Testing Old Aluminum Cookware For Toxicity 

After doing some light reading here's what I believe: Your video just demonstrated that your cast aluminum pot is not anodized and therefore will readily react with acidic foods (apples are about a pH of 3.5). As far as I know it was/is not common to anodize cast aluminum so I suppose that part is not surprising. Non-cast aluminum cookware is commonly anodized, which is some type of process which prevents the surface of the aluminum from reacting with foods. Supposedly if the surface has been scratched then the aluminum will react more readily. But aluminum exposure and dangers are basically none existent since so little aluminum gets released and consumed. Though this does not help the bad taste that gets imparted on foods, so I don't think I would personally want to use non-anodized aluminum for cooking. Either way seems like cooking acidic foods in aluminum is undesirable. One of my references below: "Lightweight aluminum is an excellent heat conductor, but it’s also highly reactive with acidic foods such as tomatoes, vinegar, and citrus. Cooking these in aluminum can alter the food’s flavor and appearance and leave the pan with a pitted surface. In our tests, we detected an unpleasant metallic taste in tomato sauce and lemon curd cooked in aluminum pots. The amount of aluminum that leaches into food, however, is minimal. In lab tests, tomato sauce that we cooked in an aluminum pot for two hours and then stored in the same pot overnight was found to contain only .0024 milligrams of aluminum per cup. (A single antacid tablet may contain more than 200 milligrams of aluminum.) Our science editor reports that the consensus in the medical community is that using aluminum cookware poses no health threat. In short: While untreated aluminum is not unsafe, it should not be used with acidic foods, which may ruin both the food and the cookware. Also note that aluminum cookware that has been anodized (hardened through a process that renders it nonreactive) or clad in a nonreactive material, such as stainless steel or a nonstick coating, does not leach into or react with foods." www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6390-is-aluminum-cookware-safe

Some people say they want Morgan Freeman to narrarate their lives. I want David Pearson.

Hey, nice video. I work as a cook, and we use aluminum pans. When we clean them after we wash them we scrub the inside with salt. As you scrub the salt will turn gray from the aluminum oxide. It make the pan smooth and shiny, it also helps to keep food from sticking.

Some way-late thoughts from a metallurgist: Cast metals can have more microscopic-sized porous than metals formed by other processes, especially if the casting quality is low. Stamped metals tend to have comparatively fine grain sizes and high strength, especially near the surface of the workpiece. This means that your stamped aluminum pieces could likely take and keep a much higher polish than that poor old cast pot. While the cast pot was probably nicely polished when sold, my guess is that that polish broke down over the years. The loss of polish would have exposed any underlying porosity; which would have allowed the aluminum to corrode more easily, and to become contaminated by whatever substances were heated in the pot. tl;dr: I wouldn't use that pot either.

You know, it makes total sense to me that the cast aluminum was the one that leached. When we use cast iron, it leaches too, but it leaches beneficial iron. The cast aluminum, not so much! Thanks for taking the time to do this experiment. That was a lot of dishes/cleanup you had to do after doing this video!

This is a real eye opener. Good information. It’s ashamed that nice big pot failed the test. I’m only using stainless from now on. Thank you for posting, ken

Thanks for this valuable tip. I have a lot of Aluminum cook wear and when I became aware of toxicity, I was concerned. I'm going to give this method a try. Happy New Year!

Many companies make their copper pots with a core of aluminum by Electroplating. Makes copper pots cheaper and lighter. It's a fairly easy prosses to do if you want to save old aluminum pots. You can also use Anodization to stop the leaching of oxides. You can fill any pits and cracks with a lead-free high heat tin solder or silver solder. That stew pot is unique enough to give it a try. Instead of scrubbing them to try and clean off the oxides get some TSP, gloves and a scotch bright pad. The TSP will eat a layer or two. You will need to do this any way to electroplate it. You can buy the copper electroplate solution and use a copper scrubbing pad as electrodes to transfer more copper to the pot. Easy search how to on RU-vid. If you really want to make sure it's covered and inert you can get the gold or silver electroplate coating and just do the inside of the pot after the copper coat.

