To extend the life of your cookware, you need to know about its properties, as well as proper preparation for use and care. Aluminum frying pans require special treatment. For many years, there has been controversy surrounding aluminum cookware. Many say that it is harmful to human health, while others refute this. There are also those who believe that the main thing is proper care behind an aluminum frying pan. Now we, together with you, will figure out how to properly prepare such dishes for use, how to care for them so that they do not lose their qualities.
Features of aluminum pans
Aluminum frying pans are produced in two ways:
- Stamping. Such products are made from sheet metal. They have a thin bottom, which very often becomes deformed during use. The thinner the walls of such a frying pan, the shorter it will last, but such products are cheaper.
- Casting. To produce such pans, molten aluminum is poured into a special mold. This type of cookware has thick walls and a bottom, which makes it much stronger. These pans are massive.
Aluminum frying pans have the following advantages:
- Lungs.
- Heats up quickly.
- They don't rust.
But such kitchen utensils require knowledge of some nuances and rules of care.
Benefits and harms
Aluminum is a soft metal, so you need to be thoughtful and careful when choosing cleaning products. Metal sponges, abrasive powders and brushes scratch the surface of aluminum pans. This has a negative impact on the appearance and quality of the dish that is cooked on it, because food will stick to it during cooking. Moreover, the oxide film on the surface, which serves as a barrier against corrosion, will be damaged. Metal sponge and a hard brush damage the film when cleaning. But it can be restored by pouring cold water into the dish and leaving it in this container for 15 minutes.
The use of aluminum cookware is not harmful to health.
Aluminum is endowed with the ability to oxidize. Therefore, it is not recommended to use such dishes for preparing sour dishes, much less store them in them. It is better to immediately transfer the cooked food to an enamel or glass container.
Important! It is not recommended to use thin aluminum frying pans on ceramic and electric stoves, because they have a higher heating temperature than gas ones, and such cookware will deform much faster on them.
Preparation for use
Caring for an aluminum frying pan begins with preparing it for use. To remove residual technical dust and contaminants, you need to wash the frying pan in warm water with detergent for dishes or laundry soap.
A product without a non-stick coating is prepared for use using vegetable oil or salt. There are several options.
Method without salt, with water:
- Boil water in a frying pan.
- Drain it and leave the product to dry.
- Wipe the dishes with vegetable oil and leave for a couple of days.
Method without water, with salt:
- Sprinkle salt, covering the entire bottom.
- Heat over low heat for 10 minutes, leave to cool.
- Add salt and grease the pan vegetable oil and leave for 2-3 days.
Method of heating salt and oil:
- Pour vegetable oil into the product, covering the bottom.
- Add 1 tsp. salt and stir.
- Heat over low heat until the smell appears.
- Leave to cool.
- Rinse dishes without detergents with water.
Important! The non-stick coating will be the thin oil film that has formed.
Means and methods for removing carbon deposits
During use of the cookware, drops of fat settle on its bottom and walls. If you do not wash the product on time, the layer of soot grows, which worsens how appearance, and the quality properties of the cookware.
How to get rid of fresh dirt?
A small deposit on an aluminum frying pan can be softened by boiling, and then cleaned with peroxide, abrasive powder or ammonia.
How to remove fresh carbon deposits:
- Make a solution based on 1 glass of water: 1 tbsp. l. soda
- Pour it into the product and boil for 15 minutes.
- Wipe the pan with a soft brush.
How to remove black spots:
- Pour 4 tbsp into a glass of water. l.vinegar.
- Boil the prepared solution for 10-15 minutes.
- Wipe the black stains with a sponge, then rinse the kitchen product under water and wipe dry.
How to remove carbon deposits:
- Mix baking soda and peroxide to form a paste.
- Apply it to contaminated areas.
- Leave for 10 minutes.
- Wipe with a napkin or sponge.
- Rinse with clean water.
How to deal with old carbon deposits?
If during operation the aluminum frying pan was not properly cared for, then old carbon deposits must be cleaned using more radical methods.
Let's look at the most effective and popular methods.
Citric acid with vinegar:
- Mix 1 cup vinegar, 0.5 cup citric acid and 2 liters of water.
- Boil the resulting solution for 15 minutes.
