The Tomato Trick That Makes Stainless Steel Pans Look Brand New

There are plenty of lists out there for the best cleaners to use on stainless-steel appliances, but they can include toxic ingredients that come with health and environmental risks. However, a cheap, safe, and effective alternative may already be in your pantry. You can add canned tomatoes to the list of natural cleaning ingredients that you'll want a healthy stock of in your home. A handy trick circulating on social media and food blogs will help you get your pots and pan looking their best again. So, how does it work?

There are a few different tomato methods you can try that will yield similar results. The first option is to take crushed tomatoes and simmer them in the pan for about 30 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning and more build-up. Then rinse the pan out with regular dish soap and water for a clear shine. To remove residue from the food you've cooked, try covering your pans in a thick layer of tomato paste. Let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, then scrub it clean with the bristle side of a sponge before rinsing. Your pans should look brand new again.

Before we dig deeper into tomatoes, let's cover what causes stainless steel to "stain," since the name implies it is immune to the problem. Genuine stainless-steel cookware is made with chromium, a hard silver metal that helps protect regular steel from corrosion. It is what gives metal that shiny and sleek exterior that makes us love stainless-steel cookware so much. However, when chromium mixes with oxygen, it creates those blueish marks that look like rainbows and ruin the aesthetic of your beautiful cookware. The phenomenon is known as "heat tint." It is common and happens when stainless-steel pots are excessively heated.

What makes tomatoes so special, you ask? It is simple. Tomatoes are a high acidic food because they have a pH range of 4.30 to 4.90. Foods with pH levels below 4.60 are considered high in acidity. Although there doesn't seem to be scientific evidence to back up this claim, many online users have sworn by tomatoes as a great way to break through layers of dirt and grime to remove pesky marks and restore stainless steel back to its original shine. It is important to note the discoloration will not impact the ability of your pots and pans to sear, sauté, or simmer all your favorite foods, you should still keep an eye on them to know when your stainless-steel pan needs a deep clean. That is when the tomato method would come in handy.