The Secret to Cleaning Pots and Pans

Rachel SandersChris Morocco, Bon Appétit

All the sizzling hot oil involved in a good sear can do some pretty nasty things to your saute pan. With cast iron it's not a problem; the gradual buildup is a good thing because it deepens the pan's seasoning. But with stainless steel, collateral damage over time creates a black, speckled perma-crust of oil burns around the sides of the pan.

I ran into this problem recently with my very favorite pan, a stainless steel workhorse that a friend gave me years ago. It's worth a lot to me to keep it in good shape, so I make sure to give it a serious scrub-down from time to time.

The secret ingredient? Barkeeper's Friend, a cleaner that was first marketed way back in 1882 to polish Rachel Sandersbar fixtures. Food-related legend has it that the inventor noticed that cooking rhubarb left a tarnished pot magically clean, and created the product out of compounds from the rhubarb plant.

Related: How to Clean Your Grill

Fact is, even if you're uncharmed by its origin story, this stuff seriously works on all kinds of surfaces in the kitchen---from steel, copper, and brass to ceramic or glass. (Attention, renters looking to get your safety deposit back: You'll like what it does for your stovetop.)

Just rinse your pan with warm water, add a few good shakes of the cleaning powder, and scrub enthusiastically with a heavy-duty sponge or Brillo-type pad until the steel shines through. Multiple applications (and some elbow grease) may be in order for serious grime.

See Also: How to Clean Your Fridge

I could scrub the outside as well as the inside of my pan, but I actually like the contrast between the two surfaces. It reminds me of all the great searing I've done in it, and all that's yet to come. Now, someone hand me a scallop.

Rachel Sanders

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