all clad salt spots

[jccooks]

I think its a hopeless case.... but my in-laws used my new all clad giant pot and I have residual white spots from salt in the bottom of the pan. Grrrrr.....

I've tried bar keepers friend to no avail.
Is it pitting, or it there any way for me to return my beautiful pot to new condition?

Help please!

[ThreeGigs]

It's probably pitting. Lots of small microscopic pits making it look white.

Just keep using it. It'll eventually smooth out.

[RShea78]

Lessons learned by loaning is- do not expect things to come back in the same condition, or expect it back at all.

I loaned out my prized 40qt stockpot (roughly $200) to a friend that hosted a turtle soup feed, to lose it the way my friend set it in his garage. My pot got set on a shelf, above some very wicked muratic acid, and the acid vapors ate right through the bottom of the pot.

Even though he replaced it, our friendship seems tested.

[ccbweb]

Your friendship seems tested?

[HaagenDazs]

Yeah, too bad about the stockpot but it was certainly an accident. The pot was ruined, they replaced it, end of story. Oh well...

Anyway, I'm glad there aren't any "rub it with Barkeepers Friend" posts. jccooks, it was worth a shot to get rid of the spots but BKF isn't a miracle cure, though some seem to use it as one. It's a stainless steel POLISH not a cleaner. It makes things shiny and pretty, it doesn't repair any damage.

What were you using the pot for? "Giant" sounds like a stock pot to me?

[jccooks]

yes, its a stockpot... it was some kind of soup being prepared, in my own kitchen no less, and believe the salt sat in the bottom of the pan for a while before it absorbed.
The spots aren't big, just little and white.
Suppose I'll try to live with them!

[BluPlateSpec]

.Don't spend too much energy trying to get it look like new. You might do more damage then is there now. And besides, those dings, scratches, carbon, etc. are marks of a well used kitchen. I bet that if you went into the private kitchen on any of those top chefs and asked to see their favorite pan, it would look like a survivor of a war and they wouldn't trade for any number of brand new $$$$$ pans.

[RShea78]

I was a bit brief, but the friendship issue is with his wife's attitude over the situation. He planned on putting it in the basement, till his wife pitched a queenie.

BTW- I have had larger stockpots and even a 20 gallon kettle at one time.

[HaagenDazs]

What are you cooking... children?! ;-)

[RShea78]

How about 8 hogs averaging about 180 lbs? (Of course that smoker is on a trailer) Once cooked I gotta make some pork BBQ, somehow...

BTW- The saying, "Everything is big in Texas", better expect s-o-m-e competition. Even if is a Mid-Western party.

[HaagenDazs]

Pitting is from salt sitting in the pan with minimal amounts of moisture. It is very localized and not very noticeable in my opinion; they are like tiny little craters not large white spots. Larger white spots could be anything... Mineral spots from your tap water maybe? I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Just keep using the pan and understand that as you use it it won't be Food Network (brand new) sparkly, shiny and new.

...I'm sure there will be many, many posts following this that instruct you to soak it overnight in a warm bath (ONLY WITH DAWN, DAWN WORKED FOR ME!!!), followed by a baking soda exfoliation and finally a lemon/olive oil emulsion rub and polish. OK I'm being a bit sarcastic, but in reality I think you should just leave it alone and cook your dinner.

[BluPlateSpec]

According to Alton Brown you shouldn't add salt to the pot until the liquid is coming to a boil. I know this won't help jccooks but I thought I'd pass it along to help other protect those expensive pots.