Aluminum cookware has been around for a long time and has been improved a lot from the early days. It is one of the most popular types of cookware a long with stainless steel and cast iron. More than half of all cookware sold today is made of aluminum. Researchers have suggested that aluminum can cause Alzheimer's but there is no evidence to prove that in the case of cookware. To be safe, avoid cooking highly acidic or salty foods in aluminum pans as low grade aluminum cookware will leach out small amounts of aluminum into your food and the pans get pitted.

There are a few different types of cookware on the market today such as pressed, cast, and anodized. Lets take a look at these.

Pressed aluminum is the most inexpensive and is usually found in the cookware aisle of the supermarket or retail store. It is cheap to buy and usually has the screw in type handle and are thin in thickness. It is also the most made on the market today. They don't last very long and the handles usually fall off or get loose easily, after all, you get what you pay for. I really don't recommend this type because you will end up spending more money in the long run and your food quality will not be as good.

Cast aluminum, which is worth buying, is a slower and more expensive process but the end result is that it is usually thicker than pressed aluminum. The bottom and rims can be made thicker than the sidewalls also. This makes it harder to to warp or "go out of round". Cast aluminum is more porous than pressed aluminum which makes for better heat retention. For cookware, other than copper, aluminum has the best conductivity. Be careful when buying these first two types of aluminum cookware, make sure you read the label. Most types are either polished or coated which makes it very difficult to tell what you are getting and you don't want to pay more than you should.

Lastly, anodized, or hard anodized, aluminum cookware which is the top of the line and what I would recommend. Hard anodizing is an electro-chemical process that increases the natural oxide film in aluminum. This process also gives the aluminum a hard non oxidizing finish which is nonstick and scratch resistant. It does not react with salty or acidic foods. The surface also becomes harder than steel. You can probably imagine how durable this is. The way to tell if you have hard anodized aluminum cookware is that the pans turn a dark gray after the anodizing process. This type of aluminum cookware is the most expensive of all the aluminum types but well worth it. Nonstick, easy to clean and light weight. I would put his type of cookware right up there with stainless steel, copper and cast iron.

Cast iron cookware has been around for thousands of years, dating back to ancient china. In the middle ages over in Europe cast iron was considered just as valuable as other riches of the era, such as jewelry and gold. Cast iron products manufactured in the United States was one of the first industries that was organized. It is not as popular today because of the advancement of other metals but is still widely used for cookware because of it's conductivity and durability.

Cast iron cookware has been one of the longest lasting types of cookware if not the longest lasting type of cookware out there. There are preseasoned and enameled products out there today. Cast iron cooking products come in wide variety of shapes and sizes, not just for pans and skillets. You can find dutch ovens, roasters, muffin pans, corn bread pans and more. Because of technology, the iron alloys used in todays cast iron has improved it greatly, adding more strength and durability.

Original cast iron pans still need to be preseasoned as they rust easily and food will stick to it. To preseason your pan preheat your oven to 250-300 degrees. Coat the pan with some type of fat such as lard or bacon grease, you can also use "manteca" a type of lard used in mexican cooking. Avoid using a vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky coating on your pan and will not be seasoned properly. Coat your pan with the desired animal fat ( grease )and put into your preheated oven. After about 12-15 minutes remove the pan and discard any excess grease and return to your oven for 2 hours. This ensures that your pan has absorbed the grease into the pours of the metal. It is recommended that this procedure is done a few times to strengthen your seasoning bond.

If you have an old cast iron pan that has been rusted or food is sticking to it don't throw it away, it can be salvaged. Simply heat the pan to a temperature that you can still work with as this will open the pours of the metal and then use a scouring pad and hot soapy water to clean it. Dry your pan thoroughly and then reseason. If it is really rusted bad try using salt when scrubbing your pan, this will help with rust removal.

Always keep your cast iron pans dry when you are not using them. Clean them while they are still hot with hot water, no soap because it will break down the seasoning. Don't use anything abrasive when cleaning such as steel wool because this will scrape off your coating. You will not want to cover your pans with lids as moisture can collect which can start to rust the metal. Try not store food in them either as acids from the food will react with the metal and break down the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic flavor.

Over all cast iron is great for cooking and baking. Because of it's conductivity it is perfect for browning and frying. It is relatively inexpensive but it is heavy. It is the perfect type of cookware for camping because it is so durable and will hold up to campfire cooking. It is great for cajun style blackening and searing. I believe everyone should have at least one cast iron skillet at there disposal.

