How to Clean a Stainless Steel Burnt Pan or Pot (Easy Method!)

[@vince9764]

I just bought an expensive All Clad stainless steel cookware set and I had the heat on too high and the oil stained my pan. I thought it was ruined. I tried the boiling vinegar with water method and it worked perfectly. Thank you, what a relief.

[@jake862944]

I just did the same thing. Im about to try this tonight

[@beckbabej]

Wow, that worked so well, I thought I had to throw my pan out. Ten minutes later it's like new, thank you!!

[@liahfox5840]

LMAO I've done that before!

[@hepgeoff]

Barkeeper's Friend works like a charm on burnt pans as well.

[@marytepley8145]

Worked perfect! Thank you!

[@ashD]

So far the best thing I found. There are still some dark spots I can't get out, but the majority is off. I didn't have the patience to scrape all the burnt parts off so once the pan cooled down and cleaned it with bar keepers friend and it help remove the extra grime off. Thank you!

[@two7plumbing]

Thank you for this! I just did the same thing to one of my wife's skillets and your video helped me to get it clean before she got home from work. Now she doesn't have to worry about it!

[@TheRobinRedbreast]

It worked! I used the vinegar and water one and it worked like a charm. Thank you so much for posting this video.

[@calvinball1]

The answer was equal parts vinegar & water, bring to boil. Then scrape with a wooden spoon or sponge

[@mamarobyn]

TY!

[@cashflowglo7262]

Thanks !

[@neiljohnson5351]

Thanks man! Appreciate it.

[@omfgihopethisworks]

Where can I find a wooden sponge?

[@relaxingsoothingnoises7142]

Will apple cider vinegar work??

[@florian7918]

this video saved me from my mum's belt, thanks

[@tamaraposypankova5124]

Florian same 😂

[@emily-xc3rp]

Sameee

[@bkirstie]

Florian abuse!

[@bioexorcist6275]

SAMEEE

[@dw999]

@Florian: If you're serious, then tell your parents that HITTING SOMEONE is assault/battery, and that it's the sign of a shitty parent. Good parents TEACH their kids, they don't bully them. Ask your mother how she would feel is her boss hit her when she made a mistake. Btw, the word "discipline" does NOT mean "punish"; its root is the Latin "disciplina" ---> instruction. Shares a root with disciples -- and Jesus didn't beat his followers. en.wiktionary.org/wiki/discipline#Etymology

[@iguava]

You’re a life saver. I just burnt my pot.

[@jimmie200]

I'm back. Thank you, again. Works like a charm. I saved a beautiful three quart Cuisinart saucepan because of your tutorial.

[@janebirkenstock8279]

I used the distilled white vinegar and water method and it worked. The complete cleaning process took about 15 minutes. The bottom of my 1 quart pan was completely black with a solid burned layer that did not respond to dish detergent, scouring cleanser or scrubbing. I used 1/2 cup each vinegar and water. Boiling this caused the black deposit to begin to lift from the pan but not come off completely. Notice at 2:00 minutes in the video that the presenter is using a wooden utensil to scrape the bottom of the pan. I tried this and it did not work very well. Being impatient, I used a metal spatula (that I use to frost cakes) to scrape the bottom of the pan and this was more effective in releasing the black deposits. HOWEVER, this left scratch marks on the bottom of the pan. I also had to look down into the pot to see where deposits remained. This results in breathing in the smell of the hot vinegar unless you slightly tip the pan to one side as you scrape. If you don't want scratches on your pan, do not use a metal utensil for scraping. Scraping the pan as the boiling occurs helps to lift the deposit and the liquid turns black - meaning you cannot see where deposits remain. You may be more successful (in not scratching the pan) if you discard the black liquid and use fresh vinegar and water in order to see what deposits remain. I will try this next time. When there was just a small amount of deposit left, I scoured the pan with a scouring cleanser. Additional tips: Follow the heat temperature suggested in your recipe and instructions that come with your pan. Medium heat is usually the temperature suggested for recipes that I use. I find that I end up with a burned pan if I use a high temperature and when I do not stir what is being cooked to see if a deposit is beginning to build up in the bottom of the pan. The vinegar and water method in this video was the most successful of multiple methods that I tried.

[@fernandovera9207]

How do you for the out side ????

[@davidjennings127]

Check out the lodge polycarbon pan scraper they sell for cast iron

[@stephenraatz2598]

Jane Birkenstock Jane, Do you love huge paragraphs?

