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Tip: Why Not to Cool a Hot Pan in Cold Water

Why Not to Cool a Hot Pan in Cold Water

I learned something new and very important today while working at Williams-Sonoma: Never cool a hot pan in cold water or on a cold surface.

Why Not to Cool a Hot Pan in Cold Water

Doing so causes thermal shock and can ruin the pan. Rapidly lowering the temperature of a pan like that causes it to warp — if you’ve ever heard a noise from the oven as a pan heats up, you probably have a warped pan. Warping makes it so that the pan won’t sit flat and can “pop” when heated back up.

So what should you do instead? Your best bet is to let the pan cool naturally — such as on the stove top. This will extend the life of your pans.

(Gosh, I wish I knew not to cool a hot pan in cold water last year! I’ve gone through three jelly roll pans and the latest one is warped!)

So, thanks to my colleagues at Williams-Sonoma for sharing this tidbit. It’s one that I am so glad to know and share with others.

How about you? Any good cookware tips to share?

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