You’re about to make some of the best food you’ve ever made! To utilize your Stainless Clad pan to its full potential, here are a few key tips to use when cooking in it.

Generally speaking, our recommended heat range for stove cooking is low to medium heat. Since our pans have layers of aluminum in the core, our pans are quite conductive. If you are used to using less efficient heat conducting pans like some non-sticks or cast iron, you may be used to overheating your pans. Overheating your pan can cause damage like heat blush or warping and is not necessary with premium cookware like Made In. It will also cause oil or food to burn to your pan, making cleanup an unnecessary pain.

Never leave a piece of cookware on heat for an extended period of time, especially if the pot or pan is empty. This can cause severe damage such as thermal shock and even warping.

Do not add salt until your water is boiling. Salting your water early can cause pitting, which will not affect the performance of your cookware, but can affect the cosmetic appearance of the pan.

For more on cooking with your stainless steel, check out our blog.

Stainless Clad lids can create a strong seal due to the temperature difference between the covered hot air inside the pan and cooler air in your kitchen. This most often occurs if you cover the pan and then immediately turn down the heat. Instead, make any large temperature adjustments prior to covering your pan to avoid creating a vacuum. You can also lift the lid slightly if you need to turn the heat from medium to low, for example, to avoid this.

To remove the lid, bring the pan to low heat on your stovetop or run hot water over the pan inside the sink. Allow some time for the air inside to heat and release the vacuum seal. While holding the pan firmly, grasp the lid's handle, and pull upwards. This will release the vacuum seal.

All Made In cookware is made without lead. Our cookware is professional-grade and meets or surpasses all relevant federal regulations. On the product pages, we use a company called Lightlabs to third-party test our cookware and we show you the data transparently.

Premium stainless clad cookware is made by bonding 5 layers of metal together to capture the best qualities of each. The graphic below shows each layer in our Stainless Clad cookware.

In the "premium" market you have things like tri-ply, 5-ply, copper core, etc. The external layer of our cookware on the cooking side is 304, 18/10 stainless steel. The 18/10 stainless steel resists corrosion and rust and won't react with your food. The external layer of our cookware on the element-facing side is made from a high-grade ferritic 430 stainless steel, so it is both durable and magnetic (to work with induction cooktops). Stainless steel provides durability, induction compatibility, and a non-reactive surface.  

The middle three layers are alternating layers of pure aluminum and aluminum alloy, which is a combination of metals known for their heat conductivity and responsiveness.

Yes, Made In Stainless Clad cookware is induction compatible. Our Stainless Clad cookware can also be used on electric and gas cooktops.

Yes, our Stainless Clad cookware is oven safe up to 800°F (430°C).

Perhaps the biggest misconception about stainless steel is that food sticks to it. Thankfully, with the proper technique, sticking is easily avoidable.

1. Temper Your Food

Set yourself up for success and temper your ingredients, or bring them to room temperature (or close to it) before they even reach the pan. Putting cold food into a hot pan increases the likelihood that your food will stick, and food will cook more evenly if it’s already at room temperature.

Let proteins sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes, and vegetables for longer. The ingredient’s core temperature may not be exactly at room temperature, but that’s fine—as long as the surface isn’t straight-from-the-fridge-cold, you’ll avoid stickage.

2. Use Enough Oil

Preheat your pan for a few minutes before adding oil—more on that below. If you’re going to cook over high heat, use oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed or sunflower. If you’re only cooking over medium heat, olive oil works too. Avoid cooking sprays, which can cake onto the pan’s surface.

How much oil you should use depends on what you’re cooking, but in general a thin coating will suffice—especially if you’re cooking something like skin-on chicken that will render out more fat as it cooks.

To avoid sticking, let the oil heat up for a few minutes before adding your ingredient. You’ll know you’re ready to cook once the oil shimmers and ripples across the surface, but if the oil starts to smoke, then your pan is too hot.

3. Be Careful with Delicate Ingredients

If you’re cooking something more delicate, like fish or eggs, then adding a little more oil to the pan will help reduce sticking. But it really comes down to making sure your pan and oil are properly preheating, and letting your food cook long enough before stirring or flipping.

