Last updated : February 2021.
If you’re looking to buy a coffee machine and was wondering which type to choose – Aluminium vs. Stainless Steel coffee machine.
And had questions such as… was one type more superior to the other?
Why is there so much controversy regarding the two types of materials?
Is the debate relating to the health risks associated with BPA really that serious or was all this information just a manufacturer’s ploy to get people to buy their stainless steel coffee machine models?
To get answers to these questions… On this page your about to read all the information we have found out.
In addition (and as a bonus for you – loyal coffee lover), we’ve decided to include our final verdict/ thoughts relating to the matter.
If you don’t have the time to read the information that follows, but want to find out my final verdict right now?
Well, ok. Simply put, a stainless steel coffee machine is much better than one which is constructed from aluminium.
If this verdict is enough and you wish to find a unit to purchase, we highly recomend that you check out Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker at Amazon.com where you will be able to see the product page directly, all the features and you will also be able to read the customer reviews of this product.
Aluminium vs. Stainless Steel Coffee Machine: Which Should You Choose?
Contents
Brew Quality
From our initial research, I found out that the traditional material used to manufacture coffee makers has always been aluminium. Of course, this made us wonder whether the original coffee maker manufacturers were, and have continued to be, wrong!
To debunk the main complaint made against aluminium coffee makers (which is that units made from aluminium make brews that tend to taste weird, (to be specific, the brew they made had a slight metallic taste to it), we took some time to do some scientific research and this is what I found out!
According to a scientific study published in the Food Chemistry Toxicology journal, using a coffee maker made from aluminium introduces “dietary aluminium” into a brew (and this is the main cause of the metallic taste). In contrast, coffee brews made in a stainless steel coffee maker only have this metallic taste when it is used for the first couple of times after purchase (3-4) because the metal in the unit is still “fresh” or when the unit’s interior (the pot, to be specific) has been scrubbed clean.
However, this is an issue we have discussed thoroughly in previous articles (click here to find out information regarding how to cure your unit of this problem in the information contained in the article titled “How to Use Farberware Coffee Maker: An Idiot-Proof Brewing Guide for this SUPERB Automatic Percolator”.
Health Concerns
According to the same study, the dietary aluminium introduced to a coffee brew made in an aluminium coffee maker is noted to be at its highest levels when a NEW unit is used to make a brew. In addition, the milligrams of aluminium increases when a brew is allowed to sit in the unit for a period of 12 hours.
HOWEVER, when it came to the health risks posed by this aluminium seepage, the study’s conclusion was that the bioavailability of the mobilized aluminium that was ingested from the brew was “yet to be determined”. Naturally, our research did not end there since taking the opinion of a single study as a final fact is not a worthy research methodology. After perusing through similar research studies on the matter, we further found out that the dietary aluminium consumed in coffee brewed in an aluminium coffee maker is about 0.0024 milligrams per cup.
Accordingly, this amount is not very much especially when you consider that one antacid tablet contains much more than this (approximately 200 milligrams). Therefore, although numerous studies agree with the fact that aluminium coffee makers do introduce a small amount of the metallic element into a brew, there lacks scientific evidence to show that this amount is actually harmful to one’s health. Nonetheless, if you are truly concerned about the various health related concerns of aluminium ingestion, it is best to stick to a stainless steel coffee maker for home brewing.
In contrast to these units, (and although brews made in new or over-scrubbed stainless steel coffee makers have a metallic taste), there is no seepage of metal. Naturally, they are the healthiest type of coffee making units available.
Unit Construction (Durability and Heating)
In terms of durability, a stainless steel coffee machine is far more durable simply because of the material. Stainless steel is perhaps one of the most inert construction materials since it does not react to water or most other elements. In contrast, units made from aluminium corrode easily as a result of water. In this regard, the interior surface of the unit’s pot becomes pitted quite easily since it reacts to water.
Now, the only area in which we found the aluminium coffee maker to be superior to those constructed from stainless steel was that of heating. In this regard, aluminium tends to heat up faster that stainless steel meaning, one can make a brew within a shorter period of time as compared to that of a stainless steel unit.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Considering the fact that water is one of the main ingredients used to make a coffee brew, it is harder to keep a unit made from aluminium clean. This is because the combination of water corrosion and the accumulation of essential coffee oils from previous brews (remember, it is advisable to leave these oils in order to achieve a fantastic tasting coffee brew) becomes really hard to eliminate.
Unlike these units, a stainless steel coffee machine is super easy to clean since the entire issue of water corrosion does not exist in the first place.
If this comparison-based article has helped you make up your mind on which type of coffee maker to purchase (obviously the stainless steel ones are the best so far), we highly recommend checking the Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker through the link below and we think you will be happy with this choice if you’re looking for something with simplistic features (especially those which relate to ease of use and the brewing process).
Click here to check out the Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker at Amazon.com…
Not only will you get super-fast delivery, but you can also take the time to look at the reviews from people who have purchased this product and get real feedback based on their experiences.