If it had been any other friend, I might say that she was exaggerating but this one doesn't. Don't know what to say if it doesn't conform to known melting point for aluminium but there must be something in the design that enables it to happen since hers wasn't the only complaint I was able to find.
But to make everyone happy, I'll say... maybe she was incorrect about what was in the underside of the pot or I misunderstood her, but whatever, the added bottom to the cookware failed, causing whatever was in it to pour out and severely burn her foot to the point that she had to have skin grafts, rehab and walk with crutches for almost a year. She's just glad that she was the only one burned that day.
As for the search. I found:
As a safety precaution, you should always use low or medium heat and never to allow a pan to boil dry.
and the following complaints...
... when one of the saucepans boiled dry, about a tablespoon of the molten metal core oozed out.
... the pot heated up and the outer lining fell to the floor as if it melted and burned the floor beyond repair. It started the rug on fire and the floor in the kitchen must be replaced. It resulted in molten metal everywhere in the kitchen causing burns to our feet as we were attempting to put out the fire.
...boiling water in the pot, and the aluminum melted off the bottom of the pot. The melted aluminum dripped down into the stove, and when I picked up the pan the aluminum driped on to the vinyl flooring in the kitchen causing deep burns.
Just be careful about what you buy and not assume that the cost guarantees that it is the safest.
