This is the best picture I can take with my mobile phone, I hope it isn't out of focus. If you look very closely there are some small broken spots in black color, do you think this is still a safe and good stainless steel pan or is it time to replace?
Does my cookware still look fine?
- Thread starter kenny1999
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pepperhead212
Executive Chef
I don't think you have to worry about cooking with old stainless steel pans, unless the handles are loosening. Even if it gets pitted, which some of the ones with less of the chromium and/or nickel in them tend to do more, it is not unsafe to cook in. It's more of a cosmetic thing, how some people have to polish their pans after every use, but once in a while I use some Barkeeper's Friend on them - usually when they get that haze on them, like a deposit of calcium, or something, though it's probably something else.
Hi, thanks for the comment, the "small black spots" couldn't be removed even how hard I've tried with steel wool, all other stubborn stains even the a large area of burn was removed but not these spots, they are like kind of hole which are very small in size. Is it still fine?
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Ken, That sounds like the pitting I was referring to, and it's not a health issue, just cosmetic. It's sometimes caused when some salt is added to a pasta pot, or something like that, and it sits on the bottom as the water is coming to the boil, and causes the pitting. Some instructions tell you to to never add the salt until the water is boiling, to avoid pitting, but I just make sure that I stir to dissolve it entirely when I add it, and have never had that problem.
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I wouldn't worry about it on stainless steel.
