I love mine......have loved them since 1973 when I got them as a gift. They have served me well for all of these many years. How come I don't hear much about them? What's the story with magnalite?
onefineleo
Dec 16, 2006 02:51AM
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What exactly is Magnalite? Pots and pans? Knives?
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I don't know if this is true but , My Grandmother told me that years ago she cleaned her magnalite with coke she would soak it and wash with fresh lemons as a scrub... Has any one heard of that ..And if so how long do you soak it (she can't remember) but she said it keep a very nice shine..and looked like new all the time ...
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General Housewares Corp, the company that makes Magnalite cookware, is now part of a very large conglomerate that includes Chicago Cutlery and Corning, among others. While they still make the classic shiny aluminum Magnalite, I believe the hard-anodized MagPro line may have been discontinued; there was a product recall in the 1980s due to lids sealing so tightly onto the pans that there were incidents where the lids blew off like a pressure cooker accident. It is/was comparable to Calphalon, but was heavier overall.
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Magnalite was bought by GHC and then sold. I lost track of who owns it now; might be what you said but I think it was sold again.
I have several pieces of the Magnalite Professional and love them. It's a shame they're not made any more. You can find them on eBay but be expected to pay for some of the more unusual pieces. They are fabulous; I find them better than Calphalon (I have tons of that; both commercial and professional hard-anodized).
The conglomerate that owns the Magnalite line has resurrected it; the base "1940s/50s" aluminum line. It's not nearly as good as the original. I've heard it's thinner, more prone to damage and may be made outside the US.
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Dee: I've googled magnalite and see that it is still available. Are those the faux ones....no hope of the original quality available through the magnalite sites?
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"Faux" is kind of strong. They're being made again. Not as heavy as the old ones. I'm sure they're just fine but they're different. I heard they are using the orignal molds for casting but you know how metals are handled these days. I'm sure the purity is different; the cooling process is different. It's just different.
To get the original quality, you have to buy the original stuff.
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I'm looking for the roasters I bought in the past made by General Housewares Corp. Do you know any relevant website?
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eBay.
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just one other note. Magnalite is an alloy of aluminum and magnesium hence the name. I have 3 pieces of the Mag-Pro line. Love the stuff.
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When I was a student at the CIA some twenty years ago, the kitchens were equipped with Mag-Pro and it was a dream to cook in. Very heavy weight. I'd love to find some pieces to buy.
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I just checked Magnalite on eBay. They got LOTS of all kinds of stuff. I loved the Magnalite I had years ago, and just might start building up a collection. Heavy stuff that cooked everything beautifully. I can't believe it's still out there.
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Shhhhh! Don't talk about it or y'all will drive the prices up on eBay!
The young trendy set will want it and then we won't be able to afford it. Some young friends just paid an absolute mint for a restored Airstream Trailer. And Magnalite has that same streamlined mid-century modern look.
Everything old is new again!
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http://www.worldkitchen.com/Magnalite/web/
)(Magnalite
http://www.worldkitchen.com/aboutus.a...
(Fascinating history)
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I still use the original MagPro as my everyday cookware because of its quality and near-indestructibility. None has yet exploded.
The Magnalite name, however, seems to have been debased by its application in recent years to such things as an inexpensive set of thin stainless pots and pans with disk bottoms, made in the Far East, and perhaps the products mentioned in posts above.
A company named American Culinary claims to have bought the "the proprietary metal formula, trade secrets, designs, blueprints, tooling, molds, patterns, manufacturing facilities, intellectual property, property rights, [and] goodwill of Griswold and Wagner," and sells Wagner cast iron, the "original" Magnalite, Magnalite Professional, and the newer Magnalite Masters (introduced shortly before GHC went belly-up) at the following web site:
http://www.americanculinarycorp.com/
This looks to be distinct from the World Kitchen site linked by RShea78; perhaps rights to the name remain in litigation. I have yet to purchase anything from American Culinary, nor have I seen its products in any store in New York City. The web site is ©2003, but I received a response to an e-mail query just a few months ago.
Following is the American Culinary version of history. What’s missing, from my recollection, is the purchase of Magnalite from Wagner by GHC and its purchase back by WagnerWare after GHC went bust—just before WagnerWare itself did the same.
http://www.americanculinarycorp.com/a...
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Oh! I love my Mag-Pro pots, too. Got them 20 years ago as a newlywed. Haven't seen them in the stores in many years. The only thing I've noticed with mine is that the bottoms (inside) are no longer black. They've become shiny with years of stirring. I hope I'm not poisoning us with whatever that black coating is (was).
