How to Clean a Burnt Pan
No matter how good of a cook you are, chances are you will burn a pan in your lifetime. This quick and easy tutorial showing how to clean a burnt pan in just seconds makes cleaning pots and pans a breeze without having to soak them at all!
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I consider myself a decent cook, but the truth is, sometimes I get distracted and let things cook a little too long, and some foods just tend to stick to the bottom of your pan no matter what you do. Case in point, this pan that I used to sear a couple of chicken breasts that didn’t deglaze well when I added chicken broth. It happens.
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More Easy Cleaning Tips and Recipes
How To Clean Burnt Pots and Pans 3 Ways
There are several methods for cleaning burnt pots and pans. Which method you choose mostly depends on the severity of the burned on food in your pot or pan, and also how much time you have.
How to Clean Burned Pans Using the Overnight Soaking Method
Some people prefer soaking them in the sink with dish liquid overnight. For the soaking method of cleaning, you simply add a few drops of dish liquid to your pan and fill it with hot water. Let it sit overnight, then in the morning, use a scouring pad to scrub the softened, burned food off. While this can work for lightly burned pots and pans, it doesn’t always do the trick and you can still be left with burned on bits that just won’t budge. This isn’t my favorite method, because I really don’t love waking up to dishes from the night before…I love a nice clean kitchen in the morning!
How to Clean a Burnt Pan Using Homemade Baking Soda Scrub
If you prefer making your own cleaning products, you can make and use a Homemade Scrub Made with Baking Soda, which works great for pots and pans, and also can be used to clean sinks, tubs and so much more. For the homemade scrub method, simply wet the pan, then sprinkle with the baking soda mixture. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, then use a scouring pad to scrub and loosen the burned food off of the pan. Repeat if the food is really burned on, then rinse clean.
How to Clean Burnt Pans Using Bar Keeper’s Friend
What You’ll Need
One of my favorite ways to clean pans with burned on food is using Bar Keeper’s Friend Cleanser. I first heard of Bar Keeper’s Friend over 25 years ago while watching Martha Stewart. She was using it to clean her pans and raved about all of the uses it had. I went out and bought it immediately. I’ve kept it on hand since and have used it for cleaning so many things over the years. I still love making my own cleaning scrub, but sometimes it’s just easier to grab something from the store that works just as well and is very low in toxicity. This stuff can be used to clean tubs, sinks, stainless steel and so much more. It even helps remove rust, soap scum and limescale!
To clean your burnt pans with Bar Keeper’s Friend, wet the pan, then sprinkle the burned area with the mixture. After a couple of minutes, use a scouring pad to work the BKF into the pan and watch it start to remove the burned on bits and stain. It starts to work immediately and won’t scratch your pan. Once the stain and burnt food is removed, rinse and hand dry. All clean!
FAQs About Bar Keeper’s Friend
For the Classic Powder Cleanser, these are the ingredients…
Oxalic acid (5–10%) – the key cleaning agent that breaks down rust, lime, and cooked-on food
Abrasive mineral (feldspar or similar) – provides gentle scrubbing power
Surfactant (detergent) – helps loosen grease and dirt
Water-softening agents (like sodium carbonate or sulfates) – keep minerals from redepositing while you clean
Bar Keepers Friend is considered low in toxicity when used as directed, but it isn’t completely non-toxic. The main active ingredient is oxalic acid, a naturally occurring organic acid found in spinach and rhubarb. It also contains gentle mineral abrasives and cleaning agents.
Burnt or discolored stainless steel pans, copper bottoms or cookware, glass stovetops, porcelain sinks, bathtubs, and tile, hard-water spots or rust marks, and more!
