How To Clean Stainless Steel Pans With Ease

Stainless steel pans are some of the best cooking pans you can use because they're sturdy and conduct heat well, making them ideal for almost any kind of food. However, the downside to cooking with this type of pan is that it's more challenging to clean. It's possible to get nonstick results with stainless steel if you cook just right, but as long as you have a little dish soap — plus some vinegar and baking soda for shining — then it's easy to bring these pans back to life even when those stuck-on stains do happen.

There are two steps to cleaning your stainless steel: First, remove those caked-on stains and then scrub the pans back to their shiny, natural look. It's beneficial to wash the stainless steel after each use to avoid buildup, and hand-washing is the best method. To remove harsh food stains, add a little dish soap and warm water to the pan and heat it over the stove to a simmer. Then, use a scraping tool, such as a wooden spatula (avoid abrasive metal) to scrape those stains off. From there, let the pan cool and wash it as usual with soapy water to finish the process.

Even if you've removed the leftover food, stainless steel pans can become discolored due to heat, which may look multi-colored as it reflect in the light. To shine them back to their former silver glory, just add a little vinegar to a pan, then wipe it with a sponge. Dry it as normal, and that discoloration should disappear. Drying fully is important because it helps prevent water stains, too.

If you do notice water stains on your cookware, there are two ways to remove them. Add a water-vinegar mixture — one part vinegar to three parts water — to the pan, and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat, and let the mixture cool before dumping it out and scrubbing the pan with soap and water. Less-harsh water stains might only need a little baking soda; you can add just a small amount to a damp sponge, then wipe the pan with the sponge, which should do the trick. To keep the pans in the best shape possible and avoid most stains, you can also turn a stainless-steel skillet into a nonstick-style pan by intensely heating it, and a coating of oil will help prevent most foods from sticking.