# Stainless Steel Pots in the Dishwasher



## schmoozer (Jan 10, 2010)

Recently I read a comment that said stainless steel pots and pans can get minute scratches and abrassions from food particles and other debris in the dishwasher. Has anyone experienced this, or have any comments on the subject?

Schmoozer


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

There are one or two exceptions, but most SS cookware makers recommend against using their products in the dishwasher. I'd go with the manufacturer's suggestion.


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

You can also get micro-abrasions from using a scrubber pad. I use something like a Dobie pad only softer and BarKeepers Friend.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I run all mine through the dishwasher. It's why I have a dishwasher. 

micro abrasions are nothing compared to the realities of cooking. 

The dishwasher will probably cause some rainbow coloring from the minerals and detergents coupled with the heat on SS cookware. This freaks lots of people out.


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

I have a number of SS pans that I put into the DW. Then HubbyDearest comes along and pull them back out, and washes them by hand. He says because they take up too much space in there. I figure "so what?", but I don't fuss at him. If he's willing to work that hard it's okay by me. However, I don't see any harm in running them in the DW. I think that manufacturers who warn against the DW are just covering their butts, so if the handles discolor or become brittle, they can point to the warrantee and say "see, we told you not to do this", and they're off the hook for replacement. Now, having said all that, I need to add that while my pans are all very good quality, I didn't pay more than thrift store prices for any of them, with the exception of my pressure cookers...which NEVER go into the DW.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

The main difference between a prfesional quality s/s pot and a home quality one, is that the home one has a shinier finish to it, commercial ones have a satin/matte finish---other than that, they're pretty much the same.

In a commerical kitchen the pots get banged around quite a bit, and they hold up very well, I've worked in some places that the cookware was over 20 years old, and washed in a dishwasher on a daily basis.

So, if you want to keep the shiny finish, wash by hand.

You can remove micro abrasions--but it will cost you. If you have access to a bench grinder with a buffing wheel and buffing compound you can buff out the scratches--or take it to a re-chroming/bumper exchange place.


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## shermie (Jan 23, 2010)

I USED to wash my Emerilware stainless steel cookware set in the dishwasher, but I don't now. I prefer to wash them by hand and shine them up each time it is used, to keep them new looking and shiny. :roll:


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

I have always put my 40 year old Farberware Clad in the diswasher. However, I would never put my Viking in the dishwasher. The instructions say it is safe to do but Viking doesn't recommend it.

Also, these pans must be dried immediately to prevent water stains


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## shermie (Jan 23, 2010)

That's one of the reasons that I've stopped machine-washing my set.

Another is that when starchy foods such as rice, pasta or even potatoes are cooked in any of the pots or pans in the set, a white film is left inside them, which won't come out unless you polish them with a mild abrasive paste cleaning polish or Bar Keeper's Friend. :laser:


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

If the dishwasher didn't clean them, then yes, I'd do some handwashing. And on occasion I have to. 

I've got pretty hard water and don't have trouble with water stains. I also don't have a water softener. Properly calibrated rinse agent valve in the dishwasher keeps the pans from spotting. 

If it's just cosmetics though, i'd still let the dishwasher do the job even if I had some spotting on the pans.


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## shermie (Jan 23, 2010)

My machine also has a rinse agent dispenser and there is plenty of rinse agent in the reservior. My water is hard as well.

Even though the machine cleans pots and pans very well, stainless steel pots & pans are particularly troublesome to clean because certain starchy foods leave a bit of a white film that is stubborn and is often hard to remove in the machine.

So I just wash my SS cookware set by hand and keep then out of the machine. As a matter of fact, I just washed and shined the entire cookware set by hand about a week ago.


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

I also get a black film when I cook dried black beans. The dishwasher only seems to bake the stains in. Since I found Bar Keepers Friend, it is effortless to clean the pots after cooking beans. I do wash them with hot soap and water after I use BKF just to be on the safe side.


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## shermie (Jan 23, 2010)

You're right!

But most of the food services places that I've worked in, mainly have the cheaper aluminum pots & pans. I've seen SOME stainless steel like the small All-Clad roasting pans.

And yes, the pots & pans there DO get pretty banged up a lot. But I don't pan on getting another SS set because it is my intention to make THIS one last as long as possible. If you take care of it, it'll last must longer.

This may not be the best set to get, but I DO think very highly of it! The last SS set that I had was the old Revere set with the copper bottoms, and those all eventually pitted and started leaking.

I did not want another aluminum set either, especially not any more of those painted sets because the luster and shine is lost with repeated machine washings. And once THAT happens, you can't get the shine back, no matter WHAT you try to do! 

It all boils down to this; 

Buy quality once or buy crap forever!


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## shermie (Jan 23, 2010)

I also shine then up after hand-washing them. mainly because the copper rings on the bottoms have tarnished from the heat of the flame. 

I use a polishing paste called Wright's. There are two kinds - one each for copper and stainless steel. The one for copper, I use, but it also cleans & shines up the stainless steel part of the pans as well, so, what the heck.

You don't even have to rub the copper! Just touch the copper with this stuff, and the tarnish just lifts righ off!! In fact, I love this stuff so much that I keep at least THREE jars on hand so that I never run out of the stuff. When one is almost gone, I buy another one to replace it, even though there atre still 2 of them left! eace:


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