Cast Aluminum [General]

2010 Nov 16
Anyone ever see any cast aluminum cookware? It looks a lot like cast iron only a different colour, and way lighter. And behaves similar to cast iron only heats up faster. I had a big pot and frying pan when I was living in the Soviet Union - waited in line about 3 hours for those suckers and was loathe to leave them behind when I came back.

I don't think I've ever seen it sold around here.

2010 Nov 16
I'm glad the Aluminum Cookware may lead to Alzheimers Disease idea is passe.

alzheimers.org.uk


2010 Nov 16
Long since debunked Captain.

Now, does anyone have anything useful to say on the matter?

2010 Nov 16
cast aluminum is sold in canada - in fact at Canadian Tire. I had a big cast aluminum fry pan, high sides, teflon coated. It works great and does not warp. Down side is the the teflon has worn out. Wife just bought a psuedo replacement, went back to the cheap Tfal - as it had a glass lid. I'm not convinced it was a good purchase, we shall see. (I'm pretty sure the tfal will warp, as we like to do high heat cooking, especially with stir fry/pad thai/curries.)

2010 Nov 16
sourdough The t-fal will in fact warp if you do high heat cooking. My ex used to make french fries in my t-fal and it is now warped. The only thing it is good for is hitting him over the head with. But I digress. (No anger management issues here...)

2010 Nov 16
You sure that is cast aluminum and not spun? I think we had exactly that pan and I'm pretty sure it was spun. But I don't want any kind of coating in any case - just cast aluminum.

I just got back from Canadian Tire, in fact. But more on that in another thread in a moment.

2010 Nov 16
I saw aluminum pots at Paradis a while back.

But this may not be 'anything useful to say on the matter' because Paradis does NOT sell at St. Vincent DePaul prices.

Oh well.

2010 Nov 16
Cast Aluminum, or spun, Captain? Spun is usually what you see everywhere. They are a lot thinner (even the big thick walled ones, relatively speaking) and typically really shiny. Cast aluminum looks much like cast iron - there is no mistaking it.

Cast means the liquid was poured into a mold.

Spun means an ingot gets put into a spinning machine kind of like how pottery is made.

2010 Nov 16
Zym - Heritage "hand cast aluminum" with a non-stick coating. about $80 at crappy tire. I realize you don't want coated, maybe they make another, but I have not seen it.

2010 Nov 16
Oh yeah, there it is on the website. Did not see them in the store today

www.canadiantire.ca

But sadly has the no stick coating :-(

2010 Nov 16
Try Jordache (sp?)(Coventry Road, I think) or Hendrix (Baxter Road). I'm almost sure that if they are not there, then either one can order it for you and, no, won't be flea market price. I got a spun aluminum (restaurant quality) and it fries magically. A piece of cake to clean as well. No wonder the restaurants use them.

2010 Nov 17
Zym, My mother uses this cookware. She has had it for 20 plus years.

lookcookware.is

2010 Nov 29
There is a small cast aluminum 1 L sauce pan at St Vincent de Paul right now, with enamel exterior. Too small for my use otherwise I would have grabbed it.

2010 Nov 29
The Heritage stuff is good if you're looking for a durable non-stick frypan, I've had mine for two years and it's held shape & non-stick coating very well considering the abuse I put it through. You can get great aluminum cookware at most kitchen supply stores, but it may not be cast. I saw some great cast aluminum stuff in the USA, geared towards the latin american community... I've seen some cast aluminum stuff at La Cabana/Tiendita but it seems to be stocked rather sporadically. I'll keep my eyes peeled and report back the next time I'm there.