The Value of Cooking with Stainless Steel Cookware
Stainless steel cookware offers a great deal not only to professional Chefs but also the “Home Chefs” in that it is extremely versatile and generally, very durable. Heat retention and conductivity are the major factors that make or break a top-quality stainless steel pot or pan. With a quality piece of stainless steel cookware, cooking at lower temperatures is a major benefit that allows chefs from all ends of the experience spectrum, the ability to produce perfectly cooked dishes consistently, limiting scorching and burning. Quality stainless steel cookware products offer durability, corrosion resistance, low-maintenance care, and long life-spans. While most cookware manufacturers produce quality stainless steel cookware with adequate heat conductivity and retention, American Kitchen Cookware crafts superior stainless steel cookware pots and pans using tri-ply stainless steel. Two layers of stainless steel sandwiching an aluminum core takes even heating and heat retention to the next level. If evenly quick heating is a priority for you, it is absolutely crucial to use stainless cookware with copper or aluminum cores. Stainless steel on its own doesn’t retain or conduct heat exceptionally well so a pan with multiple layers including a conduction friendly core, is typically a much higher-quality pan. To top it all off, the bottom layer of stainless steel is magnetic which means all of our cookware products are safe to use on any kind of rangetop, including induction and ceramic glass!
How Do I Prepare Stainless Steel Cookware?
Seasoning your new stainless steel cookware is a process that simply cleans your pans, preparing them for cooking and helps reduce food sticking. While stainless steel cookware doesn’t necessarily need to be seasoned, it does help establish better food release, so we would recommend going through with it anyway. Here’s how to do it...
Wash your new stainless steel cookware in warm, soapy water with ¼ cup of vinegar to remove any traces of manufacturing oils. Rinse thoroughly, then dry with a soft towel.
For nonstick stainless steel cookware, condition prior to initial use with 1 tsp (5 ml) of vegetable oil. Simply wipe the oil over the interior gently using a soft cloth. Repeat the conditioning process every 2 to 3 months, or if food begins to stick to the pan.
Pro tip: Avoid using nonstick sprays on nonstick pans. Over time, they cause an invisible buildup that impairs the nonstick release system, thereby actually causing food to stick to the nonstick pan.
How Do I Cook with Stainless Steel Cookware?
For stainless steel cookware with a nonstick coating, you should try to solely use low to medium heat.Scorching food, discoloring the pan, or damaging nonstick coating can be avoided by starting your recipes at a lower temperature. The stainless steel layers surrounding the tri-ply will hold heat consistently at your desired level. When using our stainless steel cookware, be sure to preheat the pans completely on low to medium heat before adding your food. To check the temperature, add a few water droplets to the surface. Once they slip easily along the pan without bubbling or evaporating, you’re ready to cook. Adding cold or frozen food to a hot pan can cause the pan to warp because of the vastly different temperatures. Although it may be inconvenient and add to prep time, it’s a good ideal to let cold food thaw or warm up before adding it to your stainless steel cookware.While it is acceptable to cook with oil, you may not need it in our cookware. Meat or poultry will initially stick, but will loosen as their juices are released, enabling you to turn and cook the other side. Adjust the heat as needed, and cook until done.
What Utensils Should I Use with Stainless Steel Cookware?
How Do I Clean Stainless Steel Cookware?
Cleaning stainless steel cookware is relatively easy and there are certainly more ways than one to get the job done. Whether it’s trying to remove simple water spots caused by the minerals in water, trying to get rid of stubborn oil or food spots or finding a way to get rid of and prevent tough burn marks and discoloration, we will cover a few different ways to do so. Keeping your quality stainless steel cookware’s appearance clean and up to snuff can be a little bit of a nuisance but we cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining clean cookware. Like just about every other material object that you own, there will undoubtedly be some upkeep or maintenance associated with it. Lucky for everyone cooking with stainless steel cookware, there is more than one way to adequately clean their pots and pans.
How Do I Clean a Stainless Steel Pan with Baking Soda?
One of the most popular ways to effectively clean your stainless steel pans is with baking soda and water. A relatively simple concept to remove tough, old food stains from the bottom of your pan, this method can work brilliantly but may need to be repeated several times in order to get serious food stains or residue off. It is also worth noting that cleaning your pan shortly after cooking with it makes the cleaning process much easier and likely more effective. The food and oil residue doesn’t have as much time to settle into the pan, thus making it easier to remove when you go to clean your pan.
To get started, you’ll want to cover the inside bottom of the pan with baking soda and add water. Look to add about a quarter to a half cup of water. Depending on how big the pan is, you may need to add more or less. As for the baking soda, you shouldn’t worry about adding “too much.” Once you have both added to the pan, begin scrubbing it in around the bottom of the pan and edges (if there are any spots/stains on them). You’ll want to work baking soda around until you have a slurry or paste like consistency covering the areas where the stains or burns are. Let the pot or pan sit for a few minutes before wiping it clean with a sponge or brush and hot water. If all went well, your pan should be properly cleaned with a fresh look!
