Is a Coffee Can Pot Safe to Eat/Drink Out Of?

[newToThrough]

I'm thinking of saving some money and just using a coffee can as my cook pot. Does anyone have any experience with this, good or bad? And does anyone know any reason why it might not be safe? I know I have to choose a can that doesn't have a plastic lining but other than that is there a safety issue with this?

[Starchild]

IDK but that sort of metal exposed to heat may have a tenancy to eventually rust when exposed to fire, usually the seam will go first.
Have you considered the apx $7 Kmart/Stanco grease pot (not Walmart - that one is different but still could be used)? Very light weight and has proven itself in backpacking circles.

[Five Tango]

Funny this should come up now.I asked a friend of mine who works for a major can manufacturer if it is safe to use a coffee can like Sintax 77 does on YouTube.He told me the can is ok.I would have thought that it at least had a lacquer liner sprayed into it but apparently it does not.I notice Sintax painted his with heat resistant paint on the outside.The real question here is why not just go with the grease pot if money is an issue or pick up a used Titanium one off of Ebay?Incidentally,it was a Choc Full O Nuts coffee can if you just have to try it.........

[cphobes]

+1 on the grease pot really a great wide bottom pot OR the IMUSA 10cm or 12cm pots at Walmart you'd have to make a homemade pot lid but that isn't to hard to do.

-Stephen

[The Solemates]

the science is not all completely understood, but i dont chance it: aluminum intake is thought by some to be associated with risk factors for many neurovascular issues...parkinsons, alzheimers, etc.

consequently, I wouldnt recommend this. I dont use anti-antiperspirants, eat acidic foods like tomatoes out of cans, and never heat up aluminum to eat out of.

[The Solemates]

heres just a quick google search
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24577474

[Slo-go'en]

Cooking in an aluminum pot is probably the least effective way to introduce the metal into the body. Don't worry about it.

As for the coffee can, it probably isn't going to hurt you either, but it's probably not going to last too long. The galvanized coating on the steel will break down with heat and then the can will start to rust. That might be the reason Sintax 77 painted his with heat resistant paint.

I can see cooking in a can in an emergency when there are no other vessels available, but to save money on a proper cook pot? That's just silly. Cook pots aren't all that expensive unless you want one made of titanium. Go to a thrift store and you can find a suitable pot for 50 cents.

[Bronk]

Use an aluminum can or something made from stainless steel...they really aren't that expensive...you can get something at Walmart for a couple of bucks. There used to be recipes for making pumpkin bread in tin cans but they have since said that this is not recommended. Use something that was built for the purpose you intend to use it. We're not talking about buying an $800 sleeping bag here...the amount you save by trying to dirtbag this is really pretty negligible.

[Another Kevin]

the science is not all completely understood, but i dont chance it: aluminum intake is thought by some to be associated with risk factors for many neurovascular issues...parkinsons, alzheimers, etc.

consequently, I wouldnt recommend this. I dont use anti-antiperspirants, eat acidic foods like tomatoes out of cans, and never heat up aluminum to eat out of.

Aluminium is used as a flocculant in most municipal water systems. I'm pretty sure that when you get Out There you'll subtract more aluminium (by not drinking city water) than you add by cooking in an Al pot. Also, for many of us, the chief sources of dietary aluminium is the natural Al present in things like potatoes and tea.

Once in a while, you'll see a study that trumpets some sort of correlation between Al and neurodegenerative disease. I don't think that the literature is controlling adequately for the green jelly bean effect (https://xkcd.com/882/). (Also note the text you get when you hover the mouse over it!) That effect is very real, leading some to claim that most published findings are false (http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124).

There is some controversy over whether the effect exists. There is no controversy that the magnitude of the effect is very small, or many, many more studies would have detected it.

There are much greater, proven ways to reduce your risk.

Monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, lipid profile and treat hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes aggressively.
Eat a good diet - low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables. Get enough vitamin D and ω-3 fatty acids.
Lead an active lifestyle. Not much of a problem for this audience, I reckon!
If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quit.
Don't drink to excess. (Drinking in moderation is fine, and might have a small protective effect.)
Keep up social relationships (family and friends, going to movies, clubs, church, volunteer work) as you age.
Keep up mental activity as you age. Continue to read and learn.

These lifestyle factors are associated not only with risks of mortality from other causes but specifically with risks of dementia.

