Home Cookware

You own a great home cookware set and you want to see the difference it makes to your cooking by asking your friends over for dinner. Your friends thank you for the meal and the great time you spent with them. As soon as they start leaving, you are faced with the problem of cleaning your great and expensive home cookware set.

Whatever the material is, you need to know a few tips about cleaning your home cookware. It could be aluminum, cast-iron, clay and enamel or copper.

1. If you wish to take care of home cookware, you can start with reading the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Wash all pots and pans thoroughly both inside and out after use.

3. If baked-on food makes it necessary for washing the pans in soapsuds, make sure to dry the pans thoroughly after washing over a warm burner. It would be better if you rub vegetable oil into the pan using a paper towel.

4. Keep gas flames low while cooking to prevent heat stains from licking the outside of your pans.

5. Do not subject cookware to sudden temperature changes. Before you wash or soak, allow cookware to cool first.

Do not wash aluminum cookware set or let it soak in soapy water for long periods of time to prevent aluminum cookware from discoloration. Discoloration is one of the common problems faced by aluminum cookware users. If there are noticeable signs of interior discoloration, fill the pan with water, add 1 tablespoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice per quart of water, and simmer until the discoloration disappears. Finish the process by wiping the pan with steel-wool soap pad and make sure you wear rubber gloves.

Wash cast-iron cookware with sudsy water and then dry thoroughly. Make sure that you store in a dry cupboard without its lid in place. Never wash cast-iron cookware in the dishwasher, it will remove the seasoning on the cookware and cause rust.

Clay cookware need to be soaked in water first for about half an hour before using them for the first time. Soak the top and the bottom and scrub well with a stiff brush to remove clay dust. Do not put hot clay cookware on a cold surface or it might crack.

Make sure that you use synthetic and not steel cleansers to scrub stubborn oil. Enamelware can be washed safely in the dishwasher. Rapid changes in temperature will cause the enamel coating to crack. Let enamel cookware cool before washing, at all times.