Every time I catch any cooking show on TV, the chef is using an immaculate, shiny, mirror quality, stainless steel pan. I always wonder, “how come nothing sticks to it?”, and “what’s the deal with the shine?” The pots and pans in my kitchen are well worn and look like they were put to good use.

In my search for the right set of pots and pans, I came across a few parenting tips for keeping stainless steel cookware looking better, longer. Now, maybe I am the only one who didn’t know this but the secret to making food in pans that do not have a nonstick coating is simple - preheat them first.

• Put the empty pan on the burner at whatever temperature (medium, med-high, etc.) that you plan to cook the food.
• Then let it heat up for about 2 or 3 minutes, literally watch the clock. I don’t need to say (but I will anyway) that you should never leave the pan unattended and that you should use your own judgement about when the pan is getting too hot.
• Finally, add the oil or butter and let that heat up for about 30 seconds.
• Add your food and voila! - no sticky mess in the pan. The only thing that I have had trouble with using this method is potatoes - they still stick.

Now for the shiny part. I have “discovered” a product called Barkeeper’s Friend which comes in both a liquid and powder as well as a few different formulas. It has restored the shine to some of my old stainless cookware and probably works even better on new stuff. However, it is not safe to use on nonstick coated cookware. The only place that I could find it locally was Bed Bath & Beyond. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!