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Mine never had teh black bottom. The bottom was like the rest of the piece. (I have a Dutch Overn and a large skillet).
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Loss of your black finish on a magnalite pro pot. The most common cause of this is leaving acidic foods in the pot for long periods. This process takes a long time and repeated exposures to these mixtures. Warnings were noted by Magnalite in original documentation provided when sold as sets. They just told the buyer that storing highly acidic foods was not recommended as it will damage the hard anodized coating. Your pots are still usable with the damage. Health related issues related to the loss of this finish I have not seen documentation as of yet. I would think that if you had made a batch of some thing really acidic and then stored it in the pot in your fridge for a few days that food could contain some of the released hard anodized coating.
I have experienced the same problem on only my most used Magpro item a 3 quart pot. Probably 23 years on that pot and thousands of uses. I have almost every item Magnalite ever produced in the professional line.
The whole concept of hard anodized aluminum cookware allows you to use metal utensils because the surface finish is very hard. Once you have a loss of this finish you will not really notice any major problems with your cookware. However the best plan is to avoid the problem by proper use.
Many common Magnalite items can be found on Ebay but be ready to pay because they are sought after.
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I've certainly cooked plenty of acidic things like tomato sauce in my pots, but have never stored anything in them. Maybe for an hour or until something cools down, but certainly never overnight or "in the fridge for a few days." I only have the 3 qt pot and the smaller one (1.5 qt?) and am seeing it in both. But I've had mine 20 or 21 years and use them constantly, so maybe it's the same normal wear and tear that you're seeing.
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I have owned my magnalite professional cookware for over 20 years and they are still great. I was unaware of the recall but the lid does stick on one of the saucepans. I am also concerned about the finish coming off. I recently started putting my pots in the dishwasher (for convenience) and they have discolored. Any suggestions on what to use to even out the finish? Any idea if the finish can be toxic? Thanks!
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Problem with dish washers is the detergents used sways toward the alkaline side in order to become an effective rinse agent. Alkaline is caustic to aluminum and one should guard against such harsh exposures.
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You seem to know quite a bit about the Magnalite brand so I have a question for you. I have several MPS Magnalite Professional Stainless Steel pots and pans. They are NOT as most of you described. The are a shiny stainless steel throughout with a hollow round stell handle. On my 2QT pot is says Item No. 3602. They are very heavy as most of you have stated and it seems like there is an insulated copper piece on the bottom of the pan.
I've had these since I got married 13 years ago and don't always use them because they aren't non-stick and I have issues cooking with them. Do you know anything about this version of cookware? Does it cook differently than the pieces you are mentioning? I'm thinking of replacing them but I'm not sure. They have certainly held up very well. Maybe I'm just not using them correctly. Any information or advise would be greatly appreciated!!!
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afugere,
The pots you have were sold by Service Merchandise before they went out of business. I lost half of my set in a divorce. Would you consider selling your set?
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I have a Magnalite dutch oven I bought on Ebay that was reanodized. I have not used it yet. Do you know if the anodization stays on very good the second time around?
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A sure way to destroy the finish on your Magnalite pro pans is to put them in the dish washer. There is no way to restore the finish and or important patina to your cookware. Never wash your magnalite in the DW. All you can do after is oil them and start cooking in them. Short of reanodizing the pans or pots your out of luck. I can provide further info if you need it. A blue kitchen scrubbbie and soap and water is about as agressive as you should get with a Magpro pan. Some would argue that this is destructive. An importantant characteristic of Magnalite is the buildup of Patina to some level. When you expose these pans to most DW detergents it removes any patina and also attacks the hard anodized finish. Read about anodizing on Wikipedia. There is a section on Hard anodizing that is a little informative.Toxicity issues I cannot address.
But how to use and care for Magnalite Professional I can contribute a wee bit.
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Magnapro - how do you season the Mag Pro cookware? (satiny grey finish ones) I received several pieces (lucky me) as a wedding gift back in the early 90's - and believe it or not, never used them. (Lots of moving around, they just never got unpacked until now!!!) I love the weight of the pots, and love to cook - have been mostly using cast iron. Is the seasoning the same?
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You really don't need to do anything special with respect to seasoning at all. It is not like cast iron in that way. Your pans will pick up some patina over time. Just start cooking. Follow the instructions for use and care that should be in your packages. If you don't have them I'll find mine for you. I'll post them here if you need.