[atraildreamer]

Aluminium is used as a flocculant in most municipal water systems. I'm pretty sure that when you get Out There you'll subtract more aluminium (by not drinking city water) than you add by cooking in an Al pot. Also, for many of us, the chief sources of dietary aluminium is the natural Al present in things like potatoes and tea. ...

I get most of my aluminum intake from my:

[BirdBrain]

I get most of my aluminum intake from my:

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Oh no! Aluminum intake causes GrayBlazer's disease. :banana

[Another Kevin]

I get most of my aluminum intake from my:

Watch out. Tinfoil hats have been shown to amplify the mind control rays (http://boingboing.net/2012/10/01/tinfoil-hats-actually-amplify.html).

[BirdBrain]

I worry more about red40, artificial sweeteners, and sodium than I do about metals. Actually that is not accurate. I don't worry about any of them. I avoid the first two, limit the 3rd while off the trail, consume mega doses of the 3rd while on the trail, and give no thought to the last one except in internet blogs.

[newToThrough]

IDK but that sort of metal exposed to heat may have a tenancy to eventually rust when exposed to fire, usually the seam will go first. Have you considered the apx $7 Kmart/Stanco grease pot (not Walmart - that one is different but still could be used)? Very light weight and has proven itself in backpacking circles. I've considered it but it's made of aluminum and aluminum is supposed to be VERY bad to cook out of, which is why since the mid-90s it's very hard to find any more aluminum cookware in people's homes and if something is aluminum, it almost always has a copper bottom. I think that the new "anodized" aluminum is supposed to make it safer but the Stanco grease pot isn't anodized and I don't want to take a risk with something like that, personally. It's all well and good until you're older and start showing symptoms, you know?

[newToThrough]

Use an aluminum can or something made from stainless steel...they really aren't that expensive...you can get something at Walmart for a couple of bucks. There used to be recipes for making pumpkin bread in tin cans but they have since said that this is not recommended. Use something that was built for the purpose you intend to use it. We're not talking about buying an $800 sleeping bag here...the amount you save by trying to dirtbag this is really pretty negligible. Thanks for the suggestion, I suppose, but I wasn't asking for suggestions. My question was whether you have any experience with coffee can pots or whether you have any information about if they are safe or not. A suggestions thread would be different.

[newToThrough]

Cooking in an aluminum pot is probably the least effective way to introduce the metal into the body. Don't worry about it. As for the coffee can, it probably isn't going to hurt you either, but it's probably not going to last too long. The galvanized coating on the steel will break down with heat and then the can will start to rust. That might be the reason Sintax 77 painted his with heat resistant paint. I can see cooking in a can in an emergency when there are no other vessels available, but to save money on a proper cook pot? That's just silly. Cook pots aren't all that expensive unless you want one made of titanium. Go to a thrift store and you can find a suitable pot for 50 cents. That was a very rude way to start a reply but then you actually answered my question, which I really appreciate. I actually have heat resistant paint, so I might go that route, but I'll probably stop at a thrift store first. Definitely not going to use aluminum because some guy saying that it is "probably the least effective way to introduce the metal into the body" isn't exactly science and I'd rather not take the risk.

[HooKooDooKu]

Campsaver.com has the Olicamp LT pot (the one without the integrated heat ex-changer) on sale for $14 (web site says only 2 left in stock... normally $20)
http://www.campsaver.com/lt-lightweight-pot

[Slo-go'en]

Aluminum reacts with the oxygen in the air to form Aluminum oxide. If you scratch aluminum, within seconds a new layer of oxide will form. This protects aluminum from further oxidation and makes it hard to react with other chemicals as it binds up the free electrons in the aluminum atom. One of the few things which will attack aluminum is Ferric Chloride, a highly reactive compound your not going to find in food. Water will not react with aluminum, nor will any of the mildly acidic foods you might cook, like tomato sauce.

Getting too much aluminum in your system might be bad for you, but your not going to get it using aluminum cookware. The reason aluminum pots sometimes have a copper bottom is to distribute the heat, since aluminum is actually a fairly poor conductor of heat.

Back to the original question of is cooking in a coffee can bad for you? I did some additional google research for you.

Steel cans are coated with tin to prevent corrosion. I found this statement from Wikipedia:
Although tin is corrosion resistant, acidic food like fruits and vegetables can cause corrosion of the tin layer. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have been reported after ingesting canned food containing 200 mg/kg of tin

In addition, most cans are coated on the inside with an epoxy which contains "BPA" which some claim is also bad for you. So, cooking in a coffee can could very well lead to inducing high levels of BPA and then tin into your food. Doing this once or twice won't kill you, but I'd be reluctant to do it on a regular bases. You'd be much better off with aluminum.

