Buying used cookware: what to check
Rusty cast iron and carbon steel can be brought back; chipped enamel and flaking nonstick cannot. Check the base sits flat and avoid pots on the FDA lead list.
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Worth buying, even rusty
Bare cast iron and carbon steel come back from rust and sticky old seasoning: scour off the rust, wash and dry the pan, and season it again. Stainless steel with stains or rainbow marks cleans up with a cleanser paste or a splash of vinegar. With no coating to fail, these are the easiest secondhand buys.
Leave on the shelf
Enameled cast iron with chips inside the pot: Le Creuset says to stop using it once the interior enamel has chipped, because further chips could get into food. Nonstick pans whose coating is peeling, flaking or scratched through to the metal, the signs Made In gives for replacing one. Glass lids with a chip or crack, which Le Creuset says could shatter.
Check that the base sits flat
Set the pan on a flat counter and press each side of the rim. If it rocks or spins, the base has warped. A warped pan heats unevenly, and on an induction or glass-top cooktop it may not heat properly at all.
Aluminum and brass pots from abroad
In August 2025 the FDA warned consumers not to use certain imported aluminum, brass and aluminum-alloy pots, sold as Hindalium or Indalium among other names, after tests showed they could leach lead into food. Its alert lists the tested products by brand and name and says others may be affected; when we read it in October 2026 it had last been updated on 3 December 2025. If you own a pot on the list, the FDA says to throw it away rather than donate or refurbish it.
Get the maker and the line
A brand and line name lets you look up the oven limit, the induction rating and the care rules before you pay. Without them, treat a coated pan as hand wash only and keep it off high heat.