User manual and frequently asked questions ST INGENIO 5 PREFERENCE STAINLESS STEEL

Gourmet cooking made simple and sure in a click !

Reference : L9403302

Instructions For Use
Frequently Asked Questions
Only frying pans, saucepans or saute pans from the Ingenio range can go in the oven, thanks to their detachable handles (ensure that the detachable handle is removed). Utensils should never be used in a microwave or convection oven.
For frying pans: between 140 °C and 195 °C
For crepe pans: between 165 °C and 240 °C
This is the optimum temperature for frying and searing food. This indication helps you cook healthier and at an ideal temperature.
• Use plastic or wood utensils, with some ranges, you can use certain metal utensils with the exception of knives and whisks (Refer to the recommendations for use indicated on the packaging or in the instructions included with the product).
• Avoid cutting directly in the pans.
• Do not gouge the non-stick surface. Slight surface marks or abrasions are normal and will not affect the cookwares performance.
• After cooking, do not let pans boil dry and do not leave empty pans on a heated burner.
• Always select the proper electric burner size or adjust the gas burner so the flame only touches the bottom of the pan and does not climb up the sides.
• Never leave pans unattended while cooking.
• Let pans cool before cleaning.
• Wash the frying pan in hot water and washing-up liquid to remove any dust. Dry it and rub a little cooking oil into the non-stick coating before using for the first time. Remove any excess oil.
• Wash and dry your kitchenware after each use.
A pan warps under thermal shock (an overheated empty pan, a hot pan in contact with cold water or placed on a cold surface, etc.).
Before cleaning the pan, let it cool to room temperature.
A warped pan will give poor cooking results.
Pans should NEVER be used in a microwave oven.
You should refer to the recommendations for use indicated on the packaging or in the instructions included with the product.

Depending on the range, most metal utensils can be used except knives, forks and whisks. However, care should be exercised when using any metal utensil. Avoid using sharp edged utensils and avoid cutting directly in the pan. Do not stab or gouge the non-stick surface.

However, to extend the life of your frying pans and saucepans, we strongly recommend that you do not use metal. Choose plastic or wood.
No. Cooking at high temperature does not result in a significant decrease in cooking time and certainly does not contribute to the quality of the food, so cooking at medium temperatures is highly recommended. Another reason for this recommendation is that high temperature cooking might damage the non-stick coating.
To extend the life of the coating, you should use a small amount of oil when stir-frying or grilling. You do not need oil when boiling or stewing.
It is recommended to remove the handle during cooking when it is not required to prevent it from overheating and ensure its durability.
• ​Overheating can cause brown or blue stains.
• Food films, if not removed, will cause discoloration on the pot when it is reheated.
• Large amounts of iron content in your water may cause your pot to look rusty.
Non-stick cookware:
Non-stick utensils are specially designed so that food does not stick. However, the pan or pot has to be properly maintained.
For that purpose, please observe the following tips: slightly oil the pan before first use and then wash and dry it, repeat the process from time to time if you wash the pan regularly in the dishwasher.
It is also necessary to avoid overheating and scratches, in particular due to use of metal accessories (spatulas, ladles) and/or due to cleaning with a scouring sponge.

Ceramic cookware:
The non-stick properties of the ceramic coating are a lot more limited, both in terms of performance and duration, than those of the classic (PTFE) coating. We recommend cooking with more fat as well as washing more vigorously with slightly more washing-up liquid. For baked-on food, we recommend leaving your kitchenware to soak in soapy water, possibly with a little white vinegar.
Over time, the ceramic base will become stained without it being possible to remove the marks. This will not impair the performance of the kitchenware in any way and does not present any danger for health.

