My mother recently gave us a nice new set of Belgique stainless
steel pots and pans with copper bottoms. Each one has a sticker
printed with the following notice:

"CAUTION: ... Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 3 quarts of
hot water. Soak pan for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water."

Do I put the baking soda water in the pan, or soak the outside of it
too? Is this for the copper bottom on the outside, or the stainless
steel everywhere else?

Why do this anyway? What good does it do? What happens if I don't
do this?

Thanks.
-Alex

(axlq in California) wrote in
:

>
> My mother recently gave us a nice new set of Belgique stainless
> steel pots and pans with copper bottoms. Each one has a sticker
> printed with the following notice:
>
> "CAUTION: ... Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 3 quarts of
> hot water. Soak pan for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water."
>
> Do I put the baking soda water in the pan, or soak the outside of it
> too? Is this for the copper bottom on the outside, or the stainless
> steel everywhere else?
>
> Why do this anyway? What good does it do? What happens if I don't
> do this?
>
> Thanks.
> -Alex
>

The pots were probably rinsed in a mild acid solution as part of the
manufacturing. The baking Soda will nuetralize the acid.

--
And the beet goes on! (or under)
-me just a while ago

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 11:21:32 GMT, hahabogus > wrote:

(axlq in California) wrote in
:
>
>>
>> My mother recently gave us a nice new set of Belgique stainless
>> steel pots and pans with copper bottoms. Each one has a sticker
>> printed with the following notice:
>>
>> "CAUTION: ... Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 3 quarts of
>> hot water. Soak pan for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water."
>>
>> Do I put the baking soda water in the pan, or soak the outside of it
>> too? Is this for the copper bottom on the outside, or the stainless
>> steel everywhere else?
>>
>> Why do this anyway? What good does it do? What happens if I don't
>> do this?
>>
>> Thanks.
>> -Alex
>>
>
>The pots were probably rinsed in a mild acid solution as part of the
>manufacturing. The baking Soda will nuetralize the acid.

No that's not it. Copper is coated with something (maybe a lacquer)
after being manufactured. It keeps the copper from discoloring during
it's time in stock so it looks "new" when you open it. I bought an
armload of copper pieces over a year ago and they look new as I've not
dissolved them. Someday I'll use them and have to go through the
process. They're at the other house so I can't look at the
directions, but I think they said to use something other than baking
soda. I dunno.

Gar

axlq in California saw Sally selling seashells by the seashore and
told us all about it on Sun, 7 Dec 2003 23:15:38 +0000 (UTC):

>
>My mother recently gave us a nice new set of Belgique stainless
>steel pots and pans with copper bottoms. Each one has a sticker
>printed with the following notice:
>
>"CAUTION: ... Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 3 quarts of
>hot water. Soak pan for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water."
>
>Do I put the baking soda water in the pan, or soak the outside of it
>too? Is this for the copper bottom on the outside, or the stainless
>steel everywhere else?
>
>Why do this anyway? What good does it do? What happens if I don't
>do this?

To make sure there isn't any 'factory gunk' in or on the pot... you
don't really want to eat industrial lubricant do you? Bicarb is mildly
abrasive and also dissolves the gunk.

(huggles)

~Karen AKA Kajikit

Nobody outstubborns a cat...

Visit my webpage: http://www.kajikitscorner.com
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