience of aluminium. It is also naturally "stick resistant" and extremely durable. It also is not a coating or a finish, but the anodizing process affects the entire pan itself.

I have used a wide range of pots and pans made from a wide variety of materials, and my new hard-anodized aluminium cookware beats them all.

Teflon

It has a great non-stick surface and it was my go-to material for a long time. But the coating wears out after only a couple of years and becomes useless as a non-stick pan. I cook eggs all the time and had to buy a new egg-cooking skillet every couple of years, which was rather inconvenient, and the price added up. Not to mention, you can't cook over 350 degrees and you can't use metal utensils on it otherwise the coating will wear off even more quickly. Also, the coating reportedly kills birds (don't use it if you have pet birds) and is toxic to humans if you over-heat it. I haven't found, or looked for, official reports or studies on it, but that's enough for me to prefer a different non-stick material if it's available.

The hard-anodized aluminium isn't quite as non-stick as Teflon, but I'm still satisfied with it. When I make homemade macaroni and cheese, I make a cheese sauce to go with it. In my old Teflon pot, I could let the residue cheese sauce dry and just flake it all off into the trash can and have very little clean-up. With my new hard-anodized aluminium pot, the cheese sauce doesn't flake off as easily, but still cleans easily.

Aluminium

It conducts heat very well, but when it is not anodized, it can react with acidic foods, changing the taste

Cast Iron

I like cooking with cast iron skillets, they are durable, cook extremely evenly, and can stand up to high temperatures. The down sides, they take a long time to heat up, they require seasoning, and they are very heavy. And make sure you use a pot holder because those handles get hot.

My new pots and pans are lightweight and easy to maintain. They also heat quickly and the handles stay cool. Hard anodized is still durable, can also withstand high temperatures, and I am satisfied with how evenly it cooks, but I will probably always keep one of my cast iron skillets on hand, specifically for searing meat.

Stainless Steel

I hated cooking with stainless steel skillets. Everything sticks to them. Stainless steel also does not conduct heat very well, though stainless steel pots and pans usually have a disc of copper or aluminium to conduct heat. Still, I was never happy with how unevenly the skillets cooked.

Hard anodized aluminium is very durable and can stand up to high heat, up to the melting point of aluminium which is 1221 degrees Fahrenheit (though I guessing those silicone/rubber handles may not).

The surface can also take metal cooking utensils - though avoid knives and other blades.

Use cooking oil or butter to keep food from sticking, but cooking spray will cause a film that is difficult to wash away. Stains can be removed with a paste of baking soda and water.

Putting hard-anodized aluminium cookware in the dishwasher may cause discoloring with certain brands. Instead use dish soap, hot water and a sponge to hand wash your cookware.

With proper care, they can be something you pass on for generations.