Most people who give up on stainless don't do it because of the cooking, but because of the washing-up. Yet a stainless pan cleans up in two minutes — as long as you catch it at the right moment, with the right move.
The everyday routine, in four steps
- Let it cool for a minute or two off the heat. Never cold water in a scorching pan: that's what warps the base — why pans warp.
- While it's still warm, a splash of hot water. The brown bits lift almost by themselves. If you cooked meat, this is the moment to turn them into a sauce rather than pour them away — deglazing: a sauce in 30 seconds.
- Sponge and washing-up liquid, like any saucepan. The scrubbing side of the sponge is fine: there's no coating to damage.
- Dry it with a tea towel. Left to air-dry, hard water leaves white marks.
The secret is the first step: a pan washed while warm takes two minutes; the same pan left to cool until the next day needs a proper scrub.
What about the dishwasher?
A stainless pan with no coating and no wooden handle can usually go in the dishwasher. It's handy, but there are two things to know.
- It does no better than a sponge on stuck-on residue. A burnt base will come out burnt. Do the hot-water deglaze first, then the machine if you like.
- Over time it can dull the outside, especially with hard water and aggressive tablets. Nothing that affects cooking: it's cosmetic, and it comes off with vinegar.
Always check your pan's instructions before putting it in the dishwasher.
The three most common marks
White marks: limescale from the water. A drop of white vinegar on a sponge and it's gone.
Rainbow tints: stainless that has been heated hard. Harmless, and it also comes off with vinegar.
Stubborn brown residue: 2 cm of water and two spoons of baking soda, ten minutes at a simmer, then scrape.
Every mark in detail, and the one that should genuinely worry you: reading the base of your pan. For a truly black base: rescuing a burnt pan in 10 minutes.
The three things to avoid
Bleach and chlorine-based products. Chlorine can pit stainless and leave small marks that won't come out.
Soaking for hours in salty water or an acidic sauce. Same reason: over time, salt and acid can mark the surface.
Ordinary steel wool. It can leave tiny particles that then rust on the surface. Use the scrubbing side of a sponge, or a sponge made for stainless.
In short
Warm, hot water, sponge, tea towel. Two minutes, every day. Everything else is occasional maintenance.
The pan we film with is 304 stainless with no coating, with the 25-recipe book (in French) free and 60 days to send it back, even used.
An easy-care stainless pan
Choose the size that fits your everyday cooking. The 24 cm is the all-rounder. Each link adds the pan and the free book to your cart, no code needed:
