You’ve got a friend

This inexpensive product will change the way you clean your kitchen

My all-clad stainless steel pots are some of the most expensive purchases I’ve made for my kitchen. Worth it, but not the type of stuff I can afford to buy frequently. So a few years ago when I was covetinga 10- inch lidded skillet that was on sale at a soon-to-be-shuttered department store near my parents’ house, I ultimately decided against the purchase. My dad went back after I’d gone home and picked it up for me. I was thrilled.

I was equally thrilled later when my husband pulled out the skillet to make an Indian okra dish. This involved frying the vegetable in several skillets on the cook top. Something went awry and the bottomof the new pan went from pristine to black. We cleaned what little we could and off it went to languish for way too long in our cabinet.

Finally, I bought some Bar Keepers Friend, which I always heard culinary folks recommend. But it, too, sat around unused, because I was sure nothing could fix the skillet. One day I finally decided to give it a shot and, BAM!, the skillet looked practically new.

I am now a believer of this cheap, easy cleaning product. I got a can for less than $3.99 at my grocery store, so really, no cook should be without it. Here’s what you should know about Bar Keepers Friend:

WHAT IS IT ?

Bar Keepers Friend comes in a powder, which I prefer for scrubbing tough mess es, and a pre-mixed liquid that is better for fairly minor upkeep. The main components are oxalic acid, which occurs naturally in vegetables such as asparagus, spinach and rhubarb( the story goes that it was originally discovered by a chemist in 1882 after he boiled rhubarb and noticed how shiny hi spot was ); abrasives, which serve as little scrubbers; and detergents, or non-bleach-containing cleaners. It’s pretty mild, too — you don’t have to wear gloves, alt houg hi prefer to.

When the rhubarb-boiling chemist began to distribute it, it had no name. After he realized his discovery could clean brass and copper, he started selling to bars and saloons, where those metals were in heavy use.

HOW DO YOU USE IT ?

Water and elbow grease. Wet the surface of what you’re cleaning, apply the cleaner and scrub away. Don’t leave the cleaner on the surface for more than a minute or so before you start scrubbing, or else the acid might create spots or etch the surface. You can scrub with a sponge or cloth, but stay away from a very abrasive scrub pad, especially if you’re applying the product to your cook top.

WHAT DOES IT REMOVE AND ON WHAT SURFACES?

I’ve used Bar Keepers Friend to clean burned oil residue, baked-on food and unsightly brown stains from the inside of my enamelled cast iron Dutch oven. You can also use it to shine up stainless steel cookware, but also sinks( appliances are trickier, because it’s not recommended for brushed stainless steel or surfaces that have a protective layer intended to prevent fingerprints). It’s also recommended for copper, brass, tile, ceramic, fibreglass and chrome, meaning Bar Keepers Friend is also popular for cleaning bathrooms, yard tools and even car or motorcycle parts. The cleaner can remove rust, soap scum, and hard water deposits.

WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT USE IT ON?

Bar Keepers Friend should not be applied to non-stick cookware, since its coating can be scratched off by the cleaner. It’s also powerful enough to remove the seasoning from cast-iron pans, so unless you are restoring a rusted piece and/or stripping it to re-season, stick to a little bit of dish soap. Bar Keepers Friend can damage granite or marble, and pewter, silver and gold. It’s not ideal for more delicate surfaces (lacquered, painted or mirrored), or wood either.