How clean should the outside of pots and pans be scrubbed?

How clean should the outside of pots and pans be scrubbed? - Elephant swimming in blue water

I’m the official pot-scrubber in our household. I have a question on how clean one should scrub the outside of stainless and copper pots and pans and whether this is merely an aesthetic choice.

I note that cast iron cookware shouldn’t be scrubbed at all.

Does keeping the outsides of stainless and copper pots and pans serve any purpose other than aesthetics? For example: might heat transfer be better if the bottoms were shiny instead of blackened?



Best Answer

I think this is purely aesthetic. The outside of my stainless cookware looks terrible. The oils polymerize and are really difficult to clean after that point. I don't worry about it too much, though I have a friend who takes great care to keep his stainless shiny. I doubt the buildup is enough to impact heat transfer.




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Quick Answer about "How clean should the outside of pots and pans be scrubbed?"

Because not all cookware is made from the same material, cleaning their outer surfaces should be done with care in mind. To clean aluminum pots and pans, rub the outsides with a bit of salt and lemon water and take special care to avoid cleaning agents like ammonia and chlorine bleach, which can discolor your cookware.



Clean The Bottom of Your Pots or Pans - WORKS EVERY SINGLE TIME




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