New Calphalon Contemporary Cookware scratching

[motifone]

Hi gang,

I'm new here and coming from the world of non-stick. For our wedding, we received a nice (and pricey) set of Calphalon Contemporary stainless steel cookware. It has a lovely brushed metal patina. We just started cooking on it and have been gentle with it. However, we have been noticing that the inside bottom of the pans are developing scratches. Tonight, when cooking in one of the sauce pans, a nylon/plastic cooking spoon put an ugly one inch scratch in the bottom. All we were doing was lightly stirring. The spoon might have had a bit of a seam to it, but nothing sharp or as hard as a metal utensil. We don't dare use our metal utensils now, even though Calphalon says metal utensils are fine for this cookware.

Is this common and natural? I can't feel the scratch with my fingernail, but it runs counter to the brushed metal design (so stands out) and doesn't come out with Barkeeper's friend, either. I know pans are meant to use and cook in, but is this to be expected of stainless steel --- the bottom getting scratched up over time? To the point they all blend in? ;P

Thanks for welcoming me to this community and offering your thoughts!
-S

 

[Andy M.]

motifone, welcome to DC.

If this is SS, not non-stick, I cannot imagine a plastic utensil would scratch the SS. Is it possible the pan was very hot and the plastic spoon melted a little plastic onto the SS pan?

SS is a very hard metal. Metal utensils can leave cosmetic marks on the surface. If they are so slight you cannot feel them, they are no harm to the cooking process.

I use wood or metal utensils in my SS cookware most of the time. I also use metal on occasion.

 

[Robo410]

if you cook, the tools you use will show it. Same as if you do wood working. Use is not abuse. However, don't worry about a suface mark...onto the next dish. enjoy.

 

[motifone]

Thanks for the reply. I suspect it is a cosmetic mark, as I cannot feel it... only see it. I'll see how they hold up over the next few days.

Cheers!

 

[GB]

Don't be scared to use metal utensils. They will not damage your pans. SS pans can take quite a bit of abuse. Cosmetic marks won't affect the way they perform. Enjoy your pans and don't feel you need to baby them

 

[motifone]

Thanks. Yeah, having been used to non-stick and not scratching it, I guess it's just new territory for us. Seems like cosemtic marks are completely normal -- after a while, there will be so many that the marks will form a patina all their own.

 

[GB]

Yes it does take a bit of getting used to going from non stick to SS. Just be happy you were not going the other direction or your non stick would probably be very scratched up already