Stainless steel cookware is common in most homes. You can either have it as a dish, pot, utensil, appliance, etc.
The material is practically everywhere, and that is because they are widely known for its durability and longevity.
Stainless steel is made naturally from iron and chromium, along with some other elements that will be mentioned later.
It has a surface that helps to prevent corrosion which is the work of chromium oxide.
Stainless steel is also made of some small percentage of nickel, carbon, silicon, and manganese. However, when they are exposed to acid or base substances, stainless steel gets disturbed and corrodes.
Table of Contents
Is the stainless steel dishwasher safe?
Not all kitchen appliance materials are dishwasher friendly. Some may cause deep scratches after use, and others may cause other different harm to the utensil.
But as for the stainless steel, it is completely dishwasher safe! The stainless steel is made from different quality materials, which helped in building up an attack that would fight oxygen and air and protect the stainless steel from corroding.
You can always toss any of the cookware into the dishwasher. Just ensure you rinse off the food particles before putting them inside the dishwasher, else continuous buildup like that can increase contact with acid from foods.
Now, if you’ve noticed that your kitchen stainless steel utensils corrode like your knife blades and cutlery set, it may not be from the dishwasher.
It may be from the making of the stainless steel or because you did not dry immediately after use. They tend to last for a longer period if you follow the required process of keeping them safe after dishwashing.
So dry them immediately, and sometimes, it could be that the water you use in washing your stainless steel cookware causes discoloration. And most times, only hard water causes that.
What if your Cookware is already rusted?
Yes. It is still dishwasher safe, but if you want to remove the rust on this stainless steel cookware, you need to add baking soda to the water.
Make it into a paste and rub it on the rusted part. After a few minutes, rinse it off and then toss it into the dishwasher to be washed thoroughly.
After that, dry the stainless steel cookware and store it away.
Some controversies
Some manufacturers have clearly stated that the dishwasher ingredients are very harsh and, therefore, they contain corroding substances that corrode the stainless steel cookware and tarnish their spotless image.
However, some other dishwasher manufacturers have also disagreed on this point that their products are dishwasher safe.
The only difference between an appliance washed in the dishwasher or by hand is the pressure, heat, and the cleaning agent involved.
You might even be asking, what if the handles of your cookware become loose as a result of putting it in the dishwasher?
Then you need to check thoroughly to be sure that your cookware does not carry a plastic handle because if it carries a plastic handle, then the plastic handles may crack.
But if the handle is also made from stainless steel, then it means that it is strong enough to be put into the dishwasher.
Meanwhile, do not put your stainless steel cookware with aluminum steel cookware and silver–plated utensils together in the dishwasher.
This is because it can cause a kind of reaction that will end up ruining your cookware.
Is your stainless steel pans dishwasher safe?
Whatever has to do with stainless steel cookware is permitted to be tossed into the dishwasher.
The dishwasher can accommodate your pans properly and give them a thorough wash.
However, check to see if the handle of the pan is made of plastic otherwise, it might melt over time as you keep putting it into the dishwasher.
What Temperature of Water can you use?
Kindly ensure that your dishwasher is properly connected to soft and clean water. This is because hard water or contaminated water has the ability to cause discoloration over time.
It can also cause mineral buildup in your cookware over time if this is not properly checked.
You might even begin to think that the dishwasher must have caused the corrosion of your cookware, but you need to check the water you are using because the dishwasher may be completely harmless to your stainless steel.
In conclusion, always check the manufacturer’s manual to see what washing style has been recommended for your stainless steel cookware.
Manufacturers vary, and so do brands. This is because some stainless steel cookware may be manufactured with heavy steel that can easily cause corrosion.
So check the manual to see what washing style has been recommended. And never forget to dry your cookware immediately after washing has been completed.