- Afterwards, wipe the container with a sponge or brush.
- If all the dirt is not washed off, put it back into the solution and boil for 20 minutes.
- Wipe again.
Glue and laundry soap:
- Pour water into a bucket or large saucepan, but so that the frying pan fits there.
- Boil the water.
- Grate a piece of 72% laundry soap and add it to the water.
- Add 150 ml of silicate stationery glue and 150 g of soda.
- Boil the solution and dip the dirty item into it.
- Boil for 30 minutes over medium heat.
- Use a hard sponge to clean off any carbon deposits that have softened.
- Repeat the process if necessary, and increase the boiling time to 5 hours.
Burning out with fire:
- Place the cooking item over medium heat and ensure the kitchen is ventilated.
- Heat the dishes for 2 hours.
Important! The pan will smoke and turn black, after which the carbon deposits will turn into ash and crumble.
- Leave to cool.
- Clean and wash the pan.
Chemicals
The most popular means for removing carbon deposits and grease:
- Bugs Shumanit.
- Gel Pemolux.
- Amway oven cleaner.
Caring for an aluminum frying pan is not difficult at all. The main thing is to remember that you cannot wash it with caustic chemicals or rub it. metal brushes, and also periodically it is necessary to calcinate the product. We explained how to do this correctly in the article above.
Kitchen utensils are most often made of metal, thereby ensuring greater reliability and practicality in use. Although some types of metal tend to corrode, which significantly complicates the operation of products. And when a new frying pan is purchased, the housewife/owner often has a question: how to prepare it for use so that it serves for a long time and efficiently?
The first step is to wash the new frying pan with liquid or non-abrasive dishwashing detergent and wipe dry.
Steel frying pan
Steel utensils are completely free from corrosion if their alloy correct proportion chromium and nickel (18/10), but it still needs to be prepared for the first use, namely, heat the pan when it is new.
To do this, the product is thoroughly washed and dried. Vegetable (refined) oil is poured into the bottom, approximately 1 cm thick, salt is poured, and the frying pan is placed on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. As soon as the first smoke appears, the fire turns off - the calcination is completed.
The final step. The salt and oil are removed from the frying pan, and excess oil is thoroughly cleaned with a napkin. The product is not washable and in this form is ready for the first use.
Cast iron frying pan
A new cast iron frying pan must undergo a calcination stage in oil, which creates a natural non-stick layer, which subsequently ensures a golden crust on the product and does not stick to the bottom. How does this happen?
The frying pan is washed thoroughly warm water and dish soap (for example, Fairy, Aos). The outside is wiped, the inside remains damp. The product is placed on the stove over medium heat. As soon as the last drops evaporate, this is a signal that the pan has warmed up to 100 °C.
Next step. Wear protective mittens (gloves) and lubricate the inside of the hot frying pan with vegetable or linseed oil. Time is given for the product to cool to a warm state. Then the same procedure is done a couple more times: heats up; lubricated inside with oil; cooling down. If a cast iron lid is included, then this procedure must be done in the oven, and not on the hob, turning the product itself over.
Do I need to season it with salt? It is necessary if the new cast iron product is heavily coated with industrial lubricant. It can be extremely difficult to completely wash with water and detergent. Then salt is poured into the pan, covering the bottom and walls as much as possible. The product is placed on medium heat. As soon as the salt begins to change color (this happens in 20-30 minutes), the calcination ends. Then the hot frying pan is also rubbed with oil, cooled and heated a couple more times, rubbed and cooled.
Some manufacturers bake cast iron cookware and create a natural non-stick layer themselves. To find out, you need to carefully read the label. In this case, the new frying pan is simply washed, dried and ready for use.
If the product was subjected to strong mechanical stress(scraped, used steel wool and active chemical agents), then after such a procedure it must be dried over a fire and lubricated inner part a small amount of vegetable oil.
Aluminum frying pan
The preparation of an aluminum frying pan follows the same principle as in the case of a steel frying pan. The product is washed, dried and filled a centimeter with vegetable oil and two tablespoons of salt. Place on medium heat. After 15-20 minutes, the salt usually changes color and a slight smoke appears.
At the next stage, the product is cleaned of salt and oil, and the excess is thoroughly wiped off with a napkin. Rinse with warm water (without detergents) and wipe dry. Although you don't have to rinse it.