Every time you upload a video it just puts a huge fat smile on my face :)

Very helpful! I have old aluminum cookware that was in the family since the early 1950s, and definitely think I should test them. I will get rid of them anyway, but at least this test will verify how concerned I should be from using them occasionally. People need more information and warnings about this! I look forward to seeing more videos! (I am wondering about the safety of your breathing fumes from the toxic applesauce too. Be careful!)

This was SO informative! I have often wondered about the dangers of aluminum cookware. Thank you for taking the time to produce this video

I work in a laboratory and we can check levels of metals, based on parts per billion. Water also has heavy metals!

I remember my grandmother telling me never to use old cast aluminium pots as she said they may have lead in them. Especially post WW2 pots. I've stuck with that advice. As usual mate you've provided a good way to help out. I've never had a problem with stamped aluminium so far but I have replaced all cookware with stainless steel. Hey merry Christmas and happy new year buddy. All the best to you and yours mate.

1. The change in color and smell is very disturbing. Makes me want to test my aluminum cookware. Thanks for posting this video. 2. AL - OOH - MIH - NUM

Great information. Yes, the cast pot was a different color. I would also think that the food would taste different bc you was saying & making NASTY faces.. lol.. This was a good test. When it's warmer I'm going to do the same test to my pots. I mostly don't want to eat toxic food. From the bottom of my heart I thank you so much for teaching me something I had no ideal about, or even thinking about it. Thanks David for opening my eyes on something very important, Chris

If that pot is cast, that means it was molten before it was poured. And that means that there’s no telling what other heavy metals were put in the recipe. It’s probably not pure aluminum.

Good reason for the pink pots and using them for laundry washing, as the aluminum is also its own antibiotic properties - so keep clothes washed and treated.

Try using cabbage, let sit for 30 minutes after you cook it. See if it turns pink. More accurate than apple sauce. Sitting in the pot as it cools is significant.

I have two cast aluminum pans from my grandmother that looks like yours except are oval. We use them during the holidays for turkey/dressing because the one is big enough to cook a turkey in. I’m going to try this applesauce test because I was cleaning my cupboards it came to me that those pots might be toxic. I wasn’t sure how to find out, so I searched on RU-vid and came up with your video. I could definitely tell a difference in the applesauce, so I will not use these pots until I test them. Thanks for your help!

In the large pot that turned pink indicating toxicity ypu can still boil water and cook in aluminum foil inside of a plastic bag. The key is to not let the food get in direct contact with the pot. Boil vinegar until you can detox the pot. Vinegar and soda should finish the detox after cleaning it. After that use iodized salt to wash your pot after seasoning it with flaxseed oil. Preseason every time you use the pot. Use salt and water paste to clean it every time you use it. Burning. Charcoal in it will detox it in extreme cases. Oven cleaner in it covered with a garbage bag with take out baked in stains. Detox after that.

After watching this one is had to go try my old pots and pans too. The stamped ones had no reaction. While all of my cast stuff had a similar reaction as yours. My cast stuff belonged to my grandmother and I know for certain the only thing it was ever used for was food. Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. God bless and stay safe.

What I know about aluminum cookware. When my mom cooked (boiled) potatoes in hers it blackened the inside. Heloise advised to make tomato sauce in the pot to make the black 'disappear'. My mom bought me a set which I NEVER used. Witnessing what went on with hers made me suspicious.

Good test on the cookware. Yep..that apple sauce in the cast aluminum was a pretty pink. Not yellow like the rest of the apple sauce. Thanks for that video. Very interesting.

Those of us in a certain age group would say it's harmless from all the toxic stuff from the good ole days that tempered us. "No big deal". Love watching your cat steal the show.

