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Question about All-Clad cookware

post #1 of 10
10/13/12 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 
Hello,

I cook using All-Clad stainless cookware (d5 series) and my understanding is that I don't want to turn the heat up on my electric glass cooktop stove too high when I cook. I was also told that I should heat the pan, add the fat (oil, butter, etc) then wait another minute and add my food, if I am boiling just water I can turn the heat up but when I add food I need to turn it down. I do follow those instructions. On my pots and pans I'm getting these weird spots that aren't coming off. The photo included shows what is left after a thorough was using barkeeper's friend and warm water.

Does anyone know what is causing this? Can the spots be removed? Thank you



Edited by himynameisjess - 10/15/12 at 12:54pm
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post #2 of 10
10/13/12 at 5:32pm

I'm not seeing your pictures, but I think I know what you are talking about.  Same thing happened to mine.  On the inside, right?  The discoloration spots seem permanent but cause no problems so I never worry about it.

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post #3 of 10
10/15/12 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 

I fixed the pic but yeah, I don't think if affects anything so much as it is annoying considering the care I've tried to take with them. I think I'll contact All-Clad as well just to understand what is happening. In all of my years I've never bothered taking the time to really use cookware the way the manufacturer recommends and wound up with really cruddy looking cookware of course. I'd like to know if I am doing something truly wrong. My advice came from the people at William Sonoma so ... :) 

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post #4 of 10
10/15/12 at 1:08pm

Oh, now I see.  That is a lot less spottiness than I anticipated.  That looks like what I call "salt spots".  I have those, plus I have blue-ish, yellow-ish discoloration from gas burner heat.  None really matters.

 

Re: WS advise... that is OK advise.  I've certainly heard them offer wome odd advise but that is fairly normal.  Heat pan, add oil, and then the food is the time-honored apprach to making sure the oil is hot enough to minimize sticking.  When boiling, cutting the heat momentarily when adding food reduces boil-overs.  The trick is to add the food, then add heat to get back to the boil fast.  :)

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post #5 of 10
10/15/12 at 1:10pm

p.s.  I grew up in a household where part of the nightly dishwashing included shining up the copper bottom Revereware.  I had enough of that and couldn't be bothered too much anymore how the pots look... as long as the cook without trouble.

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post #6 of 10
10/15/12 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 

Oh me too. We had to polish the bottoms of the pots and pans after each wash. I'm pretty sure that's the source of my adulthood defiance on cookware. When I bought the all mighty all-clad though I wanted to try and change my tune considering the price tag. It was a pretty big purchase for me tbh. Thanks for your help, at least I'm not alone here. 

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post #7 of 10
10/17/12 at 10:05am

Bar Keepers Helper cleans that stuff up in seconds. Cheap and a little goes a long ways.

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post #8 of 10
10/17/12 at 1:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpncook View Post

Bar Keepers Helper cleans that stuff up in seconds. Cheap and a little goes a long ways.

Agreed; that's what I use and have used since purchase. :) It does not; however, get rid of these spots. 

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post #9 of 10
10/17/12 at 1:46pm

Those could have been created by the presence of salt at the bottom of your cookware during the early phase of cooking (for example if you tried to sear a piece of meat that had been salted prior to going into the pot). 

 

FWIW I bought my stainless steel cookware a few years ago and at first was really anal about keeping it shiny and perfect, I quickly developed those kinds of spots on the inside as well, and at first that drove me nuts, but after a while you accept it as being a part of the life of your cookware, no big deal, and that won't impact the taste of your food. So basically, don't worry about it too much! ;)

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post #10 of 10
10/17/12 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 

That is great news. All-Clad offered to look at it but the hassle of that seems silly to me if this is just kind of the norm. I think that given how I tried to treat the cookware, that this was unavoidable.  The pot you see in the picture is one I often make salt potatoes in so you're absolutely dead on with what I made. ;) 

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