For skin-on fish—which we recommend for the delightfully crispy fish skin you’ll achieve in stainless steel—lay the filet skin-side down, making sure it’s flat against the skillet’s surface. Let the fish cook until it easily releases when you slide a thin spatula underneath. If it’s not releasing easily, then that means it needs to cook longer. Once flipped, cook to your desired degree of doneness.​

For eggs, preheat your pan over medium-high heat, do the water test (see below), add your oil, then cook eggs in your preferred method, whether scrambled or fried. Do keep in mind that the eggs will cook quickly—for scrambled, we’re talking 1-2 minutes, tops—since you’re using medium-high heat. If you’re making fried eggs, reduce the heat to medium-low after adding the eggs, then cook until the whites and yolks are as set as you’d like. Know that if you cook over higher heat, you’ll get crispy whites with browned, lacy edges.

Unlike Carbon Steel or Cast Iron, Stainless Steel does not require seasoning.

We recommend an initial wash with warm, soapy water before you cook your first meal.

These white spots are called calcium or mineral deposits. They’re caused by buildup from “hard” tap water that contains a high amount of calcium or mineral sulfates, which occurs when water flows through deposits of hard minerals like gypsum, chalk, or limestone.

The easiest (and most common) way to remove calcium deposits from your cookware requires one ingredient you likely already have in your kitchen: distilled vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, and other flavored vinegars contain sugar, which can burn into your pan.

1. Cover the deposits in your Stainless Steel pot or pan with distilled vinegar.

2. Put your Cookware on the stove and turn on the heat.

3. As the water is just starting to boil, turn off the burner to let the hot solution dissolve the deposits. (We recommend agitating the solution with a wooden utensil or implement every so often to encourage it to keep working).

4. Once the buildup has completely dissolved and the water has reached room temperature, carefully pour the solution out.

5. Rinse your Cookware with soap (optional), and cold water and dry immediately with a dish towel or soft cloth.

You can also soak your Cookware in the vinegar solution if you’re looking for a relatively easy way to clean off food residue and other stains.

For more stubborn stains, we recommend our Stainless Steel Cleaner or Bar Keeper's Friend.

Yes, but we recommend that you hand wash your Stainless Clad cookware.

Yes! We recommend the below resources for Made In Stainless Clad:

• The Complete Guide to Maintaining Stainless Clad Cookware
• How to Cook with Stainless Steel Cookware
• How to Clean a Burnt Stainless Steel Pan
• How to Prevent Pitting in Stainless Steel Cookware
• How to Clean a Stainless Steel Rainbow Stain in One Minute
• How to Clean Stainless Steel Pans in 3 Steps
• How to Remove Calcium Deposits From Your SC Cookware
• How to Clean a Stainless Steel Kettle

Stainless Clad Cookware – Lifetime Warranty

Made In warrants that its Stainless Clad Cookware is free from defects in materials and workmanship that impact its use or longevity for the lifetime of the product.

Exclusions from Coverage

• Changes in Appearance: Discoloration, staining, or cosmetic changes resulting from regular use.
• Normal Wear and Tear: Scratches, dents, or marks from metal utensils or dishwasher use. Expected discoloration, surface depreciation, or minor scratches from regular use.
• Heat-Related Damage: Warping or deterioration caused by prolonged exposure to high or excessive heat. Damage resulting from thermal shock (rapid temperature changes, such as placing hot cookware under cold water).
• Failure to Follow Care Instructions: Any damage resulting from improper cleaning, storage, or maintenance as outlined in the product care inserts and care guides.

If you need assistance in filing a claim, please email us with the following details and our Customer Service Team can provide next steps in resolving your warranty claim.

1. Your current shipping address
2. Your original order number. If you purchased your Made In items from Amazon or another retailer, please include a picture or screenshot of your receipt.
3. Details about how you use, clean, and store your Stainless.
4. A photo or video of your cookware and the issue you are experiencing.