While asked about application of aluminum discs, you may first think of words like pressure pots and lighting parts. These usages, however, pertain to a highly developed modern world. In the past aluminum discs were popular as raw material for totally different items.

Decades ago processing technology of aluminum discs was not so advanced as it is now, and people’s requirements about life were mostly related to food and clothes. A popular item made of aluminum circle was the kettle with a lid and a bent mouth. The kettles, placed on a household stove, passed heat quickly to water and made it boil. In cold winter they provided hot water for drinking and washing. In summer people used them to boil water first and then kept the lids off until boiled water got cool, because they didn’t want to drink hot water. In regions where people preferred tea, an aluminum kettle was perfect for making tea for an unexpected visitor. A second application of aluminum discs was closed related to the kitchen, too. They were made into washing basins for vegetables, replacing earthen ones that broke easily. Big aluminum basins were used to wash clothes as well. Light and solid, they became favorites of many good wives who were willing to discard heavy earthen basins. Aluminum basins are still popular in some households, though they have been replaced by plastic ones on most occasions. The two applications of aluminum discs mentioned above could be spotted all over the country, but people in the countryside led backward life in comparison with city dwellers. In the city it used to be a fashion to take lunch to work (it’s still a fashion, but for a different reason) because there were no restaurants around factories. As a result, aluminum lunch boxes came into being. They were usually of rectangle. At that time, many families owned electric fans because cities enjoyed electricity first. Fan blades, light and thin, were also made of aluminum circles.