Tri Ply displays one of the worlds most popular and functional cookware concepts. Tri Ply is basically two or three different metals that are laminated or bonded together to obtain the advantages of the two metals in one piece of cookware.

The metals most often used to create this high quality cookware are stainless steel, aluminum and copper. This type of cookware is often more expensive but is very durable and conducts heat faster and more evenly. The two main types are with just a base or disc inserted in the bottom and on your top quality cookware the inside layer goes up the side as well as at the base.

The most popular type of tri ply is stainless steel with aluminum. This type has an aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel. The construction of this type of cookware starts in the raw material stage, with sheets and blanks. The aluminum is laminated between two sheets of stainless steel and then molded into the desired shape.The highest quality of this type is when 18/10 stainless steel is used to cover the aluminum core with 18/8 and 18/0 being of slightly lesser quality due to the different amount of nickel and chromium used to make the stainless steel. This type of cookware, because of how it is constructed is expensive but worth the money since it lasts so long. It is great for all types of cooking and most brands can go from the stove top to the oven.

One thing to keep in mind when buying this type of cookware is that you can get the same high quality product without having to spend your life savings. There are quality cookware companies out there that can give you the same great product, made with the same materials as the top brands. Just be sure that you read up on the materials used and how it is made. The big companies know they are popular and will charge you more for their name so be careful.

Another type of tri ply cookware is made with copper, aluminum and stainless steel. It starts the same way as the stainless steel/aluminum kind but has copper laminated on the outside instead of stainless steel. It has three layers with copper on the outside, aluminum in the middle and a stainless steel interior. Copper is used for it's conductivity as well as the aluminum since stainless steel alone is not a good conductor of heat. The process of making this type of cookware is also expensive, a little more so than the stainless steel and aluminum type. It is better for the stove top because of the insulation properties of the copper. Copper does react with food and will discolor it and can even be toxic with some foods which is why most copper cookware is lined with tin, nickel or stainless steel. Despite this fact it is still a top quality product. Having copper cookware will also make a statement in your kitchen with it's classy look and mirrored finish.

As with all cookware products, as stated earlier, you want to do a little homework. Sometimes the big name brands are not the best buy for the money. You can look at what they offer for the price and compare. With a little knowledge you will most likely find a quality cookware set for about 30 to 50 percent cheaper than the big guys without compromising on quality.

Stainless steel cookware is probably the most widely used of all the different cookware types. It starts as iron and has up to 8 different alloys added to it. This determines the quality of the product. Chromium and nickel are most commonly added. Chromium provides resistance from rust and corrosion while nickel adds additional rust resistance as well as hardness and adds to the high polish characteristics.

You might have noticed the numbers 18/10,18/8 and 18/0 listed on some cookware or silverware sets before. Basically this is the amount of nickel and chromium in the product. Typically on the high end products you will see either 18/10 or 18/8. 18/0 is found on the cheaper low end products and are of lesser quality. Products must have at least 11% chromium to be "classified" and nickel is not necessary. Good stainless steel cookware has 18% chromium and 8% to 10% nickel. This gives you the mirrored finish and high polished shine. 18/0 does not have nickel and therefor has a dull finish and is prone to some rusting and spotting.

Here is a simple test that you can do on your cookware to find out what you have:

Put a magnet up to your pot or pan, if it sticks you have 18/0 stainless steel, if it does not stick it is either 18/8 or 18/10. This is because of the nickel in the alloy. What the nickel does is neutralize the ferrous properties of the iron in the stainless steel alloy. Since there is no nickel in 18/0 it lets the magnet stick to it.

Some good advantages of stainless steel are that it is extremely durable. Depending on what class of stainless steel you have is related to how durable it is. Remember, the more nickel the stronger and more durable it will be. It is nonporous and extremely hard which is good because it will not absorb food or odors. The smooth surface makes it easy to clean and is dishwasher safe. It is also dent and scratch resistant and does not react to food. It is also easy to maintain the mirrored finish.

One bad thing about stainless steel is that it is a poor conductor of heat unless it has more than 1 ply. 3 to 5 ply will allow for better conductivity. "Ply" simply means layer, the more layers the better the conductivity. This only holds true because the layers are actually made of different metals which conduct heat better and are coated with stainless steel. Usually these layers or "discs" are made from either copper or aluminum.

Stainless steel is one of my favorites. Always make sure you get your cookware with riveted handles or molded into the base as one piece.