user 16756
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I also suspect that Cu is used in these clad pans because of a combination of it's marketing cachet (tradition and the fact that it's expensive) and it's slightly superior thermal properties. I'd love to see some actual comparative testing on heat transfer and responsiveness to show if there was actually any significant difference between Cu clad, Al clad or combinations of Cu and Al.
I remember the bare Al pots and pans in the 80s. I have read that Al is only reactive in strong alkali or long dwell times in very strong acid. Bare Cu seems to be much more reactive. The upshot is that I'm unclear whether Al poisoning is a significant problem in the real world but I am taking a precautionary approach. OTOH, it is pretty clear that the PFOA based coatings that were originally used to solve the Al toxicity issue are a problem.
Anodised Al is an interesting solution but I don't think it very durable.
this is something. not authoritative, of course, but interesting nonetheless
https://www.centurylife.org/cookware-even-heating-rankings-induction-and-electric/