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Hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans

Submitted by fairynanook on Wed, Jun. 18, 2008

I have a set of hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans. They state that they are not dishwashwer safe, but my logic tells me that it has little to do with the dishwasher and much to do with the detergent. Trying to research this topic has been a nightmare, as very little is said other than "they aren't dishwasher safe." I have seen that Seventh Generation dish soaps are safe for aluminum, but am wondering whether the automatic dish soaps are safe for Hard-anodized aluminum pots in the long run. Will they deteriorate the anodization of the pots? If you could answer this question definitively, I would be extremely greatful as it has been quite a headache. I am really hoping that I will be able to use this dish detergent and not have to keep handwashing my pots and pans.

Thanks in advance!

‹ Thank you for making the Floral Mint & Lavender dish soap! Replacing School Napkins with Seventh Generation Ones ›

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Comments (2)

unitacx
Sat, Aug. 15, 2009

Dissimilar metals are okay if kept separate

The dissimilar metals problem occurs mostly with flatware, mixing silver and stainless steel in the same bin where they are in physical contact. Placing the items in separate bins so they don't touch each other avoids the problem completely.

The reason is simple -- for dissimilar metal corrosion to occur, there needs to be a second conductive path. In the dishwasher, that means the two materials must physically touch.

As to the anodized aluminum I have no experience. I've used stainless steel pots with aluminum clad bottoms, but those are never anodized. I also had no problem with copper clad bottoms except where the water had sulphurous acid. (That also meant no silver in there, but I could wash cast iron pans in it without rusting the cookware.)

The entire purpose of anodizing is to reduce corrosion, so I wouldn't think it would corrode more than bare aluminum.

scienceman
Tue, Jun. 24, 2008

Dishwashers and Anodized Aluminum

Dear Fairynanook:

In general, dishwashers are not a safe environment for anodized aluminum cookware. The reason for this is both the nature of automatic dishwasher detergents and the nature of the automatic dishwasher process.

Aluminum is a very reactive metal, and the surface is rendered less active by the process of anodization. However, automatic dishwasher detergents are caustic and will attack the aluminum.

But the dishwasher environment itself is hazardous to aluminum! Many consumers improperly mix different types of metals in their automatic dishwasher. They may have silver, stainless steel, and aluminum present in a single wash. Mixing different metals in water creates a battery. One metal dissolves another while generating a flow of electrons! Unfortunately, aluminum is usually the metal that gets dissolved, resulting in pitting and discoloration of the aluminum cookware.

Please follow the manufacturer's directions. If they say their pots are not dishwasher safe, believe them!