Non-stick frying pan
Pans with non-stick coatings should never be heated. In this case, the frying pan is thoroughly washed using a sponge and mild remedy for dishes, dries well. The inside is wiped with a cloth soaked in a small amount of vegetable oil.
Later, during operation, the inner layer can be periodically lubricated with a small amount of vegetable or linseed oil to maintain the best non-stick properties of the surface. The same can be done with ceramic-coated cookware.
Frying pan with ceramic coating
As in the case of products with a non-stick coating, ceramic frying pans do not need to be heated under any circumstances. It is enough to periodically lubricate with vegetable oil and wipe lightly with a napkin or paper towel.
Watch a 5-minute video showing how professionals prepare new frying pans for first use:
Necessary frying pan accessories
To increase the service life of the frying pan and not throw away a practically new one due to scratches, chips and an unwashable outside, along with the purchase of the frying pan itself, you need to consider purchasing the necessary accessories.
Special spatula
The spatula can be silicone, wood or plastic. A metal spatula, and even more so knives and forks, can cause irreparable damage to the non-stick coating of a frying pan. Putting off the purchase of this accessory for later risks the fact that out of habit you will end up with something sharp and made of metal in your hands.
Pan lid
Many frying pans are sold without a lid, which can be purchased separately if you know the size of the frying pan. In addition to retaining heat and odor during cooking, the lid will prevent splashes of food from staining both the surface of the stove and outside frying pan, which due to the lack protective coating, as on the inside, quickly and thoroughly becomes dirty, which impairs the thermal conductivity of the frying pan.
Pan stands
A hot plate and/or multi-pan rack or any other structure that allows you to store pans is not necessary, but will help prevent clutter, chips, and damage to the table top.
Yes, yes, you can do without all these accessories if you take an ordinary frying pan made of cast iron or good stainless steel. But then after eating you will have to either leave it to soak, which is not always aesthetically pleasing, or use a lot of vegetable oil when cooking, which either your diet or your calorie counter may not allow.
Is it dishwasher safe?
Which pans can be washed in the dishwasher and which cannot? A question that worries many. As practice shows, all frying pans, except steel ones, are not recommended to be washed in the dishwasher. The reasons may be different: the non-stick layer disappears, and cast iron cookware it gets very dark. As a result, the frying pan is washed “squeaky clean”, but is completely devoid of non-stick properties or aesthetic appearance. Although manufacturers often recommend the use dishwasher during the operation of frying pans. This is deceit and an obvious marketing technique to increase sales of their products.
All women spend a lot of time at the kitchen stove. And every housewife wants to cook with pleasure. Cooking utensils play an important role in this. The main tools here are frying pans and pots. The quality of food depends on their type, size and, most importantly, the material from which they are made. Very often, women use aluminum cookware. Its advantages are that it is light, comfortable and inexpensive. But often carbon deposits appear on it due to the thinness of the material. This spoils the taste of dishes and the appearance of kitchen utensils.
HOW TO CLEAN AN ALUMINUM PAN
The fact is that aluminum is a very delicate metal. It must be used very carefully, using only plastic or wooden spatulas. And approach cleaning with extreme caution. Under no circumstances should you use abrasives or steel wool. Then how to clean an aluminum frying pan?
There are several options:
1.Mix dishwashing detergent, vinegar and baking soda in equal parts. Pour water into the frying pan (as much as possible), add the resulting mixture there and put on fire. Boil for about 15-20 minutes, then remove the carbon deposits with a sponge.
2. The principle is the same as in the first option, but instead of the previous ingredients, add only 2-3 tablespoons of citric acid to the water.
3.You can use ammonia when washing the frying pan.
4. Boiling in the mixture: for 10-15 liters of water - 100 g of silicate glue, 100-200 g of soda ash. Before cooking an aluminum frying pan with soda, you need to remove all plastic components from it (for example, a handle) and choose a large container that will completely fit the frying pan and which you won’t mind damaging. Boil the pan in this solution for 30-40 minutes. Next, wash it as usual. Instead of glue and soda, you can try 100 g of finely chopped laundry soap. This way you can clean not only the internal, but also the external surface.