Happy cooking
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I don't have the original boxes - if you can find your instructions and post, that would be GREAT! I appreciate your help!!
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Found it. I like to find out how to post a scan of this. But I guess it's probably proprietary info owned by World Kitchen now.(current owners of all things Magnalite)
So I will quote from old GHC literature delivered with cookware identical to yours.
" No Pre-seasoning is necessary. As Magnalite Professional cookware is used, it is naturally seasoned by the oil and moisture content in your ingredients."
There is more but I think this answers your original question.
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As posted upthread, these people seem to think that they own everything Magnalite, or are World Kitchen and American Culinary one and the same?
http://www.americanculinarycorp.com/
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What do you mean these people? Try this as a new start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Ki...
Try contacting ACC or WK for more info.
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"These people" means American Culinary, the link I provided immediately above and further upthread. Have you visited their web site?
As I said way upthread, ACC claims to have bought the "the proprietary metal formula, trade secrets, designs, blueprints, tooling, molds, patterns, manufacturing facilities, intellectual property, property rights, [and] goodwill of Griswold and Wagner," and sells Wagner cast iron, the "original" Magnalite, Magnalite Professional, and the newer Magnalite Masters (introduced shortly before GHC went belly-up). They were still responding to e-mail as of about six months ago.
The wiki article, of course, doesn't mention American Culinary. Do you have further information about the relationship between ACC and World Kitchen?
Edited to add: I understand that there's litigation regarding the use of the Magnalite name. See, for example, http://www.fantes.com/magnalite.htm
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MAGNALITE HELP, STAT! PLEASE ADVISE!
Warning: This story contains some graphic abuse to Magnalite pans. Not advised for some readers.
We moved to a new house in September. The man next door to us seemed to be a recluse. We rarely saw him, until the day his mother died and the house went up for sale. Then we discovered, as the estate's liquidator began empting the house and putting things to the streetside for the dump, that he had a "hoarding problem." This is putting it lightly. 23 vaccuums, 16 different power sanders, stacks and stacks of old magazines, dozens of rugs, bicycles, the list goes on.
One day I noticed a huge stack of pans on the curb. I knew these. Magnalite! They were great quality! I snatched them up in a heartbeat and took them home. They were a little dirty, but what a find! I would clean them and make them my own.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was orange rust in the bottom of the pan. No problem, I'll use the ol' elbow grease and get it off.
Then I noticed uneven black patches all over the insides and out. Just some old burned-on food. More elbow grease.
Some of the rubber handles had been carefully nibbled away. Hmm. Rats eating the grease. Curious.
Long story short, these pans are whupped. The guy never cleaned himself, much less any of his propery or his house. They seem to have lost much of the adonized coating and are hence uneven in spots, rust never went away after much cleaning, grease seems to be everpresent. PLEASE help and tell me if there is a way I can save their lives! Is it safe to use them with the rusty brown stuff?? What kind of cleaner should I use? Can I send them to some kind of special clinic?
Thanks for your help...
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umm.. Kara, you may need to move to a better neighborhood! ;)
We bought several pieces of MPS, or Magnalite Professional Stainless, made by one of the succession of "Magnalite" companies. They were heavy and NOT anodized, just stainless and copper sandwiches. Still use most of them, though they're no longer made by whoever the company is these days.
If you see them online or on eBay, you should be interested. They're not quite up to AllClad, but very close and much more reasonable.
By the way, they recommended a cleaning method if you really scorched stuff onto the bottom of the pan... put a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent in the pan and about 1/4" of water, and set on the stove to a low simmer for ten minutes or so. PUT YOUR VENT FAN ON HIGH, because the fumes wil really asphxiate your cat! It's worked every time I've screwed up that way. (Not on the cat... the pan.)
Should be good for AllClad, too. I wouldn't try it on any anodized pots, though.
Mike
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I think I've got you all beat. I will be 62 and have had most of my Magnalite for 35 to 40 years. We lived in Terre Haute, Indiana and it was made there at General Housewares. My husband would buy me a piece for my birthday back then on occasion at the outlet store, it wasn't cheap back then. I have 3 saucepans, 2 8 quart stockpots and a lasagna pan. I was using them all these years along with some Le Cruset and also iron skillets. But in the last few months the insides really started turning black. I thought maybe 40 years is to long. So I went and got some stainless pots and pans. I will keep the others but really not cooking in them for now.
