Which Cooker is Best Aluminum Or Steel?

Which cooker is best for health? Aluminium or steel? If you are stuck with the same question while searching for the best cooker in India, here is the answer. 

Stainless steel cookers are highly preferable if you’re health-conscious but pricier. On the other hand, aluminium cookers are highly cost-effective but reactive with food. However, that doesn’t mean aluminium cookers are unsafe to use. To get the right information, continue reading. You’ll know the key similarities and differences between an Aluminum cooker and a steel cooker. 

aluminium vs stainless steel cooker

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Aluminum Vs Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Aluminium cookers and stainless steel cookers are both ideal for cooking food faster. But there is always a conflict between the aluminium and stainless steel pressure cooker. So, to cut the noise, we’ve described both forms of cookers here, so you’ll be able to make a better decision. Let’s start with an aluminium pressure cooker. 

Aluminum Pressure Cooker:

Aluminium pressure cookers have fantastic thermal conductivity and ensure even heating. This helps to cook food faster and in an effective manner. Not just good thermal conductivity, but aluminium cookers are extremely versatile and safe to use. The cooker helps to cook food faster without wasting fuel. 

Besides this, aluminium cookers are relatively cheaper than other forms of material. So, if you need a budget-friendly cooker for faster cooking, this is designed for you. The only downside is that the cooker is extremely lightweight. So, it is prone to damage if accidentally dropped on the floor.

Hence, to enhance its durability, many brands offer aluminium cookers with an additional stainless steel coating. Due to this additional layer, it becomes durable and sturdier to withstand longer. Aluminium is highly reactive, so the additional coating of the stainless steel prevents it from reacting with food. 

Therefore, it can be a great choice at pocket-friendly prices to enjoy faster cooking. Additionally, these cookers are easy to handle, so you won’t feel overwhelmed picking them while cooking. Aluminium cookers are safe for home usage and cooking food for small families. 

Pros
  • Easy to handle and extremely lightweight 
  • Even heating and cook faster than a regular cooker
  • Fuel saver and easy to clean 
  • Cost-effective 
Cons
  • React with acidic food 
  • Stains easily

Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Stainless steel pressure cookers are always the first choice for buyers regarding durability. Also, stainless steel cookers don’t react with acid or salt, so it’s a safer utensil for cooking food. The cooker can resist rust and corrosion so you can expect long-term usage. 

Stainless steel cookers don’t conduct heat faster compared to aluminium pressure cookers. This is why it takes a lot of time to cook food. However, some models of stainless steel cookers are now available with a copper coating on the bottom of the surface. 

An additional coating of copper and aluminium helps to conduct heat faster and lets you enjoy faster cooking. Stainless steel cookers are behind aluminium cookers in terms of speed cooking and heat conduction. The cooker is pricier, but it would be worth buying if you want to enjoy healthy cooking. 

The stainless steel cooker has a heavy base which makes it an ideal utensil to cook food without worrying about burning and sticking food on the base. Due to its heavy cooker base, it doesn’t get damaged easily, even if you drop it on the floor. Stainless steel is worth buying if you need a durable cooker with exceptional heating. 

Pros
  • Resistant to scratch and stains
  • Highly durable and made with heavy-duty material 
  • Easy to clean and doesn’t burn food
  • Ensure hygienic cooking 
Cons
  • It is more expensive than aluminium cookers 
  • Consume more fuel than aluminium cookers

Similar Features in Aluminum and Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 

Aluminium and stainless steel pressure cookers both have some similar features. These cookers are available for induction-based cooking and are coated with a stainless steel heavy base. Moreover, they both are easy to clean. Another similarity between stainless steel and aluminium is that they are highly versatile and can be used to cook a variety of dishes. 

Nowadays, aluminium pressure cookers come with stainless steel coating to enhance their durability. At the same time, stainless steel pressure cookers come with an aluminium coating to improve the thermal conduction power. These cookers are available in different designs and styles. They both can offer faster cooking and save fuel. 

However, stainless steel pressure cookers offer additional features such as stain-free design and don’t get rust. They both come with enclosed gaskets for added security. In terms of security features, both go hand-in-hand with each other. 

Comparison between Stainless Steel and Aluminum Cooker Features

To compare head-to-head stainless steel and aluminium pressure cookers, you have to look after these key parameters. This helps to decide easily without having second thoughts in mind. 