HOW TO CLEAN A NON-STICK PAN
Nowadays there is large assortment pans with anti-stick coating: Teflon, titanium, marble, ceramics. This type of cookware simply should not burn. Therefore, it is easy to clean with detergent. Just do not use abrasive, alkaline or acidic products, as well as hard sponges and brushes. For stubborn stains, you can soak it briefly in warm water or boil water with detergent in a frying pan.
But it happens that food burns on a Teflon or ceramic frying pan and carbon deposits appear. This may indicate that the coating is of poor quality or is damaged. In any case, such utensils can no longer be used. This is very harmful to health.
Non-stick coating is usually applied to inner surface dishes, so carbon deposits may appear on the outside. How to clean the outside of a non-stick frying pan? You can boil a frying pan in water with baking soda. Or use the method already familiar to us with silicate glue, as well as laundry soap. These ingredients will not damage the coating. If the carbon deposits are very old, you will have to resort to chemicals, which can be purchased at any store household chemicals. But here you need to be extremely careful so that such detergents do not get on the inner surface of the dishes.
In order for kitchen utensils to last a long time, and for cooking not to harm the body, you need to use them carefully, wash them properly and try to purchase only quality dishes. Sometimes people use the baking method before using their frying pans for the first time, and many have no idea how to season an aluminum frying pan.
HOW TO SCALE AN ALUMINUM PAN
The new frying pan must be washed and dried thoroughly. Then pour it into sunflower oil so that the bottom is completely covered, and add 1 tbsp. l. salt. Next, place the frying pan on the stove and heat until it smells like hot oil.
There is another option for calcining an aluminum frying pan. Lightly rub the pre-washed and dried frying pan with refined vegetable oil from the inside and outer sides, turn upside down and place in a preheated oven. After 60 minutes, turn off the oven and do not remove the pan until it cools down.
During the calcination process, a protective film, which should prevent burning and soot formation. After carrying out such procedures, it is advisable not to use the frying pan for several days to consolidate the result.
You can also use salt to heat an aluminum frying pan. Place a centimeter layer on the bottom, then leave on the fire for 15-20 minutes. Heating a ceramic frying pan can also be done over a fire with the addition of only vegetable oil. This will extend its service life and strengthen its non-stick properties.
In the kitchen, not only aluminum frying pans, but also pots are often used. Therefore, housewives are also interested in how to clean aluminum pans. The answer is simple. All the manipulations we suggested for cleaning pans are also suitable for aluminum pans.
So why are we going back to good old cast iron? Because you can’t get such delicious potatoes, cutlets and “grandmother’s” pancakes in any other dish. Yes, modern frying pans are light, convenient, and do not require preliminary preparation before use, but the taste and benefits of food are still more important.
Cast iron is an alloy of iron and carbon, plus a small amount of additional "additives". It does not emit toxic substances, like, for example, Teflon, and when correct use practically "eternal". Food made from cast iron cookware turns out especially tasty - this is due to the relatively low thermal conductivity of the metal. Cast iron heats up for a long time and evenly and gives off heat for just as long without “burning” food. Why burn a cast iron frying pan? Maybe you shouldn’t even bother?
Why is the procedure necessary?
When producing cast iron cookware, molds are lubricated with a special compound so that finished products was easily removed. And then, before selling, they apply anti-corrosion coating so that the frying pan reaches us undamaged by rust. And all these lubricants must be removed, otherwise we will literally eat them. How this can affect our health is a big question. Moreover, cast iron is a porous alloy and simply washing with Fairy is not enough, because lubricant particles will remain in the pores and, when heated, will pass into our food.
In addition, calcination will be a kind of test of the quality of the frying pan. If cracks or deformed areas appear on it, your cookware is of low quality, and perhaps it is not cast iron at all. In such cases, feel free to return the product.
Removing factory grease
Before you start calcining, you need to properly prepare cast iron frying pan grill: before the first use, you must first completely remove the factory coating and then create a new one so that the food does not burn.
Regular salt will help remove grease from the pan. If there are traces of rust on the dishes, simply wipe them off with a metal grater and then follow the instructions. And it consists of nine simple steps.
Procedure
- Wash the dishes with any detergent until they squeak. That is, there should be no greasy film left on the surface.
