Is it Bad to Pour Cold Water On A Hot Pan?


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It’s tempting, or perhaps even a habit, to place a hot pan in the sink or under running water after you’re done using it. In this episode, Hannah explains why that’s …

46 replies
  1. My name is not Jerome
    My name is not Jerome says:

    WTF, I can’t use metal to scrape stuff off my non-stick pan and now I can’t pour cold water over it or the non-stick goes? Next they’ll be saying you can’t cook food in them or the non-stick will go, what the fuck.

    Reply
  2. Jackson Carlo Ollero
    Jackson Carlo Ollero says:

    Is it bad to use corn-kernel-based measuring systems such as pounds and inches at this day and age, as opposed to science-based ones such as grams, liters, and meters? This channel seems to be scientific enough, what do you think?

    Reply
  3. Rob Burgess
    Rob Burgess says:

    I know I'm late to this 😊 If I feel the need to rinse a pan before it's had time to cool down I run the water until it's as hot as possible and then slowly introduce the pan to the running water, bottom first. I usually get no steam this way. Is this still a problem?

    Reply
  4. Brian Bassett
    Brian Bassett says:

    Sure, sure! Metallurgy got it! SO no more deglazing the pan with wine or other fluids. OR…. do what you want to replace old pans, OR use carbon steel pans which take this kind of use in stride. The cheaper the pan the more you have to wear kid gloves when you use it.

    Reply
  5. Trey K
    Trey K says:

    I would never just dump my pans into cold water but I do put a small amount of hot water into the hot pan when I’m done cooking. I’ll swirl it around a bit to help loosen up stuck or burnt leftovers and then dump it out. I’ve never had an issue with cracking, chipping or warping.

    Reply
  6. Nancy Alfaro
    Nancy Alfaro says:

    What about baking/springform pans? I really like to wash them immediately after releasing cake, cupcakes, or cheesecake and then toweling them dry and putting them back in oven (which is off but still warm) so that they can fully dry the creases or joints and prevent rust. I have been doing this for years and have had no problems.

    Reply
  7. taylor 915
    taylor 915 says:

    I’m notoriously throwing a skillet under water while it is still hot. Except my cast iron and Dutch oven — because I learned this lesson with my Le Creuset brownie ceramic dish where I sat it on a wet counter.

    Reply
  8. B uppy
    B uppy says:

    Submerging a hot pan in cold water warps it. It is okay to add cold liquids to a metal pan, just don't submerge a hot metal pan in cold water. With glass you must always use hot water to add to a hot, partially filled pot, and you do it by increments. Let a glass pan cool before putting it in the sink.

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  9. Karin Brown
    Karin Brown says:

    I have a question about pizza stones or baking stones. I have a square one and because you put the pizza right on it, it stains. And mine is a nice shade of brown now. Is that bad? Lol. Should I clean it or even can I clean it? I don't think it comes off. And I sure don't want to submersible it in water to soak it. I figured, since it's in a 500 F oven a lot it won't be unsanitary. But I'm not sure.

    Reply
  10. Ilostmypick
    Ilostmypick says:

    I've seen many ruined cast iron skillets from doing this in one of my cooking groups on facebook. Also, never put a hot glass pan on a metal stove burner to cool. I did it with a loaf of cornbread I'd made in a pyrex loaf pan a few years ago and learned the hard way. It sounds like a gunshot when it explodes!

    Reply
  11. Generation ProgreXXive
    Generation ProgreXXive says:

    Only because you specifically mentioned All-Clad.. My very expensive All-Clad frying pan has warped and does not sit flat on the stove. This was not my doing, I treat my pans with exceptional care. However, when sauteeing I may add broth to a hot pan or deglazing the pan. I'm about to send it to All-Clad as a warranty claim. I've read others were denied claims because All-Clad does not cover warping in its "Lifetime Warranty." Wish me luck. I find cast iron cookware is far more durable when properly cared for.

    Reply
  12. T H
    T H says:

    I have tile all throughout my house which I used to quickly cool my pots and pans. The tiles are never super cold (though they can be chilly sometimes) but they help bring temps down really fast. Should I be concerned about thermal shock in this instance? Or are my pans safe by diffusing the heat through my stone tiles?

    Reply
  13. Paelorian
    Paelorian says:

    Instead of running pans under water or placing them in water, to deglaze and aid in cleaning just add a small amount of water to the pan. Like two or three tablespoons. Not if the pan is full of oil, obviously, or extremely hot (I would say over 300°F may be too hot for this). But typically you can add a little splash of water to a moderately hot pan and it won't drop the hear much. You'll just have a very shallow bit of steaming hot water aiding the cooldown and moistening food particles. This is a different matter, no different to the pan than the routine task of adding small amounts of cold liquids to hot pans during cooking. Obviously it's OK to add a glug of room temperature oil to a hot pan, or to add some liquid from the fridge to make a pan sauce. Use common sense. What damages pans is rapid temperate change (thermal shock). As long as you're not changing the pan hundreds of degrees in temperature in seconds, you're probably OK. Running water or placing the pan in water is exposing the pan to a great deal of water and can cool metal hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit in a second, causing warping. A splash of water in my warm pans after I take the food out doesn't even cool then down. I'm not talking about a 500°F pan, because the water would boil away and rapidly remove hear from the pan. I'm talking hot pans under 300°F.

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  14. Sidney Mathious
    Sidney Mathious says:

    I learned that many years ago and stopped putting hot pans in cold water, or even warm water after use until it has reached room temperature. I use to work for the West Bend company decades ago and made cookware for other companies as well as for West Bend. Rena Ware was one of the brands of expensive cookware we made and I always worried about it and how well it would stand up in normal use, and there was other brands with clad bottoms on it which I also worried about, but somehow it all held together fairly well in our tests at the factory.

    Reply
  15. tha vvolf
    tha vvolf says:

    Is it bad to leave pre-shredded cheese out on the counter for hours then put in the refrigerator? Sometimes I smell something like fermenting yeast but my mother doesn’t believe me… she 90

    Reply

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