I just looked on the All-Clad website (faq 7 and faq 13). It says that because the MC2 has a brushed aluminum alloy exterior, it mush be hand washed. Why is the dishwasher bad for it? It's just soap and water (and sometimes rinse aid) right? Is it the rinse aid that does something to the pot/pan? Is it because the jets of the dishwasher too strong for the pot?
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The usual reason given is that Aluminum will react with the alkalis in dishwasher detergent and discolour. |
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I can answer you with first hand experience and a picture. Your lovely dark gray finish will become light gray, streaked, and hideous. I'll never buy this style of pot again, it is just too useful to be able to dishwash them sometimes.
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Dishwashing fluid isn't a simple soap; it's much more aggressive. A good portion of it is sodium hydroxide (lye) which will attack the protective layer on aluminum surfaces (aluminum oxide), allowing for significant corrosion to occur. All aluminum will form this oxide layer in air, but it can also be intentionally grown via anodization and colored to form an attractive finish. The dissolution of the anodization is why Mike's pots look so bad now. |
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Like all aluminium they will discolour in the dishwasher, but will still be safe to use. One site I saw stated that the discolouration can be avoided by removing before the rinse cycle, which suggests to me it's the softeners rather than the detergent that does the damage. It's worth noting that very acidic foods or prolonged cooking can also stain aluminium. Ours has a dark stain where the water came up to while steaming a Christmas pudding and I've seen some ruined by jam making. NB in the past some people thought aluminium released into food during cooking was hazardous but this has since been disproven. |
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