1. Heat Conductivity

There’s no doubt aluminium cookers are excellent thermal conductors. They offer quick heating, which allows you to cook food faster than stainless steel cookers. On the other hand, stainless steel cookers don’t conduct heat faster, so it consumes a lot of time to cook food. Hence, in heat conductivity comparison, aluminium cookers win the race. 

2. Durability

Aluminium is highly reactive as compared to stainless steel. So, you can’t expect to have a durable and long-lasting performance from an aluminium-based cooker. At the same time, stainless steel cookers don’t rust and have a heavy-duty base that will last longer with you. 

3. Non-Stick Coating

Here both the cookers tie because neither aluminium cooker nor stainless steel cooker offers non-stick coating. However, stainless steel does have a heavy-duty base made with copper, which ensures good conductivity and doesn’t allow food to stick to the base. 

On the other hand, aluminium has a thin base so that food may stick to the base. So, if you are planning to have the best cooker that doesn’t rust and is safe to cook, buy stainless steel cookers. 

4. Maintenance

As far as maintenance is concerned, go with the stainless steel pressure cooker. They are highly resistant to rust and external environmental damage. You can expect minimum maintenance. Whereas aluminium pressure cookers are highly reactive, so they easily get corrupted. This is why you need to go for maintenance and rust cleaning over a certain period. 

5. Pricing

As far as pricing is concerned, stainless steel pressure cookers are highly expensive. But aluminium cookers are relatively cheaper in comparison to stainless steel cookers. However, if you are looking for a safe and healthier cooking utensil, it would be worth investing in stainless steel cookers. 

Aluminium cookers might be inexpensive, but their maintenance cost further enhances the overall cost. So, it would be great to invest in stainless steel cookers. 

6. Brand

Brands do matter when investing in high-quality pressure cookers for faster and more effective cooking. There are a lot of brands available such as Pigeon, Hawkins, Prestige, and a lot more. They all offer both kinds of pressure cookers. So, if you need the best, consider the above comparison points to make an informed decision. 

FAQs:

Does stainless steel cost more than aluminium?

Yes, stainless steel cookers cost more than aluminium-based cookers. If you need a budget to buy a cooker, then an aluminium pressure cooker is ideal for you. 

Why should we not use Aluminum vessels?

Aluminum is highly corrosive and reacts with acid and salt. It spoils food and alters the nutrients. So, it’s unsafe to cook in aluminium-based cookers. 

Which type of pressure cooker is best for health?

Stainless steel pressure cooker is ideal for cooking food and your health. It doesn’t react with food and does not even replenish nutrients from the food. Hence, these pressure cookers are safe to use. 

Which is harder stainless steel or aluminium?

Stainless steel cooker is harder as compared to aluminium pressure cookers. Aluminium-based cookers are lightweight and can get damaged if accidentally dropped from the hands.

Is stainless steel stronger than steel?

Yes, stainless steel is sturdier in comparison to steel. It comes with an additional coating of copper and aluminium, which further enhances its sturdiness and durability. 

What are the disadvantages of Aluminum cookware?

Aluminum cookware is highly reactive to acid and salt food material. It alters the food quality and may cause food poisoning issues. Therefore, it would be great to avoid using aluminium cookware. 

Which brand of pressure cooker is best?

Hawkins, Prestige, LG, and pigeon are some of the best pressure cooker brands. 

What is the difference between a non-stick and a hard-anodized one?

Non-stick cookware has a Teflon or ceramic coating. On the other hand, the hard-anodized one has an aluminium coating on the base. The hard anodized cookers are good for even heat distribution. Moreover, the hard-anodized cookers undergo oxidation to make the base of the cooker unreactive and studier in comparison to others.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, aluminium and stainless steel pressure cookers both are excellent on their terms. However, stainless steel cookers are best if you want to have the best cooker to cook food safely without altering the nutrient quality. Though they might be expensive and cook slower than aluminium cookers, they are safe to cook food. 

At the same time, Aluminum cookers react with acidic and salty food, so it is unsafe to cook food in such utensils unless they have an additional steel coating. So, now you get the answer of “which cooker is best aluminium or steel?” You will be able to decide quickly which cooker suits your needs the most. 

Ayush Badhoni

Hi, This is Ayush Badhoni a passionate blogger from India, loves in researching and writing on various topics like home appliances, gadgets, beauty e.t.c I love to review products and give the best to my readers.

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