Outdoor cookware lives in a pack, over fires and in damp conditions, which is harder on it than a kitchen.
Dry Before Packing
The habit that matters most. Anything packed damp develops smells and corrodes at any exposed edge.
Air dry rather than wiping with a cloth, which moves bacteria around and leaves fibres.
Where a pot must be packed damp, unpack and air it as soon as you get home rather than leaving it in a bag.
What Damages It
- Abrasive scourers, which cut through the anodized layer
- Dishwasher detergent, which is alkaline and attacks anodizing
- Metal utensils on coated surfaces
- Overheating an empty pan, particularly a coated one
- Packing damp, which corrodes exposed edges
- Sand and grit, which score everything
Hard-anodized surfaces, of the kind described at alocs-us.com, are hard and the layer is thin: once cut through, bare aluminium is exposed and will react with acidic and salty food.
Hand Wash Only
Most hard-anodized cookware is not dishwasher safe, because dishwasher detergent dissolves the oxide layer over repeated cycles.
Warm water, mild soap, a soft sponge or a nylon brush.
Burnt-On Food
Simmer water in the pot for a few minutes, which lifts most of it.
Never scrape with a knife or attack it with steel wool. Soaking beats scrubbing.
Check the Hardware
Handle locks, rivets and hinges wear. A handle that no longer locks fully is a spilled pot waiting to happen.
Retire Flaking Coatings
Once a non-stick surface is coming away, it is finished.
Store It Loose
Not compressed, and not in a sealed bag.
Air It After Every Trip
Before it goes in a cupboard.
Never a Dishwasher
Detergent is alkaline and dissolves the anodized layer over repeated cycles.
Simmer Water for Burnt Food
Which lifts most of it without scrubbing.
Sand Is the Hidden Abrasive
Rinse grit off before washing, or you are sanding the surface.
Unpack When You Get Home
Rather than leaving a damp set in a bag for a month.
Check Rivets Each Season
Before a trip rather than during one.
Anodizing Is Thin
Hard, and thin: once through it, bare aluminium is exposed and reacts with acidic food.
Soft Sponge Only
Nylon brushes and sponges, never steel wool or abrasive pads.