- Wipe dry.
- Place the pan on the heat so that the remaining moisture completely evaporates.
- Pour in enough salt so that the layer is no thinner than a centimeter.
- Heat the salt, stirring occasionally, until the color changes and it begins to “shoot.”
- Throw away the salt.
- Wash the pan without soap, just under running water.
- Wipe dry.
- Dry completely over the fire.
It is impossible to say exactly how long to heat a cast iron frying pan with salt. It all depends on the size of the dish and the composition with which it is coated. Pay attention to the color of the frying pan: as soon as it turns from black to gray and stops smoking, the goal has been achieved. And the salt will “pull out” the remaining lubricant from the pores and change color: from light yellow or grayish to almost black.
Wash the lid, if there is one, with soap and “cover” the fire with it. We wait until the oil burns out and the color turns gray. Cool under running water and rub vigorously with salt on all sides. Then you just need to rinse and dry it.
3 ways to season a cast iron frying pan in a modern kitchen
In the old days, cast iron pots were calcined over an open fire or in stoves. If you don’t have the opportunity to season it outside, then here are three proven ways to prepare a cast-iron frying pan or cauldron for the first use in a city apartment using gas.
Please note: all the methods described below involve pre-heating the utensils with salt.
Option #1
Peculiarities. It's pretty simple and quick way create a new non-stick layer on the pan. It is better to use refined oil, so there will be less smoke and burning. You can also lubricate it with lard, our grandmothers did just that.
Execution technique
- Grease the prepared frying pan. It is important to wipe off the excess to avoid drips.
- Place on low heat.
- Heat for about half an hour.
- Immediately place the pan under running water. Be careful: the water will boil and shoot. To avoid getting burned, wear an oven mitten.
- Repeat the procedure at least three times.
After the final dousing with water, the pan will remain greasy, but there is no need to wash it with Fairy - you will wash off the carefully created non-stick layer and will have to do everything again. Just wipe the pan dry and dry it over the fire.
Option No. 2
Peculiarities. This method will allow you to properly fire a cauldron at home. After all, on a burner fire it is difficult to achieve uniform heating of the high walls and you would have to lay the cauldron on its side and heat it in parts, turning it from time to time.
Execution technique
- Set the oven temperature to approximately 180-200℃.
- Lightly grease the prepared frying pan or cauldron with oil.
- Don't forget to wipe off the excess; fat should not run down the walls or drip.
- Do the same with the lids.
- Place upside down on a wire rack or baking sheet.
- If the handle is removable, leave it outside.
- Leave the dishes with lids in the oven for at least an hour.
- Turn off the heat and let the utensils cool on their own.
- Repeat the procedure one or two more times. This will make the non-stick layer more stable.
According to reviews, there will be a lot of smoke. Open the windows wide and, if there are any, turn on the hood. That is why it is better not to start firing in winter, because you will not be able to keep the windows wide open for several hours.
Option No. 3
Peculiarities. And you can do without hours of baking in the oven. But here you will need a lot of vegetable oil. It must be sunflower and refined, otherwise it will smoke a lot. It is better not to use olive oil.
Execution technique
- Pour oil into a pre-prepared frying pan. So much so that the layer is at least half the height of the walls. Or better yet, almost to the brim.
- Warm over medium-low heat for at least half an hour.
- Let the pan cool.
- Pour out the oil.
- Wipe the vessel dry.
High heat may cause the oil to catch fire. It is better if the fire is low, but anneal longer. And try not to leave the stove - you cannot leave the process uncontrolled.
Roasting over an open fire
How to heat a cast-iron cauldron before first use if you bought the utensils in winter or are in the country where there is no way to burn them on the stove? Or if you don’t have a gas stove, but an electric one? After all, a classic cauldron does not have a flat bottom and it is impossible to install it evenly on an electronic stove. The experience of our grandmothers, who burned new ones, will help here. cast iron cauldrons on the fire, like potatoes.
This way you can heat not only a new cauldron, but also other cast iron cookware of any shape and size. You can just make a fire, or you can use a wood-burning stove like a “potbelly stove”, then you just need to open the top lid and insert the dishes into the hole.
Procedure
- Light the wood.
- If it's a fire, just place the vessel in the center of the fire. If it is a stove, place the utensils on the open opening on top.
