As a homecook of many years, I've experimented and did amateur research into the science of cooking and baking. Cooking/baking is full of chemical reactions that happen due to the order of ingredients and temperature of each step.
I feel like a mad scientist or a witch, but the important part is that I'm cackling wildly when a reaction goes as I expect, or even if it goes wrong!
A KEY component to this process that I had overlooked, I would even make a case that this is largely overlooked. It is under-advertised! It isn't hard to find, but you have to know what you're looking for.
Material of your cookware.
Why have I dedicated a lengthy post to this? It is because at my age of 29, I have found that not all non-stick is equal. My parents bought me a nice cookware set when I moved in with my then boyfriend (now husband🥰). It was Analon, so a brand that people recognize, known for quality, and marketed towards homecooks. It was a hard anodized nonstick set. Did I at 23 know what that meant? Absolutely not. Did I at 29 know what that meant? I KNOW NOW. If you do know, then you probably see where this is going.
If you're reading this and thinking "duh?? you deserve this??" then good for you! My post does not apply and I hope you educate the people in your life because after hours of forums on the internet, I feel sadly safe in the knowledge that I wasn't alone. So in case you're like me, let's go over what hard anodized is, what it does for your cooking, and how I fucked up.
"Anodizing is an electrochemical process that forms a layer of non-conductive anodic oxide on the surface of a non-ferrous (doesn't contain iron) metal especially aluminum. This process makes aluminum more durable, decorative, and corrosion resistant, informing its use for various finished parts across different manufacturing industries." -Wayken Manufacturing
What does this mean for cooking? From what my Google research tells me, this gives the aluminum a ceramic like finish to create the nonstick and nonscratch effect. Some will even go further and add a nonstick coating to the inside of the pan for extra durability (like mine did...) However, it also helps with the evenness of temperature and so that you're not using overly high heat when a bit of patience on medium heat will ensure less burned food and non-damaged cookware as you'll have more control over the temperature you're using. There's more to it and benefits as a cook, but I'm not a cooking blog and there are lots to read from if you're more interested.
Onto the point of this post: how I fucked up. Because I didn't know ANY of this, I followed rules for other nonstick that I've used. Which...were dishwasher safe. I'm horribly depressed. I need things to be an easy clean or I won't cook. I'll either starve or eat McDonald's dollar menu. As much as I love cooking/baking, finding joy in my hobbies is so hard on a good day. The thought of cleaning? Often enough to have me not bothering, but that's also a different post time. Because I'd say I could be a mental illness blog.
I digress.
To Analon's lasting credit, they held up in the dishwasher after years of abuse so so so well. Until the recent wash. When I finally noticed something was wrong. Now the nonstick coating on the inside? Perfectly 100% fine. The anodized coating on the outside? Is now a gray powder that comes off when touched. That I am HIGHLY allergic to, it seems. My poor hand still is recovering from the reaction. The burn was almost immediate and didn't spread beyond my fingers thank goodness. But apparently, the anodized coating is delicate. It does not like alkaline. What is mostly alkaline? Dishwashing detergents.
Parts of the aluminum and deep scratches are visible. I've ruined my set. "Not dishwasher safe" is on the website, down at the very very bottom. It was probably on the box, too. But I saw nonstick and that's what I was used to and knew so that's what I went with.
So now I warn you readers that have stuck with me this long, don't just trust keywords. Actively look up what your cookware is made out of. Understand the terms that you took for granted. Obsess over proper care and use of your sets. There are so many different materials to choose from and each brand has its own words and patents, it seems. This has been an expensive lesson in reading asterisks and fine prints and that cookware is not always an open the box and go deal.
Dishwashing also voids my warranty. Cooking at high heats would also void the warranty because the anodized coating is not built for high heats.
So yeah, recommend me some cookware sets😪
