How to care for Calphalon stainless steel cookware | Desired kitchen (2023)

One of the most loved cookware brands, Calphalon is widely known for its distinctive cookware sets, especially its stainless steel collections. Recognized as a household name, many home cooks look for this brand's robust and high-performance cookware. But as good as their pots and pans are, they need the right care and maintenance to keep them in our kitchen for as long as possible.

Is Calphalon stainless steel safe?

Stainless steel is considered one of the safest materials used in the manufacture of kitchen equipment. It is non-reactive and generally non-toxic. Since it does not react with the food we cook, we are guaranteed that stainless steel will not leach anything toxic into what we eat.

Although there are reports that chromium, one of the main minerals used to make stainless steel, and sometimes nickel can potentially leach into our food. These metals are very reactive and can accumulate inside our body and cause future diseases. This is not the case with Calphalon cookware, the stainless steel they use is high quality steel that creates strong cookware, but definitely safe and non-reactive. Read more aboutsafety of Calphalon stainless steel cookware.

How to care for Calphalon stainless steel cookware?

No matter how durable your cookware is, you need to take proper care of your pots and pans to extend its life.

Care of new kitchenware

From the time you purchase your cookware (or set) to its daily or constant use, finishing is necessary to maintain its quality and performance.

Never put your brand new cookware in your dishwasher. You must dilute the soap in warm water. Wash and rinse your new cookware with foamy water and rinse it off later. This helps maintain the nonstick surface of the stainless steel surface. Since stainless steel is not naturally nonstick, it needs internal polishing to allow low-fat cooking.

If you load your brand new cookware in your dishwasher, this polish will be destroyed and begin to wear away.

Proper cleaning and care of your Calphalon cookware

Calphalon cookwareis designed for daily use that can keep up with the demands of constant cooking over high heat. To help keep your pan looking pristine, clean your cookware properly every time you cook.

• Allow your cookware to cool before washing.

Pouring cold water over a hot pan or pot immediately can cause the cookware to slowly warp. Your cookware expands every time you heat it, and eventually shrinks as it begins to cool. Running cold water on your cookware forces it to cool, causing it to shrink quickly.

• You should never use strong abrasive cleaners on your cookware.

Abrasive soaps tend to stick to your cookware, making it harder to wash. So when you cook, these layers of soap stick to the surface and thus get into your food. Abrasive soap also slowly causes the nonstick surface to break down.

Examples of abrasive cleaning agents:

1. Baking soda and vinegar
2. Corrosive solutions
3. Bleach
4. Liquid household cleaners
5. Acids

• Dry your cookware after washing

Tap water or soap residue can remain on your cookware, wiping it off with a soft cloth or towel will prevent stains or stains.

• Avoid steel wool as much as possible

When food gets frustratingly stuck to your cookware, pour hot water and let it soak. Do not pour cold water into your cookware as it will take longer for the stuck food particles to separate. Even if your cookware can handle steel wool, the steel wires can damage your cooktop, making it susceptible to rust.

• Do not scrape your cookware with a metal utensil while cooking

I know food eventually sticks to the cooking surface, but never use your metal utensil to scrape off food sticking to your hot pan. This permanently scratches the pan. Add more oil or butter to help loosen the particles. You can also use a wooden utensil to avoid scratching your cookware.

• Give your cookware a quick rinse before cooking

This is to ensure that no other chemical or foreign particles stick to your cookware. These can cause a bad reaction to the food, causing it to go bad or result in the interior polish of your pot or pan being removed.

• Cook over indirect heat

Calphalon can handle outdoor cooking, but it is prone to staining, especially when cooking over an open fire. It is best to place a grill or metal surface over the flame or dry oil on the outside of the pan to prevent soot from forming at the bottom of the pan.

• Season your pan when the food starts to stick to the surface

Over time, the nonstick quality of your cookware, especially your pan, weakens, causing your food to stick. When this happens, you need to season your cookware properly and regularly to help maintain its smooth and nonstick surface. It will also prevent your hob from becoming completely dull and useless.

• Do not scrub against the grain of your cookware

You will notice that your cookware has lines around the cookware, follow this direction to help maintain the aesthetics of your cookware.

• Outdoor or camping cleaning

When you cook with Calphalon over an open fire while camping, you can use the ash to clean your cookware. Fine ash will act as a polish for the exterior of your cookware.

• Always preheat your cookware before adding oil

Preheating your pan before adding oil improves its nonstick ability. Avoid adding oil to a cold pan or burning oil in a hot pan, otherwise it will reduce the nonstick ability of your cookware.

How do you make stainless steel cookware look new again?

One big thing aboutstainless steel cookwareis its flexibility as a cookware. Not only does it last longer, but you can also renew your cookware and use it as if it were brand new. Over time, your cookware will start to look dull or lose its shine. You can easily restore the shiny condition of your cookware by polishing it.

• Commercial polish

We have a multitude of commercial cleaners on the market. They are easy to use and really help bring the shine back to your cookware. Here are some of my favorite commercial cookware polishes.

Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser and Polish

barkeeperis one of the most widely used cookware cleaners out there. It's easy to use and a quick polish will instantly remove fingerprints, smudges, superficial scratches and a matte finish

King Kleen Stainless Steel Cookware Cleaner

This cleaner for cookwarereally helps brighten up your pot or pan. The good thing about this cleaner is that it really handles tough stains really well from burn marks to water stains and oil stains, it can easily clean and polish your cookware while saving you time and giving you a refilled pot or pan.

• DIY polish

Commercial cleaners offer truly instant cleaning and polishing, but we cannot deny that they rely on chemicals to achieve these amazing results.You can make your own DIY varnish for your cookware with fewer chemicals.

White vinegar and olive oil

Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and olive oil. Dampen a microfiber cloth or a soft cloth and use it to wipe and follow the core of your cookware. Do this repeatedly, especially over stains and dull areas of your cookware.

Bottom line

Calphalon is a brand that undeniably supplies our kitchens with durable cookware. One of their specialties is stainless steel cookware, but no matter how durable it may be, frequent use and years of abuse in the kitchen will wear it down. To make your cookware last longer and continue its excellent cooking performance, clean and care for your pots and pans properly.