Handbook / Cleaning
01
Cleaning
Keep it bright without babying it.
Start here
The 3 Levels of CleaningMost nights, cleaning stainless is a thirty-second job. For the messes that fight back, match the effort to the mess — there's a level for that.
Help — I Think I Killed My Pan
Left it on the heat, and now it's scorched black? You almost certainly haven't killed it. The oven-cleaner rescue — and why your pan can take it.
How to Clean Off Burnt-On Oil
The amber-brown film that soap won't touch is polymerized oil — cosmetic, not damage. Here's the ladder that takes it off, from a hot soak to the nuclear option.
Before the first cook
Fresh out of the box, your pan needs one quick wash before its first meal — plus a few day-one habits that set it up for decades of cooking.
How to Clear Rainbow Tint
That rainbow-colored sheen on your stainless is harmless — just the steel reacting with the air. Here's what it is and how to wipe it away.