Stainless steel cookware:
A preheated pan and lower flames are the keys to stick-free stainless steel cooking. Preheat your pan on low or medium heat for one to two minutes. You can test to see if your pan is ready by dropping a few drops of water on the pan and seeing if the water bounces around. After properly preheated, pour in 2-3 teaspoons of oil or enough to cover the bottom of the cooking surface. Before adding food, it's best to pat it dry of any moisture and allow it to reach room temperature. When adding food, make sure that there is an even sizzling sound when your food touches the pan. This indicates that your food is cooking on contact and creating a natural barrier to prevent sticking. Allow food to cook without disturbing it until the correct doneness is achieved. The natural sugars in your food caramelize on the cooked surface, developing great flavors and lifting your food off of the cooking surface naturally. If the sound that food makes on initial contact with the pan is more of a crackle than a sizzle, your heat is too high, and sticking may occur.
NEVER USE non-stick cooking sprays.
This discolouration is a normal reaction with stainless steel and heat. It is very simple and easy to clean. Either use stainless steel/copper cleaner, or just pour a little lemon juice or vinegar into the pan and wipe it clean with a paper towel or cloth.
Made of thick stainless steel, the handles conduct heat very slowly. However, side handles can get hot faster than long handles as they are close to the pan's body. Therefore, always make sure the element you're cooking on does not exceed the size of the pan. The time spent over the heat source and the temperature setting also determines how long the handles will remain cool to the touch. Stainless steel handles attached to lids will heat up faster than side handles. For oven use, all handles will definitely get hot. It is recommended to use oven gloves when handling hot handles to avoid burning your hands.
Yes. To avoid the formation of small white dots or pits, bring liquids to a boil before adding salt, then stir well. Or, add salt after food has started to cook. Pitting does not interfere with cooking performance but can diminish the beauty of the stainless steel.
This white film is caused by minerals in the water or from the starch released by certain foods during the cooking process. Either use stainless steel/copper cleaner or just pour a little lemon juice or vinegar into the pan and wipe it clean with a paper towel or cloth.
It is possible to get scratches on the stainless steel cookware especially when using metal utensils. However scratches do not affect the performance of the cookware. We suggest using wooden or plastic utensils when cooking. We recommend not using a potato masher directly into the cookware. Add salt to water only after it has come to a boil. When salt grains are deposited on steel when cold, they will attack the steel as the heat causes them to melt. We also suggest cleaning them with a stainless steel/copper cleaner at least once a month to keep your cookware looking brilliantly shiny.
Non-stick cookware:
Cleaning by hand in soapy water is enough.
The pan must be cleaned each time it's used to remove the film of grease that can stay on the surface. If the pan is only wiped with a paper towel or rinsed in water, the film won't be fully removed and may cook the next time you use the pan: stains may appear.
Non-stick pans must not be cleaned with scouring powders or scouring pads. A nylon sponge is ideal for both the interior and exterior of the pan.

Ceramic cookware:
We recommend to wash the ceramic pan manually, with water and a mild detergent. In this way, it's the most effective.
If the pan might not be clean enough during the normal dishes, you could add a splash of vinegar and water into the pan and heat it. The water / vinegar mixture will clean cook the pan. After this, rinse the pan well, dry and rub with a little bit of sunflower oil for example. And your pan will be as new.
If the base is stubborn dirt, you can wet the pan soak first with hot water and a good degreasing dishwashing detergent. Next, if necessary, you can clean the pan with a plastic scouring pad and some liquid abrasive cleaning detergent.

Hard anodised cookware:
To prolong the life of your pan, we recommend hand washing with a non-abrasive sponge.
An exterior coating protects your cookware from the harmful consequences of dishwashing. It is therefore extremely important not to damage this coating and we recommend that you avoid the use of scouring pads (Scotch Brite).
In case of dishwasher use, it is preferable to use gentle detergents such as a liquid or gel.
Moreover, a too intensive use of the dishwasher is not recommended.
Washing by hand without scouring pads extends the life time of your cookware.

