While using aluminium cookware on your gas stoves and induction, you might sometimes wonder, can I use it in my oven, too? Well, of course, you can. But hold on, you need to take care of certain vital things before doing this.
Now, what are those things? Well, you are going to see all of those things in this blog. So, read this blog till the end to get your perfect answer.
Properties of Aluminum
Question of the era. Why aluminium is loved so much?
Well, it is simply because of its amazing properties. Its high corrosion resistance property allows it to last longer. So, it proves to be one of the most cost-efficient cookware materials. Secondly, it is light in weight.
So, you can get it anywhere you want without much hazel. One of the most amazing properties that I personally like about aluminiumaluminium is its high thermal conductivity. It even distributes heat to the food component while it is being cooked.
So, you will be served with a perfectly cooked meal on your table.
Common Uses of Aluminum in Cooking
Aluminium has multiple roles to play in your cooking session. Let’s see what these roles are.
- Aluminium Foil: You can use aluminium foil to wrap and store your food items. The food stored in aluminium foil tends to stay fresh and healthy for a long period of time.
- Aluminium Baking Sheets: These baking sheets contain a smooth surface that provides even heat distribution to the food while being cooked. That’s the reason why these baking sheets are preferred mostly for roasting, toasting and baking.
- Aluminium Bakeware: We all know aluminium is a good conductor of heat. It gets heated up quickly. That’s the reason why most baking items are preferred. Experts prefer aluminium bakeware to fulfil their baking needs.
Concerns about Using Aluminum in the Oven
Of course, aluminum has multiple uses, but you need to take care of certain things before using aluminum in your oven.
- Chemical Reaction: Aluminum reacts easily with acidic foods like lemon, lime juice and tomatoes. So, you need to take care that you never allow these acidic foods to come in direct contact with your aluminium cookware.
- Warping or Melting: Of course, aluminium is a good conductor of heat, but it doesn’t mean that you provide excessive heat to the aluminium. This will result in damage to your aluminium cookware.
- Health Concerns: Many experts believe that food stored in aluminium cookware tends to have high potential risks. So, make sure that you do not allow your food to stay in the aluminium cookware for a longer period of time.
Factors to Consider
Before using aluminium in your oven, you need to consider certain factors.
- Type of Aluminum Cookware: Aluminium cookware has multiple types, and each type has different heat-resistant properties. Like, let’s say thick aluminium tends to have high heat resistance properties compared to thinner ones.
- Temperature Limitations: Whenever you use aluminium cookware in your oven, make sure that the temperature range never exits from 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 200 degrees centigrade. The temperature given beyond this limit will result in harmful damage to you and your oven.
- Duration of Oven Use: As aluminium gets heated too quickly, make sure that you allow the aluminium cookware in your oven for a limited time period. If it exists beyond that, then it will certainly result in certain types of chemical reactions or structural damage.
Safety Precautions
In order to use aluminium safely in your oven, you need to take certain precautions.
- Using Aluminum Foil Safely: As aluminium reacts easily with acidic food, never allow acidic foods to come in direct contact with aluminium foil. Instead, you can use parchment paper before wrapping the food directly with the aluminium foil.
- Avoiding Direct Contact: By providing a layer of parchment paper or silicone mix, you prevent your food from getting stuck in the aluminium.
- Monitoring Oven Temperature: Always have a thin eye on your oven temperature so that it doesn’t exist beyond a certain limit; otherwise, it is going to result in harmful damage.
Benefits of Using Aluminum in the Oven
Now of course it is having many concerns but still aluminiumaluminium provides many benefits to you when used in your oven.
- Even Heat Distribution As aluminium is a good conductor of heat. It even distributes heat to your food. Well, being cooked ensures that you are going to get a perfectly cooked meal on your table.
- Versatility: The aluminium cooker is not only meant for baking purposes, but due to its high heat conductivity, it can be used for even roasting and toasting.
- Cost-Effectiveness: aluminium is highly durable, which means it is going to last longer, and so it proves to be one of the most cost-efficient cooker materials.
Alternatives to Using Aluminum in the Oven
Even after knowing these many benefits of aluminium, if you still intend not to use aluminium, then you need not worry as there are many alternatives for it.
- Stainless Steel Cookware: just like aluminium, stainless steel cookware also provides high durability and versatility in its usage. Moreover, it is non-reactive with acidic foods, so the issue of sticking and leaching doesn’t come in the case of stainless steel cookware.
- Cast Iron Cookware: Cast iron cookware contains a non-stick surface, which means problems like food sticking or flavour loss don’t come in the case of cast iron cookware, so mostly cast iron cookware is preferred.
- Ceramic or Glass Bakeware: When it comes to ovens, ceramic and glass bakeware are mostly preferred because they don’t cause chemical leaching. Also, it is safe to use these materials in your oven.
Tips for Using Aluminum in the Oven
Now it’s time to get some tips from the experts for using aluminium in your oven.
Preheating Aluminum Baking Sheets: If you don’t like your food to get stuck in your oven then it will be always good that you preheat your aluminum baking sheets to a certain temperature.
