How to Clean a Burnt Pan

Learning how to clean a burnt pan prevents you from having to throw it away and keeps your favorite cooking utensils in great condition.

A regular occurrence in most homes, the only way to prevent pans from burning is not to use them! This is impossible! If you have burnt pans at home, save yourself hours of cleaning and read on to discover our tips.

Tips for cleaning burnt pans

Burnt pans are a headache for cooks who love cleanliness. However, these utensils are resistant and can last a long time with special care.

Keep in mind that the burnt crust comprises food and fat remains that have been exposed to flame and heat. The longer you leave your pans, the more the crust builds up, and the harder it is to remove. As such, it’s really important to clean your pans on a regular basis.

Use baking soda and vinegar to clean a burnt pan

Videos of people removing this fat crust from pans with salt have gone viral on the internet, but this method isn’t what we’re proposing. Instead, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. When these two elements combine, an effervescence effect is produced that helps to loosen the crust that forms on the bottom of the pan.

Step-by-step instructions:

To clean a burnt pan, follow these step-by-step instructions. You don’t have to wait until the crust is dry to clean it. 

1. In addition to baking soda and vinegar, you’ll need a mixing bowl, a spoon, and gloves to protect your hands.
2. In the bowl, place a few tablespoons of baking soda and a tablespoon of vinegar.
3. When the two elements are mixed together, it begins to foam and form a thick paste.
4. Once this happens, spread the paste all over the bottom of the pan, covering all the parts that are burnt.
5. Use a soft sponge to rub the bottom of your pan. You’ll see how the paste falls away, taking the burnt crust with it.
6. Rinse with a little water. If your pan is badly burned, repeat until it’s clean.

Infallible trio: lemon, vinegar, and baking soda

Before, we talked about using baking soda and vinegar. But for this tip, we’re going to add lemon. This will generate more foam and you’ll obtain a better result.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Turn the dirty pan upside down and sprinkle baking soda over it until it covers the entire surface.
2. Take half a lemon and rub it all over the surface. Scrub until you can see the original color of your pan.
3. Add a few drops of vinegar and repeat the process until the burnt crust has gone.
4. Rinse with plenty of water. Now you can enjoy your clean and shiny pan.

Avoid using abrasive products

Normally, people use hard or metallic sponges, which are very abrasive. In principle, this may work and the burnt crust may disappear. However, in the long term, this will damage the surface of the pans. As such, you’ll shorten its lifespan.

The same applies to using sharp kitchen utensils that’ll scratch and damage the pan. It’s also not recommended to hit the pan against a surface in an effort to loosen the crust!

Are you surprised by how easy it is to clean a burnt pan?

We expect that when you read the title of this article, you didn’t think that cleaning burnt pans was this simple! With a few simple, natural products, you can achieve a clean finish. Moreover, they’ll look brand new. 

Remember, to clean your pots and pans on a regular basis. It’s harder to save pans that have accumulated considerable grease and grime over time. It may even be impossible to rescue them. As such, it’s better to prevent build-up and include our tips as part of your regular cleaning routine.