Buying Guide

Hard Anodized Cookware Disadvantages – Is Hard Anodized Cookware Safe to Use?

Hard anodized is the most popular cookware these days. Mostly, the robust features and smoothness are the reasons behind its popularity. Also, this type of cookware is made of Aluminum which makes it a good conductor of heat. Including all these advantages, there are several more advantages of hard-anodized cookware, which this cookware has become the most common type of cookware in India. But with all this, there are some disadvantages also. You will find too many articles explaining the advantages of hard-anodized cookware, but it is also essential to know its disadvantages. So, here is an article on hard anodized cookware disadvantages-

What Are Hard Anodized Cookware Disadvantages?

  • Hard anodized cookware is expensive: Hard anodized cookwares are expensive compared to the usual non-stick cookware. However, these cookwares are worth investing money in. 
  • You may find these cookwares challenging to clean: There are too many varieties of non-stick hard anodized cookware on the market. But there are also some brands which may provide you a cheap quality hard anodized cookwares which may be difficult to clean. The heavy food gets easily stuck to the bottom of this low-quality cookware, which causes difficulty in cleaning and erodes the cookware’s bottom. So, make sure you always purchase hard-anodized cookware from a renowned brand. 
  • These cookwares are not induction safe: The hard anodized cookware is not compatible with induction cooktops. As induction stoves require a magnetic field in the bottom and primarily hard-anodized cookware bottoms are without MF. However, some cookware such as Circulon symmetry is designed explicitly for induction stoves. 
  • These cookwares are not suitable for storing food: These cookwares do not get closed properly. So, it is always harmful to store food in hard anodized cookware sets. 
  • Not dishwasher safe: Mostly hard anodized and non-stick products do not come under the category of dishwasher safe cookware. However, you may find some brands who sell this cookware, labeling them dishwasher safe. But experts suggest that you should wash this cookware by hand to increase its durability. 
  • No Cooking Spray – Cooking sprays have chemical propellants and water as ingredients. So, whenever you preheat the pan, the water and chemical will evaporate and leave a sticky remainder that is hard to remove. To avoid this, you can use a little oil or butter to wipe the inside surface of the pan. 
  • Hard anodized cookware loses its slippery touch: The non-stick covering on these cookwares diminishes its slippery touch. However, this disadvantage is a rare phenomenon but the most crucial one with which customers have to deal. 
  • No Hard Scrubber: The steel/ metallic scrubber or other hard scrubbers can damage the anodized layers of your cookware. Also, over a period, it can create tiny pores on the cooking surface of your cookware. Due to this, the internal cast aluminum can react with food & leaches the chemicals into them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to use hard anodized cookware for cooking?

Yes, hard anodized cookware is entirely safe to use for cooking. Not only this, these cookwares have too many health benefits. Many health-conscious people are making hard-anodized cookware a part of their cooking routine because of anodization which locks the Aluminum and does not get into food.

Which one should I choose – non-stick or hard anodized?

Compared to non-stick cookware, hard-anodized cookwares are less likely to get rust or corrode. So, hard anodized cookware is a safer choice because when the non-stick coating wears down, tiny bits of metal won’t break off into your food as the material is nonreactive.

Can I use hard anodized cookware for Glass Cooktops?

Mostly hard anodized cookware sets have flat bottoms, so when you put it on a glass cooktop burner, it stays in contact with it. So, yes, you can use hard anodized cookware for glass cooktops. These cookwares will not leave a stain on your glass cooktop, but in any case, if that happens, you can remove them as soon as you see them.

Conclusion

Although there are too many advantages of using hard anodized cookware, at the same time, it is true that we cannot ignore its disadvantages also. So, I hope all those mentioned above hard anodized cookware disadvantages will be helpful for you in making a final purchase.

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Anjum

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