New Bialetti Venus 6 cup - sponge turned black first time wash

Question

I just bought a new 6-cup Bialetti Venus. My sponge tuned black (slightly) after I washed it before using it. Is this normal? Did the vendor send a used one? Thank you!

Answer 1

When SS cookware is made, a mechanical polishing process using very fine abrasives is used to make it shiny. Sometimes this process leaves a residue that cannot be removed by hand or dishwashing. To clean a stainless steel item that has black residue, spread a small amount of olive oil on the inside of the item. Let it sit and then wipe the oil out. After that, proceed to wash with dish soap and hot water. Other recommendations are to gently scrub using a mixture of lemon juice and salt and then wash.Some SS cookware comes with instructions to scrub it gently with a 1:1 mix of baking soda and warm water before using the pans.

Answer 2

I think it's more likely to be dust or a layer of oxide (or even oxidized dust) from the factory. If you had said brown instead of black that would make me more suspicious of coffee.