We recommend hand washing. The dishwasher would be an option if you could eliminate phosphates from all dishwasher detergents. You can’t, so we don’t recommend it. Many dishwasher detergents contain aggressive chemicals and phosphates that can discolor the baking surface. This can also be true of bleaches, oven cleaners and other caustic cleaning agents. The beauty of our anodized bakeware is that you just don’t need these aggressive chemicals.

Seriously...my pan just went through the dishwasher!!

We occasionally receive a call from a customer (or their significant ‘non-baking’ other) with a slightly discolored pan from a phosphate laced journey through the dishwasher. Discolorations may be dark random patterns, smudges or white chalky spots. Don’t worry and don’t throw the pan away as it still has a lifetime of baking performance ahead! Try first, seasoning the pan with a few drops of good quality baking oil and a cloth. This works well for removing most phosphate residue. For extreme discoloration you may need to coat the entire pan in shortening or butter and place on a cookie sheet. Bake the pan at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Let the pan cool for a few minutes. While still warm, wipe the pan clean with a towel. This process may not return the ‘off-the-shelf ’ beauty it once had, but will effectively ‘season’ the pan for future use.

Restore your bakeware

Let's face it bakeware can take a beating in the kitchen. After continual use it will build up a patina from the grease and butter. Most professional bakers don't mind this buildup, as it actually increases the performance of the pan. Baked goods come out even easier. But many home bakers don't like the look of a well-seasoned pan and want to restore its beauty. It can be achieved with a little effort. Learn how to deep clean your bakeware...

PASTRIES AND COOKIES: Generally, there is no pan preparation needed for these items. Most recipes have a higher fat content than cakes and provide a very effective release. If you are baking pastry or cookies with a low-fat content, you can simply line the sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

BREADS: For first-time use, we recommend butter, coconut oil, canola oil, lard or shortening. If needed, dust with flour for sweet breads and cornmeal for yeast breads. After the first few uses, the baking surface will build a wonderful patina that will eliminate or minimize the need for pan prep.

PIES, TARTS, QUICHES: Most crust recipes have a high butter and fat content that will provide a natural release. Unless your recipe specifically calls for a grease-release preparation, these items generally do not require any pan prep.

Why would I want or need anodized bakeware?