What is wrong with my pots?

Question

These are calphalon try-ply copper. Copper on the outside, aluminum core and stainless steel on the inside. I only have cooked vegetables with olive oil in them. To clean I put dish soap in the pan and run warm water in it. I let it sit for about ten minutes then run warm water and clean it out with a dish rag - then dry it fully...yet it looks like this:

http://gallery.me.com/markg4c#100008

What is wrong?! Please help - these are brand new!

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure this is just due to the heat from the burner. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Mine have these too, although worse, you can see the outline of the burner. You can tell the metal has changed colors in spots, which is most likely some heat related problem. Solution? No idea.

Answer 2

Are the pictures showing the copper bottom? If so, you are probably cooking over gas and it is well-known that copper will discolour when in direct contact with burning gas. Its probably a chemical reaction between the copper and the products of combustion. It doesn't look pretty, but it doesn't affect the performance of the copper which is there because it is a very good conductor of heat (like aluminium).

Answer 3

It is because you fried in them.  Buy some Bar Keepers Friend or some other stainless steel cleaner from the shop and they will come up as new.