- Wait until the color changes from black to gray and the grease stops smoking.
- Remove the vessel from the heat and pour water over it. In winter, you can throw it directly into a snowdrift and clean it with snow.
- Wipe dry.
- Pour oil into the bottom and spread it along the walls to the edges.
- Place on the fire again.
- After half an hour, rinse the dishes again.
- Repeat the steps two to three times.
Be extremely careful: the cast iron will be very hot and you can get serious burns. You can’t do without thick gloves, oven mitts or fabric folded several times.
If the utensils are not new
And if you “inherited” an old cast-iron cookware with a thick layer of soot, do not rush to throw it away, if the right approach it will serve you for decades more. According to reviews, the old proven method with laundry soap and PVA glue will help to “reanimate” a battered cast iron pot.
Procedure
- Fill a ten-liter saucepan or bucket with water and heat it up.
- Rub half a piece of household soap into it and pour in one bottle of office glue.
- Stir until the soap dissolves.
- Place cast iron utensils in a container.
- “Cook” over high heat for two hours. Add water little by little as it will boil away.
- Drain off the soap solution.
- Cool the dishes under running cool water.
- Clean off carbon deposits with a wire brush.
Rules for caring for cast iron stoves
Cast iron utensils are practically eternal. And if you take proper care of it, you will enjoy it. healthy dishes“like out of an oven,” and not complain to others that “everything sticks to the bottom.” Meanwhile, the operating rules are quite simple.
- Do not wash with soap. Otherwise, destroy the oil layer. After cooking, just wash the pan with plain water and wipe dry. Don't forget to dry it completely over the fire.
- Do not leave food in dishes. After cooking, the dish must be transferred to another container. Acids from food will easily destroy the oil layer and the cast iron will have to be calcined again. In addition, there is a risk that the metal will rust.
- Do not use metal spatulas. It is better if these are wooden or silicone objects. Otherwise, you will damage the oil layer and will have to be restored.
- Do not wash dishes while they are hot. Let it cool, otherwise the pores will not have time to close and part of the non-stick coating will simply be washed off.
- Do not soak. The dishes will rust. If food sticks to the bottom, simply add water and boil. After this, food residues can be easily washed off with water.
- Do not put in the dishwasher. Prolonged contact with water and detergent will cause corrosion.
If you had to wash a frying pan with Fairy, dry it over the fire and grease it while still hot with a thin layer of oil. Wipe off the excess and bake for half an hour on the fire. It’s better to do this procedure just for prevention after each wash.
Folk methods for treating a cast-iron frying pan before first use are time-tested and always “work” if everything is done correctly. And one more thing - high-quality cast iron cannot be cheap. If they are trying to sell you an “excellent frying pan” at a cheap price, do not be under any illusions, this is a fake that even repeated calcination will not save.
A frying pan is a popular kitchen utensil. You can’t count the variety of dishes that are prepared with its help. In order for the frying pan to serve for a long time, it must be properly cared for from the moment of purchase and throughout the entire period of use. Let's take a closer look at the question of how to effectively calcine and remove carbon deposits from aluminum frying pans. various types coverings.
Frying pans made of different materials: pros and cons
Cleaned differently
As in any important matter, you need to start with the hardware, that is, by finding out the material from which the cleaning object is made.
There are not many options: cast iron, steel, aluminum and duralumin. We will talk about cast iron and steel another time, but now I would like to understand products made of aluminum and duralumin.
If you are not one of the lucky ones for whom chemistry was one of the most beloved and understandable subjects at school, you will be interested to know that the difference between aluminum and duralumin is as follows: the second is an alloy of aluminum and magnesium, copper and manganese in various combinations and proportions.
Aluminum is light, resistant (not susceptible to corrosion and other external attacks), easily deformed, including under the influence of high temperatures, and fragile. It is clear that in the context of a frying pan, lightness and durability are positive qualities, and susceptibility to deformation and low strength are negative.
