Hints and Tips

Cookware Care

Cleaning
To remove food burned onto the bottom of a pan, fill the pan partially with a weak solution of vinegar and water and bring the solution to a boil. This releases the food from the pan's surface.

Always let a pot or pan cool before immersing it in water, especially cold water. Rapid changes in temperature can warp metal and weaken the adherence between surfaces.

Try to avoid using the dishwasher for pots and pans; the harsh chemicals and high temperatures affect the durability of almost all metals. Stainless steel is the toughest, while hard anodized nonstick pans are the most vulnerable--clean these with a mild soap and hot water, and brush them with cooking oil occasionally.

Use a pencil eraser or damp cloth to remove metal scratches from hard anodized pans.

Bakeware Care

Care and Cleaning
Care of bakeware should follow the same guidelines as maintaining cookware of similar materials. For example, because iron rusts easily, cast-iron pans should be soaked, not scoured, and should be dried with a kitchen towel. Glass can be cleaned with strong abrasives, but you should take care not to subject the pan to rapid changes in temperature in order to prevent cracking. With any nonstick surface, be sure to keep abrasives and metal utensils away from the surface to prevent scratches and damage.

Warranty
Nearly all bakeware pieces should have a lifetime guarantee.

Cutlery Care

Sharpening
There are two types of sharpening for straight blades (serrated can only be resharpened professionally and rarely need to be):

1. Honing (almost with each use): Easy, quick: Draw the blade towards you holding it just a little bit at an angle against a Butcher's Steel five or six times, working from the bolster to the tip of the blade.
2.Resharpening (twice a year or so). Can be done professionally or at home with a wetstone, water and oil. Draw the blade across a wet and oiled stone similar to honing.

Cleaning
Wash with warm water and soap and dry right away (carbon-steel blades will rust). Avoid putting fine cutlery in the dishwasher because the heat and high temperature changes will affect the elasticity of the metal, and therefore its ability to take and hold a sharp edge. It is okay to use scouring powder to remove stains. Using steel wool will affect the knife edge.

Storage
Store in a wood block or rack to protect each knife from cutting or scratching other knives.