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Best Way to Clean and Maintain Stainless Steel Cookware

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Did you just receive a set of stainless steel cookware? Are you wondering how to clean it? If so, I can help. I have owned a set for several years now. Plus, I use to work in the hospitality industry where stainless steel pots were the norm. With that said, here are my tips for keeping the cookware in tip top shape:

Cleaning the Interior

In most instances, the interiors of stainless steel cookware may be cleaned using hot water, a soft cloth or a sponge and a mild dish detergent. Just make sure that the dish detergent does not contain citrus or chlorine bleach. Otherwise, it may damage the pan’s surface.

If you find yourself faced with pans laden with burnt on gunk, the best product to use is Bar Keeper’s Friend. Over the years, I have used it in both commercial kitchens and at home with amazing results. To use it, soak the pan in hot soapy water first to loosen and remove as much burnt on food as you can. Then remove the pan from the water. Continue by sprinkling some of the Bar Keeper’s Friend inside the pan. Let it sit like that for a minute or two. Afterward, scrub the inside of the pan with a nylon scrubber. The burnt on garbage should come right off.

Cleaning the Exterior

In my experience, cleaning the exteriors of stainless steel cookware is the tricky part because of the shiny finish. The best way to do it is with a mild dish detergent and a sponge. If you have stains on the bottoms of the cookware, it may be removed with a stainless steel safe oven cleaner or EASY-OFF Cooktop Cleaner. One caveat though. Do not get the oven cleaner onto the sides of the cookware. I have found that it will destroy the pan’s shiny finish.

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Remove Water Stains

I have found that it is also important to dry your stainless steel pots immediately after washing them. Failure to do so could result in water stains, especially if you have hard water. Should you inadvertently end up with water stains, you can sometimes remove them with a warm water and vinegar blend. I typically make my blend using 1 cup of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Once you have the blend on hand, either soak the cookware in it or rub it onto the pan’s surface with a soft, clean cloth. When you are done, rinse and dry the cookware thoroughly.

Remove Blue and Brown Stains

Sometimes your cookware may develop stains related to overheating and food residue too. In most instances, those stains will have either a blue or a brown tint to them. I have found that they may also be removed with a 50-50 white vinegar and water blend. Just soak the cookware into the solution for 5 to 10 minutes. Afterward, remove them from the solution and rinse the pot well. Then dry it completely before you put it back into your storage area.

Storage Tips

Lastly, be careful how you store your stainless steel cookware. It can get scratched up if you store it next to sharp objects or inside of other pans. As such, I like to store mine in a cabinet that I reserve specifically for my stainless steel pieces. That way, their exteriors are less likely to get roughed up by contact with other kitchen equipment.

Source: Personal Experience

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