Weird white residue on pots when cooking?

nicehormones
nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So the pots that we use always has an odd white film on it whenever we boil water. It will even blow up onto the stove. This happens just from boiling water, before adding anything to it yet. I make sure to wash and rinse my pans thoroughly so I'm not sure what it is because it's happened with two different pots. I am wondering if it is the starch from rice because we only make rice in those two. Not sure if that is the case or if it just my pans? Has anyone else experienced this? :/ kinda icky.

Replies

  • WritingMyLife
    WritingMyLife Posts: 57 Member
    Most likely minerals in your water depositing on the pot as the water boils. We get a white reside on pots if the water is boiled for a while, like if I have a pot on the wood stove to put moisture in the air.
  • BodyRockerVT
    BodyRockerVT Posts: 323 Member
    Hard water. Happens on the pot I use to heat up my oatmeal water with.
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    Yup just water deposits. Get a good stainless steel cleaner and scrub them down and they come out like new.
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
    It is probably the minerals interacting with your pots and pans. If you see a film on them and they are stainless steel, pick up some bar keepers friend and clean them once a week with that and that will get rid of the residue.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    What they said. My parents always had this happen because they lived in the boonies and couldn't get city water.
  • Tisha247
    Tisha247 Posts: 849 Member
    White residue caused from hard water with high calcium levels.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    sounds like you have very limey water, no worries.
  • Hernandeak11
    Hernandeak11 Posts: 351 Member
    exactly what everyone else said.

    It never happened at my parent's house, but definitely happens at my apartment
  • davidlbass
    davidlbass Posts: 159 Member
    We have it so bad our clear glasses would turn a nasty white after running them through the dishwasher. Glass Magic cleared it all up.
  • mrsgroove
    mrsgroove Posts: 44
    We keep a jug of distilled water to cook with. Our city's water is also high in minerals and lime and it affects the taste of our food, esp when we steam or boil veggies.
  • ahgold
    ahgold Posts: 3
    Yes, it's hard water (mineral deposits). I get them in my city. I have not tried this but a natural (and cheap) solution may be to put some white vinegar in the pot for a little while, then rinse and shine with a cloth. See if it comes out. Or research it online for easy solutions. No harm from it, although it's not pretty. There are also products to remove calcium deposits but make sure it won't ruin your pot finish. Cook with confidence!
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
    Thank you all. We do have really hard water, so maybe I should start cooking with the water from the water filter on my faucet. It's pretty awful, I was just kind of worried if it was unsafe or not!
  • Eve1972
    Eve1972 Posts: 297
    Yup, hard water. Really easy way to clean them, use half a lemon and rub it all over the inside of the pot, takes it right off!
  • Kalliepa
    Kalliepa Posts: 1
    I found this via a google search I was doing for this same thing for mine...everyone keeps saying it's mineral build up but I'm still wondering... It only happens with this ONE pan... My other pans are fine... I grew up with hard water I'm very familiar with water spots etc. I used barkeepers friend and tried again. It's fine. Until the water starts boiling...then white flecks start flying everywhere and a film develops on the surface. I'm wondering if my teflon coating isn't compromised...

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