Interesting experiment! I'm not surprised by the color change in the cast pot; if it was sand cast, the pot would have a more porous surface by virtue of the manufacturing process.. I switched to stainless steel a long time ago, and I believe I will stick with it. I really like your fire pit, and the cat totally rocks! Thanks for sharing!! :-)

Interesting thanks! the only thing we use is an aluminum perk coffee pot for camping from the 50's - quit using baking powder with aluminum (they make brands without it now) quit drinking beer from aluminum - switched to glass bottles - and I read labels on almost all baked goods I buy and tortillas I buy. Aluminum on label - skip it. several brands of tortillas do not have aluminum listed now. Bisquick is a BIGGIE with aluminum! People have used it for years! People say that when they eliminate this from diet - the Alz. actually reverses! look it up folks

You are a genius! You found a use for apple sauce!! Supposedly potatoes will turn gray in aluminum. Thanks for the video!

Pink,definitely pink Dave. Great video. Wall ornament? Hmmmm how about a family portrait instead? 😊

I checked mine out, it was good & so was the applesauce. My mom made applesauce from scratch, this reminded me of her applesauce.

A simple test for old aluminum, love it. Granted, it seems to mainly be cadt aluminum with issues. Its why my cast aluminum dutch oven is anodized. But for old cook kit, i just avoid anything too acidic. Soups and stews and making coffee.

A lot of aluminum pots back in the day actually had quite a bit of lead in them to make them cheaper to machine. Lead was also used by many makers of cheaper pots to make them easier to stamp and draw into shape. So the old thick lead machined pots should be discarded immediately! The older drawn or stamped pots are probably safer if they have seen a lot of use (you already got any lead out of them), but I would not let kids around any aluminum pot over maybe 25 years old--I think they took the lead out of aluminum pots the same time they took the lead out of gasoline--mid-1980's. I won't go into the debate over aluminum, but it probably is not that big of a deal (but I can hear somebody getting ready to scream at me for that statement). If you are just boiling water, like most bushcrafters would use the pot for, I would not worry, period, especially if the pot is anodized like the Kohansky pot is.

I have a couple of pieces of my mother's old Guardian Ware that I just pulled out of the back of cabinets I was cleaning out. Someone a while back, said it wasn't safe to use, but couldn't say why, only that it was aluminum. I remember my mother using the 2 pieces that I have ... I'm 70, so that was a long time ago. Did a search, but didn't come up with anything. Think it's safe to use?? Haven't tried this applesauce test ... no applesauce. All this said ... she used then when I was growing up and as said ... I'm 70, so I tend to think they're ok to use. Watched your testing and want to thank you for doing that test!!

Pretty cool test there and there's definitely something up with that cast pot. The color change was very obvious. Like you said, finding out your cookware is toxic is bad however I think finding out sooner than later is definitely for the best. Thanks for the video, always enjoy them. Take care Dave!

My late Brother used to work in an aluminum reduction facility. He called the ore that they processed alumini. The process involved about a million amps at 9 volt going through a line of pots a mile long. I forget how many lines they had but the power consumption was supposed to be equivalent to half of Portland Oregon. This was the plant outside of Goldendale Washington that got shut down after Russia dumped all the aluminum on the market when the USSR ended.

GOOD INFORMATION! I USE STAINLESS IN MY PACK AND CAST IRON AT THE CAMP.

Only aluminum pot I use is an old coffee percolator, We use it every time we go camping..All the rest of my pots are stainless steel, I don't mind the extra weight, it's just piece of mind. I wouldn't want to inadvertently poison my family using aluminum pots. I use the MSR Seagull pots in my personal kit and carry a small cast iron frypan.. I haven't found a stainless frypan I actually like.. Great info Dave, thanks for the info.

Hey Brother Dave ! Its Jerry from Fort Mill SC ! Yea I'm still alive ! Happy New Year Man ! I'm sorry I still haven't got your stuff sent to you ! I wanted it to be there for Christmas but we have had so much to go wrong in the past 2 months it has just been a mess ! Mostly with my Moms Parkinson's ! As well our computer went out and I haven't been able to retrieve your address . Its in the shop now so I will get back to you soon so I can get this stuff to you ! One item in particular involves some really good reflectix material that I know you can use on these cold nights camping (if you get to go) ! Great Videos by the way ! I have one of those big cast pots like that I bought at yard sale ! I Wil be testing it for sure ! Thanks for everything you do Bro it really helps this disabled old man to have some quality time watching the tube ! God Bless Brother !

