Tiffany Haney
Burnt pots and pans are a common problem for home cooks, but there are several methods for removing black cooked-on stains. The best method will depend on the type of cookware and the severity of the stain. For example, while baking soda and water can be used to clean stainless steel, copper, non-stick, and cast iron pans, a cheap drill with a stainless steel wire brush head may be required for more stubborn stains.
Characteristics and Values Table
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause of black stains | Burnt food, especially chicken |
| Cleaning agents | Baking soda, lemon, vinegar, salt, soap, citric acid, toothpaste, Bar Keepers Friend, CLR, oven cleaner, peroxide, alconox |
| Tools | Nylon scrub brush, scour sponge, scrubber, scouring pad, scraper, steel wool, drill with wire brush, aluminium foil |
| Techniques | Make a paste with water, let it sit, scrub, repeat if necessary |
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What You'll Learn
Using baking soda and water
Baking soda is a great option for cleaning burnt pots and pans because it has mild abrasive properties and its alkaline pH can help neutralize acidic burnt foods. It can also combine with an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, to create a fizzing reaction that helps loosen burnt food.
- Start by removing as much food and debris from the pan as possible.
- Make a paste by mixing baking soda and water. The paste should be thick enough to fully coat the burnt areas of the pan. For a full pot bottom, try mixing 1 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup of water. Alternatively, you can cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of warm water and then add enough baking soda to create a paste.
- Liberally apply the paste to the burnt areas of the pan.
- If you have time, let the paste sit for a few hours or even overnight. This will give it more time to work on the burnt stains.
- After letting the paste sit, add more baking soda and scrub the pan with a nylon brush or scouring sponge. You can also use aluminium foil instead of a brush or sponge. Be gentle and scrub as you would with a washcloth.
- If you don't want to wait, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin the paste and then put the pan on the stove to boil. However, be careful not to let the pan burn again.
- Once the pan has cooled, wipe or scrub it to remove the scorched bits.
- Rinse the pan with warm, soapy water and dry as usual.
Your pan should now be free of black cooked-on stains and ready to use again!
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Scrubbing with lemons
Lemons are a great way to clean and shine stainless steel or copper cookware. Lemons can be used in combination with baking soda to remove black, yellow, or rainbow oxidization stains and help restore a burnt pan.
First, remove as much food and debris from the pan as possible. Keep a thin layer of water in the pan, then sprinkle the bottom liberally with baking soda. Cut a lemon in half and use the flesh side to scour the pan with the baking soda slurry. The combination of the acidic lemon juice and the alkaline baking soda may fizz slightly. This is a good sign as it helps loosen burnt food to get it off your pan. If your pan has a copper bottom that has gotten blackened or tarnished, turn the pot upside down and use this method to help remove the stains and restore the shine.
Alternatively, you can cut a few lemons into quarters, place them in the pan, and fill the pan with a few inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it continue to boil for about 5 minutes, then remove the lemons and pour the water down the drain. Use some dish soap and a scrub brush to remove any leftover bits. This method is especially useful if you've been cooking with lemons and have leftovers to discard. It is also very fragrant and requires hardly any scrubbing effort at all.
Note that vinegar-based products can be corrosive to certain materials like stainless steel or cast iron. Therefore, lemons are a great alternative to vinegar for cleaning stainless steel cookware.
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Soaking in strong alkaline solutions
Soaking stainless steel pots in strong alkaline solutions, such as bleach, will pit the metal. Therefore, if you feel the need to wash your stainless steel pot with bleach, do not soak it. Instead, be quick about it.
If your pot has a thick layer of charcoal on the bottom, you can try boiling it with salt, soap, and baking soda, and applying Scotch-Brite. However, this may cause pitting.
To avoid pitting, you can try using a baking soda paste. First, remove as much food and debris from the pan as possible. Then, make a paste with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Apply the paste liberally to the burnt pan. It should be thick enough to fully coat the pan. Alternatively, you can cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of warm water and then add enough baking soda to create a paste. Let the mixture sit for a few hours or overnight, and then scrub the pan with a nylon brush or scour sponge, adding more baking soda as necessary. Finally, rinse and dry the pan.