[@brianbrengle9933]

I tried the equal parts vinegar (apple cider vinegar, didn't have white vinegar) and water. It worked with the exception of one spot. After rinsing the pan I added some tooth paste (basic Crest), which has a mild abrasive, and a little bit of Dawn to a nylon scrub pad and it came right off. I rested a stainless steel spatula in the boiling vinegar and water in the frying pan and it cleaned the spatula as well. Comet, Bon Ami, Bar Tenders Friend, and Ajax could not scrub the burnt oil stains off. Thank you for your video, it was very helpful.

[@forreal245]

Thanks. I was wondering if I could use apple cider & u answered that for me.

[@joycemarie2022]

And the toothpaste was great for the outside of the pan

[@jackymoralesbouq7763]

Thank you sooo much!! Greatly appreciated. Just bought my pan and got locked out my house and burned my beautiful pan. You saved my pan. Thank you ❤️🥰

[@chainsawcabinetshop492]

Thank you so much. This morning I put some water and cinnamon into my favorite Farberware Millennium 10/18 stainless steel pan. I put it on to boil and went off and forgot about it for way too long. Came back and the bottom and sides were black. Some came out with some bar keepers friend, but not all. so I mixed up your solution and boiled about 15 minutes. during that time I would scrape the bottom with both a wooden spoon and a metal whisk. Most of it came lose. then when it cooled down, I used a soft scrubber and more powdered bar keepers friend and now the pan is just like new. Thank you.

[@satishp3555]

Spent hundreds $ on my new AllClad Pots and Pan and immediately burnt my 12 inch pan. Vinegar and Water took care of it! Thank you, Saved me from wife and the pan upside my head :-)

[@lauragiordano1337]

This 100% worked!!! I burned a tortilla in a stainless steel pan and I tried the vinegar and water boil 👍🏼.

[@SuperBenette]

Thanks a lot, I was just trying to get rid of the stains left in a pan after the dishwasher cleaned it, one in a million trick, hugs and be blessed

[@DevieMelody]

Nice tip. It saved me some money by buying used dirty stainless steel pot. :)

[@kelrubino340]

3/4 c H2O and 3/4 c White Vinegar worked! I just did it. Thank You.

[@jase4010]

Thank you very much I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar bc I didn’t have regular vinegar and it cleaned my large skillet and my pot I use to do scrambled eggs like Gordon Ramsey. Awesome results and saved my arms and a couple Brillo pads

[@tomvo999]

Thank you so much! vinegar and water boiling worked so well.

[@lghollen5543]

Thank so much for your information, I burned my favorite stainless steel sauce pan today , I used the method Half part water and vinegar to boil for about 15 minutes and worked like brand new again.

[@cazd5398]

I couldn't get it to work 😭😭

[@njitram2000]

I've never understood why people insist on expecting a combination of vinegar and baking soda to do anything useful. All you do is neutralize both and you get a fizzy show that achieves nothing, as demonstrated here. Nice to see that the diluted vinegar works that well, though.

[@aucklandmail]

my thoughts exactly

[@TheJcanderson360]

This cracked me up.

[@rougn]

Because when you add the two chemicals they have a reaction you are correct they are neutralizing the other out but that doesn't happen immediately. The baking powder acts as an abrasive and will begin to try and soak out the liquids from the encrusted food. When the vinegar hits it will react with the baking soda and will begin to produce CO2 which will cause the bubbling. The rapid change in PH plus the gas releasing will cause stuck on grime to become unstuck. Remember the reason to do it is because of the reaction to neutralize not because vinegar and baking soda seperate are magic.

[@kathardy413]

@@rougn I agree there's more going on here. Tested both ways and the addition of the baking soda brought it to the next level.

[@innocentloyal]

njitram2000 So what was the point of your comment..🧐

[@telstar9]

It actually works !! Thanks from across the Pond .

[@maggieswebbable]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I was about ready to throw my cooking pot out! Glad to say that it worked for me too!

[@audriabuchanan244]

Just a note of information. You can buy 'cleaning' vinegar that is double strength. I found it in a gallon size, bottom shelf, once in the cleaning aide section and once in the condiment. The brand is Heinz.

[@surayyajamali1516]

Just tried it with regular vinegar n it worked. Thank you

[@maryalbertson7337]

Thank you so much for the information. You are my new best friend. Vinegar worked great. I finished it off with my magic eraser. My pan looks new again.