Changed to stainless and took cooking classes years ago...now I like my cooking. Stainless steel has a higher density, higher melting point, lower temperature expansion than aluminum...which makes it the better choice for cookware. Price and weight is close enough for me that I do not even consider them. Some people still smoke, use old plastic canteens made with BPA...we are all old enough. Dave....Happy New Year! Keep up the good work.

Awesome :) Great test and results. I guess that apple sauce is just mashed apples basically?

That dutch oven looks bad(pink) I believe I would retire it. Great video!!! I have always been reasonably skeptical of aluminum. If nothing else an aluminum canteen will make your water taste like crap. I'll pay extra for stainless steel or enamel cookware!!!!

This was good. If you were to again put applesauce in the cast aluminum Dutch oven, would it again turn pink? Or would the applesauce have stripped out the toxic material? Whisked it away, so to speak?

I think if you oiled that cast aluminum pot, and baked on several layers of oil, seasoned it well, it would be different.

wow this is a huge lesson in testing old pots and living healthier. thank you !

Very informative, thanks Dave! Did you ever consider doing a "These are the three knots I use when I'm out"?

That cat is relentless man....lol That was a really good test thanks for doing this video David Know I know how to test my aluminum cooksets

If there is toxicity, what are the side effects or issues? Is it temporary or Permanent? This just raises more questions.

Great find Dave, people say aluminum can cause memory lost in early years! Great way to test cookware! (( excellent test!!!!!))) now you can use the cast aluminum pot for motor oil!

Wow !" I think I like stainless steal best myself. But,out door cooking or camping"its heavy duty aluminum foil."🤔great !"idea Dave,.could save people from toxic poisoning. Thank you,for sharing."👍😉"

Both my parents had/have Alzheimer's (My father has gone to be with the Lord and I'm caring for my mother now) so I'm not risking it. I will use it to store birdseed or something. Thank you for sharing. God bless

Good work, never x my head about a pot going bad. You are looking for color change and that is ok, but what got me checking for my pot, is the smell. Good job.

maybe the cast is more porous than the stamped so it absorbs more of whatever was cooked in it?

Instead of the $160 Silky Big Boy, .. I found a couple of folding saws & Brand New hand saws at garage sale that I purchased for a grand total of $10.

It was a pretty substantial difference in color. So would you steer clear of cast all together? I dont have any cast but my sister has an old one like the one you showed n now im interested in trying it. Great video as always bro

My Mom had a cast aluminium set of pots back in the 50's and it was well known then that cooking high acidic foods like tomatoes/applesauce/fruit would 'EAT AWAY' (the expression used at the time) the aluminium and leave pock marks (mini holes) in it and turn it dark grey. To clean up that staining just cook/boil potatoes in it and it will whiten up again and look as good as new but still have the pock marks from the acidic foods that had been cooked in it. So since I was there and saw first hand I can say this is all true. Your test is just demonstrating how much aluminium is in the pot. The darker the colour change the more aluminium the pot contains. If there is no colour change there isn't much aluminium in it. Pure aluminium will melt from the heat of a camp fire. We did this test in Science class in grade 8.

Dave, You got a lotta pot there. Is that legal in Georgia? I know, it's medicinal! Nice testing! I gotta try it out on my aluminum stuff. Take care and have a happy New Year.

A possible way to shed light on the effects of aluminum would be a study of Russian males over the age of 45 or so who served in the Soviet army. They used aluminum mess kits and canteens quite a bit and also drank a lot of tea, which according to one of the articles linked below accumulates larger trace element amounts of aluminum. I imagine that if it was a definitive cause of dementia, there would be higher rates of it among older Russian males, especially if they were deployed during the Soviet-Afghan War where they would be eating out of field kitchens and using their aluminum mess gear far more frequently.