Lemons can also be used in combination with baking soda to clean stainless steel pots. First, keep a thin layer of water in the pan. Then, sprinkle the bottom of the pan liberally with baking soda and cut a lemon in half. Use the flesh side of the lemon to scour the pan with the baking soda slurry. The combination of the acidic lemon juice and the alkaline baking soda will create a fizzing reaction that will help loosen burnt food.
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Using chemical cleaners
Baking soda is a popular choice for cleaning burnt pots and pans due to its mild abrasive properties and alkaline pH, which neutralizes acidic burnt foods. It can also be combined with acids like vinegar or lemon juice to create a fizzing reaction that helps loosen burnt food. To use this method, start by removing as much food and debris from the pan as possible. Then, make a paste with baking soda and water and liberally apply it to the burnt areas of the pan. Let the paste sit for a few hours or overnight, then scrub the pan with a nylon brush or scouring sponge, adding more baking soda as needed. Finally, rinse and dry the pan as usual.
Another method involves using vinegar and baking soda. First, remove as much food and debris from the pan as possible. Then, add enough vinegar to cover the bottom of the pan with at least half an inch of liquid. Boil the vinegar and let it simmer for a few minutes before removing it from the heat and adding a cup of baking soda. This will create a fizzing reaction. Once the fizzing has stopped, discard the liquid and scrub the pan with a nylon brush or scouring sponge, adding more baking soda if necessary. Finally, rinse and dry the pan as usual.
Lemon juice can also be used in combination with baking soda to clean and shine stainless steel or copper cookware. First, remove any remaining food and debris from the pan and keep a thin layer of water in the pan. Sprinkle baking soda liberally onto the bottom of the pan and cut a lemon in half. Use the flesh side of the lemon to scour the pan with the baking soda and water mixture. The combination of acidic lemon juice and alkaline baking soda will create a fizzing reaction that helps to remove stains. If your pan has a copper bottom that has become blackened or tarnished, turn the pot upside down and use this method to restore its shine.
For more stubborn stains, a non-stick oven cleaner can be used. Simply spray the cleaner onto the burnt areas of the pan and leave it overnight. In the morning, scrub the pan with a nylon brush or scouring sponge and rinse and dry as usual.
It is important to note that some chemicals, like bleach, can damage certain types of cookware. Always test any cleaning methods on a small area of the pan first to ensure they do not cause damage.
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Cleaning with oven cleaner
Oven cleaner can be used to clean burnt-on messes off pots and pans. It is particularly useful for removing grease and tiny burnt spots. To use oven cleaner to clean your pots, follow these steps:
Firstly, ensure the room is well-ventilated and put on a mask to avoid inhaling the strong chemical smell. Then, spray a layer of oven cleaner on the bottom of the affected cookware. You can use a product such as Heavy-Duty Easy Off, which is commonly used for this purpose.
After spraying, follow the instructions on the can of oven cleaner. Typically, you will need to leave the product on for about a minute before wiping it clean with a paper towel and rinsing the cookware with water. For more stubborn stains, you may need to let the product sit for a longer period or repeat the process.
Once you have finished cleaning with the oven cleaner, make sure to wash your cookware thoroughly with soap and water to remove any chemical residue.
In addition to oven cleaner, there are several other methods you can use to clean burnt pots. One popular method is to use a paste made from baking soda and water. You can apply this paste to the burnt areas and scrub it with a brush or sponge. Lemons and vinegar can also be used in combination with baking soda to create a fizzing reaction that helps loosen burnt food. For extremely burnt pots, you may need to boil water, salt, and baking soda in the pot to loosen the burnt-on food.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several methods to remove black cooked-on stains from your cooking pots. Here are some options:
- Using a mixture of baking soda and water, make a paste and liberally apply it to the burnt area. Leave it for a few hours or overnight, scrub with a nylon brush, and then rinse.
- If you don't want to wait, add water to thin the paste and put the pan on the stove to boil.
- Another method is to use a fresh lemon, cut in half, and baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the pan, cut a lemon in half and use the flesh side to scour the pan.
Yes, you can try using citric acid or an acid-based cleaner to remove the stains.
Some people suggest using a cheap drill with a stainless steel wire brush to remove the stains.
Yes, products like Bar Keepers Friend (BKF) or CLR can be effective in removing burnt-on stains from pots and pans.
If the black stains persist, especially after cooking certain proteins like chicken, it may be an indication of micro-holes in the stainless steel exposing a base metal like aluminium or copper. In this case, the pan may need to be replaced.
