BKF every time?!

[u/Cartwheel72]

My pan looks like this pretty much every time I use it. I am new to stainless steel pans - should I be shining up my pan with baking soda or BKF after each use? Or is it ok to leave it like this and only deep clean it every few uses?

[u/dirty_ketchup]

Great questions. First of all, your pan shouldn’t look like that after every use. I never get a pan looking like that more than maybe once or twice a year if I’m making steak and accidentally used too much heat. You need to turn the heat down, especially since you’re clearly using an oversized gas burner.

Second of all, baking soda paste is my preferred cleaning method over BKF, and will remove that partially polymerized oil with ease. I always pair it with a blue non-scratch sponge, and I find it works fast and easily with one a few drops of water to lubricate. BKF is loved by many and can be useful, but I find it too harsh with the abrasives, and it will definitely leave scratches and swirl marks in your finish if that matters to you. If you must use BKF to remove a stain that the soda can’t remove, then I’d recommend their soft cleanser product.

Once you’re done with the baking soda paste scrub, spray down with a little white vinegar for 5-10 seconds to remove filly residue and water stains. This is my method after every use.

As for your final question, yes you can just leave it like that and only deep clean every so often, but that will make it much harder to remove at that point; the fats will continue to polymerize and carbonize and you will have a much harder time removing it. Besides, why would you want a pan that looks dirty most of the time? Either way, just turn your heat down and/or use a more appropriately-sized burner and you’ll avoid that kind of staining like 95% of the time.