Does the dishwasher affect the performance of SS Emerilware?

[Green Lady]

Am I washing my Emerilware SS pots and pans correctly? When I first bought them one year ago, I noticed that water boiled faster on my glass cooktop. I was thrilled because previously it seemed like forever before water boiled and I blamed the glass cooktop. I thought my problems were solved with the Emerilware.

I was washing them by hand then. As a few months went by and I got busy, I put them in the dishwasher, which I believe is okay according to the literature that came with them.

Once again, I noticed it took longer for the water to boil.

I bought this set because I was told they were made by All-Clad and they are attractive and a good weight. I liked that the lids were made of glass and the handles had an indentation for the thumb, making them ergonomically designed, as far as I was concerned. And they were on sale to boot!!! Not a bad deal. Emeril even threw in a great all-purpose knife that I later rec'd by mail.

Does the method of washing affect performance???

Thanks for any input. I appreciate it!!!

sv

 

[Katie H]

Hi, Susan. First, let me welcome you to DC. This is a place where you will meet many great friends and learn volumes from their wisdom and experience.

Okay, now to your question. I've been cooking and keeping house for nearly 50 years. Started when I was about 8-years-old. I tell you this to let you know I have been at it for a while.

When it comes to taking care of my "tools," I have never put my cookware in the dishwasher. I think my reasoning for this was because early Teflon did not hold up well against the harshness of the detergents used in the dishwasher. I still hold to the belief that it's better to scrub pots and pans with a nylon scrubber and some Barkeeper's Friend than to put them into the dishwasher. I also have plenty of cast-iron cookware that would be ruined if washed in the dishwasher.

I think it's better to scrub/wash pots and pans by hand and let them last a long time than to mechanically clean them. Some of my pots and pans are over 30-years-old and still look and perform as if they were new.

Just my two cents' worth.

 

[StirBlue]

Maybe it is not your cookware or your glass cooktop. We have several fans circulating the air because of the wintery weather and having to keep the doors and windows closed. This causes some cold drafts and definitely can create a problem with cooking. I have a gas stove so it easy to detect a draft when I use the stove top burners. A little more difficult with the oven.
When I use the oven and don't want it to over heat to compensate for the chilly air, I can turn on a burner. If you have an electric stove, you can lite a candle and sit it on the counter near the stove. During the summer when we have the windows and doors open and it is hot, the oven compensates for the heat and cooks lower. It can be very frustrating. I do agree with Katie E that cookware works best when handwashed. The heat in the dishwasher will cause the holes where the screws keep the handle on to expand and lead to loose handles that cannot be tightened. It also happens if you use a large burner with a small pot. Just a few ideas to help you solve the mystery.

 

[Michael in FtW]

No Susan - using your dishwasher to wash your pots did not affect the time it takes water to boil in them. Unless something has happened to your cooktop where it is not getting as hot as a year ago - you're probably experiencing an acclimation in "perception". A year ago the cookware was new, you expected great things, and so that is what you observed. But, over the course of the year ... the thrill of new cookware has been replaced with the mundane everyday reality - it takes time for water to come to the boil. The new has worn off ... and now instead of being excited to stand there and watch your new cookware do it's thing ... you're now more interested in it doing it than watching it.

FWIW: I have a set of Emeril SS - and I went through the same thing when I got mine ... but I wash mine by hand.

 

[Andy M.]

Michael is right on.

Many dishwashers have stainless steel interiors because it is durable. Don't hesitate to put your pots into the DW.