Caring for Stainless Steel
How to clean stainless steel
Cleaning your pan thoroughly is really important to prevent a build-up of food over time that can cause your pan to look less than perfect. Follow these simple steps to keep your pan looking beautiful and performing perfectly:
- Carefully wipe off spills which occur during cooking immediately for easier clean up later.
- Always allow cookware to cool down after use and before cleaning, by removing cookware from the heat source and let it cool on a heat resistant surface or trivet.
- Do not pour cold water into hot cookware as it may cause it to warp, or hot liquids to splatter.
- Before washing, carefully wipe out any food residue or grease particles with a paper towel.
- Using a stiff nylon cleaning brush, or a mesh pad (not a scourer as this will scratch the surface), wash cookware thoroughly after use with mild dishwashing detergent and hot (not boiling) water to remove all traces of food or grease particles.
I have burnt food onto my cookware
If your cookware has dried or burnt on food deposits that you can’t seem to clean off, try this simple solution to soften food before washing:
- Partially fill the pan with 3 parts water to one part detergent or vinegar
- Bring the pan to the boil.
- Turn off the heat source and set aside for a period to cool.
- Wash the pan with mild dishwashing detergent and hot (not boiling) water using the Circulon cleaning brush or a non-abrasive mesh pad.
There is a spotted white film on my pan
A spotted white film may form on you cookware which is caused by minerals in water, or from starch in food. Please follow the steps above to deep-clean your pan. You may find that wiping a sponge dipped in lemon juice or vinegar will also remove the spotted film.
How to avoid damage to your pan
Follow these 7 simple steps to avoid some of the common ways your pan can be damaged:
- Avoid using continuous high heat and/or overheating the pan as this can cause discolouration and give the inside a “rainbow” appearance.
- Do not use steel wool, coarse scouring pads or harsh abrasives to clean cookware. To clean food from around the rivets on the pan, use a stiff nylon brush.
- Do not store food in cookware after cooking, particularly when salt has been used as this may cause pitting on the surface. Do not leave utensils in cookware during cooking.
- Heat your pan before adding food. For pans with a stainless steel interior, you will need to use oil, butter or liquid to prevent food from sticking.
- Although minor scratches will not impair the performance of your cookware, the use of sharp metal kitchen utensils such as forks, knives or whisks is not recommended.
- Do not allow cookware to boil dry and never leave empty cookware on a hot burner.
- Do not use oven cleaners to clean cookware, as these are not designed for this purpose and will ruin the cookware.