Duralumin - lightweight, durable and also prone to deformation when high temperatures and on top of that, it is susceptible to corrosion. For the aviation and other industries, this material is obviously preferable due to its strength, but for shipbuilding this quality is not the most important, since it is unlikely that anyone will pass on a frying pan by inheritance. But susceptibility to corrosion is bad for everyone. We found a simple solution - apply it to the surface of a duralumin product (in our case, a frying pan) thin layer aluminum, enamel, varnish, and the inside is covered with non-stick coatings (Teflon, ceramics).
Under Soviet rule, frying pans were made mainly from pure aluminum; today the alloy is mainly used.
When choosing a frying pan, look at the price, you won’t go wrong.
If the price is low, then this means that you have a thin stamped product, the validity period of which is limited to best case scenario three years. Such frying pans cannot be placed on an electric burner, as they will instantly become deformed.
More high price indicates that in front of you is a cast product, with fairly thick walls, and most importantly, a bottom. In our case, the thicker the bottom, the better (from 6 mm). The bottom of the pancake pan can be thinner, from 2 mm. This thing can be safely installed on both gas and electric stove, nothing will happen to her. The service life of a cast frying pan is longer - from 5 years.
How to heat: preparing an aluminum frying pan for work
Cleaning Rules
For convenience, we will call “aluminum” both products made from pure aluminum and from duralumin alloy; after all, up to 95% of the base metal is there.
Before you start cooking with a new aluminum frying pan, you need to prepare it for successful work. And here the nature of its coating comes to the fore.
Aluminum
There are several ways to prepare new frying pan with aluminum coating for work
Wash with dishwashing detergent, then wipe dry with a towel and put on fire. Pour regular salt into the pan so that the bottom is completely covered. Heat for 20 minutes. After the specified time has passed, remove from heat and wait to cool. Remove salt. Soak a piece of cloth in vegetable oil and wipe the bottom. After this, put the frying pan back on the fire, pour oil on the bottom and hold for another 20 minutes. Drain the oil and rinse the frying pan in water without adding detergents.
You can heat a washed and dried frying pan with only oil. Pour almost to the top and keep on fire for 30 minutes. However, it is clear to the naked eye that this method is more expensive than the first.
Teflon
Non-stick frying pan
A new Teflon frying pan should be washed in warm water with dishwashing detergent, wiped dry, placed on medium heat for 30 seconds, then greased with vegetable oil. During further use, a frying pan with such a coating should not be heated by more than 200%. Since we cannot determine the temperature by eye, manufacturers place a special thermal mug on the bottom of a Teflon frying pan, which turns red at a temperature of 180%. This serves as a signal that you can add food and start cooking.
Ceramics
Food doesn't burn
Ceramic coating requires the most careful attitude towards itself.
Wash a new frying pan with a ceramic coating in hot water with dishwashing detergent, then wipe dry and grease with vegetable oil. If you plan to cook right away, cook, if you hang it on the wall, wash off the oil under hot water using a soft sponge, wipe dry and arrange as you like.
During further use, adhere to several golden rules of ceramics, without which your miracle frying pan will crack and turn into an ordinary piece of iron for frying cutlets.
- Do not expose ceramic coating temperature difference. Don't put it under the stream cold water hot frying pan, do not place food from the refrigerator on a heated surface, etc. Even cold ketchup added to a frying dish can cause microcracks that tend to develop into normal cracks that destroy the non-stick effect.
- Do not touch the ceramics with anything sharp or hard: knives, forks, metal spatulas, even metal spoons should be prohibited. Silicone or wooden spatulas are the choice of owners of frying pans with ceramic coating.
- Do not clean the inside of the pan with abrasive (scratching) substances. Forget about soda, scouring powders and steel wool. A soft sponge, foaming dishwashing detergent, quiet music, and your frying pan will be happy and happy, and will serve you faithfully for several years. And nothing will burn on it, and you won’t have to add oil.
Cleaning an aluminum frying pan after prolonged use.
During a close study of the topic by digging on the Internet, the author made 2 discoveries. First, there are many ways to clean a frying pan that has been brought to almost any condition. And secondly, most of the videos on this topic were recorded by men!
Here are presented exclusively recipes confirmed by videos, that is, tested in practice.
Cleaning using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide + video example
A paste is prepared from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. The amount of substances in the composition depends on the area of contamination. The paste is evenly applied to the contaminated surface and left for some time, depending on the severity of the case. From 15 minutes to several hours.
