How to Clean Burnt-On Food from Cookware

As careful as we try to be when cooking, burnt-on food and scorched pots and pans can happen to anyone. If you follow these steps, you can salvage that burnt cookware.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon scrubbing pad or brush
• Baking soda
• Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish

Instructions

1. Remove the pan from the burner as soon as you smell burning and plunge the bottom into water. This will stop the burning action and, if you catch it early enough, stop the burnt taste from being transferred to the food.

2. Soak a scorched mess in an equal solution of baking soda and water. Use just enough to cover the burned area. The stain should lift off in about 20 minutes, especially if your cookware is nonstick or cast iron.

3. Boil the pot in a baking soda and water mixture to remove any stubborn mess. Add 1 tsp. baking soda for each cup of water (1 to 2 cups of water should be enough) and gently boil for about 20 minutes, or until you see the food floating free. Don't walk away and allow water to boil off or you'll have a completely different type of mess that may not be salvageable. Wash in warm sudsy water with a nylon scrubbing pad or brush, and dry thoroughly.

4. Make a paste of Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser & Polish (available in the regular grocery cleaning aisle) and a little water to clean heat discolorations, flame marks and food stains as soon as they happen. Rub in a circular motion until the stains disappear and shiny surfaces gleam. This non-abrasive cleanser is recommended by name by most cookware manufacturers as safe for cleaning every type of cookware.

5. Dry every type of cookware thoroughly after washing to prevent any spots and stains from water evaporation.

Tips & Warnings

• Always scrub and polish with the grain of any shiny metals to avoid gauges and visible scratches in the surfaces.

• Wash your burnt cookware immediately after cooking so foods don't have time to harden onto the surface and get stuck.

• Always check your cookware's instruction manual for specific warnings.

• Don't soak stainless steel as it is very susceptible to discolorations.

• The only type of cookware that can safely go in the dishwasher and take some gentle scraping from metal utensils to get burned messes off is stainless steel. All other cookware types should never go in the dishwasher due to the high heat and chemicals.

• Never use steel wool, alcohol, abrasive cleansers, bleach or oven cleaners on most cookware.