[The Solemates]

In addition, most cans are coated on the inside with an epoxy which contains "BPA" which some claim is also bad for you. So, cooking in a coffee can could very well lead to inducing high levels of BPA and then tin into your food. Doing this once or twice won't kill you, but I'd be reluctant to do it on a regular bases. You'd be much better off with aluminum.

correct! another reason...

[Five Tango]

FWIW,the research I did indicated that one would have to eat 500 pounds of canned food per day for a lifetime to get harmful amounts of BPA.However,the research was not based on people that put pre-used cans on a campfire to cook in.The term "tin can" is a misnomer now as almost all cans in the food industry are now "steel cans" and are lined with a foodgrade lacquer or the more noticeable white lining.Personally I would not cook in a can and I quit aluminum cookware for home use a long time ago which may or may not have been the result of "urban legend".However,the can in question is a Choc Full O Nuts coffee can and I have been told that it would be safe to cook in which surprises me as I would think it would have had a sprayed on finish as a protector.
Maybe the amount of residual would be so far below threshold levels as to not matter but I would not do it.My own pot is the 1 liter Evernew Titanium.I actually wonder about it but doubt it is a concern or ever will be.That said,as I mentioned earlier,I can't drink coffee out of my smaller titanium Snowpeak.Maybe it was just the coffee but it was pretty bad as I recall.

[Starchild]

Another thought about the coffee can as a pot, does it have a bottom seam? If so and you are cooking real food, as opposed to just boiling water, that is a trap for food partials that can not be easily cleaned. Not horrible since it is at the bottom and anything that grows in there will be killed during the next boil cycle but something to be aware of as it may have a slight ick factor.

[mtntopper]

That was a very rude way to start a reply but then you actually answered my question, which I really appreciate. I actually have heat resistant paint, so I might go that route, but I'll probably stop at a thrift store first. Definitely not going to use aluminum because some guy saying that it is "probably the least effective way to introduce the metal into the body" isn't exactly science and I'd rather not take the risk.

If you are concerned that much about your intake of AL and your health, it seems to me that you would go ahead and spend a little more money and buy stainless or Ti pot.

[mtntopper]

I'm thinking of saving some money and just using a coffee can as my cook pot. Does anyone have any experience with this, good or bad? And does anyone know any reason why it might not be safe? I know I have to choose a can that doesn't have a plastic lining but other than that is there a safety issue with this?

I do know that coffee cans will rust. You can paint the outside all you want to, that will not keep the other areas from rusting. This was my experience. The paint probably was not intended to keep it from rusting but to help with heat transfer. At least that is what I used it for.

[Five Tango]

Here is a stainless "grease pot" on Amazon for under 15 bucks so for the price of a side cutter can opener and a can of paint you can have a real stainless steel pot with a handle on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Home-2-Quart-Stainless-Storage/dp/B00318C5P6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1433201082&sr=8-2&keywords=grease+pot

[Five Tango]

Not trying to beat a dead horse but please note the difference between Aluminum intake between using antacids vs cookware.The things you learn from "googling around"!
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Alzheimers-Disease.htm

[Starchild]

I do know that coffee cans will rust. You can paint the outside all you want to, that will not keep the other areas from rusting. This was my experience. The paint probably was not intended to keep it from rusting but to help with heat transfer. At least that is what I used it for.

While the color black is black because it absorbs light and converts it to heat, a stove flame is mostly infrared and convection transfer. The black paint does not equal it is 'black' to infrared. Also the paint would insulate against convection. I suspect you impeded heat exchange by painting bare metal.

[Singto]

Campsaver.com has the Olicamp LT pot (the one without the integrated heat ex-changer) on sale for $14 (web site says only 2 left in stock... normally $20)
http://www.campsaver.com/lt-lightweight-pot

Annodized aluminum, flat lid and 6.8 ounces for 13.97

Here's an anodized aluminum pot with a second pot as lid, weighs 8 ounces and is $9.50. I own two sets as I bought the double set off ebay for $17 but this is for the smaller one and yes, fuel canisters and stove fit inside....they are very good.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQZEYWE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2MN1CY6PZP7KU&coliid=I3TI7ACWJBBUZF

[BirdBrain]

Not trying to beat a dead horse but please note the difference between Aluminum intake between using antacids vs cookware.The things you learn from "googling around"!
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Alzheimers-Disease.htm

Allow me a swing at the nag. Even if cooking in aluminum presented a health risk , the freezer bag cookers should ask themselves if 212° water is enough to cause concern.