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All of my Magnalite stuff is by Wagner, all found in malls and at flea markets. I have two three-quart pans, one two-quart, a two-quart covered nonstick pot (NOS, never sold, still in the box when I got it) and a big oval dome-topped roaster. I think the whole pile represents about a $50 investment.
Yes, it's still out there - and it's really good stuff to cook with.
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I have a Magnalite Pro 5511 11" Fry Pan and it is the greatest. I regret not having the money to purchase the lid, but now I want one. Was there a recall on that pan/lid? I bought this pan over 20-25 years ago I believe. I take good care of it and wash by hand.
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I've read that if the lid doesn't "stick" or "tighten" when placed on the pan and/or when rotating the lid on the pan a full turn you should be alright. The documentation showed pictures...I think it was documentation from the recall and it included all Magnalite pans and lids.
On a different note...
I just received my 9" and 11" skillets I bought on eBay and they look different then my other ones. All my other ones have the Magnalite GHC stamp on back but the ones I just got have only Magnalite on the back. They look newer but the inside is more "non-stick" looking - almost looks like a coating but it is hard. Are they the ones that the American Culinary Institute makes? The 9" one says "Magnalite USA 9 in. 23 cm" and the 11" says "Magnalite Professional 11 in. 28 cm 5311 USA" Whats the difference here?
See ya
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I just started my Magnalite collection a month ago. So far I have one 1/2qt, one 1qt w/lid, one 2qt w/lid, one 10" fry pan w/lid and an 8", 9", & 11" skillet(s). I got them all from eBay is very good shape for about $170.
I found the 8" at my father's property up in the mountains. I cleaned it up and fell in love with it and started bidding away. Considering I had very very cheap stuff to cook in before; $170 doesn't seem that bad.
By the way; All my Magnalite is by GHC...are they that much different than Wagner? I hope I didn't buy the wrong ones....I still like them anyway.
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magnapro,
Do you know how to remove the black encrusted stuff on the bottom of the pans? My pans are about 25 years old, and I just gently wash with dish detergent and dry. I think I should have been removing this stuff before it was all caked on. Any suggestions? Thanks.
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The aluminum aspect freaks me out. I'd rather use Staub.
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I have a basic magnalite oval roaster I got for a wedding present in 1972. (Also have a wonderful baking/lasagna/roasting pan from the same time. I've been wondering if there is any problem cooking with red wine or tomato as there would be with standard aluminum pots.
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Fascinating thread. My mom had a set of Magnalite from back in the very early 60s, I think it was. They had bakelite handles and knobs and the bottoms had a brushed finished. I don't know what became of them, but I had thought most people stopped using cookware like Magnalite after all the concern about Alzheimers and aluminum cookware.
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Hello, I have a 12" Magnalite with an aluminum handle on each side, one of which is cracked. After reading the thread, I see that Magnalite has changed hands several times. Does anyone know if I can have this item replaced under the original lifetime warranty?
Thank you.
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This is a wonderful thread. I received a set of Magnalite Pro for a wedding gift in 1988. I love it. I noticed that the bottom of my favorite pot, the 7 qt., has turned shiney and even has several tiny flecks through the finish. Please let me know if you have found any info about the warranty.
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Here in South Louisiana, magnalite cookware is common. We give it to newlyweds as a wedding gift. You can buy it from Wal-Mart. (http://www.walmart.com/search/search-... I can't find any cookware better for roasting.
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How do you know you're getting the original product versus an imitation of poorer quality? How can you tell on eBay and such?
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It seems that Magnalite is available from American Culinary, which can be found at www.wagnerware.com, so it's the same people who make Wagner cast iron.
I've had a Magnalite reversible griddle/grill for several years, and it's been excellent. It cooks like cast iron, but without the ritualistic seasoning and maintenance. It's also larger than most of the other reversible griddles out there. I checked over on the website, and it looks like the one in what is currently called the "Magware Masters Collection."--
http://www.wagnerware.com/PLineCat.as...
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Is that site active? Its copyright is 2003, and I think I read a report on another food site of an order being placed but not filled.
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Good question. A few years ago I tried to order another griddle like the one I have as a gift, and the order was never filled (my card wasn't charged either), but I didn't think it was from this site.
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I got a few the same year! The Dutch oven is my most-used pot! How do you keep the outside shiny?
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This line was sold as the fate of Magnalite faded. It can now be bought online at http://www.wagnerware.com/products.asp
There is also a thriving market on ebay. However, it is frequently cheaper to buy new. I have a full collection started in the 80's. This stuff beats Calphalon by a mile. It is heavier and heats perfectly.
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