- The coffee pot must be black!
Thats some words I've heard that for decades. Sitting around a bon fire with friends, or hearing other outdoors people talk about how to make good coffee outdoors..
Its Something I've been a bit puzzled by in recent years, especially after so many people comment on the inconvenience of using aluminum for food. So I have now dug into this, to get to the bottom of this from my own point of view.
We know that aluminum will generally react with acidic food and drink. Many producers of aluminium cookware actually recommend anodizing aluminium in a way that this makes the metal to be more strong, and thick and gets an oxide layer to prevent the metal fume reaction, or Rust.
But what then happens is that aluminum can be mixed with food and drink, well in the short therms nothing much, but in longer runs and in large quantities the metal will be dangerous to health, and it also destroys aluminum. At tipical Aluminium kettle with a non oxide layer, with Tomat Soup over the years in heat, is the most common example. Other most common example are using aluminium in industries where there is alot of heat going on, where Metal Fume is more common. Unfortunately it will also happen over a long period of time, when you boil coffee in a pot too. Let me explain why:
Coffee rarely has to be boiled, but the water used in the coffee, is often boiled over a bon fire. The same time you have a lot of coffee waiting in (the black) kettle and near the fire. There is also soot, which does indeed insulate, but there is every reason to believe that between soot, aluminum is affected in high heat, thats why it also the kettle will eventually get a layer of blackness. So we have to remember why manufacturers often recommend cleaning such products too.
The caffeine content in a cup of coffee depends on how the coffee is made and how long the drink brews. Caffeine and Aluminum together will also affect you in a negative direction. In the way that both a lot of caffeine in strong coffee, plus the amount of aluminum that is mixed in, can both cause high symptoms such as headache, nausea, stomach cramps, restlessness, rapid pulse, irregular heartbeat and reduced blood pressure. Its the same diagnose that Metal Fume by its own also give, so its more likely that both Metal Fume, and strong doses of coffee might be working togheter.
660.3 °C is the melting point for aluminium. Whereas for a typical bonfire, it is between 600 and 1100 °C, which means that aluminum will also be able to release aluminum after a lot of use. Aluminum also distributes heat particularly well, so there is a very high chance that the entire boiler will be used and will receive good heat. We also know that there are plenty of thin made un-anodized aluminium out there, and where most has been passed out for generetions.
So having all of this said, if youre doctor says you should drink less coffee. Well I would problaby have be skeptical if you are constantly drinking coffee or acidic foods made from aluminum from a bonfire.
But by all means, I can say for sure without having measured this otherwise. So by all means feel free to have a cup or two from one.
Source: Matportalen.no, kitchenguide.com, www.cooksillustrated.com, helsebiblioteket.no, FHI.no Google, and own experience
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