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Dishwasher guide: salt will harm the stainless steel lining. What about salt water in stainless steel pots? (mander.xyz)

submitted 9 months ago by plantteacher@mander.xyz to c/chemistry@mander.xyz

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The manual for my dishwasher says to refill salt just before running a wash cycle, because if any grains of salt spill onto the stainless steel interior it will corrode. If it runs right away, no issue because the salt is quickly dissolved, diluted, and flushed.

So then I realized when I cook pasta I heavily salt the water (following the advice that pasta water should taste as salty as the ocean). But what happens when I leave that highly salty brine in a pot, sometimes for a couple days to reuse it? Does that risk corroding the pots?

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[–] Paragone@mander.xyz 0 points 9 months ago

Salt-resistant stainless-steel is the 316/316L steels & the 317/317L steels.

( the L versions are low-carbon, which means they can be welded & the low-carbon won't create carbon-rich defects in the welds )

Salt-resistant aluminum is 5052 aluminum ( low-copper. iirc )

normal cheap aluminum kitchenware is Commercially Pure aluminum, not alloy.

I've no idea what percentage of aluminum food-contact things are made with alloys, but it wouldn't be that much, I don't think?

Nobody bothers using those salt-safe alloys for making kitchen stuff, because there's no market-pressure to do-so.

( those stainless steels are costly, & 5052's used mostly for boats/marine/nautical stuff )

Therefore, using salt in the other alloy bowls/pots/pans does release metals ( including nickel or/and chromium ) into one's diet or/and ecology.

I won't add salt to normal "stainless" pots or pans because of that: it can get added after, even-though that's a harsher taste.

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