Well....my sampler is 19th century.....dated 1823 I believe.... Not fabulous, only signed with initials....has a 1/2 inch tear in the edge, colors bright....alphabets....no verse... But I bought it in a box of linens for 10 for the box.....sold out of the box for a while, finally said.....enough I am keeping the rest.....and I had well more than $10 in my pocket. So I sought out the family and told them there was a very nice sampler in the box.....and asked if they really wanted to sell it..... They had no interest!...It has a very good home with me! And I have another....not finished....but of the same perior or earlier....but not finished....just the alpahbets... Oh well....that was another $10....plus a hundred or more to frame!! LOL! Was it the pot with the creamer and sugar? Linda C

As eandhl said, the booklet should have the info in it. But just know that the more ridges you have, the less physical contact you'll have between the burner element and the pot/pan. Without seeing the size/number of ridges, I cannot say what the impact will be. -Gorilla

I'd very carefully try Barkeepers' Friend using a "no-scratch" scrub pad (blue for the 3M brand) on a relatively-hidden spot until you were comfortable that you weren't making things worse. Work with the grain of the brushing, if you can. Letting the BKF sit there damp for a little while is fine, but I wouldn't let it (or anything acidic, like lemon, vinegar, or tomato) sit on stainless for a long time, at that can pit or discolor it. BKF and similar products, like Zud, are effective partially as they have oxalic acid in them. Don't worry, it's about as gnarly as white vinegar without the smell.

My grates are black, and when they look a little goey I toss them in the dishwasher. And boy that does the trick they look like new again. I have heard (don't quote me) that this can cause them to rust. I wonder if this would be the case with SS grates. Mine are some black metal, not sure what they are made of. Bosch Range. ~boxerpups This is from Good Housekeeping Magazine Ask Helouise Is there an easy way to keep burners from getting grimy? -- Elizabeth Malvey, Wakefield, MA If you cook, there's really no way around it -- but you can give burners a thorough cleaning. Start by wiping grates and burners with a damp sponge. Remove grates and soak in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes. Add a teaspoon of ammonia to the sink water to help loosen the grime. Scrub them with a stiff brush to remove any remaining gunk. To minimize future messes, keep an eye on pots so they don't boil over.