How to Clean Stainless Steel Pots and Pans

If you've ever felt dread at the sight of burnt-on, scorched, singed, or gunky food residue on your shiny stainless steel pots and pans, this video is for you. Michael and Lesley are here to show you how to clean your cookware and return it to its sparkly best.
More tips on how to take good care of your stainless steel cookware: wrctr.co/2mfgLw2
How to clean your nonstick cookware: bit.ly/2lY9Kzi
Subscribe to our channel! bit.ly/2TbshIv

[@da900smoove1]

I'm 55yrs old..... you would be amazed how just letting a pan sit in water for a few hours or overnight will release 99% of nearly burnt food.....Water erodes and breaks down alot of organic material....and growing up in a household of 8 and having dishes duty for 1 week intervals gives you Great Understanding of how to get pots and pans clean

[@helfulvids]

Yes this and and then use barkeepers friend powder cleaner, make a paste with it on the pan, let it sit for a few hrs and wipe off.

[@da900smoove1]

@@helfulvids or use the old reliable SOS Pad or Green/Blue Scrubber/Sponge.... Hell Simply Stop Cooking Everything On High Ass Heat Using Oil.... You Can't Put Food In Ya Mouth that is 125-180 Degrees So Why The Hell Are You Using 450-550 Degrees to Cook Vegetables & Meats in 5 Minutes when 10-15mins at 300-350 Degrees Still Cooks the Food

[@Yargoogargoo]

@@da900smoove1 why do you capitalize every word?

[@da900smoove1]

@@Yargoogargoo Because it's social media and not a term paper that's graded.... it catches attention for those whom have OCD like i do from time to time....in the same way misspelled words or poor annunciation drives people to have major irritation in their fellow human being

[@jdeltaalpha5195]

@@da900smoove1 Why aren't you capitalizing normally now?

[@easytiger266]

pro tip: use the blue sponges that say "non scratch" on the label if you really don't want to scratch your pans. Also pour warm water with some white vinegar after cooking your food and scrub with a wooden utensil first before washing your dishes to make this proccess easier (for when you have charred burnt pieces stuck on pan)

[@miriamrobarts]

I've used some purple "non scratch" sponges that had a tougher side and a microfiber side.

[@paulbrickler]

Love the blue sponges! Work pretty well on cast iron, too! Though, I use a special brush for those these days.

[@txkos]

I've found using baking soda and just enough water to create a paste works for 90% of my pan cleaning needs. Once you make the paste, press your figures down and use a circular action. I like not using a glove so I can feel the tiniest bits that are still stuck on. Nothing is as satisfying as cleaning an old pan or pot and seeing it shine again. There you are my friend, welcome back!

[@candiedisilvio9596]

I agree! I thought I was the only person who enjoyed doing this 😂 I love washing my dishes without gloves to feel if it’s clean. My kiddos thought I was crazy when I would close my eyes while washing

[@isanat204]

Worked like a charm, thank you

[@MrFreakzoidrj12]

Can’t stress this enough, put the baking soda slowly, I poured a big amount and it boiled over and I spent the last half hour cleaning my cooktop

[@mickjager5974]

Yeah but was your cook top the cleanest it's ever been after from that baking soda?!

[@ruthespiritu502]

Or put small amounts in the pan / pot

[@TayWoode]

Don’t use boiling water with baking soda, but somehow washing soda is fine even though it’s stronger and more effective with boiling water

[@JourneytoSustainableLiving]

I scrubbed my pans with eggshell powder for the first time while making my YT video and my stainless steel had never been soooo shiny🙌you don't even have to boil!

[@koruki]

Step 1 water. Step 2 buy a truck full of baking soda

[@Leandrasjones]

This is a real video that works! Only thing I would say was missing is the amount of time needed or it could need... I had to boil mine for a long time and I thought it wasn’t working... but it was. So for those out there who have a really old pan from generations or one that takes a lot of beating from use don’t underestimate the time it can take or the amount of baking soda you may need.. but it works!!! Your pan can look brand new again! Thanks for sharing guys!

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

Try bar keepers friend. It works better than anything I’ve tried. So easy. Also amazing to remove scratches on kitchen sink or tub. As well as the buildup around faucets.

