How to clean stainless steel cookware without damaging it
Steel tolerates far more aggressive cleaning than most cookware. There are still three things worth not doing.
One of the practical joys of stainless steel is that you can be robust with it. There is no coating to protect. But there are a few habits that shorten a vessel's life, and they are all easy to avoid.
The routine
- Let it cool a little. Not to cold — but do not plunge a smoking-hot pan into water. Thermal shock can warp a base, and a warped base does not sit flat on induction.
- Hot water and detergent first. Most residue lifts with a soak.
- Nylon pad or a steel-safe scourer. Work with the grain of the finish where there is one.
- Rinse thoroughly. Detergent film dulls the surface and shows as streaks.
- Dry. This is the step people skip and it is the one that prevents water spotting.
The three things not to do
Do not use carbon steel wool
Ordinary steel wool is not stainless. It leaves microscopic particles of plain steel embedded in the surface, and those particles rust — appearing as brown spots that look like the vessel itself is rusting when it is not.
Use nylon, a stainless scourer, or a scouring powder instead.
Do not leave salt sitting in it
Salt in undissolved form, or brine standing for long periods, is the one genuine chemical threat to stainless steel. It breaks down the passive layer locally and causes pitting, which is permanent.
Add salt to moving liquid, and do not store salted water overnight.
Do not use chlorine bleach
Chlorides attack stainless steel. Bleach left in contact — particularly a bleach solution sitting overnight — causes pitting and staining. For sanitising, hot water and detergent do the job; if you need a chemical sanitiser, use one rated for stainless steel.
Burnt on badly?
Do not attack it. Fill with water, add a few spoonfuls of baking soda, bring to a simmer for fifteen or twenty minutes, and the deposit lifts. There is a full method in removing burnt-on food.
The heat tint
Blue, gold and purple patches after high heat are not damage. They are an interference effect from a slightly thickened oxide layer, and they wipe off with a little acid — vinegar or a proprietary steel cleaner. See rainbow stains.
Hard water
White chalky deposits are limescale from the water, not from the vessel. A diluted vinegar soak dissolves them. Drying after washing prevents them forming in the first place.
Keeping the finish
A mirror-polished vessel will develop a patina of fine scratches with use. That is normal and does not affect performance in any way. If appearance matters — for front-of-house vessels — polish along one direction rather than in circles, and it will look uniform rather than swirled.
Specifying cookware for your kitchen?
Every product on this site publishes its full size chart — gauge, dimensions and weight for every size. If you would rather just describe the job, we will tell you what to order.
