Proper Care and Maintenance for Cookware, Pots, Pans, etc

Proper Care and Maintenance for Cookware, Pots, Pans, etc.

The proper care and maintenance of cookware, such as pots and pans, should be a topic of interest to every person. We use cookware on a daily basis, and yet we almost never think about it. But when you shop for cookware, you will notice that there are many different designs and technologies that are vying for your dollar. Cookware can have different bases metals, interior coatings, exterior designs, and exterior finishes.Here are a few tips for proper care and maintenance of your cookware:

Washing
- Hand Washing is always recommended, but if you are using a dishwasher, make sure your cookware is stainless steel and dishwasher-safe.
- Do not use harsh cleaners such as oven cleaner or chlorine bleach. Instead, be sure to use detergent that is specifically for washing dishes.
- Do not use abrasive scrubs such as steel wool or metal scouring pads. Nylon brushes and most soft sponges do the job.
- Be sure to wash food and oils off the cookware completely, as leaving any remains will often cause discoloration and staining.
- If burnt food is hard to remove, fill the pot or pan with water and heat to a boil. Pour the water out and scrub with a sponge or nylon scouring pad.Storage
- Avoid stacking cookware that has non-stick surfacing, as this can chip away the non-stick material and cause remains to be ingested.
- Do not allow cookware to come in prolong contact with cleaning or caustic chemicals.
- Copper cookware will always tarnish, do not be alarmed if the color of your copper cookware changes over time, this is normal.

Safety
- Cookware can sometimes react with chemicals, extreme heat, or scrubbing and cause health hazards. Be sure to read specific care and maintenance information that comes with your cookware pieces.
- Non-stick coating can sometimes be scrubbed off and end up in your food, be sure to use gentle methods and soft sponges or nylon scouring pads to clean non-stick pots and pans
- Compared to Stainless Steel cookware, which can sometimes leak harmful metallic particles into your food, cast iron cookware can actually leak iron into your feed in tiny amounts, which is considered a positive health additive.
- Do not store or cook any food in plastic containers unless they are specifically meant to carry food and are microwave-safe.