You are probably here because something already went wrong. Your pan warped. The outside of your pot turned brown and nothing removes it. Your copper started looking like a science experiment.
I write these guides for the moment after the problem appears and before you throw the pan away. The answers are usually simpler than you expect, but the wrong fix (Bar Keepers Friend on raw aluminum, for example) makes things worse. Each guide covers one specific failure mode with the actual cause and the fix that works, tested in my own kitchen first.
If your issue is material-specific, the cast iron and stainless steel categories have dedicated troubleshooting. If it is something that happens regardless of what pan you own, it is here.