[@aaliya1083]

What is bar keepers dear

[@anonymous_user_17]

​@aaliya1083 it's a scouring powder brand that they've showed in this video. It's a better version of Ajax or Comet

[@mlkmlk74]

I actually tried this and love the results. Thanks

[@jacktupp4358]

I just scored a 10" all-clad for $6. Man I love resale shops. These videos are helpful because I always avoided stainless and cast iron because of cleaning/care. Started ditching the nonstick recently... wish I'd done it sooner.

[@ry9756]

Damnn paid 170$ for mine

[@jacktupp4358]

@@ry9756 It's kind of amazing the things I find at resale/Estate shops for dirt cheap that are worth so much more. Art, Furniture, Cookware, Random collectibles like games and books. Cast Iron and Art especially.

[@Paelorian]

The best way to reduce cleanup time and effort is to change the way you cook. If you cook well, you will rarely have to clean a bunch of crud out of a pan. Experienced cooks have much less to clean than novices. For stainless steel pans in particular, I emphasize the importance of heating the pan before adding food in order to make food stick to the pan less. If I'm cooking on high heat, I heat the pan until water beads on it (the Leidenfrost effect, occuring around 379°F/193°C), then add my cooking fat (try to stay below it's smoke point) and then the food. Doing this I can scramble eggs and make them slide out leaving nothing stuck behind (almost) like it's a Teflon non-stick pan. The difference is that the non-stick pan doesn't require any technique to keep sticky foods unstuck. And of course, don't let your food burn into your pots and pans. Use timers. The worst cooks I know think they don't need to use timers and they burn their food regularly. That causes the hardest cleanup jobs. After I cook, a soak in water (soapy water is more effective if necessary) solves more than 99% of my stuck-on food problems. I can go years without breaking out my baking soda, Barkeeper's Friend, or Bon Ami for pan cleanup. I use those more for making the pans look new and shiny. Especially in regards to polymerized fat (seasoning) or the outside of pans.

[@willrisher6049]

Paelorian thanks for the info, I will try it! I’ve been cooking a lot of steaks, and for whatever reason, my pan, no matter how hard I clean it, it leaves weird spots, maybe I need to try the scotch brite? I normally just use the scratch less sponge, but it hasn’t seemed to work well

[@j7ndominica051]

Have you wiped it with acid? Citric acid or vinegar? Those are probably spots from contact with protein. Could also be permanent pitting corrosion from contact with salt crystals.

[@johnnybkk1024]

But , sometime we forgot that some food need to stir often. ... and sometime put the food on the stove too long ... Now it is burnt to the pan .... !!!

[@tubebudgie4187]

This is a wonderful tip. Thank you.

[@derp8575]

@@tubebudgie4187 No, thank you

[@PPCCO.]

So glad you guys made a KZbin channel

[@JamMastaJ3]

This was such a cute and helpful video! Great vibes! 🙌Thanks guys!

[@SheepleProof]

I followed the directions with baking soda and water. My clad SS pan looks terrific now. Thank you - wish I'd known this trick years ago.

[@Zacharias3]

Thanks. I was going to toss a somewhat grungy skillet and changed my mind after seeing this video. Baking soda worked great!

[@paulbrickler]

I had some *really* difficult burnt-on chocolate/ milk at the bottom of my biggest stainless steel stock pot, from a run of mexican-style hot chocolate I made for New Years. I couldn't get it off with vinegar or barkeeper's friend or soaking it in hot water. I saw another video that recommended Easy-Off, but in my experience, that's rather fragrant, and it seemed to take a lot longer than your methods. I ended up using a method that was sort of a hybrid between the 2nd and 3rd methods that you guys detailed - I couldn't do a full-on version of the 3rd method because I didn't have a larger pot to put mine in. One difference is that I used A&H 'Super Washing Soda' instead of baking soda, because I had a new box handy, and my baking soda is kind of old. Super Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate instead of Sodium BiCarbonate - very similar. I use it for cleaning other things. Anyway, 4-ish cups of water in the bottom of the stock pan, about 1 cup of soda, and heating it on the stove to a simmer, then turning the heat WAY down to just maintain heat and not boil too rapidly. MAN. That burnt-on crust just flaked right off after about a 30-minute simmer. I put a lid on once it started to bubble, about 10 minutes in. A few light strokes with a normal dish brush and I could already feel and see the difference. It might be cleaner than it was before I burned the chocolate onto it. I'm very impressed. This is definitely better than everything else I was trying. Thanks.

