WHY BUY La gourmet® HIKARU COOKWARE

La gourmet® Hikaru Cookware is a safe and healthy cookware with no chemicals added and is PFAS FREE.

Hikaru use a special nitrigan heat treatment process that changes the surface of the specially formulated steel to create a hardened surface. The structure and DNA of the material is altered resulting in a material that is HIGHLY RESISISTANT TO RUST and INCREDIBLY STRONG AND DURABLE. No chemicals are added which makes the special nitrigan treatment on special formulated steel a healthy alternative to PTFE coating cookware.

Please follow these instructions to prolong the product life and to maintain the optimal performance of your La gourmet® Hikaru Cookware. Conditioning the pan with oil before it is used for the first time is very important.

BEFORE USE

1. Wash your pan’s inner and outer surface with some dish washing liquid using a heavy duty scourer pad.
2. Rinse and dry it.
3. Pre-heat the pan on the stove for around 20 minutes using high heat (without oil) until the pan turns into a brighter colour.
4. After heating the empty pan, let it cool down.
5. Follow steps on Initial Oil Conditioning.

Initial Oil Conditioning

1. Fill the pan with one cup of oil.
2. Heat the pan for approximately 5 minutes using low heat or until the pan is smoking hot.
3. Coat the entire interior cookware by tilting the pan and turn the oil around.
4. Turn off the heat and remove the oil from the pan. The oil can be kept in an oil pot for repeated seasoning. CAUTION: Pan is very hot 
5. Using a soft towel, spread and work the remaining oil residue evenly into the pan surface & leave it overnight.
6. Initial oil conditioning is completed and the pan is ready to be used.

AFTER USE 

1. Use a scrub brush while the cookware is still hot and wash the pan with water/hot water. (Avoid using the dishwasher and dish soap as it may strip away the natural patina)
2. When done rinse it off and wipe off any moisture from both interior and exterior of the cookware. The cookware should be properly dried before storing.

• Make sure to perform routine oil conditioning before each use.
• Using a detergent may strip away the protective coating acquired from oil conditioning.
• Should the pan require deep cleaning with a detergent, apply oil evenly to the surface after cleaning.
•  Reperforming initial oil conditioning is recommended before use.
• Not recommended for cooking high acidic food.

BEFORE EVERY USE

Routine oil conditioning must always be performed before each use. Performing oil conditioning before each use prevents food from sticking and makes cooking and cleaning much easier. This is something that most professional cooks know and do. With proper conditioning, the cookware will form a natural patina and will resist food from sticking, making cooking and cleaning easier.

Routine Oil Conditioning

1. Heat up your pan using medium heat.
2. Add about ½ cup of oil to the pan (you can reuse the oil from the first conditioning).
3. Tilt the pan and turn the oil around to coat the entire interior surface.
4. After the oil is heated and the pan is evenly coated and conditioned, return the oil to its oil pot.
5. The pan is ready for cooking. Please add fresh oil for your usual cooking.

***Oil conditioning prevents food from sticking while creating a coating which allows heat to be distributed more evenly on the pan surface.

Under wrong usage, you may have the problem of rust and sticky issue. Before using, please use after routine oil conditioning and after use, please clean pan and dry on low heat or wipe off the moisture immediately.

• Burnt food on the cookware.
• Adding water/hot water and bring it to a boil will soften the burned food and make it easier to remove. Then use scrub brush to brush the pan. Rinse and dry the pan.
• After Steaming and Boiling in Pan
• When using your pan for stewing, steaming, or boiling, the hot water used may remove parts of the pan’s oil patina. To avoid this, please wash and dry the pan thoroughly then use the routine oil conditioning on the pan.
• Some foods or vegetables you cook may seem darker, it is safe and ok as these food like eggplant are more prone to absorbing iron from the pan. This does not change the taste of the food.
• Please do not store food on the pan, serve immediately. Otherwise, the food may absorb more iron from the pan and may have a more iron smell. 
• Cookware changing color during use. If you use your pan to make tomato puree or dishes that involve boiling sour ingredients for long periods of time, your pan’s surface may change to a more whitish color. The whitish discoloration does not affect the cooking abilities of your pan.

Just re-season your pan with oil, rub it all over with a towel. Heat the pan until it starts to smoke, give it a good rub with the towel. Switch off the flame and let it cool and you are done. After repeated use, your pan will return to almost its original colour. The more you fry, sear or bake in it, the better the seasoning will become.

Cooking At The Right Temperature and Adjust The Temperature Accordingly

• Always start from low heat especially when cooking on induction stove. For searing you can start with high heat or 30-40 seconds, then turn down to low or medium heat. Do not heat the pan for long time without putting any food in it.
• Best temperature for cooking is around 170°C. (Low to medium heat)  
• Do not let the pan stay wet
• Water should not sit on your pan as over a long period of time it may lead to a rust spot. Although the pan is treated with nitrigan process and is less prone to rust as compared to a normal untreated cast iron pan, it is best to always dry your pan.
• Should there be a rust spot – no harm done!  Just scrub the rust away and start the pre-seasoning process.
• You can also add a tiny amount of oil after drying the pan before storage.

These are only simple rules you need to follow to have a useful lifelong relationship with your Hikaru Cookware.

Release Capabilities

With consistent and proper use and care, the La gourmet® Hikaru Cookware becomes naturally more stick resistant as a natural patina is created. This makes it a healthy and safe cookware which complies to the Green Ecology of today.

NOTE: With continuous seasoning with oil and use, the oil is broken down into a substance that has bonded to the surface of the metal. This is what gives well-seasoned cookware its stick resistant properties.

Now you can enjoy the ‘Wok Hei’ with your La gourmet® HIKARU without the perpetual fight with ‘rust’.