Question about Stainless cookware?

[Nickel]

Recently purchased a set of Cuisinart stainless steel cookware. After using a pan for the first time, I was left with brown stains (burns??) on the inside. Have tried using hot soapy water, baking soda and vinegar with no luck. Any suggestions??

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I use BarKeeper's Friend, which is kinda like Comet but much less abrasive. My cookware manufacturer recommends it for this. If the stain is tough, make a paste of the BKF and a little water and let it sit for a few minutes. After that, use one of those green scrubbing pads and your pan will look brand new! BTW, welcome to DC!

 

[AMSeccia]

Ditto what Fisher's Mom said ... but if those spots are elevated or you can "feel" them when you run your fingers across them, try adding water and bringing to a boil. Then do the BKF thing again. There are also fancy stainless cleaners out there, but I'm not sure they're really necessary unless you plan to display them or hang from a pot rack when not in use. Other inexpensive and widely available cleaners are Bon Ami and good ole baking soda!

 

[Nickel]

Thanks for the help. I tried boiling water and letting it stand for a while and it didnt fare any better. It doesnt seem to be elevated. Will try BKF tommorrow. Thanks.

Was told stainless was the way to go. Now I'm kind of scared I made a bad choice.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

No, no, Nickel. You will love your stainless. And the BKF will keep your cookware looking brand new - I promise. Also, if you have had less expensive cookware before this, you may have to get used to using a lower temp when cooking because it conducts the heat so much better. I burnt things too at first when I got my good stainless cookware.

 

[Nickel]

I did have a much less expensive set prior to this. I thought I had used a low enough heat setting, however I guess I'll turn it down a little more. I hope you are right about the stainless though. More of a novice cook but getting better every day.

 

[JillyG]

I have the same cookware, Nickel, m

and I vaguely remember having the same issue the first time I used it. I wish I could remember what I did to get the marks out but I did and it has not happened again since.
I absolutely love my Cuisinart stainless - I was leary because I had been using much more expensive stuff prior to that and hated it -but seriously for most of my everyday cooking this is the best I have ever used.
I hope you are able to get that mark off and that you'll love yours, too! (oh and I really had to learn NOT to overheat - that was why it happened to me in the first place I think!)

 

[jennyema]

No, no, Nickel. You will love your stainless. And the BKF will keep your cookware looking brand new - I promise. Also, if you have had less expensive cookware before this, you may have to get used to using a lower temp when cooking because it conducts the heat so much better. I burnt things too at first when I got my good stainless cookware.

Exactly!

 

[PanchoHambre]

I beat the heck out of my Cuisinart frying pans... a little BKF accompanied by some steel wool and they shine up good as new... and I bought the suckers 2nd hand.

the only thing you want to be careful of is to not overheat an empty pan... then you will warp it and all the BKF in the world cant help you. (this incidentally is why I got such a good deal on my pans... the previous owner had killed one of the sauce pans and so just got herself a new set selling me the entire set cheaply.

 

[PieSusan]

Here is an old Heloise Helpful Hint (When I was a small child--first learning to read, I read my mom's books and walked away with a lot of great tips that somehow I still remember)

This always works for me but you may have to do it more than once. Boil water in the pan and add cream of tartar. While it is boiling, see if you can scrape the burn off with a wooden spoon. Little black or brown flakes should come off. When you take the pot off the heat and toss the water, you can then usually easily scrub off the stain.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I boil mine with a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent in enough water to cover the brown marks. Usually everything comes right off.

Of course, I have been known to just leave it and cook something else in the pan, and I haven't died yet.

 

[JillyG]

My grandma and my mom swear by this method, too! nt

x

Here is an old Heloise Helpful Hint (When I was a small child--first learning to read, I read my mom's books and walked away with a lot of great tips that somehow I still remember)

This always works for me but you may have to do it more than once. Boil water in the pan and add cream of tartar. While it is boiling, see if you can scrape the burn off with a wooden spoon. Little black or brown flakes should come off. When you take the pot off the heat and toss the water, you can then usually easily scrub off the stain.

 

[Laurel]

If BKF doesn't work, I have a ceramic range cleaner that I use for-get this- my ceramic range. I also use it to clean SS as it works amazingly.

 

[Laurel]

Also, if you have oxyclean, try putting a little oxyclean and some hot water in there (don't bother putting the pan on heat) and letting it sit overnight. If there's burnt on anything, it should come off with the oxyclean.

 

[Nickel]

Thanks all, the BKF and a little muscle worked wonders. Looks great.

 

[Jeekinz]

I found the green Scotchbrite scratches too much so I use the blue ones along with BKF.

 

[Erinny]

My sister uses BKF too and loves it. She recently changed all her cookware over to all stainless and dumped her Teflon.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Thanks all, the BKF and a little muscle worked wonders. Looks great.

WooHoo! I'm glad to hear it.

Here's another tip I picked up here at DC - deglazing is a technique that has many benefits! When you're browning or searing foods, deglazing not only gives you a wonderful sauce, it makes cleaning your pan a breeze later. And as others may have mentioned, always let your pan cool down before putting it in a sink of cooler water. It can cause warping and even cause the layers in the tri-ply to separate.

 

[Emil]

I have a question about stainless steel as well and I hope someone here can help. I have a set of Cuisinart stainless stell as well and I am having real trouble with foods sticking. If I try to brown anything the food almost fuses itself to the pan. Is my heat too high? Am I not using enough oil? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Andy M.]

You must start with a hot pan. Add the oil and get that hot, too. Place the meat into the pan and leave it undisturbed for several minutes. The meat will initially stick to the pan. That's OK. Leave it alone. As it browns and a crust forms, it will release itself and you can turn it. When yuou do, the second side will stick too. Then it will release as it browns.