Butter turned grey in baking pan

[Chopstix]

I'm using a new baking pan for the first time. The label says 'commercial-gauge aluminized steel construction used in professional kitchens'. I bought it at Williams-Sonoma in San Francisco two months ago.

So I washed it with soapy water and dried it thoroughly before using. After I greased the pan with a big piece of cold butter, I noticed that the butter I was holding had a grey tinge where it had contact with the pan. The melting butter in the pan's bottom and sides also had a greyish tinge.

Is there any explanation for this? Can it be hazardous?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gretchen]

Seems odd if you dried it and nothing came off on the cloth. Otherwise I would think it was dust from the factory or such.

 

[Vainglorious]

What the devil is "aluminized steel"?

 

[BreezyCooking]

No offense, but you probably didn't wash it well enough before using. I'd scrub it down again once or twice with HOT water & soap, or, if it's dishwasher safe, run it thru there. If you bought it from Willams-Sonoma, there's an excellent chance that it is dishwasher safe - anything I've purchased from them that is stainless steel or an aluminum/stainless combo have always been dishwaster safe, but it's best to be sure ahead of time.

While I don't think the residue you found is particularly hazardous, it still pays to remove as much as possible. Many types of cookware are coated with a protective oil before shipping. Since it IS cookware, this isn't a toxic product, but definitely something you want to remove before use.

 

[Chopstix]

Thanks for all your replies.

Breezy, it is dishwasher safe, but I don't have one. I followed what the label said, which was:

'Before first use, wash the pan by hand with warm soapy water. Abrasive cleaners will damage the pan's finish. There is no need to season the pan defore first use or between subsequent uses."

Anyway, I'll check what happens on my next use. Thanks again!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Yes - sometimes the stuff (whatever it is) that they use to protectively coat certain types of cookware is pretty tenacious.

I remember when I first bought my carbon steel wok many years ago, I was sure I had performed the instructed initial washing just fine & couldn't wait to rustle up my 1st stirfry in it. Lo & behold, I ended up with a very "appetizing" pan full of "grey chicken". Yuck. We ended up with Chinese takeout that night - lol!!!!