All our stainless steel pans are manufactured from the finest quality stainless steel.
Because stainless steel is in itself a poor conductor of heat, our pans have a specially designed sandwich base, which consists of a layer of aluminium between the pan itself and the base plate. This special base aids efficient heat dispersion and prevents hot spots.
Non-stick
Stainless steel cookware does not have a non-stick coating, and this, combined with the efficient base, means that you should for best results use careful heat control. It is best to put the food into a preheated pan, because putting food into a cold pan will encourage food to stick. However, whilst the pan will improve with use it must be stressed that it will never perform in the same manner as a pan with a non-stick coating.
If food does stick the pan should be allowed to cool and then soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will aid easy cleaning of the cookware. Stubborn marks can be removed with a stainless steel cleaner, lemon juice or vinegar, and this should also be used from time to time to maintain the appearance of the cookware.
Frying
During testing we found it best to have a pan on a medium to high heat to get the fat/oil hot. Once the fat is just starting to bubble, turn the heat down to between medium and low and add the food.
If cooking something like egg, it may not be necessary to turn the heat up again. It is best to let the surfaces of the food seal – food sticks most in its raw (wet) state, and if you constantly move it around the pan this prolongs the cooking time and encourages food to stick.
Once the surfaces have sealed it should be possible to ease food away from the surface of the pan quite easily. Cooking like this should mean minor sticking and the pan should not require hard cleaning.
Discoloration and causes
White spots
These are the result of minerals in food/water or undissolved salt crystals. You can usually remove this with a stainless steel cleaner. If the marks have been made by undissolved salt crystals, they cannot normally be removed but will not affect the durability or performance of the cookware in anyway. To avoid salt marks only add salt to a pan when the water is boiling and stir well.
Blue marks
Bluish iridescent markings appear as a result of minerals in food and/or heat settings which are too high. They will vanish instantly if treated with lemon juice or vinegar.
Gold/Copper/Black marks
This discoloration will only occur when a pan has been overheated. It is more common on gas hobs where flames, if too high, can curve from underneath the base and make contact with the sides. If heat is a little too high discoloration will be mainly on the radius of the pan (where the pan curves from the base). If the heat has been really excessive discoloration can extend up to the handle or rim level.
We hope you found this article useful and if you have any questions, please contact us.