Stainless Steel Bottles: Get the Real Thing
by Phyllis Wheeler ~ May 15th, 2009.
My 21-year-old daughter bought what she thought was a stainless steel bottle, for taking our purified tap water with her. Then she noticed that it didn’t say “stainless steel” on it anywhere, not on the bottle or on the label.
I examined it. It is painted white on the outside. On the inside you can see the bare shiny silvery metal. Aluminum? I weighed it in my hand, comparing it to a smaller bottle I knew to be stainless steel. The larger white bottle was lighter than the smaller stainless steel bottle. So I decided it must be aluminum.
The price tag on this imposter bottle was $10. Stainless bottles can be found for that price or less. Somebody is making a killing fooling people, I thought. Aluminum is cheaper to handle than stainless steel–it costs less, weighs less, and is easier to machine.
So the next question is, is an aluminum water bottle bad for you? Well, cooks in America have been using aluminum cookware and aluminum foil for years. Aluminum is used in antiperspirants and baking powder. But that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Some research has implicated aluminum as an aggravating factor in connection with Alzheimer’s. It certainly doesn’t have a clean record. I’ve always avoided aluminum cookware (my father warned me many years ago that it could be toxic). I’m going to throw this imposter bottle in the giveaway pile.
So, if you are trolling the Internet looking for a nice stainless steel bottle, or looking in a store, be sure it really is labeled stainless steel, not simply “BPA free.” And while you’re at it, get aluminum-free antiperspirant from the health food store.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I couldn’t agree more false advertisement is everywhere especially online the item shown in the image and the item received can be two different things. Granted stainless steel weights much heavier than aluminum if it turns out to be lighter that should be an instant red flag. Stainless steel is less likely to rust and will be much more durable. Readers beware you should be mindful of what you are purchasing and to avoid potential green washing.
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Some manufacturers are using aluminum for their bottles and then lining them with a resin product to prevent any leaching of BPA. Supposedly this meets FDA guidelines, but we all know there is always a new health scare, and the chemicals we think are safe today, won’t be tomorrow.
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Hello! You know something great about aluminum bottles? They are recyclable? pitch them in the bin and get the real mccoy! get stainless steel or glass, no liners, no problems-
Anyway, love your work here—-will keep visiting! Thanks-