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Aug 24, 2023

Kitchen hygiene, safety: Is it time to change your saucepans?

16 hours ago No Comment Every homemaker spends time in the kitchen preparing meals in saucepans. Most people use saucepans for over five years and more until the pan’s bottom wears out. Evelyn

16 hours ago

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Every homemaker spends time in the kitchen preparing meals in saucepans. Most people use saucepans for over five years and more until the pan’s bottom wears out.

Evelyn Nakamya, a chef in Zanna, says a saucepan should be used for between seven to 10 years so as to avoid consuming contaminated food. And it should not be overly burnt. “Why would one cook food to the extent of letting the saucepan get burnt?

Burning food in a saucepan damages it. To avoid the black coating, Nakamya advises people to massage saucepans with cooking oil on the outer layer before using them.

The oil makes it hard for the black coating to stick on the saucepan, but it is easily cleaned off by water when it is being washed.

Stainless saucepans

Unlike non-stick pans, stainless steel is one of the finest materials available for cookware because it is durable and attractive. However, stainless steel can present some tough cleaning challenges if used improperly. It is important to establish a regular cleaning routine for your cookware and to learn how to effectively clean tough stains.

It is also possible to season stainless steel pans to give them a non-sticky surface, which prevents food from sticking and makes cleaning your pans a lot easier. The life span of saucepans and pots entirely depends on the way they are cleaned and stored. The tools used in the saucepan while cooking also have a lot to do with the lifespan of saucepans.

Robinah Ssemaganda, a health practitioner, says saucepans should be hang on special rails that are found in cupboards.

According to her, homeowners should avoid using steel wool to clean saucepans, because it peels off very tiny particles that can cause danger to one’s health in the long run due to eating them in excess amounts. Ssemaganda also says scrubbing of any item that prepares edibles is dangerous.

“Apart from wearing out, the materials used to scrub utensils have very tiny aluminum particles that usually peel as they are being cleaned. These tends to get in contact with the food or anything that is being cooked in it, thus leading to the spread of cancer. Caution should always be taken in situations where people’s health could be in danger,” she says.

Ssemaganda also says saucepans must be cleaned and dried after use to prolong their lifespan. This is because, when a saucepan is kept while it is wet, it stains that particular part. “The best thing is to keep it while facing down or to hang it in a place that receives enough light and is very specious for it to breathe,” she advises.

Pour out the boiled water, and clean the pan with a scouring pad until thoroughly clean. Rinse and wipe dry. “Usually, when people have food stuck in their saucepans, they get a spoon and try to scoop the food out, which normally leaves the pan scratched and looking old. This is wrong. If you can’t have the water boiled, just pour water into the saucepan and let it sit for about 30 minutes before scouring it clean,” Muhindo cautions.

To avoid smoke coatings, especially when cooking on firewood, mix ash with water to make a paste. Apply the paste on the surface of the pan to make a thick coating and leave it to dry. This way, the smoke will stop at the ash coatings instead of getting directly onto the pan.

After cooking, one can just scrub off the dried ash paste and the pan will shine again. “However, for stronger smoke coatings, use hydrogen peroxide. This is a bleaching agent and an antiseptic that will help you easily get those stains and smoke off. In the water used for scouring that saucepan, add a good amount of hydrogen peroxide and a scouring powder or soap.

Soak the side of the pan you want to scrub for a few minutes and use a scouring pad to scrub clean. Scrub until desired results are attained. Rinse and dry,” she explains.

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