Your frying pans probably get a lot of use regularly. Your frying pan will probably wind up in the sink by the end of the day, whether you cooked eggs for breakfast or steak for the evening. Learn the right cleaning and maintenance techniques for this kitchen essential, whether you use the Non-Stick, Stainless Clad, or Carbon Steel version.
Here, we’ll provide some essential details about each material, including cleaning instructions. To begin cleaning, take out as much food as you can and let the items completely cool. After cleaning is complete, make sure to completely dry your pans before storing them to prevent rusting.
How to clean a frying pan
Non-Stick Pans
Extreme temperature changes should be avoided at all costs when using nonstick cookware since they can harm the surface coating. For just this reason, you should not run cold water over a hot pan.
Instead, wash your pan in warm water using a soft dishrag or sponge and a moderate dishwashing agent after it has cooled. Avoid using harsh cleaners or anything excessively abrasive, such as steel wool. In addition to putting your nonstick frying pan in the dishwasher, doing so can degrade the nonstick coating, making the pan more difficult to use for cooking.
Stainless-clad frying pans
All Stainless Due to their use of a burnished, encased steel alloy, frying pans have the hardest surface of the three frying pan materials. However, you should only wash them by hand. A little too much heat can cause rainbow discoloration in Stainless Clad Cookware, despite the fact that it is non-reactive and made to cook uniformly.
Use a non-abrasive sponge and warm, soapy water to start. Soak any charred residue in hot water first before cleaning it with a cleaner made for stainless steel.
If you don’t have one of those, you can put in a little more effort and use kitchen utensils that you already own. The rainbow can be eliminated with a vinegar rinse, and food that has become stuck can be eliminated with a baking soda and water paste. The surface of your pan may be scratched by abrasive cleaners that are not designed specifically for stainless steel, and steel wool may actually leave behind microscopic particles that will contaminate troublesome rust patches.
Carbon Steel Frying Pans
The surface of Carbon Steel Frying Pans is a special mixture of Cast Iron and Stainless Steel. Make use of the Cast Iron side of your Carbon Steel when washing it. Its seasoning will be destroyed by soap and water, and you shouldn’t even consider putting it near a dishwasher.
Start by blotting out any extra fat with a paper towel in order to keep its flavor. You can add a small quantity of water, bring it to a boil, and then scrape the surface with a spatula to remove any remaining pieces of extremely tenacious food. To re-season your pan, completely dry it off and then coat it with some oil.
Depending on how bad the problem is, you could also scrub the pan with coarse salt. Pour in about a cup of salt while it’s still warm but not hot, then use a folded dish towel to work the salt into the surface. To prevent rusting, throw away the salt and give the pan a hot water cleaning before thoroughly drying it. Coat the surface of your frying pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil or the equivalent quantity of rendered lard to re-season it. This will maintain the frying surface’s natural nonstick properties.
Tips for cleaning a frying pan
- The hands-off appliance’s high heat and harsh conditions can hasten the deterioration of the slippery coating that makes your seared salmon slide right out with ease.
- Even if the surface of your nonstick pan is dishwasher-safe, hot temperatures and abrasive detergents will damage it.
- The quickest way to clean a nonstick pan is to immediately wash it (without burning yourself on a hot pan, of course). The majority of debris will rinse off easily if you clean the pans soon away. If you take fast action to deal with any debris, the nonstick quality that keeps most food from sticking will also prevent most detritus from doing so. Food will certainly stick to a pan more readily the longer it is left out.
- The nonstick coating on your pans can also be damaged by steel wool and even those plastic scouring pads that are only somewhat less powerful.
- Try an all-natural option as an alternative to harsh household cleaners that include corrosive acids. To make baking soda into a paste the consistency of toothpaste, combine it with water or olive oil. This is a fantastic green cleaning alternative that can even get rid of grease that has burned on.
- A little lubricant will make your kitchen instruments work better. While a nonstick pan doesn’t require seasoning like cast iron does, rubbing it with oil both before and after use can help to preserve the surface.
- Dry your pan fully after oiling it, then store it securely. To prevent scratching and surface damage while stacking the nonstick pan with other items, use a dry, clean washcloth, dish towel, or reusable paper towel between each item.
- When cooking, if a pan is used to sear food or otherwise acquires a caramelized, dark, or blackened crust, it should be placed back on the heat source with some dish soap and water to hide the stains. By doing this, the residue won’t dry on the pan and cleanup will be lot simpler. It might even totally remove the stain if you heat the pan and let it simmer for a while.
- Even if they don’t seem to be dirty from use, always give the piece’s bottom and the handle joint a little scrape.
This is all you needed to know regarding what’s the proper way to clean a frying pan. If you are aware of the cookware type and have all the cleaning necessities at hand, this is an easy job for you.
