Have you ever wondered what those ‘rainbow stains’ are at the bottom of your stainless steel pots and pans?  15 minutes of scrubbing later with soap and water, and I cannot seem to get it off.  Are my pots and pans just cheap?  Is it affecting my sumptuous Boeuf bourguignon?

First let me put your mind to rest, these stains are purely aesthetic and have no effect on your cooking performance.  These rainbow stains on stainless steel are an artefact known as ‘heat tint’.  Stainless steel contains small amounts of chromium to help resist corrosion and rust.  When chromium and air mix, a protective layer is formed.  When the stainless steel is then heated to high temperatures this oxidised layer may thicken, causing the rainbow tint.  This effect may also be caused by rapid heating.

So how do you remove these coloured stains? A mixture of white vinegar and water in a 1:1 portion in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the layer) followed by light scrubbing with a non-abrasive material should remove the stain.