[@mariesc5996]

Just used your technique and it worked! Thanks!

[@josephcarreno3350]

Barkeepers Friend is the go to! Saves time and effort of boiling and all that other stuff. Clean your pans well when you do cook and they'll be new as the day ya bought em!

[@jacobe42]

i like the baking soda. Can you do a video on cleaning a caked on or grimy cooktop stove from accidental boil overs or grease splash from searing a steak?

[@rogerr6534]

For the "really dirty, not the most dirty" cleaning, the last step of "use soap and water as you normally would, and it should come right off" - if it doesn't (mine didn't), use the scotch and baking soda (mostly dry sponge) and use elbow grease to rub it in/off, makes almost a paste. Turn the scotch brite over to see if the green side is browning (showing the grease coming off, it should be turning brown with just a few passes to show you it's working, if not - go to extremely dirty). Was shocked at how the plain/dry'ish baking soda was turning my green scotch into brown with just 2-3 passes

[@treyz2664]

I love the soothing Jazz music in the background

[@coachki4118]

Love it! Thank you so much..cant wait to try this

[@highnrising]

That last method was great. But how many people who don't own a restaurant--or work in a test kitchen like you folks--have a pot large enough to dunk and boil their main skillet in? I'd venture almost none. I certainly don't. lol.

[@JenniferPerryMyScraproom]

Do you not have a stock pot or soup pot? A cheap canning pot also comes in very handy for many uses in the kitchen.

[@crookedhead3075]

I love these two!

[@rudrabarathan2737]

Brilliant! Many thanks for the valuable info.

[@shanthi3152]

Awesome guys. Thanks a mill

[@garypostell5268]

Outstanding! Thank you 🙏

[@MrScrappydue]

I tried soap & sponge but there was always stains. I’ve used it 4 times & the dishwasher gets what I can’t off. I tried your way & it got those stains out. 😊 thank you so much! I used the other method with B.soda in the pan & boil the water.

[@erickoontz6835]

Cute presentation!

[@hpnut4ever]

I got to put that second option to work after trying one of our new pans for the first time tonight and it worked like a charm. Thanks so much!

[@nettydjatinegara]

thank u for the great tips, could you advise me how to clean outer side of a big sauce pan, cause it can not fot into a pot, thank u

[@525672ify]

This work for me thanks for sharing 👋

[@mariamharun8348]

Thank you for sharing 🙂

[@questionresearch8721]

Thank you. I just brought some new stainless pots and skillets.

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

Hi guys, great video, for years I've rubbed a few drops of olive oil on stainless steel pots and pans before storage, any views/tips? Cheers! Keep up the good (funny) work!

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

@john doe Not if you use a tiny amount, just enough to change the colour. 👍

[@justin3594]

I don’t think this is necessary on stainless and just leaves a surface dust will want to stick to. Save the olive oil for your cast iron cookware or carbon steel wok.

[@daveclark8337]

I tried a bunch of different methods including the vinegar, the baking soda and Bar Keeper's friend. After all that, just spraying it with oven cleaner and wrapping it in plastic or putting a lid on it for a couple hours (so it doesn't dry out too quickly) worked the best.

[@rthompson7282]

thanks, probably cheaper too in the long run; time, gas, etc

[@TUBESTEAKNIG]

The boiling the pan idea is very smart

[@gantengindonesia2448]

Yeay, my favorite duo.... please more video of you guys

[@TheKr00n]

Will this method work when using spray oil.

[@MarRojas55]

Thanks a million, I was ready to throw away a pan and thanks To you and the baking soda I was able to save it!!!!

[@DarkComatose15]

ANUSHKA Alarcon next time you have stuck on or burnt food, put some water and dawn in your pan and heat it up until it bubbles and then once it cools back down you should be able to wipe everything off :)

[@msjennable]

You probably have a well seasoned pan

[@jasontsai5289]

it works thank you

[@jetcitysinatra7300]

Thanks alot. I have a beautiful pan and it is stainless steel and I want to clean the bottom. I use an electric stove and the bottom gets gunky.