[@c_farther5208]

I had burned butter , vinegar did nothing. Used a magic eraser and it is better but not close to new. I just bought this skillet today. Thanks for your tip.

[@gwenscoggins1]

Thank you so much ! I tried oven cleaner , scrub pads with no success , now I'll try this :) One of my favorite saucepans I left for a few minutes too long . I hope I have as much luck as you did !

[@fabh3774]

Awesome tips. The vinegar with water is really works. Thanks.

[@WarriorQveen]

Sooooooo… just tried this after really messing up one of my cousin’s pots…. The vinegar and boiling water method gets 5 stars from me. Worked like a charm. Thank you. I neither have the need or inclination to deal with my cousin’s wrath… not today.

[@sherrieslaboda7794]

Your vinegar, water and boiling works. I cooked oatmeal until the fire alarm came on. Stove OK being glass top. Pot was impossible to clean. Just tried your method which I will have to repeat but now I know the pot will be used again. Thank you so much.

[@erikal5218]

So the reason the Baking Soda and Vinegar method doesn’t work (and frankly can’t), is because vinegar and baking soda actually deactivate each other....... Vinegar is highly acidic, and Baking Soda is highly alkaline. Together, they create an inert/benign substance. The work WONDERS one at a time tho! 💜👏🏼💜👏🏼

[@missc3023]

thank you erika this is handy :)

[@jaywinters2483]

Thank you! You taught me something. 👍

[@kathardy413]

Amazeballs. Can't believe it worked so well. Glad i didn't throw that pan in the trash......

[@iraiseyouone]

Thank you. My dominant, right arm has revolted against me because I tried all the methods suggested all over the Internet without success on washed, stuck on, stubborn stains. I'm going to give the vinegar and water bit the way you've demonstrated. Wish me luck.

[@diannaa6189]

JJ M how did your pan come out? Consider seasoning your pan 1st and most likely this will not be an issue in the future.

[@cybrian5991]

Thank you for saving my pots!!! 🤗

[@mrtempint]

Very good video and by far unique for its triple comparison in one video.

[@loribuonamici1398]

I just tried the 50\50 vinegar and water boil to an old very badly burned pot. It worked so, so. Then I scrubbed it with a toothbrush like instrument, except it had steel bristles and THAT worked like a charm!!!! Got the brush in the car department of a big box store.

[@HuyVu-iw3ww]

Boiled vinegar with water works very well, thanks for this video

[@sagisli]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I was boiling cinnamon sticks and the bark burned into the pan. Nothing worked except boiling the vinegar and water. I had to do it twice (second time almost straight vinegar), but my pot looks new.

[@Heidi-c2g]

This worked great on in the instant pot’ pot. I used apple cider vinegar and gently scrubbed with a wooden spoon and steel spatula.

[@kewlztertc5386]

This works nicely. While we at it, I found dissolving a dishwasher tablet in warm water will clean the stovetop nicely and easily. Was going to try it on my stainless steel pans, but it's too expensive for one pan, compared to vinegar.

[@viperv26]

Boiling water and distilled white vinegar worked like a champ. Cleaned a bunch of burned on turmeric and nutritional yeast in less than 5-minutes.

[@ryand7637]

Very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

[@m1shadow]

Thanks for the comparison!

[@thevoid375]

Thanks, I hope this helps my popcorn-burnt steel pot, my mum's gonna kill me if she finds out, btw who all are hiding the pots and pans?

[@boredmillionaire9914]

Hello, I'm a man and I burnt some frozen meatballs in my stainless steel pot. Thank you for this.

[@lukethmpsn]

Im using this trick for my stainless steel brew equipment. Thanks

[@mattmiller4778]

Bar Keepers Friend works extremely well for stainless steel.

[@AFunctionalMess]

I'll have to give it a try! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@croc3942]

Matt Miller n jnJJzk 😁

[@Eagles.Will.Win.Super.Bowl.59]

That's the first thing I thought of when this video start. Great suggestion.

[@dougdunlap6638]

Matt Miller and it keeps it shinny new

[@kewlztertc5386]

BKF, seems to work great as a polisher. Didn't do much for my burnt on. But this vinegar and water works.

[@sivaddwho2]

Thank you for this video.

