Cook long enough in an aluminum pot, and you will find you have a hole through the bottom, and have eaten all the aluminum over time. This is a bigger issue if you cook acidic foods, but it is an inherently soft metal and small amounts scrape off easily when you stir with a spoon, etc. As for whether that is "safe" or not is a debatable topic - I wouldn't go so far as to call it myth as much as a topic there is lack of consensus on - but personally I would rather eat less metal with my food, whether or not it's toxic, so I wouldn't want to use it to cook food in or eat out of (that said, I wouldn't turn away free food if it was cooked or served in aluminum, haha!). But if you are only boiling water, I don't think this is a concern.
Interesting facts to chew on - stainless steel which most consider safe contains nickel which is highly toxic, and most "titanium" cookware uses an alloy which contains some aluminum as well. Not voicing an opinion on safety of using these choices, just pointing out some facts. Things aren't always so black and white as people make out...
Titanium is in nearly twice as heavy as Aluminum, but it is a lot stronger, so you can make up for the increased weight by making things thinner - the end result is that titanium products are usually lighter in the end, and are less bulky as well (which matters if you are nesting a lot of pieces, not so much otherwise). Titanium is much more difficult to scratch, dent etc. I would suspect burning food in an aluminum pot to be just as easy as burning food in a titanium pot - neither are going to compare to your thick steel pot (or even a thicker aluminum pot) in your kitchen at home, so some adjustment will be required either way. I blame burnt food on the cook not the cookware.
I love cast iron, but won't be carrying that on the trail!
Ultimately my preference usually falls with titanium assuming I can afford it, as it has better longevity and less bulk than other choices.
Originally Posted by raptelan
Cook long enough in an aluminum pot, and you will find you have a hole through the bottom, and have eaten all the aluminum over time. This is a bigger issue if you cook acidic foods, but it is an inherently soft metal and small amounts scrape off easily when you stir with a spoon, etc. As for whether that is "safe" or not is a debatable topic - I wouldn't go so far as to call it myth as much as a topic there is lack of consensus on - but personally I would rather eat less metal with my food, whether or not it's toxic, so I wouldn't want to use it to cook food in or eat out of (that said, I wouldn't turn away free food if it was cooked or served in aluminum, haha!). But if you are only boiling water, I don't think this is a concern.
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