I finally found my old tamagoyaki pan and want to use it again. I also found the polishing agent it came with.
I used mild soap, a non-abrasive sponge, rinsed, and wiped the pan dry.
Now I have this polishing agent… is this stuff just for the outside of the pan or is it safe/ recommended to use inside the pan?
My instincts are saying that it’s just for the outside but wanted to check here as I’m not finding a lot of info online searching and I can’t read Japanese.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
by squintobean
2 Comments
Can’t edit post but should specify that this is a copper polishing agent. Just not sure if it’s safe to use on the inside of the pan.
That’s a copper pan with a tin lining. Tin is a soft, but highly conductive metal, and it’s not recommended to polish it. Only wash tin with soapy water and a soft dish sponge. This polishing compound probably wouldn’t destroy the tin after a single polish, but it could darken it (fine) or, if you rub too hard, it could wear it thin (not fine). Tin will naturally develop a splotchy, dark gray patina, which is natural oxidation (basically like yours is right now), and that doesn’t need to be messed with.
I’ve found a lot of bad information from Japanese cookware retailers where I have bought Japanese copper cookware from, and in general on the Japanese internet, about copper. I watched a youtube video a Japanese person made where they seasoned their copper tamagoyaki pan with oil, as if it were cast iron, and I’m just like, yeah…don’t do that. Heating tin above its melting point (only about 450F) can melt it, and it would be very easy to exceed tin’s melting point while seasoning a copper pan on the stovetop. You also don’t need to.
There’s a board r/coppercookware that may be of interest to you as well.