How to rescue a stainless steel pan covered in burnt-on grease and grime
Learn five ways to clean your pan (photo: Styler)
Burnt food stuck to a stainless steel pan can sometimes be difficult to remove with a regular sponge. Journalist Ashley Poskin tested five popular home cleaning methods and found which one removed the burnt-on residue in just three minutes.
Styler reports on which method worked best, citing The Kitchn.
For the experiment, researchers used one stainless steel pan with the same type of residue. Researchers intentionally cooked an egg on a very hot surface until it burned, then allowed the pan to cool completely. Each method was then tested on the same surface.
Baking soda, aluminum foil
One of the simplest methods uses baking soda and aluminum foil.
Sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda over the dirty surface, add a little water, and mix until it forms a thick paste. Then crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a ball and use it to scrub the dirty surface. No need to apply heavy pressure—just scrub the areas with burnt-on residue several times.
After cleaning, thoroughly rinse the pan with warm water and dish soap. This method produced the best result of the five: it removed the main layer of residue in about 3 minutes.
Lemons, boiling
For the second method, you will need 2-3 lemons and water.
Cut the lemons into quarters, place them in the pan, and add enough water to cover the dirty areas. Bring the water to a boil and leave it for about 5-10 minutes. As the water heats up, the burnt residue gradually loosens from the surface. Then pour out the water and lemons and wash the pan with a sponge or brush.
The method proved quite effective, but it took more time—about 25 minutes in total. It ranked second in the test.
Dishwasher tablet
Another option is a dishwasher tablet. Pour a small amount of water into the pan and heat it slightly. Then remove the pan from the stove and rub the tablet over the dirty areas. The burnt residue starts coming off fairly quickly. Afterward, thoroughly rinse the surface with water.
This method took about 3-5 minutes. In terms of effectiveness, it was less successful than baking soda with foil and lemons.
Water, vinegar, baking soda
A popular home cleaning method involves water, vinegar, and baking soda. Pour about one cup each of water and vinegar into the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Then add about two tablespoons of baking soda. After the reaction, scrub the residue further with a sponge.
Despite the method's popularity, the results were not particularly impressive. The main layer of burnt residue had to be scrubbed off by hand for quite some time, and the entire process took about 25 minutes. In the comparison test, this method proved to be one of the least effective.
Dryer sheet
The fifth method involves using a dryer sheet, which is commonly used in clothes dryers. Pour hot water into the dirty pan, add a little dish soap, and place the dryer sheet inside. Leave everything for about an hour. During this time, the residue should soften, after which you can wash the pan with a sponge.
However, this method proved least practical: even after the long soak, some burnt residue remained on the surface. The process took about 65-70 minutes in total.
Important: We tested the methods on stainless steel cookware. For pans with nonstick or other special coatings, follow the manufacturer's recommendations and avoid abrasive cleaning if it is not allowed.
Earlier, we reported on which washing machine button most people ignore, even though it is extremely useful.
