The Simple Way Ina Garten Keeps Her Pots And Pans Looking Shiny

It's a sad fact of life that even our most beloved items inevitably grow old. From a pretty china set, to a cast iron skillet, or our favorite chef's knife, these things just don't stay bright and shiny forever. The sentiment applies to our favorite pots and pans, too. Especially for the most passionate chefs among us, a brand-new set of All-Clad cookware can quickly turn from shiny and new to dull, scratched, and eventually, unsalvageable. You'd think professional chefs like Ina Garten know this fate well, but that's not so true for this particular culinary icon. As Garten shared in the comments on her Instagram, "I have pots and pans that are 40 years old that look almost brand new!" So, what's her secret? No, she doesn't clean her dirtiest pots and pans with coffee grounds. "The trick to keeping your cookware clean is to soak it overnight in the sink with very hot, soapy water," she said. 

Rather than scrubbing her pots and pans with force, Garten chooses to let her dishes sleep in the sink overnight in a hot, soapy bath. "The next morning, it will clean up really easily with a sponge or Brillo pad," she said. 

You heard Chef Garten. Leave those abrasive brushes and bottled vinegars under the sink, especially for pans with non-stick coatings. Staples like soap and water can do a lot more than we can with just a little time (although you should keep soap away from your molcajete).

Ina Garten's trick for spotless, long-lasting cookware is simple but underrated. We all know that soaking dishes is the key to lifting stubborn and stuck-on food, as it prevents us from having to harshly scrub at the pan's surface, which often leaves scratches or stains. Patience is a virtue, but no one said waiting around is easy. While this hack might appeal to some, we get that others might be strongly averse to leaving dishes in the sink, preferring to wake up to a spotless kitchen at the start of a new day. For all those chefs, we hear you, but you don't have to use this cleaning trick every night. 

Just as how often you should sharpen your knives depends on a variety of factors, there's no hard-and-fast rule about how often to soak your pots and pans. Even deep cleaning your pots and pans once a month like this is better than nothing, so consider it when you have time, or when the pots are exceptionally dirty. Plus, who doesn't love an excuse to avoid doing the dishes?