[@sethmcdowell5391]

I just tried the water and vinegar one and it did an ok job, it got rid of of the burnt food but it still has some black marks on it, but at least I can cook on it again 🙂

[@the4thj]

Nice video comparison! I liked it!

[@ronradmer3573]

I had a brand new stainless steel frying pan get ruined by cooking some frozen crabcakes. I squeezed in a half a lemon, a generous amount of baking soda, A coffee cup of water and a coffee cup of distilled white vinegar into the frying pan. I let it sit for one minute then slowly brought it to a boil. After about a minute it seemed like it wasn’t working and I abandoned it. But when I brought it to the sink and started scrubbing, it seemed like it was coming off a little bit, so I started the whole process over. This time I waited about three or four minutes. I took a wooden spoon with a small piece of Brillo pad and softly stirred the boiling solution around and noticed that all the burnt parts were coming off really easy. So the trick to this is using the above ingredients but being patient and waiting about five minutes under a good boil, then turn the stove off and just it should scrub off with light pressure.

[@saraoneill4083]

excellent advice. I have a pan soaking as I type so I'll definitely try this. you haven't posted in a while, I hope everything is good.

[@abalone317]

Great video, thanks for posting!!

[@veew9500]

Thanks for sharing 😍

[@meerabmalik.8799]

hey!! when a few years later it still work thanks just got for the belt

[@TheYoyozo]

Basically all that needs to be done is to deglaze the pan. That is why vinegar and water works it is the same thing as adding wine to the pan. Also you can start off with a hot pan then add water and vinegar.

[@uzusan6924]

It is really amazing.... I tried it and works .... Thanks a lot....

[@anndoherty6446]

Awesome. Just done it!!!!! Thank you xxxxxxxxxxx

[@chainsawcabinetshop492]

suggestion, put your pan with the burnt bottom into a little larger pan, put some spacers under the burnt pan washers or something to hold the pan just off the surface of the bottom pan. then put the vinegar and water mixture in the bottom pan and bring to a boil. let us know it it works.

[@SuperBenette]

I like backing soda and vinegar, if the stain is still in the steel, boil with patato peels, thanks for the tip.

[@developmental08]

Vinegar and Water Perfect... Thank You

[@davemacarty679]

I just got a brand new old-fashioned stove-top popcorn maker and I burned the pan on my first batch! It’s not bad but bugs me enough to search for a solution and get it cleaned up quick. I’m trying your trick but don’t have a wooden spoon to scrape the pan with. I do have a sponge like you used. Letting it cool before trying the sponge. Thanks for the video!

[@julyzerg1]

Any kind of vinegar will work or which would u recommend?

[@terryhenderson1310]

Gonna do this now thanks

[@mikalrj]

My apartment smells so bad now lmaooo😂😂😂

[@reginacrayton7249]

Thank you 😊

[@puglydoodle]

Once when I was a kid I sat on my mom's stove. It was hot and I didn't know it. Does that qualify as a "burnt bottom"?

[@jamesc7894]

Bar keepers friend and steel wool Pan with some water, salt for 2 mins followed by a steelwool scrubbing would take care of the first two with minimum effort Steel wool lasts almost forever. Cloth and sponges were made to be ruined for the purpose of making money

[@tyronem.3413]

wouldn't the steel wool rust from the moisture? Thus, not lasting forever.

[@SunnyChampagne]

What brand steel pan did you use? I have All Clad and stuff comes right off. However my cookware made in China burns easily and burnt gunk won’t come off. I saw a YT video where someone used Carbon Off to take off burnt grease and it really worked. I bought it and it did work. It smelled awful probably should have used a mask while using it but there was no warning. Thank you ver much 😊

[@gbanto]

Thanks a lot.. it worked!!!

[@SedesGobhani]

Thanks you saved my rear end!

[@brightmindstv531]

Is it use for steel stove?

[@Pahrump]

I'm not saying other people don't have problems with their stainless steel however, all I have to do for me is take really hot water from the tap put it in the pan put some dish soap in there start around so that it's mixed up come back later after the water has cooled take my stainless steel scrubber and without much effort clean the pan. Occasionally I'll do it a second time if I don't want to scrub harder but really it comes out really easy and all of this other stuff I don't have to do like in the video.

[@luisana20]

thank youuuuu it worked :)

[@niltonc.7333]

why people still insisting on the Baking soda + vinegar combo??? mixing a very Alkaline (b.soda) with an Acid one (vinegar) it will only neutralise - this video proves that ;)

[@jtoo6060]

Thanks for your excellent video. Why not boil just the white vinegar without the water.

