We No Longer Hand-Wash the Cooking Set

When we procured our newest cooking set about a year ago, I remember being somewhat disappointed at all of the warnings printed on the box about the possibility of damaging the pieces if washed in a dishwasher. This particular set cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $300, and for that amount, one would expect a reasonably durable set of pots and pans that could withstand getting wet.

Nonetheless, the threat of voiding the warranty--along with the illusion that these pots and pans must be something special if they are to be treated so gingerly--was sufficient incentive to heed the warning, and we complied.

This caused some mild distress now and then, as the excitement of using a new pot or pan was somewhat tempered by the prospect of having to wash it by hand after use. Being the resilient individuals that we are, we pressed on and boldly made use of the cookware, dutifully washing each piece by hand whenever one was used.

My son took over kitchen cleaning duties several months ago, and this eventually led to the turning point in the way our pots and pans are cleaned.

As part of his chore, he was tasked with rinsing pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and other items which accumulate in the sink, and put them in the dishwasher. Of course, he was told sternly not to put any pots and pans from the newest cookware set into same dishwasher.

In hindsight, it was inevitable that my son would eventually fail to properly distinguish between a new pot and an older one, and this inevitability revealed itself one day as I was emptying the dishwasher: there it was, a large pot from our newest cookware set. It had gone through the dishwasher.

Amazingly, the pot was still intact, showing no sign of damage at all. The predicted doom that would surely befall our home upon defying the warning did not come to pass.

I sat down with my wife to discuss the situation. Should we regard this as a lucky fluke and continue to heed the warning, or should we throw caution to the wind and continue allowing pots and pans from our newest cookware set to be subjected to the harsh environment of the dishwasher? Those who know The Supreme Aglet personally also know the answer to this question: we boldly concluded that fear of a warning on a box would not dictate our habits and desires.

Since then, the pots and pans from our newest cookware set have gone through the dishwasher several times. We are confident that our decision was just and right, and the world of the Supreme Aglet is once again in perfect balance.