What's this discoloration in my saucepan? [duplicate]

I've noticed this discoloration on or near the bottom of my saucepan, which stays even after cleaning. When dry, parts of the pan will appear slightly pinkish or greenish. Furthermore, there is often some white staining.

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Is this a cleaning issue (given that I haven't entirely been good with cleaning the pan out promptly)? Or is this perhaps related to something lile my water supply? The saucepan appears to be made of stainless steel.

Best Answer

If Your Sauce Pan is Stainless Steel All grades of stainless steels are iron-based alloys with significant percentages of chromium. Typically, stainless steels contain less than 30% chromium and more than 50% iron. Their stainless characteristics stem from the formation of an invisible, adherent, protective and self-healing chromium-rich oxide (Cr2O3) surface film. While stainless steels are resistant to rusting at room temperatures, they're prone to discoloration by oxidation at elevated temperatures due to the presence of chromium and other alloying elements such as titanium and molybdenum.

Factors that contribute to increased oxidation include high dew points, high oxygen and oxides of lead, boron and nitrides on the surface. For bright stainless steels, process them in a highly reducing atmosphere with a dew point lower than –40oF and a minimum of 25% hydrogen.

How to treat Heat Stains A quick dip in an HCl solution followed by a thorough rinse should remove the oxide "stain", providing it only has a slight "heat" discoloration.

Hard Water Stains Hard water stains. These result on metal surfaces like sinks and faucets and come about when those areas have been exposed to a large amount of affected water. Read on for some tips on removing hard water stains from metal surfaces in your home.

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Why do stainless steel pans discolor?

Overheating or allowing cookware to boil dry can cause yellow, brown, dark purple, blue or rainbow tints on the stainless steel surface. Although harmless, these tints can spoil the appearance of the pan. To remove this discoloration, use a products like Barkeepers Friend\xae and a non abrasive cleaning pad.

How do you fix discolored stainless steel?

Take some diluted white vinegar and scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Then after thoroughly working the vinegar into your cookware, you just need to rinse and dry. The acidity of the vinegar will work to break down the oxidized rainbow layer to keep your stainless steel pots looking their silvery best.

How do you get rid of discolored pots?

Pour equal parts water and vinegar, into the pot, enough to cover the charred area completely. Once again, boil it for about 5 minutes. In addition to the heat, vinegar's acidity will help to loosen the stubborn stains left by burned food.

What is the brown stuff on pans?

Brown or black spots are normally a layer of carbonization which causes food to stick to the pan during cooking.

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