Stainless Steel Cookware — A Friend With Benefits?

Andy Gibbs
Aug 22, 2017 · 3 min read

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STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE — FRIEND WITH BENEFITS ?

Stainless steel cookwares are a fantastic all-around general-purpose cookware. These cookwares tend to be low maintenance, durable, quite lightweight and easy to manage. Additionally, they do not corrode or tarnish, and they resist wearing due to their nonporous nature.Cleaning is easy due to the smooth surface of these vessels and they are dishwasher safe. Stainless steel is also not known to have issues on a range top or in an oven.

Having said so, stainless steel cookware are comparatively poor conductors of heat and they do not distribute heat evenly. To remedy this aspect, many manufacturers provide a copper or aluminium disc in the bottom of steel pots and pans. This allows them to absorb heat more evenly.

BENEFITS, RISKS AND HANDLING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE

6 BENEFITS

  1. Comparatively inexpensive than other types of cookware.
  2. You use stainless steel for cooking at high heat and temperatures.
  3. The surface of these pots and pans tends to be strong, sturdy and resistant to scratching and corrosion.
  4. Copper and aluminium bottoms on the cookware provide an even heating while cooking.
  5. This is a relatively safe choice for a cookware​.
  6. Tends to withstand aggressive scrubbing or cleaning except when the pot or the pan has a ​nonstick coating.

2 RISKS

  1. Metals such as nickel, titanium, molybdenum, chromium, aluminium, carbon steels are present in the stainless steels alloys.
  2. These metals can be released in very low quantities into the food that is cooked in a ​stainless steel alloy vessel and they can show health effects.

5 HANDLING RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Those who have been diagnosed with nickel allergies should ideally avoid cooking in and eating from stainless steel cookware.
  2. Try to avoid storing high acid foods in stainless steel vessels. Though, you can cook acidic foods in them (lemon, tomatoes, vinegar, wine, etc.)
  3. You could discolor stainless steel pots if you boil them on high heat for extended periods of time.
  4. Stainless steel cookware are dishwasher friendly. If you wash these vessels by hand make sure to dry them quickly to avoid water spots from forming.
  5. Sometimes you can see a rainbow colored film on the outside of the pot or pan when you expose them to high heat. This can be polished off by using a stainless steel cleaner.

5 HOME TIPS FOR CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE

  1. Use soapy water when removing grease.
  2. Baking soda is very useful for removing coffee deposits.
  3. Washing soda comes in handy for removing tea stains.
  4. You can use a common alcoholic solvent to remove adhesives.
  5. There are stainless steel specific sprays or pastes out there which can used for general cleaning and protection of your cookware.
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Andy Gibbs

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Traveller | Cook | Foodie | Explorer | Optimist | Read my blog http://www.smartfoodguide.com/