Of all the pots you will look at aluminum is the most hard wearing and gives the best natural heat conductivity and diffusion. It's main problem is that it's surface reacts with high acid content foods. It is also very difficult to keep an aluminum pot looking like new. Aluminum pots are also prone to staining, seriously staining.

The invention of non stick coatings help aluminum saute pans overcome their main draw back, reacting with foods cooked in them. The first illustration is of my own saute pans. They were inexpensive and have held up to the test of time, they are about 3 years old and get used almost every day. The non stick coating is holding up very well and hasn't scratched. I am at times a bit rough with them. On the other hand the outsides of them are beginning to look pretty spotty and I can't really keep them looking nice.

Some people say that non stick pans are not good for sauteing because food does not brown well. Which loosely translates into "dosen't taste or look as good". I have never really found that a problem. Perhaps it is because I use them a great deal and understand their heating and cooking properties.

The introduction of anodized aluminum pots and saute pans have been nothing short of a revolution for aluminum pots. The advent of new technologies has made them as easy to care for as stainless steel without any of the old problems. So they are definitely something to seriously consider for the home cook. Some of them are certainly very beautiful to look at and use.

Originally aluminum pots were inexpensive when compared to stainless steel, but this is not the case anymore. If you buy less expensive heavy gauge aluminum pots without the special treatments and coatings you buy the problems that come with them. Used extensively in professional kitchens, mostly because of its competitive price to stainless steel, it is not my best choice for the home cook. So in the end its a cost question, value for money. The beautiful black treated aluminum pots of today also have a broad range of prices and some of them are very expensive.

Never clean aluminum pots with steel wool although it is they only way of getting the exteriors looking decent. They should be washed with hot soapy water, using a medium gauge plastic scrubbing pad. Burned pots can be soaked in hot water before cleaning. Do not use alkalis or harsh soaps and never, never put them into the dishwasher if they are not anodized. You will be horrified with the results.

I have read to help remove stains inside an aluminum pot, boil 2 tsk. (2 teas.) cream of tartar to 1 liter (1 quart) of water.