Our kitchen is the heart of our home and cookwares are a vital part of it. Cookwares are used everyday and it just fitting and proper to care for them and maintain them properly. The amount of maintenance to keep your pots and pans looking good largely depends on what they are made of. Most cleaning services company, do not offer washing dishes but for those who do, they realize that considering the material of the cookware is significant in maintaining it and making it look like new. High quality pots and pans, no matter their construction and material, are safe to use in whatever normal way you intend. Where you should really need to pay extra attention to is how you clean it.  There are different ways to clean pots and pans depending on what material they are made of and it is very vital to employ the right cleaning method because using the wrong cleaning method can do some real damage. To know more about pots and pans, here's a look at materials most often  used to build high-end cookwares:

Coated Pots

There are 2 types of coated pots: enamel and teflon. Enamel, ceramic or porcelain coated are considered of top quality because unlike teflon coated pots, ceramic coated pots are safe to use even in high heat.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is usually built with several metals. The outermost layer is made of stainless steel while sandwich to another metal, usually aluminum. Multi-ply stainless pots are considered the best because it has features of several metals all wrapped into one! For example, aluminum distributes heat evenly preventing hot spots and burning while the stainless steel reaches high temperature easily and would be great for searing, browning and sauteing food.

Cast Iron

There is a reason why you can see an 80-year old cast iron kicking around at yard sales and even in antique shops. Cast iron pans  has a heavy duty construction designed to last for a lifetime. It is naturally stick resistant and it imparts extra flavor in your food. Apart from the fact that it doesn’t spread heat evenly at once, cast iron is a favorite in the kitchen and there are a lot of reasons why you should use cast iron.

How to Clean your Cookwares Properly

Coated Pots

Ceramic-coated pots and pans’ coating can scratch and chip that’s why you should always handle them with care.  Here are some tips to care for your coated cookwares;

• The coating can soak up some flavor  and if the food for too long, everything else that you cook on it will most likely taste like that prominent spice in your pan. Therefore, it is advised to clean coated pans right away.

• In washing  coated pans, avoid using steel wool as you have to be gentler with ceramic pots. Soak them in soapy water to remove dirt.

• Also, surprisingly, non stick pans need to be seasoned as we do in cast iron.  After your first use of your non stick pans, clean it, dry and rub it with a little grease. Also, for Teflon pans, do not overheat it as high cooking temperatures can crack the Teflon coating might release toxic chemicals.

Stainless Steel Cookwares

Remember the first time you bought your stainless steel pots? They were all shiny and spotless. It’s such a shame how it’s so prone to discoloration and burn marks and after repeated use, it’s hard to maintain it shiny appearance. Here are some ways to maintain and make your precious stainless steel pots look like new:

• Avoid soaking stainless steel pots and pans in tap water. The iron  in the water can cause it to rust

• If you want to remove stains, you’ll have to remove it with scrubbing pad and not by sticking it in the dishwasher.

• Food buildup, grease and water spots make the cookware dull. Remove it by dipping a dishcloth into warm water with a little gentle dish soap. Pour a splash of water into the pan, then sprinkle up to tablespoon of baking soda and rub the inside and outside of the cookware. You’ll be amazed how clean looking and shiny your stainless pots will be!

• Burnt-on grease is usually the culprit that makes the pan less shiny. You can remove stubborn grease spots from inside the pan by boiling equal parts of water and vinegar for several minutes. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature, remove any grease that floats to the top. If the stubborn grease is outside of the pan, heat the vinegar in a separate pan, dip a folded paper towel into the hot liquid using tongs then place the paper towel atop the grease spot for several minutes. Take off the vinegar-soaked paper and wipe the area clean with a damp dishcloth. Repeat the steps as necessary.    

Iron Cast Pans

Cast iron cleaning is a little different compare to cleaning usual cookwares as it has distinct characteristics. Here’s a tip on maintaining your heavy duty iron cast pans:

• Clean the cookware immediately after use and do not let it soak because it will cause the cast iron to rust.

• Do not use soap. Iron cast metal is porous which translates to your food tasting like a Dove bar. Scrub off food and rinse. Once completely dry, rub oil inside the pan, a step more commonly known as “seasoning”.

The brush is a main tool to foolproof easy cleaning and there is no better way to remove stuck-on food on cast iron pans than using a sturdy scrub brush.

In addition to employing proper cleaning techniques, here are some tips that  will help your cookware last longer and maintain its look:

• Avoid using metal kitchen tools because it can scratch cookware, use wood or silicone instead.

• Do not cook acidic food ,such as tomato, in cast-iron cookware because the acid in the food can eat through the metal.

• Be very gentle in cleaning ceramic cookwares to prevent chipping the porcelain.

• Store the ceramic or coated pots by hanging it on hooks, laid to their sides to prevent scratching and chipping. Do not stack coated pots and pans on top of each other.

Investing in high quality pots and pans is a good choice when you’re finally living on your own. Maintain your cookware so it can last and serve you better and longer.