Sometimes things don’t always work out that easily, in which case you can simply repeat the process however many times it takes to work out those tough stains and burns. Alternatively, you can also try letting the pan sit with the baking soda paste applied for a longer period of time or overnight.
Tip: Bar Keeper’s Friend can also be used along with virtually any other similar cleaning agent.
How Do I Clean a Stainless Steel Pan with Lime and Salt?
Perhaps a little less popular of a stainless steel cleaning method, lime and salt can effectively remove burnt on food stains. Utilizing the acidity of the lime juice and the slightly abrasive effect of salt, stuck on food spots can be released without significantly scratching your pot or pan.
- Cut lime(s) in half and squeeze juice onto the pan.
- Add several spoonfuls of regular table salt to the pan.
- Wait 10-15 minutes to allow the lime juice and salt mixture to work itself into the pan.
- Add an additional couple dashes of salt to the pan.
- Work the salt and lime juice mix around firmly with a soft sponge or non-abrasive cleaning pad.
- Once the food spots have released from the pan, wash it in warm soapy water.
This method for cleaning your stainless steel cookware may seem a little bizarre, but it has been known to do the trick and could come in handy if you happen to be short on baking soda or other like cleaners.
How Do I Clean a Stainless Steel Pan with Cream of Tartar?
Here is another interesting way to clean stainless steel pots and pans. Cream of Tartar, believe it or not, can remove burnt on food quite well. If you happen to have cream of tartar in your kitchen somewhere, it’s a relatively quick and easy way to get your stainless steel and nonstick pots and pans clean again. Here’s what you have to do:
- Add about 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to your pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to your pan (may need to add more or less depending on the size of the pot or pan).
- Bring the cream of tartar/water mix to a boil for 10-15 minutes.
- Take the pan of the heat and let it cool.
- Scrub the pan clean with a soft sponge and wash with warm soapy water.
Another way to incorporate the cream of tartar cleaning method can be done without boiling the water in your pan. Simply create an equal parts cream of tartar and water paste, much like the baking soda method mentioned above. Rub the paste all over the pan and let it sit for several hours or overnight. Once you’ve done that, just scrub it clean with a non-abrasive brush or soft sponge and rinse with warm, soapy water.
Both ways will hopefully leave your stainless steel pots and pans shiny and clean, but may require you to repeat the process more than once.
How Do I Clean a Stainless Steel Pan with Cream of Tartar?
Hydrogen Peroxide is a common household item that can be useful for a number of medical scenarios but it also can be used to clean your stainless steel cookware! When combined with another common and cheap household item, baking soda, it can work wonders when you have dirty and burnt cookware that needs cleaning. In order to properly clean your stainless steel cookware with this combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda you will need to:
- Add a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide to the pan. (you’ll want add peroxide to the pan until its about ¼ to ½ inch deep)
- Add several spoonfuls (or ~ ¼ cup) of baking soda to the pan as well.
- Turn the burner on and bring the mixture to a boil. (it may bubble up on you, so gradually increase the heat over time and be patient)
- Remove it from the burner and let it cool off for about 10 minutes.
- Empty the pan and scrub it thoroughly with a soft sponge while washing with warm soapy water.
Like the cream of tartar method, this one can also be done without boiling water too. All you have to do is add about an inch or so of hydrogen peroxide into a pan and let it sit overnight. Burnt food should then come off fairly easily when you rinse the pan out the next day with hot water and soap. You may need to scrub a little bit with a sponge or brush. If you want to avoid scratching your pan, stay away from course pads and brushes and take care handling your pan around the sink when washing it out.
Allow cookware to cool to room temperature before cleaning. Sudden changes in temperature may cause metal to warp, resulting in an uneven base. Avoid putting cold water or frozen food in a hot pan or plunging a hot pan into cold water.
Yes! And you’ll love this feature for braising or keeping food warm in our skillets, sauté pans and casserole dishes. Stainless steel is oven-safe up to 500 degrees (260° C) and our nonstick frying pans are oven-safe up to 400 degrees (204° C). Stainless steel stay-cool handles are designed to remain cool-to-the-touch under most stovetop cooking conditions however, all handles may get hot under extended stovetop use or when using the cookware in the oven. Make sure to always use pot holders when handling hot pans or covers.
How Do I Care for Stainless Steel Cookware Glass Covers & Lids?
Helpful Tips for Maintaining Glass Covers:
• Do not place glass covers on a burner, in a toaster oven, under a broiler, or in the microwave oven. The heat will weaken the cover.
• Be careful not to strike the glass cover when cooking, storing, cleaning or serving.
• Do not use covers that are chipped, cracked, or severely scratched. Immediately replace damaged lids.
• Do not attempt to repair covers that are chipped or broken, and never reverse the glass covers when storing as the knobs may damage the nonstick interior.
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