Good experiment Dave. I'd be curious to know if the acidic properties of the apple sauce actually "cleaned" the bottom of the cast pot. When you cleaned out the pots, did you notice any variations in the color vs. what it was prior to the experiment, especially with the cast one? Just wondering...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! ---Chris

The only certain way I've found to know what is or isn't in the pores of old aluminum is to do the apple juice test, and then send the juice to a lab for testing. It doesn't cost very much, but it's only worth the cost if you have old aluminum that's somehow special because it's a rare piece, or has been in the family for decades, etc. I've never worried about it, but I have friends who are deathly afraid to eat from aluminum. The funny thing is that several of them have bought powdered aluminum and powdered rust from Amazon in order to make thermite, and powdered aluminum with particles four microns or smaller can be a deadly neurotoxin if inhaled. You can eat it safely, but if you inhale it, you can die. Anyway, I suspect it's pretty rare for people to boil anything really harmful in aluminum cookware, and then keep it where it can be used for cooking. Most oil oil isn't harmful even in very large doses, let alone in the tiny, tiny amount you might get from aluminum pots used to boil some sort of petroleum product. As I said, I don't worry about it. We have an aluminum pot and a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandma, and we still use it. I may be wrong, but it also seems to me that boiling water in old aluminum should clear out anything in the pores, and how many times over twenty or thirty years has this happened with old aluminum pots or skillets? Even if they haven't been used over the years, boiling water should still open the pores and clean out anything in them.

Again great information. I always thought the discolor was oxidation. The acidity in the apple sauce must cause a reaction when heated. I have an old cast aluminum pressure cooker dating back to 1945. I think it is probably wise to check it with this method. Dave, Thanks for another interesting video. I enjoy your knowledge sharing! Tom Broome

What an awesome tip David! Thanks. Another way to check if the aluminum is still good to use is by looking at the surface of the cooking area. IF it is corroded and specifically PITTED it is no good to use anymore. I did a lot of research a few years ago on the dangers of using aluminum to cook, and the general consensus was that it is OK as long as there is no pitting and corrosion. That cast pot was clearly corroded and pitted, and the stamped pots were nice and smooth, so it seems to verify the information I found as well. Now, I believe it would be possible to repair the cast pot if the corroded and pitted areas could be ground down and polished smooth.

Interesting experiment, thanks for sharing. And love the cat! Always good to have a mascot! 🤙🏻

Thank you, Dave. A much needed video, since so many people still use old camping pots they dug out of their attic, that were previously cooked in by past generations of camping and hunting trips. One thing for sure, any of those cast aluminum pots that were used for cooking tomatoes for sauces or canning them will erode the metal and with each stir of the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot will compromise the metal, because of the strong acidity present in tomatoes. The same for coffee acidity and aluminum. I actually clean my copper bottomed pots by slathering tomato sauce or ketchup on them. Learned about this as a teenager when my pot of spaghetti sauce overflowed and when I cleaned it the next morning the areas on the pot where the sauce dripped were shiny and new looking.

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing!

I don't think I'd ever use cast aluminum; I'd only use stamped aluminum and then only in a pinch. I do have WWII aluminum mess kits that I'd use only in emergency situations. I also have WWII mess kits and canteens that are stainless steel which I prefer.

Maybe it's time to switch to Stainless steeluMINEEUM...:)

New drinking game! Take a shoot ever time David says "apple pie". LOL Great video, David. I must say I was shocked that the coffee pot didn't make the apple sauce coffee color or even darker. And yes, I could see that the cast pot was pinkish the first time you pulled it off. I think I get rid of that one.

