How to Fix Burnt Pans

Simple salt can help remove burn marks and burnt odor on pans.

Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned chef, accidentally scorching the bottom of a pot or pan can happen to just about anyone. A pot or pan usually gets burned when it rests on heat for too long or at too high of a temperature and the food scorches the interior. Fortunately, you don't always have to toss your burned pot or pan in the garbage. With a few cleaning tricks, you may be able to restore your burned pot or pan.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon pan scraper
• Fabric softener
• Salt
• Rag

Instructions

1. Remove the pan from the heat and use the food scraper to remove as much of the food that will come out. Wait for the pan to cool completely.

2. Put the pan in the freezer and leave it there for three hours.

3. Remove the pan from the freezer and scrape out the rest of the food with a nylon pan scraper. When the food particles are frozen, they are easier to remove.

4. Fill the pan with water and 1 tbsp. liquid fabric softener. Allow the pan to soak for an hour, then rinse and wipe away any additional food residue. If stains persist, continue to the following steps.

5. Fill the pan with water, add 1 tbsp. of salt to the water and stir with a spoon to mix it. Let the pan soak overnight.

6. Put the pan on the stovetop burner the following morning and turn the heat setting to high. Boil the water for 15 minutes, remove from heat and then rinse. This should remove any remaining burned marks or stains.

Tips & Warnings

• Scorched milk can be one of the more difficult items to remove from a pan. Wet the pan but do not fill it. Then sprinkle salt on the bottom of the pan and wait for the salt to absorb some of the burns, which should take approximately 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, scrub the pan with a rag and rinse it with clean water. The salt should remove the stain and also absorb the burnt milk odor.

References

• Reader's Digest: 20+ Ways to Easily Clean Pots and Pans
• Pampered Chef: Nylon Pan Scrapers