[MuddyWaters]

aluminum cookware isnt a risk.
But if you believe it is, do a double boiler. Put food in a ziplock, put the ziplock in water in the pot.
This is how we cook eggs btw, for easy cleanup, or the MH breakfast scramble.

[Starchild]

The OP stated it very clearly that he desires to stay away from aluminum cookware as he suspects it is not good for him. It is his belief and he is entitled to H(his)OH. Most of us would not be trying to push a pulled pork sandwich on a person who adheres to kosher rules (though with this group :rolleyes:) We are entitled to our own belief system and he to his. It does not have to be rational, just not harmful. And who knows we might gravitate towards beliefs because we as individuals may personally need to abstain from certain things.

My only concern about the coffee can is what may leach out of that (not only the tinning but the welded seem), it is not designed to be cooked with, nor contain liquid as the OP is concerned about the long term health effects and I would hate for him to get one by trying to avoid another, pot failure is a concern but that is usually non-harmful. Ti may be ideal because it is biologically inert, but out of the OP's budget. Stainless Steal seems like the only reasonably material that is commercially available. I almost want to start a go fund me page for him for a real pot.



aluminum cookware isnt a risk.
But if you believe it is, do a double boiler. Put food in a ziplock, put the ziplock in water in the pot.
This is how we cook eggs btw, for easy cleanup, or the MH breakfast scramble.

Yes we all know the BPH that leaches out of the plastic neutralizes the aluminum. :D

[Offshore]

In addition, most cans are coated on the inside with an epoxy which contains "BPA" which some claim is also bad for you. So, cooking in a coffee can could very well lead to inducing high levels of BPA and then tin into your food. Doing this once or twice won't kill you, but I'd be reluctant to do it on a regular bases. You'd be much better off with aluminum.

Exactly - and if you take a critical look at the peer-reviewed science from reputable researchers, BPA is a much bigger concern than aluminum (which is actually of little concern). Besides, you can get a lightweight cooking pot for $13 (see the Campsaver link above), so why even bother wasting time painting coffee cans, etc. It makes no sense to say that an aluminum pot is out of the question but a metal can that is of unknown metallurgy with unknown coatings (and was never intended to be a cooking vessel) is somehow OK. You can't even make a blanket statement for coffee cans as there are probably variations among can manufacturers. In the big picture, a pot - even a Ti one - is a pretty insignificant cost as gear goes, especially when you consider that a carefully chosen pot will be the first and last one you'll need to buy.

[Traveler]

For me, the issue of certain and immediate death by material and chemical issues relative to coffee cans is secondary to the actual use. The inside of the can is not exactly smooth. Rub your fingers inside of a coffee can and you can quickly feel the cutting points, snags, and rough weld metals that exist. Add some heating and cooling cycles to that and the inevitable rust, metal will become more rough and snag, puncture, or slice baggies you might want to use in it. If baggies are being used, stirring with metal spoons, cleaning with Brillo, and casual containment of various small things will scar the inside of the can. Even microscopic scaring of the internal coating will start it peeling off and increase the rusting. Eventually the rust around the bottom weld will develop pinholes and leak.

In my view, a coffee can would not make a great cooking vessel as opposed to an inexpensive aluminum cook pot that will accept plastic baggies without a snagging or puncture issue, will not be a source of rust an metal failure, are much easier to keep clean, and will last years.

[Five Tango]

Allow me a swing at the nag. Even if cooking in aluminum presented a health risk , the freezer bag cookers should ask themselves if 212° water is enough to cause concern.

Wasn't recommending aluminum to cook in btw as I quit anything but glass or stainless steel decades ago.It is all a matter of preference.OP would rather not use aluminum and that's their prerogative as is mine and yours for feeling wary about boiling water in a plastic bag.First frying pan I ever cleaned outdoors,my uncle showed me how to use a little sand.Bottom line is Amazon has a stainless pot on the cheap.............

[newToThrough]

The OP stated it very clearly that he desires to stay away from aluminum cookware as he suspects it is not good for him. It is his belief and he is entitled to H(his)OH. Thank you for that. :) I don't pretend not to be crazy. Hell, anyone who plans to spend months in the woods (or who happily spends hours debating what sort of "tin pot" to take with him) has to admit to a little nuttiness. Anyway, I appreciate the backup on that point in particular.

