Cleaning Stainless Steel Pans

[Stevie]

Well, I used my All Clad skillet for the first time this morning. I cooked bacon between low and medium heat and was a bit shocked how easy it stain's. I found a tip on the net about using vinegar which removed them. I'm not concerned with stains really I just wasn't sure that they would cause food to stick when I used it again. All Clad says to use Bar Keepers Friend so I guess I'll get some on my next shopping trip. I have Ajax (now with bleach) but they say not to use chlorine bleach cleansers. Why should that matter? I thought that Ajax would be fine for all pans except teflon or cast iron. All Clad even advises to use a soft cloth to clean with, so I cant use a plastic scouring pad like I usually do? If S/S is this fragile this may be my last S/S pan.

[norgeskog]

I was going to suggest vinegar but mixed equally with baking soda to make a paste. This is how I clean my stainless sinks. Wish I had All Clad pans.

:roll: GO DUCKS = SMASH IDAHO

[Psiguyy]

Make believe you're deglazing your pan, but just use water.

[ironchef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psiguyy Make believe you're deglazing your pan, but just use water.

That's is good advice, but remember to discard the oil from the pan first before you add the water, or else you're going to have a splatter problem. Also, use a wooden spoon to get all the caramelization off the pan. Don't use a metal one unless you want scratches.

If you make a lot of dishes that incorporate braising, or pan gravies, then when you add the deglazing liquid (wine, stock, etc.) you'll have won half the battle.

[Otter]

Do the deglazing as specified above, but also get the Barkeeper's Friend - it does a fantastic job on ss.

[AllenOK]

I have a couple All-Clad pans, and a couple of Calphalon pans. I love them to death.

My pans are still as bright and shiny as the day I got them. Yes, bacon will leave a "glaze" in the pan. I usually try to deglaze the stuff into a sauce, as I normally cook bacon in either a cast iron skillet or my nonstick griddle.

I usually use green scouring pad from 3M for cleaning pots and pans. My other half just recently bought a pad that was a sponge with the green "scrubbie" on one side. I have to watch how hard I scrub on my cast iron, as it's easy to remove the seasoning with those pads, but my stainless comes clean. It's scratched up, but not badly.

[fng_3887]

ive used vinegar and warm water to clean my stainless steal pans

[fng_3887]

ive used vinegar and warm water to clean my stainless steal pans

[Stevie]

I guess I should have been posting in the Equipment and Accessories section, I didn't see it until yesterday. Anyway, I bought some Bar Keepers Friend yesterday and it does a great job. I hope over time it polishes out the little scratches I put in it from using a plastic scouring pad and Ajax. :oops: I cooked up some porkchops and wine sauce last night and it did a fantastic job. Even tho the new recipe wasn't very good the pan performed like a charm. I'm glad I bought an irregular piece for my first SS pan, now I know what not to do. I wont be using it for bacon anymore I'll leave that for teflon, cast iron or microwave.

[h2oct]

I've discovered that MAAS cream makes all my SS fixtures and SS everything easy to maintain their sheen. The cream might be able to remove the minor scratches you have on your pot but be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards.