In the directions with my stainless steel All-Clad pan, it says that salt might cause brown spots or pitting. They suggest that you cook your food for a bit before adding salt.

I've heard (and experienced) that adding salt to a saucepan or skillet with COLD liquid/oil causes pitting, which is why I always wait until the water is simmering or oil is "psychedelic."

(disclaimer: I am a risk taker. Whenever I read/hear something that strikes me as preposterous/riduculous/ocd, I tend to store it in File 13 - after due diligence, of course)

I've read this too and have heard warnings from others' testimonies. I can't speak to those but I can share my own experience. My stainless steel cookware is 35 yrs old and has lots of mileage. Lots. It looks brand new. That said,,,

QUOTE: I've read that adding salt to stainless steel cookware before adding liquid will cause pitting..... Is it OK to put salted pieces of meat onto a stainless steel with just oil in it?

I would consider the oil as as a 'liquid'. There may well be some real science behind the [origins of] this warning BUT who would add salt to a hot, dry pan? I can't even imagine a scenario in which even a novice would do such a thing.

Hope this helps....

I once brined a small turkey in a large stock pot and the high salt content did cause some minor pitting.

I don't know about pitting, but it will leave marks. I have done it and then read up on the phenomena.

Basically, this is only a problem when putting salt in a cold stainless steel pan so searing your salted steak in a heated pan is not going to be an issue.

I had filled my nice new shiny pan with cold water for pasta and added rock salt before turning on the heat. The result; nice little white and rust-colored spots in the middle of my pan which exactly were the salt was that will never go away - another reason to wait until the water starts to boil to add salt!

"Do not add salt to cold water. Instead, wait for the water to boil and then stir in the salt. Adding salt to cold water may lead to extremely high salt concentrations at the bottom of the pot, which can cause corrosion spots on the bottom. While such spots on the stainless steel do not affect the performance of the pot, they are difficult – if not impossible – to remove. "
http://www.fissler.com/de/service/handling_care/stainless_steel_products.html

BTW, I purchased expensive Stainless Steel Pot cleaner and it had a slightly gritty consistency. Now I only buy soft-scrub! It's great for any baked-on ultra caramelized messes on the inside and ancient brown stains on the outside of the pot. Be sure to scrub in the direction of the steel if "brushed" finish. If you have the Soft Scrub with bleach rinse it off within minutes because bleach is also corrosive and can eventually make a hole in the pan! And no... it will not remove stains caused by salt. : (

Ciao,

L

I only cook with All Clad's stainless (and with cast iron) and I've never had any problems with pitting. Salted meat, in oil, shouldn't be a concern but salted meat in a dry skillet on heat would be a problem. For instance the recipes for salting prawns, and roasting them on high heat in a dry skillet, that'll pit most cookware (so it's definitely not something you want to do if you spend serious money on it).

@Laura -- try Bar Keeper's Friend. The powder works well, but the liquid can be better for certain applications. It keeps my stainless (All Clad) beautiful; in fact, it is the product recommended by the manufacturer, as it does not scratch.