[@paperbagbag3153]

Just tried but not working for me. How long do you need to boil it?

[@poorazcolstudentful]

Thhank you!

[@davidholec4050]

hello, what did you use as a powder for great cleaning for boiling point?

[@jbooks888]

The absolute best stuff to use BY FAR is caustic soda (drain cleaner). You will find that you don't have to scrub at all after soaking/boiling a solution of caustic soda first. Just be careful not to get it on your hands if you like your skin to stay attached !

[@wmluna381]

Good to know and try for when you run out of vinegar. I have half a drain cleaner bottle that's been sitting under my sink for years and am not the most amazing cook. I can probably start to finally empty that thing now. 😜

[@Erick-cx8vq]

How often should I do this procedure ? I just got a new stainless steel pan and it already has smudge marks :(

[@cainabel6356]

So vinegar and water boiled. Works for me.

[@yomnsharafeldin3544]

It really worked. Thank you so much 😊

[@jimmie200]

Thank you!!!

[@mewdar]

I have tried most suggestions to clean a burnt pan apart from the one where you had success, however does it have to be white vinegar or can you used general vinegar and how long do you let it boil for?

[@beckbabej]

I used regular vinegar, as soon as it started boiling I used a wooden spoon to lift the black, once it was al lifted I took it off the heat and just washed it with dishsoap. It worked amazingly!

[@mewdar]

@@beckbabej thanks as that was all I had that is what I used but it didn't work for me, however I didn't give up and eventually found something that really did the trick, Vanish Oxyaction................who would have thought of that?

[@yescafrita4358]

¿Do I have to use a specific type of vinegar or can I use any type of vinegar?

[@goldenboy5500]

turn the temperature down medium to medium high high is for bowling water

[@sef2273]

How long do you need leave it boiling

[@Lifestyle-xh8su]

Omg thank you soooo much

[@123JWJWJW]

How about the bottom of a pan? I somehow burned the bottom of the pan. Also, what kind of vinegar?

[@BoxyTheSpaceDog]

sometimes I get popcorn burn on bottom of the pan,so hard to get off,hopefully this works

[@shutyomouth5653]

use bar keeper friends....i used to work in a restaurant and dishwashers used it to get rid of sticked food and soot!!!

[@TMFfuntime]

How do you clean the sides all the way up to the edge? Any suggestions?

[@emf1823]

I use sea salt or any coarse salt (regular table salt works as well but it requires much more scrubbing), a little water just to add some moisture, and a couple of drops of dishwasher liquid, then I scrub with a regular dishwashing fiber. While this mix is slightly abrasive it won't leave scratches.

[@serenityachieved9334]

You measure out more water and vinegar, in the 50/50 ratio until the pan is nearly overflowing. Hopefully its not a large pot. I realize this was posted 11 months ago and you might have all new pans by now anyway!

[@jennydrumm7223]

Well, I've done much worse than just burning stuff onto my griddle! It's a really heavy, stainless steel griddle. Probably 60-65 years old and weighs a TON! Last time I made pancakes, I forgot to turn the fire off and the leftover oil got "cooked" onto it. When I finally got around to trying to clean it, naturally it wouldn't come off. So, after wearing my hands out scrubbing, I tried a softish wire brush to no avail. Then, since I had very good luck using ammonia on my stove burners, I figured I'd give that a try. I left it in a bag with ammonia for several hours and when I took it out, it was depressing. Now it has black stuff all over the surface! It LOOKS like ash or soot, but it will NOT come off; I can't even scratch it or anything! AND the grease/oil is still there! Plus, it looks like the actual surface of the stainless steel has been compromised. So, then I was really ticked off, rinsed it really well and tried scrubbing with Comet. NOTHING! Not a single dent in the grease, oil or black stuff! My conclusion is that I've destroyed it; my grandmother's griddle! I'm so discouraged. :-((( Anybody got any suggestions?

[@michaeltirant4603]

Try using fine emery paper grit 800 or above i.e 1000 onward. N.B You must use the emery with water.

[@kayladefreitas188]

I didn't find that it worked how long did she boil the vinegar and water ? And if it doesn't have gunk and it's just burnt and black what do I do

[@dumplinglover8947]

do how clean outside of the pan???

[@wrmaldonado]

What kind of vinegar did you use? White?