# Help with cleaning OUTSIDE BOTTOM of stainless steel pans



## creativecooking

I JUST bought a Pampered Chef stainless steel set. I guess i let it get too hot before i added the butter, because the *outside* bottom of the pan isn't silver anymore. I have read that to prevent sticking, you should allow the pan to get hot before you add the oil or butter. However...now i have a brand new pan that has this orangish-brownish (really *dark* in some places) color that seems to be _ingrained_ into the outside bottom of my pan. Is there any way to remove the awful color and spots and restore the silver luster of the outside of the pan? Also how is it possible first heat the pan up before adding oil (to prevent sticking) _while_ avoiding this discoloration?
Any help is greatly appreciated!


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## phatch

Sounds like some of the manufacturing grease or other coating wasn't scrubbed off first before you used it. 

This can be a real pain to remove at this point.

Many will recommend Bar Keeper's Friend. It's a good product.

I like the Mr Clean Magic Erasers. They do a good job on a lot of tough jobs.

As to the poll, there is no best. They each excel at different things. I own some of all the types listed.

Phil


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## creativecooking

Well from my understanding this stain was caused by overheating the pan...it seems to have burnt the outside of the pan and as a result discolored it...i did clean the pans before i used them the first time and there appeared to be no residue. Maybe i should get that Bar Keepers Friend or Magic Erasers...i am willing to try anything! well as long as it doesnt do further damage lol. Thanks for the advice!


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## phatch

You can cause colors from high heating, but you'd have seen that other places as well. So I'll stick by my earlier comments.

Yes, hot pan, cold oil does help minimize sticking. That's a bit tricky with butter as the butter may brown too much or even burn in a truly hot pan. But with oils, lard and other pure fats hot pan cold oil is a good policy. Butter is sort of the exception because of the milk solids.


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## phatch

Oh, I've got a saucepan a few years old that you can still see a sticker outline on the bottom of it. I scrubbed it well before it's first use but it still colored a bit and shows the outline of the sticker. That mark has never faded. Doesn't really bother me though and it doesn't show when in normal use.


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## amazingrace

If the discoloration is from some external cause..ie ambient grease or the manufacturer's coating or something that was transferred from the stove burner to the pot it can probably be scoured off. I recommend BarKeeper's Friend, as it is a powerful cleanser yet non-abrasive. I use it to keep all my stainless pots shiney inside and out. It also works great on my stainless sink. Magic erasers are a fine product too, but not as cost effective for me. 

If what you are seeing is more of a "rainbow" in the metal itself, this is the result of high heat, and is most likely permanent although it might diminish some with time.

By the way, I didn't vote in the poll because in my opinion, what is "best" depends on the food being cooked and/or what results I expect to achieve.


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## lance folicle

Don't use such high heat, especially on an empty pan. With good cookware you generally don't need anything more than medium heat in most instances.

Lance


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## kyheirloomer

I agree with the Bar Keeper's Friend. It's great for cleaning any polished surface.

To answer your other question, though, pre-heating doesn't mean overheating. You should have the empty skillet, pot, whatever on the heat for no more than a minute before adding oil. And the flame should never be higher than where you intend cooking. 

With stainless, that's lower than you may be used to. Stainless is rarely used over more than a medium flame, and often much lower. 

Like others, I did not answer the poll because there is no best for all times and foods. It depends on what you are cooking, and the techniques you use.


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## creativecooking

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am going to try Barkeepers Friend...hopefully they have some at my local Walmart. I will keep you updated on my problem stain!


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## dillbert

Barkeeper Friend is definitely good stuff.

if you can not find that, try Bonami - reported to be similar in that the abrasive components are so finely ground they "polish" versus "scratch"

our local market no longer has Barkeepers on the shelf, so I'm fixing to be forced into "proving" that theory.

the bad news is: overheating can result in an effect called "bluing" - as in the color blue - which is a molecular level change, not affected except by physical removable of the affected layer. i.e. it could be essentially "permanent"


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## amazingrace

If you cannot find BarKeeper's friend, a good non-abrasive substitue would be baking soda mixed with liquid silver polish. A little goes a long way. In our area, we have the "Family Dollar" stores, and they carry the Barkeeper's Friend. (Cheaper than WalMart too.)


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## maryb

I use Soft Scrub on the outsides of the steam table pans I use in the smoker. Takes off all the burnt on grease/smoke residue with little effort.


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## kyheirloomer

FWIW, Bar Keepers Friend comes in both powder and liquid forms. 

IMO, the liquid is the next best thing to worthless. Be sure and get the powder.


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## boar_d_laze

Oven cleaner.

BDL


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## lance folicle

Oven cleaner will void the warranty on some stainless steel pans. Check the warranty information for your pan.

Lance


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## creativecooking

I finally found some Bar Keepers Friend at Krogers and it worked pretty well! There was a lil that wouldnt come off but i am very happy with the results as it looks 95 percent better!!! Thanks everyone for the advice and tips!


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## amazingrace

I'm glad we could be of help. I use Barkeeper's friend on nearly all my cookware for each cleaning, rather than waiting for some buildup to occur. The only exception is the coating on my non-stick pans. For those I use a paste of baking soda & water. It is my theory that chemically based cleaners might be harmful to the non-stick surface, and that some of the chemicals might even be absorbed and then released into food. Whether this is true or not, I cannot say for sure, but prefer to err on the side of caution. BKF is fine for the outsides, though.


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## martind43

I use oven cleaner to clean the bottom of my All Clad SS fry pans.


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