And usually you can scrub stains off with a slurry of baking soda and water or Bar Keepers Friend. Stains don’t show on darker-colored nonstick pans or cast iron, but you can see them on a stainless steel skillet or a nice Le Creuset Dutch oven, as well. That’s not unusual: All cookware stains when you use it. The Equal Parts Essential Pan that senior editor Marguerite Preston is using has fared similarly. Wirecutter supervising editor Marilyn Ong, who has been testing the cream-colored Caraway Sauté Pan over the past few months and hand-washing it after each use, says her cookware is already spotted with stains.
