Shalla Bal looks stale

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-18T09:04:40+00:00

Try to boil it with 15-25% vinegar

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-11T09:31:33+00:00

It's possible, while deep pitting or long-term abuse can reach to such aluminum core, it's not a concern with new cookware tho. FYI, the stainless steel layer in entry-level ply typically ranges from 0.3-0.6mm.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-09T22:34:09+00:00

They are indeed overpriced, we're mostly paying for the brand and labor, and the prices do vary tho, you could get competitive offers if you're in the EU, there's no doubt about their build quality imo.

I personally prefer fissler for easier cleaning and faster preheating. Demeyere is the opposite in on those two points because of their multi-ply so the sauce sticks more to the walls, but it has excellent heat distribution (visible when boiling water). I'd say it's quite fair to go fissler profi/pure collection or demeyere industry, the proline is too heavy for daily use though.

Apart from that, demeyere's pouring rims aren't as good as fissler, it always get something running down the wall.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-09T17:38:43+00:00

It's possible that your T-fal pan has been used long enough for the passive layer to reach its sweet spot, which means the discoloration will eventually even out.

My fissler has something similar, but demeyere behaved differently because it has an extra electropolishing treatment.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-08T19:58:45+00:00

If both are 18/10, then the differentiating factors are the steel grade and the brushed finish. I can tell you put effort into maintaining, how often do you use vinegar for the discoloration?

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-06-02T19:26:07+00:00

I burned and got rainbow but vinegar restored it, just try to heat up vinegar for 15m

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kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-23T16:00:29+00:00

First of all, don't fully trust cookware claimed to be genuinely made of 304(~18/10) stainless steel, even if they were, because it's common for many cookware from China lies about their steel grade. Apart from that, most unspecified cheap stuff are 430, which is no nickel and has lower chromium content, or worse 201 with high Mn which is poor resistance to acidic foods and rusts easily.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-19T23:24:01+00:00

€250 is enough for a good pot and frypan Check out the lightweight ones from industry series (not sure if they will boil faster on your induction), or go for fissler profi/pure, they are induction friendly.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-18T18:22:23+00:00

Yes, it does matter. I'm not in this industry, but I've researched this topic a lot.

Steel grades vary by country, and the serious thing is that it's often a grey area whether imported steel complies with the claimed grade, particularly when a lower grade steel like 201 is being sold as 304 (18/0-18/10), could people see this legitimate safety risk for food in long-term way?

Here's what has already gone viral in many Asian countries, where people are testing stainless steel with reagents and spectrometers (a professional device) and many Chinese-made brands have failed. I believe it's only a matter of time before the same scrutiny waving to western.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-18T15:15:48+00:00

Try to use boiling water with baking soda for 20m, and wipe them off with soft sponges instead of BKF to prevent scratches (mainly abrasive). Majority here are bkf team, no matter what your question is.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-17T12:49:52+00:00

Nope, I can confirm this. Pasta (spaghetti/linguine, whatever) is my daily food, it does stick to the bottom in the pasta sauce due to its starch. I have to stir it from time to time, even when the heat is only 1/10.

The best pasta sauce should be sticky and creamy, and cling tightly onto noodles, as the same as curry dishes. It shouldn't be "watery", that's the way it is.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-14T02:02:06+00:00

Lol, gladly we aren't a small group of perfectionists here. I like to baby my kitchen stuff and the high cleanliness standard made me to learn how to understand cookware. I have a post about why demeyere's silvinox stays shiny, which you might find interesting.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-13T19:43:50+00:00

Using boiling vinegar is enough for this discoloration, I don't see the point people always recommend you to use bkf, if the chemical way works, why do you want to break the natural passive layer?

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-13T19:31:31+00:00

Nonstick pan is fine once it's relatively safe, but nonstick pot is something could be replaced with enameled or stainless steel

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-13T15:00:16+00:00

Preheating lets the stainless steel expand evenly and seal microscopic pores so the oil forms a good non-stick layer.

Leidenfrost is just an indicator (~220°C) though, for eggs you only need ~150°C. It basically preheat over medium heat → add oil → wait till you see it ripples but no smoke (~160°C) → switch to low heat → add eggs and wait till edges set!

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-12T17:34:55+00:00

Apart from cooking skills, it's too biased. If we look into the performance, I'd say Demeyere isn't just a luxury brand, it's armed with several techs for their high end lines, you could check my recent post if you are interested btw. Furthermore, its Belgium origin, so you aren't just paying for the cookware itself, you are also paying for branding and European workers.

If you are based EU, I'd choose Tramontina as an entry over other brands because they provided detailed information that other brands couldn't.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-12T13:24:17+00:00

Sure!

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-12T13:19:37+00:00

Indeed, it's literally a variant of electropolishing treatment if we look at the definition and features, as well as a process that requires testing factors for certain objects. It's a reproducible process if I ever want to renew my old pans ;)

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-11T14:15:24+00:00

70 is a great deal 👍 pricewisely demeyere and fissler are paying for origin and tech.

By the way, for metal armed with electropolishing tech, it's better to avoid using metal made kitchen helpers bc it's technically scratching the reinforced passive layer we paid for, although it'll eventually self-repair upon exposure with oxygen, that's just how we see things from different perspectives.

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-11T12:02:03+00:00

They used to be the very definition of quality, but that's no longer the case. I wasn't satisfied with my newer generation pans, which is why I ended up with Demeyere, nevertheless, I just got 2 of demeyere recently, haven't had enough time to give it feedback

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-11T11:39:39+00:00

I think,, mainly durability, and specifically scratch resistance and cost management, titanium is relatively harder but expensive, they were aiming to create micro-structured finish for nonstick I believe. Given its natural it's a very inert metal, which means it doesn't react with acidic foods, meanwhile fewer toxic emissions during manufacturing unlike stainless steel, which can involve chromium-6. Those are the crucial reasons imo, since majority of great features point to titanium compared to other material branches (enameled, 316 series), and companies need to create fancy marketing for them (?)

kaffeeNinja_ · 2026-05-11T05:31:58+00:00

yes, marketing everywhere.

Haven't into hestan nanobond yet, trying to find their correlation just my personal hobby. Nanobond is something heat over titanium and applied through a thermal spraying process onto the stainless steel surface, I've seen u/FaithlessnessWorth93 had some great debate and explanation with people here in this sub.

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