Interesting. Where did you hear about the applesauce trick? I have cooked with Magnalite aluminum for decades and I haven't noticed any signs of dementia. I have cooked with Magnalite aluminum for decades and I haven't noticed any signs of dementia. I have cooked with Magnalite aluminum for decades and I haven't noticed any signs of dementia. Was I talking? What was this video about? :P

To remove interior discoloration, fill the pan with water, add 1 tablespoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice per quart of water, and simmer until the discoloration is gone. Complete the process by scouring the pan with a steel-wool soap pad. Caution: Wear rubber gloves. Finish by neutralizing with paste of backing soda and water. You actually get more dissolved aluminum from taking and anti-acid tablet than eating food from aluminum cookware.

Thanks yet again Dave! I have always wondered/worried about this. Incredibky useful video making. Cheers!

Better to be safe than sorry. Plus with cookware being reasonably cheap, just better to use stainless steel or titanium moving forward in my opinion.

Hey! Here's a "Tip" I just thought of. To clean an old pot let "White vinegar" sit inside of an old pot for a couple of weeks. (Coat the entire surface). I just revived an old flashlight using this idea. "Vinegar" is a mild acid. I've invented two World Class inventions that damn near made me a multi-millionaire. (No joke). PS: I'm confident that "Pot" is "Shot". However. As an inventor I'd retry your test. If there's any improvement in color or smell. Keep repeating. Like you, I like to "Play" around with things. (Think it's time for a new pot in this case.)

Thanks Dave. I purchased this same pot from a flea market several years ago. After washing it and letting It simmer for a long period of time over a low flame it had a film on the surface of the water. I love the pot but I was afraid to use it and never did. I’m going to try the applesauce test but I don’t have a very good feeling about it. At least I can put it to another safe use or either get rid of it.

Hi David! Thanks for the video. A Dr of? Chemie once told me it was a misstake, a wrong messurement in the 60s with to much alu, similar to much iron in spinat? I changed to stainless becaue i got tired of all the alzheimer comments. Since i use stainless cups i could easy forget them :) Happy New Year! Sepp

I tried this on 2 pans I got today and they didn't change!!!! I was happy but I've got one more pan that was my grandmas to check!!! Thank you so much for your help!!!

Why not try progressively sand the inside of the cast pan to remove the bad part. Polish it and try again. Love your videos !!

Wow I'm 62 years old I've been using Grandma's old cast aluminum pots and pans for years I remember her use them when I was a little kid I'm going to test them though we'll see what happens thanks for the idea

I'd turn that cast pot into a fire bowl. ;D Did you ever try to polish and retest the thing?

I've never heard that about aluminum. I've heard copper boilers can make you sick if you cook acidic foods in them

Hi Dave thanks for the video most inlightening good job mate big thanks

I had read about aluminum toxicity as a Boy Scout so I put away my BSA mess kit, bought small stainless pots and pans at a restaurant supply store and made my own. I found a small sack at an army surplus store to carry it. This was in the 1950s

Another great video! I really like your cool cat and your fire box.

Well first off, I hope you had a great Christmas David, seems your car wants to be a part of the action no matter what lol. I may have to check my boy scout aluminum mess kit or now to make sure it's good. Great video my friend!

Great video Dave, I have a large pot looks like your 'bad one', made by Club Aluminum, I never cook with it but it makes an EXCELLENT lead melting pot for making sinkers, bullets etc. !!!!

Really helpful video. Thanks for sharing this. Knowing if your cookware is toxic is important. The smell being bad along with the color change was really interesting.

THANKYOU SO MUCH🥰I will be testing my Mom's turkey pan..and also passing on this information. Alzheimer's unfortunately runs in our family. ..and aluminum has Definitely been found in to contribute to this Horrible Disease. I have been a health care provider for many years and part of an agency that helped report data for Alzheimer's research in the 90's. The link between aluminum and Alzheimer's is true. Thanks again!

You can clearly tell that the big pot was a molded cast and made probably in the early 50's, which is probably how most pots were made back then. Your other pots are clearly newer technology. They should be perfectly fine. Great testing video. Goes to show that you can't use some of the old stuff from the past. I don't know how people didn't die from using stuff like that.

Your beautiful cat loves to be with you and to HELP!

