Cleaning All-Clad Stainless Steel

[littlegem]

Hi...I just bought my first few pieces of All-Clad stainless, and after using my fry pan once (for browning chicken and sauteeing veggies), I was left with nasty brown spotty stains. I've tried in vain to remove them, and I know steel wool is a big no-no on All-Clad. So what can I do?

Thanks!

[Suzanne]

There's a product called Barkeeper's Friend that's supposed to work really well.

But you know what? AC can take a light scrub with steel wool if that's what it needs. Think about it: if it can stand relatively high heat and lots of use without warping or coming apart, a little abrasion to the surface is not going to harm it drastically.

We've had lots of discussions here of the care and feeding of AllClad; you might want to do a search using "All Clad" and AllClad" and you'll find lots of advice and experience. That's what we're here for -- to share!

[MarkV]

Little Gem:

Virtually all my cookware is All Clad and I just go ahead and use brillo on the inside.

I sauteed a thick steak in my all clad skillet that I finished in the oven. Good Lord, you should have seen the spots when I took it out. I had no choice but to use steel wool.

I guess one alternative would be to soak it overnight and then use one of those sponges with the abrasive side. But I'm sure that will take much more elbow grease than the brillo.

I have heard you're not supposed to use steel wool on All Clad. I can see it might scratch the outside but what's the problem with using it on the inside????

Mark

[littlegem]

Excellent. Thank you for your replies!

[Jock]

I bought a tub of Barkeepers Friend at the weekend, specfically to use on my All Clad. It was the burned on black stuff on the outside I was most concerned with (purely aesthetic.)
I always figured it was the mirror like finish on the inside that gave AC its easy clean up quality and any scouring agent would reduce that ability.
I didn't use it yet so I don't know how well it works. Ill report back in a few days when I have tried it.

Jock

[nancya]

Barkeepers Friend is WONDERFUL! Never used it on the inside of a pan, but it makes the outside shiny and clean without scratching. Does wonders for porcelain sinks too!

[mudbug]

The following is from the All-Clad Website: http://www.allclad.com/

How do I clean my All-Clad?

* For daily cleaning, warm, soapy water is sufficient. Clean your All-Clad thoroughly after each use. Food films left of the pan may cause discoloration and sticking.
* To get rid of stuck on food or discoloration and stains from using too high of a heat, we recommend cleaning your All-Clad with a product called Bar KeeperÕs Friend.
* To use the Bar KeeperÕs Friend, simply use a soft cloth or sponge and water and make into a soupy paste. This can be used on the interior, as well as the exterior of your All-Clad (excluding the Cop-R-Chef).
* The Bar KeeperÕs Friend can also be used on the exterior of the All-Clad Stainless collection, LTD collection, and MC2 collection.
* For cleaning of the Cop-R-Chef exterior, simply use a brass/copper cleaner.
* If your water has a high iron content, you may notice a rusty discoloration. Use Bar KeeperÕs Friend to remove this.

[littlegem]

Well, I guess I'll be getting myself a tub of Barkeeper's Friend!

Thanks

[Georgeair]

In my experience, an SOS pad works fine for this on occassion - I just make sure to get it really wet, and use only the minimum necessary pressure.

Too much praise for BF - I've gotta get some of this!

[SeattleDeb]

I put my All Clad stainless in the dishwasher and for the most part it cleans up great. If anything is left Barkeeper's Friend is a must. Works like a charm. Deb

[lsharrott]

Steel Wool Just another note on the steel wool, take a look at the fifth one
from the All-Clad site.

What will void my All-Clad Warranty?

• If your All-Clad is used on high heat for a period of time.
• If your All-Clad is left empty on a heated burner for a period of time,
  the metals may separate and cause extreme damage to your All-Clad.
• If your All-Clad LTD, MC2, Cop-R-Chef, Copper-Core, or Non-stick pieces
  are used in the dishwasher.
• If metal utensils are used on the non-stick cooking surface.
• The use of scouring pads, steel wool, abrasive cleansers, bleach and/or
  oven cleaners will void your warranty.
• Salt usage may cause pitting to the stainless steel interior. To avoid salt
  damage, do not add salt to your food until the liquid begins to boil. The
  salt pitting will not interfere with the cooking aspect of the pan, only the
  beauty of it.

Another poster also had a good point. Anything that will scratch the surface
of the cooking surface will cause food to stick.

[MikeLM]

We have a number of pieces of cookware called Magnalite Professional Stainless- made just like All Clad, but with copper in the middle of the stainless sandwich instead of aluminium.

Great stuff- but they quit making it several years ago.

Their instructions for removing the baked-on varnish that discolors the pan when the heat has been too high is to put a tablespoon of dishwasher detergent in about 1/4 inch of water in the pan and let it simmer - not too hot - for a few minutes.

TURN ON YOUR EXHAUST BLOWER- boiling dishwasher detergent is not the most fragrant thing you can have in your house!

It has worked for me every time I have gotten carried away with too much heat. You don't have to use heavy abrasives.

No reason it won't work with All Clad or any other stainless pots.

Mike

[Brook]

Say, where do you get Barkeeper's Friend?

[Mezzaluna]

It's in some grocery stores where they keep the kitchen cleanser (Comet-type stuff) and also in hardware stores.

[mudbug]

Brook,

Check in your phone book under the yellow pages if you're in the states for Restaurant Supply places. They are usually open to the public and can be an excellent for resource for cost effective, quality kitchen equipment, especially for those in smaller towns.