What is the interior of the pot? Is it a nonstick coating or is it stainless or is it anodized aluminuim.

Doesn't seem to be a great mystery as the film left behind is grease from the hot dogs that has mixed with the water.

Use Dawn which is more of a grease cutting detergent and a scrubby of some kind and some elbow grease

Microwave them. They are already cooked, you're just heating them up.

Is it greasy? I agree that Dawn is the dish soup to use. I've tried others and always go back.

Side note - i cook ours under the broiler. My hubby likes the skin that way. But if you are making them for kiddos or ever use the little smoky sausages then Octopus sausage is a fun way to cook them :) I tried cooking them in a pan but found it easier to do in water since the hot dog has to heat up a fair amount to curl. I'm not attentive enough when they are on the stove and I end up with some legs that are really crispy.

Barkeeper's friend.

The inside of the 2qt pot is stainless. See this pic. off Ebay - mine is the same pot with two spouts.

I don't think it's so greasy, as much as chalky, such that even if you clean it, the white film re-displays again.

I also have Dawn, but don't use it as much as the Ivory. To me, its smell seems artificial, thus i'm always scared it's toxic. Not that I don't like the smell, but rather, I'm nervous its perfume would get absorbed into cookware and dishes, and thereby contaminate the food.

sushipup, my MW is about .7 cu. foot. What type dish do you microwave your hotdog in? In how much water? What MW setting do you use for one hotdog? See, I cook my hotdog(s) twice in the pot. 10 min. each time. After the first 10 min. I pour out the water via the pot's spout, to hopefully rid toxins. Then cook another 10 min. and pour out the water again.

I really don't understand this at all. Hot dogs are what they are - which is a food with a lot of fat and not much nutritional merit. I wouldn't simmer them twice, only enough to reheat them thoroughly. In fact, I usually do mine in a frying pan, brown them a bit, and go for it. Or toss them on the BBQ. Toxins? Nah. This is overthinking. I'd be more worried about breathing in automobile exhaust while wandering downtown than I would worry about any toxins from Dawn.,

If you worry about toxins, you should not be eating hot dogs.

You don't cook them in water in the microwave. Poke some holes in it, wrap it in a paper towel, place on a plate. Zap for 30 seconds, repeat as often as it takes to heat it up.

Yes it is odd that someone eats enough hot dogs so that cleaning the pot is a major issue and yet is worried that a dish washing detergent which is rinsed off the pot is potentially hazardous.

I don't find microwaving hot dogs or sausages to be that good. I actually broil them in the toaster oven on a sheet of tin foil - no clean up at all.

Thanks for all your input! As for the Qs, oh well, i guess i'll make a long story even longer. Fact is, I cook the hot dogs for someone else. See, when others yell "I scream for ICE CREAM" with her, it's "I want HOT-DOGS!" It's like an addiction, but at least let me try as much as possible to detox them, and in fact, from now on, I plan on only one dog per week. (OK, so i'm a villain either way, but please spare me the lectures.)

As for myself? I don't touch hot-dogs with a 10 foot pole, but at least, let me try to keep my pots somewhat free of toxins.

So I think I'll stick to the water-cooking (twice), and then try the baking soda.

Granted I like the microwave idea, but i'm afraid it's only 2X-water which can help leech out chemicals.

I'm still not clear on what toxins it is that you're worried about. Dawn and hot water and a good rinse of the pot should take care of everything.

Do you have hard water? I do and it sometimes leaves rings when I boil stuff, around where the top of the water line was.

Could be that it's semi-hard, but not to a huge degree. I know because I once lived for awhile in an area with truly hard water. Still, I'll take that under consideration, thanks. Baking soda might work the trick - i hope to try that next.

I know this is old, but the solution is simple. White vinegar. Half water, half vinegar, let soak for an hour. Lightly scrub with a regular brush or sponge, and that chalky, white hot dog spotting will be gone, guaranteed. I know, because i have done exactly this, for exactly this problem.

These Faberware products are so expensive!