Stainless steel cookware:
For daily cleaning, warm soapy water is sufficient. We recommend you to clean your pan thoroughly after each use as food films left on the pan may cause discoloration and sticking.
To get rid of stuck-on food or discoloration and stains from using too high a heat, we recommend cleaning your product with a stainless steel/copper cleaner. This can be used on the interior, as well as the exterior.
If your water has high iron content, you may notice a rusty discoloration. Use stainless steel/copper cleaner to remove this.
Some parts are dishwasher-safe and other parts aren't.

Dishwasher compatibility:
  • Pot/frying pan part: To extend the life of your product, we recommand hand washing only. In case of dishwasher use, it is preferable to use gentle detergents such as liquid, gel, or powder, not tablet nor sachet. Certains parts may become dulled and discolored due to action of corrosive detergents. Our guarantee does not cover this type of wear.

  • Special handle (such as wood or removable handles like Ingenio): NO, hand washing only, recommanded with a non-abrasive sponge.

  • Cooking lid (excluding knob of magnet-types): YES.

  • Detachable lid knobs of magnet-types: NO, it may result in rusting.

  • Storage seal lid: NO, it may result in deformation.

To prolong the life of your pan, we recommend hand washing with a non-abrasive sponge. For dishwasher use, it is preferable to use gentle detergents such as a liquid or gel.
To remove burned food stains from stainless steel cookware, place cold water in the utensil and bring the water to a boil. Allow the water to cool before washing. A good cleaner may be used to complete the cleaning. The use of steel wool, a steel brush or scratchy cleaner on the polished surface is not recommended.
Handles and knobs may loosen after a time due to the continual heating and cooling of the fixing. If this occurs, carefully re-tighten using an appropriate screwdriver, but do not over-tighten.
• A build up of food deposits/residue may have formed on the pan which may originally be the result of an item of food being allowed to overcook in the pan. This can normally be cleaned by filling the pan with water and washing up liquid and leaving overnight. Then use a paste made up of bicarbonate of soda and water rubbed gently over the pan with a non-abrasive sponge (a non-stick scouring sponge). The non-stick coating should then be reconditioned with a little cooking oil wiped over the surface with a paper kitchen towel.
• The frying pan may have been overheated causing damage and discolouration to the non-stick coating. When pans are regularly overheated this will lead to a weakening of the non-stick coating. The red Thermo-Spot in frypans is a heat indicator and tells you when the pan has reached the perfect cooking temperature. When the spot turns solid red reduce the heat to maintain the temperature. Do not continue to heat the pan on a high heat as this will result in the pan and the non-stick surface becoming overheated.
• If cleaned in a dishwasher, after each use re-coat the non-stick interior with cooking oil to prevent the non-stick from drying out and ensure the best non-stick performance.
• The pan has been used on too high a heat or the wrong source of heat for the pan which has resulted in the pan base becoming warped and distorted.
• Also never put cold water into a hot pan or plunge hot cookware in cold water. Sudden changes of temperature may cause the metal to warp, resulting in an uneven base.
Take care when placing pans on gas hobs as the number of support legs vary and small pans in particular may need a trivet, which most gas hob manufacturers will supply with their hob or can be bought from the separately.
Excessive force on the outside of aluminium pots or frying pans resulting, for example, from them being dropped or hit may result in deformations of the pots/pans. (The pot/frying pan will not deform as result of cooking heat.)
No, the non-stick coating must be applied during the initial manufacturing process.
It is very rare for the non-stick coating to wear off under normal household use. Proper use and care will allow for better performance over time. Most cases of non-stick wearing have evidence of overheating, scratching and/or abrasive cleaning.
The quick way to check whether your pans work on an induction hob is to do the magnet test on the pans. This is easy, if a magnet will stick to the base of the pans they will work on a commercial induction hob.
It is difficult to give a number of years, because the service life will differ depending on the conditions of usage and frequency of use. To extend its service life, you should protect it from unnecessarily high temperatures and refrain from heating a pan empty. A medium to low heat is sufficient. Do not store cooked food for a long time (one day or longer).
Please go to the “Accessories” section of the website to easily find whatever you need for your product.
Find more detailed information in the Warranty section of this website.