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wrote:
> Sheryl Rosen wrote:
>
> > > Why is this? What happens if they are run throught the dishwasher?
>
> > The harsh chemicals in the dishwashing detergent will wear away at the
> > anodized coating.
>
> So is this something that takes place over a period of years, or is it
> something that will cause you to rue the day that you EVER put your
> Calphalon in the dishwasher?

It depends on your use. Around 8 years ago I got an assortment of
hard anodized Magnalite pans. One was a sauteeing pan. After about
10 trips through the washer, its fine surface had been etched enough
to seriously interfere with its "stick resistance". For a saucepan
that would be no big deal but it was the death knell for a sauteeing
pan.

> And what happens if the anodized coating gets eaten through, anyway?

Eventually it gets down to the metalic aluminum underneath and it
becomes just like any other cheaper pan.

The strength of the hard anodized coating is it is mechanically HARD.
It is the same chemical as sapphire (or was it garnet). Extremely
hard so it lasts and lasts. If you use stainless steel spatula you
can end up wearing down the stainless steel and getting marks on the
pan that are actually stainless steel scraped off of the spatula.

Unfortunately the weakness of the hard anodized coating is that it
is not particularly resistant to either bases or acids. Put it
through the dishwasher enough and the basic detergent will gradually
etch the surface down. Cook enough tomatoes and the acidic sauce
will gradually etch the surface down.

Over time I have replaced my assortment with other pieces.