After some time, using a soft metal sponge, we begin to rub the paste into the contaminated areas, then rinse with water. The surface must be clean.
Cleaning carbon deposits with mustard
This method is suitable for cleaning a frying pan coated with a non-stick coating (Teflon or ceramic). Its peculiarity is that the mustard-based cleaning solution will do most of the work for you, and you need to be patient and wait for it to cope with the main problems. The process is long, but not labor-intensive.
- Wipe a dirty frying pan with a napkin after cooking to remove most of the fat.
- We dilute a tablespoon of mustard powder (when there is a lot of soot, if there is little, you can take ½ tablespoon) in boiling water or very hot water.
- Pour into the frying pan and leave for 30 minutes. If there is really a lot of soot, you can leave it for longer. long term, up to 8–10 hours (at night, for example).
- Drain the water and mustard and rinse the frying pan with a soft sponge and warm water.
To clean external carbon deposits, you can use a more complex product:
- Pour ¼ piece of laundry soap into ½ tbsp. hot water and melt to a gel state in a water bath or in the microwave. (The video suggests replacing laundry soap liquid soap and then the product remains liquid). At the end add another ½ cup of water.
- Cool the resulting brew a little, add one and a half tablespoons of soda and mustard.
- Stir and add 2 tbsp. l. ammonia(aka ammonia solution).
- Beat with a mixer, remove the foam, pour the resulting gel into wide-necked containers, wait until it cools and thickens.
- If the product remains in liquid form, it must be shaken before use.
- Apply the mustard cleaner to the outer walls of the frying pan, cover with damp cloths and leave for some time (from 15 to 30 minutes approximately, depending on the degree of contamination).
- We remove the cloths, use the hard side of the sponge to “walk” along the walls of the pan, and then rinse with water.
If the product described above does not cope with the bottom, you need to steam it first.
- Pour a solution of 1 liter into a saucepan. water and 2-3 tbsp. l. soda, boil, leave on the stove.
- Place a frying pan on top. The dishes must be selected so that the diameter of the bottom of the pan matches the diameter of the top of the pan.
- Leave the pan over the boiling soda solution. The time is determined by eye, depending on the neglect of the case.
- We remove the frying pan from the water bath, cover part of it with a damp cloth so that it does not dry out, and begin scrubbing the second part with a metal sponge. If the carbon deposits do not come off well, return the pan to water bath and repeat the procedure.
How to clean dirt with a blowtorch and grinder
The next two methods are purely masculine and are suitable for aluminum kitchen utensils that are terribly smoked and stained with burnt grease on the outside.
- A dirty frying pan is heated using a blowtorch. If it is completely black, they do this for a long time until the black soot plates begin to fall off on their own. At this joyful moment, they put the lamp aside and begin to exfoliate the dirt with a metal sponge.
- Carbon deposits on aluminum cookware are removed using a grinder with a special attachment or grinder. The technique is the same as for grinding. After such a brutal cleaning method, scratches may remain. They need to be smoothed with fine sandpaper.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/uBJDs9oboOQ https://www.youtube.com/embed/c98YuBh7mp0
Boiling in a solution based on silicate glue (liquid glass)
An effective method, tested by harsh Soviet everyday life. Helps even in seemingly hopeless cases.
- Place a large saucepan or enamel bucket with water on the fire
- Grate a standard piece of gray laundry soap and pour into water.
- Add 2 packs of silicate glue (500 grams) and 500 g of soda.
- Mix everything, make sure that the components have dissolved, and immerse a frying pan with carbon deposits in the solution.
- Bring to a boil and continue boiling for some more time. If the pollution is not too strong, 15 minutes will be enough. If the pan is not visible under the carbon, continue boiling for several hours.
- Turn off the heat, leave the dishes to be cleaned in the solution, close the lid, and leave for 2-3 hours.
- Rinse with water and a sponge or steel wool.
In such cases, doctors say that it is better to carry out prevention than to treat the disease later. Aluminum dishes and not only it is also advisable not to bring them to an extremely neglected state, but if this happens, take out soda or blowtorch, who is closer to what, and forward to the sparkling heights of purity.
Good day! My name is Lana Tolkunova. By profession he is a journalist. Age - 42 years. Married. The character has never been Nordic...