[newToThrough]

Here is a stainless "grease pot" on Amazon for under 15 bucks so for the price of a side cutter can opener and a can of paint you can have a real stainless steel pot with a handle on it. http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Home-2-Quart-Stainless-Storage/dp/B00318C5P6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1433201082&sr=8-2&keywords=grease+pot Ooh, that thing is SEXY. I don't know how I missed it before when I was searching. Maybe because I was searching for "1.5 liter" or "1 liter" or ".75 liter" and the keywords just didn't take? Anyway, thanks for that. It's a little big to fit in the Nalgene container (not Nalgene bottle) that I decided to use, but it's a step in the right direction. And I love the strainer! If GSI made something exactly like that, they'd charge $50.

[bikebum1975]

Thanks for the suggestion, I suppose, but I wasn't asking for suggestions. My question was whether you have any experience with coffee can pots or whether you have any information about if they are safe or not. A suggestions thread would be different.


Sure you can cook in them. Hell people in the Great Depression did it for years. Just watch out on the seam that it isn't soldered. They won't really hold up well to heat though you'll probably be getting a new can in the future probably sooner than you think. Personally I'd rather buy a 10 dollar stainless set from walmart just for the longevity of it. Get one give it a try use it at home see how it works for you. Be aware some cans are lined and that would need to be burned off

[scrabbler]

Which of you anti-aluminum folks also avoids all restaurants? You know they all use aluminum right?

[bikebum1975]

Which of you anti-aluminum folks also avoids all restaurants? You know they all use aluminum right?
Haha been saying that for years. Good laughs with them

[zelph]

Oh my!!! yesterday I spied a large can of Chili that had rounded bottom, almost bought it:)

[MtDoraDave]

The risk of contamination/ germs in the bottom seam would be more of a concern to me than most of the other concerns mentioned.. that, plus cleaning the underside of the top lip could be difficult. Modern coffee cans no longer are opened with a can opener, but have a 1/4" lip the foil is glued to which wouldn't necessarily be sterilized while boiling the water for the next meal.

There are so many options for backpacking equipment available, unless someone's gimmick is to be "different" or some themed "steampunk" type of hike where weight or practicality aren't important, it just seems that a little research and a little more time to save a few more dollars can go a long way to making a hike more pleasant and convenient.
That said, one of the books I read preparing for my first section hike emphasized the hike your own hike (hyoh) philosophy, and said not to get too hung up on having the latest, greatest, lightest equipment. Bring what you've got and enjoy yourself, because like several other parallels in life, if you base your happiness on money or material things, you will never be truly happy because you will always want more - but if you are happy with what you've got, you've got it made.

[left52side]

After reading through this post and replies over the last several days I figured I would respond my .02.
First let me start by saying not meaning to sound rude or biased but how can someone so worried about aluminum and cooking with it even contemplate cooking from A coffee can ?
I myself do not worry about any metals particularly or the effects they "might" have on me when im 80.
I do however consider strength vs weight possibilities in my cook kit(which I am a collector of diy cook kits and have many different ones)
I use more often than not A beer can pot with an alchy stove,but anyway my opinion on the coffee can is that as mentioned above it has been used for many years as a cooking vessel and even today some medern day train hoppers I know still use them .
I believe if im not mistaking they call them gunboats.
I think it is catching on in the survival/prepper world as well.
Again as mentioned above I would be cautious on the seams and there means of sealing them and etc.
Also of the coating used on the inside because obviously manufacturing has changed since the depression era.
If anything I would do several long boils in the pot before actually using it to cook in.
Then if you feel comfortable go with it.
But again as mentioned there are so many more options available for the same price or even cheaper.
Dollar tree can be your friend ....

[Dogwood]

I'm thinking of saving some money and just using a coffee can as my cook pot. Does anyone have any experience with this, good or bad? And does anyone know any reason why it might not be safe? I know I have to choose a can that doesn't have a plastic lining but other than that is there a safety issue with this?

If it's a titanium UL coffee can that came with Jamaican Blue Mountain Wallenford Estate or Organic Hawaiian 100% Kona Dark Roast it's good to go. :D

[zelph]

Oh my!!! yesterday I spied a large can of Chili that had rounded bottom, almost bought it:)

I bought 2 cans of the chili and made a pot from one.............really good tasting stuff. Heated it in the can on my kitchen stove ;-)

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For more information see this thread:

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/119791-DIY-Chili-Pot?p=2078796#post2078796