Cookware

Answered by Chris Kimball

For TV, we do use new stuff (although I would love to use old stuff since that is what everyone else uses). That being said, Bar Keeper's Friend does work pretty well. I do find that adding water to a skillet with stuck-on bits and simmering the water works well. Enamel cast iron will never regain it's clean white interior but then it looks like you really cook! (Staub offers dark interiors which will not discolor readily.) Cutting boards will get stains but I have now converted to wood cutting boards. Like the feel of a knife on wood and any stains are part of the charm - I use a dark wood board. Otherwise, buy plastic boards and throw in dishwasher. However, thinner plastic boards always warp and become useless. Yes, we should do a video on cleaning - good idea! Try 1 TBSP of chlorine bleach per gallon of water for sanitizing plastic boards (although the dishwasher or hot soapy water is also fine).

Answered by Chris Kimball

Not really - food will stick to stainless steel. BUT, you should check whether the bottom of your pan is perfectly flat - over time, most skillets will start to warp, developing a high spot in the middle. This means that the oil or butter will end up around the perimeter and the center will be dry. Another trick is to be sure to use enough oil - if you watch a wok-chef, they use a lot of oil in cooking and very little of it actually ends up in the food but it keeps the food from sticking. If your skillet is warped, throw it out and buy a new one but do not put a hot pan into a cold sink or cold water - that's the cause of warping.

Answered by Chris Kimball

You are correct - when purchasing pots and pans it is better to buy a fully clad pan where the internal metal - aluminum or copper - is encased in the outer aluminum and it reaches up the sides of the pan as well. This is especially important for sautéing for example. With a pressure cooker, most of the cooking is being done under pressure where this is not an issue. In addition, the overall weight of the cooker and the thickness of the metal is important. This particular Kuhn Rikon model (they have been making pressure cookers for over a half century) is very heavy and solid. With thinner construction, you should worry about the inside perimeter but with a thick, heavy pan you are much less likely to get hot spots. We have tested this pan here at Milk Street, by the way, and have not experienced any hot spots or burning on the bottom of the pan, even around the perimeter. The big issue is whether you want an electric pressure cooker or stovetop. We feel that electric models do a poor job sautéing and the metal is not nearly as thick as with a stovetop model. You can also consider an instant pot which is a pressure/slow cooker combo, but you are not going to get the serious, heavy-duty functionality of a good stovetop pressure cooker (although you do get the benefit of a timer and other controls).

Answered by Deb Steinfeld

Thanks for your question. What is probably happening here is that, even though you are scrubbing the pan well, you are probably not getting all of the old seasoning off. You need to get it back down to the cast iron. Those dull blotchy spots are places you didn't clean completely. After the scrubbing, try coarse salt and really rub it in. You can use a paper towel. Some people use a potato cut in half. You really want to get it in there. Another trick when seasoning that you don't always see is to warm the pan first in the oven before adding the oil. Some feel this allows the "pores" to open up and accept the oil better. Then return it to the oven up side down with some foil underneath to catch the drippings. Every 10 minutes or so wipe it down and return to the oven. This will remove any droplets of oil that could build up and prevent the seasoning. It may take doing this more than once. Also, once you dry the pan do not let it sit. Move immediately to the seasoning process. Rust can form very quickly that you may not be able to see. Give this a try and see what happens. The most important thing is to make sure the pan is really, really clean of all the old gunk. Good luck. Deb at Milk Street