Original kenwood chef - would you use the aluminium attachments?

[CityDweller]

I've recently inherited an original (1960s, I think) Kenwood chef. Lucky me. Even luckier, it has all the original attachments (dough hook, meat grinder, etc). However, I read something online about how food that's come into contact with aluminium cookware has 'health issues'. Does anyone know about this (a quick google didn't reveal anything)? I don't want to give me/ my small DC metal poisoning (or whatever the 'health issue' is)!

Did it elaborate on the matter of the health issues?

I always use the original attachments to my ancient kenwood chef and have yet to poison anyone! It makes amazing pizza dough, pastry, everything really. Don't know how I'd live without it.

I'm pretty sure you can get aluminium cooking pans, for camping. They're lighter than normal kitchen pans. I wouldn't worry about it.

Google tells me it's a risk associated with aluminium being ansorbed by the food and then by us and the impact raised level of alu has. Possible links with Alzheimer's and other neuro diseases. But I think a) that's mostly been debunked and b) the amount of alu leeching into my cake mixes would be negligible (compared to, say, alu cookware that heats up in contact with food)

It is unlikely to be an issue for the time period the hook/beater is in the food.

But you can buy new dough hooks, K beater and whisk for the Kenwood. Just make sure you get the right ones as they have changed the shaft in the last years - I replaced the beater, hook and whisk on my 10 year old Kenwood a while back and did have some issues getting the right ones.

You shouldn't store food, especially acidic food, in aluminium pots and pans. And also you shouldn't store food in open tins.

The aluminium scare is over those that use full pan sets all the time and minute amounts of aluminium that gets into food from scraping pans, using metal whisks or doing pickling etc in them etc. kenwood attachments not remotely in the same category so I'd go for it.

Aren't drink cans made from Aluminium? Surely the contact with those is much longer than with your mixer?

You'll be fine. I love my kenwood.