I stopped using Aluminium pots when I left the army 1985. Of course, as you are aware most Army mess kits were made of Aluminium way back in time and for at least a couple of hundred years, I think ! Alu isn’t all that easy to take care of in the field, but was issued and therefore all we had. Nowadays, I must confess to being a Titanium user. It’s the lightest and most efficient cookwear I know of for bikepacking and hiking, where prime consideration is on weight. My alu gear doesn’t get used anymore, it is destined for the bin! Thank you for sharing with us Dave, another informative vid.

This is a really easy thing to do. I buy so much old stuff from bootsales (flea markets), thanks for saving our brains 😉

Great video and a great alert about leaching from metal pots. I first heard about this when I discovered that some "stainless steel" pots made in China ended up on shelves in the US and they turned out to be "stainless steel with a healthy dose of pot metal including lead". I eventually adopted the following strategy based a little knowledge about metal work and cast iron pans... all learned from youtube channels like your fine self. 1. I dont assume any metal pot or pan is 100% safe 2. Unless its a premium stainless steel from a very reputable supplier....I season it. I learned this from seasoning cast iron pans but it works on aluminium too (albeit slower and more difficult) .... when I get new alluminium pots and pans for camping, I always wash them, scrub them, scrub them again with a very fine sanding sponge, then wash them again a few times. Then I season them with Trex or some other vegetable based fat bar, several times. That way, just like cast iron pans, you are cooking on the patina, and its your food versus the coating, not your food versus the metal and whatever its leaching. The funny thing is that this problem is really a problem of the modern age... because we have water and detergent on hand and in abundance. Nobody used to scrub their pans back to the metal in the old days. I had to train myself to cook with cast iron and aluminium pans, and NOT scrub them clean.... remove the food debris, remove the crap... leave the patina. Thanks for the video mate. People need to be reminded that crap leaches into their food from the tools they use to cook it.

Thanks and Happy New Year!!

I have a cast aluminum pot set from the 60's. When food started sticking and tasteing bad. I put them in my oven on the self cleaning mode. When they where done I cleaned and seasoned them the same way I would cast iron cookware. They are now non stick with no bad taste.

I seasoned all my aluminum like cast iron also one like urs they don’t look as nice but man they cook good

I season my aluminum fry pan and believe that makes it okay to use for certain foods or water. If I use an unseasoned pan to fry eggs with butter I can actually see the aluminum rust come off in the eggs. And this is a very clean pan when I use it. I appreciate you doing this video to demonstrate the effect. I don’t know if aluminum causes mental health issues but considering the cost if it does I’m just going to use my seasoned carbon steel. Anything to excess can become a problem. Thanks!

can't wait till someone with some science chimes in and explains this to all of us, I got some old stuff lurking in some gear and a couple of really old pots I never use that could use a test.

Well this is a thought-provoking video. I've never heard of the apple crumble test before but it will make me look into it. My wife has an old pot from her Great Granny just like your cast pot. It was used for boiling clothes, so maybe if yours was used the same way, it would be the sodium carbonate that makes it smell bad? Whatever, good video again David and hope you all have a peaceful and prosperous New Year. Paul

If I understood it right, Aluminum (Aluminium) is a so called soft metal and releases particles in to the food when heated...and therefore in to your body. BTW...Alzheimer's, according to research is also caused by eating soy products (together with impotence). I still own a aluminum canteen and matching cup....but I will replace that with a stainless steal one...if I will remember. LOL (Have a good one David!)

Bought a really nice pot at the flea market sat... Came home and looked up this video, and yeah it was the one bad one you tested....lol Now I have a nice flower pot. Always learn something watching your videos.

Really useful I always wandered about World War 2 cookware I have and used since I was a kid I need to test thank you Happy New Year. I also need to head out into the woods been very busy God Bless.

For those concerned with aluminium and it's allegedly negative health implications - make sure you stay away from copper cookware. Documented cases of serious health issues that can kill you instantly can be found via a quick Google search.