Originally Posted by
Bike Rat
If you haven't already, I suggest you do some reading on it, I'm sure you'll change your mind. Aluminum cookware is used because it's a low cost metal that has quick temperature modulation...aluminum pan $15, stainless clad aluminum $75, solid copper $300.
The aluminum itself leaches into the water...water from uncoated aluminum containers may have a metallic taste. As for the "short contact time typical with a bicycle ride", 30...60...90 minutes, how long does it take to taste the metal from a coin in your mouth? Many canned foods are coated with BPA to prevent metallic leaching or acidic reaction with the foods within. Also, some bakers use aluminum baking powder, which is known to sometimes give a metallic taste to baked goods.
I doubt I'll change my mind. Aluminum is one of the most common elements on the planet and our total exposure to it in soils that we eat and and as dust we breath in over a lifetime far exceeds what little could possibly leach into water in a bottle over an hour or two. It's not really used in any biological functions in our bodies either so aluminum is eliminated via the kidneys without much of a problem. I agree that some food can react with bare metal and change taste but that doesn't mean it's "bad" for the human body. I'm not sure what putting coins in my mouth has to do with drinking from aluminum water bottles but if you're scared of the stuff than go ahead and stick with your BPA tin cans or whatever else you wanna use but aluminum is an amazing material and doesn't deserve the bad rep it gets as a dangerous metal. It's great for pots because it's cheap and heats up quicker (saves a lot of fuel money vs. stainless). I'd rather eat from an uncoated can than a BPA one, at least there is legit science showing BPA to be disruptive to the human body.