[@heangngow2310]

Thank u so much it works

[@Kvinna02]

All you need is three ingredients, water, dish soap and time! Don't scrub, let them soak! no heat needed. All the food stuff will soften and can be wiped out. For any stubborn burnt on areas use a cloth with baking soda and or let the baking soda sit on it for a while. Finish cleaning with a soft brush or cloth with dish soap and warm water.

[@fazemac5824]

Dish soap has chemicals that are toxic to human body

[@WokWithMe]

Does it work with Teflon coated pans? Thanks!

[@Phlegethon]

Baking soda is $1 bar keeper’s friend is $2.50 what’s the difference for a home cook

[@mallyc3359]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@lindawilson5937]

can you do it to one on the out side of the pan

[@jillmorrow3134]

So you boil the water and baking soda and scrub the pan while hot or do you let it cool?

[@brianh2287]

I only have one stainless steel frying pan 12" all-clad, which I absolutely recommend. If anything is stuck to it I just bring water to a boil in it and lightly scrap it with a wood utensil. I never have to use baking soda, soap, or a scratch pad.

[@curiouscat3384]

I make old fashioned washing powder (a pound at a time) from baking soda which is basically cooking the baking soda at 350 on a cookie sheet for an hour. It changes the chemistry (not my expertise to try to explain) and is MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE than plain baking soda. Right after dishing up, I sprinkle some in the pan while still warm, add water, heat up a bit then turn off heat and let sit until dinner is finished. It's super easy to clean - No boiling or scrubbing required! But I'm still looking for the ultimate way to restore the outer finish of an old stainless pan.

[@fazemac5824]

But the heavy metal from the cookie sheet will linger and get absorbed into the next cooked meal, and end up in your body, it’s toxic

[@GF-zh7sv]

I've done baking sheets in the oven on self clean. It comes out brand new. Would this work on stainless steel pans?

[@tabletdoodlewithtomtdt6679]

I use a plastic scrubbing brush. it works well when you leave water in the pan for few minutes.

[@nutmegdonkey]

so you guys probably won't believe me but just try it. pour dish soap on whatever is burnt on and rub it in then add water and put a dryer sheet (yes like one you use in the clothes dryer) in the soap water mixture. let it sit overnight and 9/10 times whatever is burnt on is super soft and wipes away the next morning. welcome to the future.

[@JohnnyQuach]

Wait? So do I turn the heat on with the baking side in there? Or is it boiling by itself? And does the pan have to be hot?

[@frankrizo5387]

Thank you.

[@phi376]

That guy is on fire… He popped on that rubber with authority. Clearly not his first time

[@popev3887]

@LagiNaLangAko23 , Michael, you are real sweetie pie....

[@popev3887]

phi376...LOL...You can see the flames just shooting out of his asshole.

[@j7ndominica051]

Is the modern 18/10 medical food grade steel softer than it used to be? A touch of the dark side of the sponge is enough to put a scratch into it. Or stirring with a s/s spoon. That is with a rough grooved finish, I specifically chose minimal amount of polish on the pots. 40 year old pans and spoons don't scratch like that. I have to use a fork or a knife and put pressure into it. Acid is needed after most cooking to get rid of white and rainbow spots from protein that look like somebody spilled machine oil. I can't get abrasive acids like Barkeeper's Friend, and use a solution of citric acid. The more extreme is caustic soda, works well. There are some fumes if it is heated. The inside of the pan seemed soft and fresh enough that it could be lifted with a soda solution without using a brillo pad. It doesn't seem right to put a stinking black pan into a clean pot, especially if it is enameled white or brand new and shiny. I tried boiling water and pouring it into a plastic bowl, which is enough for one pan before it cools down.

[@crabtrap]

try cleaning with heat instead. get pan hot HOT, us a copper scrub pad to clean. the problem with acids is they don't work well on fats. if you get the fats/grease off then just work on the carmalization. heat is the key but be careful

[@suyinshares]

Thanks!

[@GKP999]

In other videos, the recommendation for cleaning a stainless steel pan, one that does not have too much grease or burnt stains, is simply using some boiling water then wipe clean with some paper towel. This method also leaves some grease as lubricant for next use.

[@commandernoodles2367]

how do you clean the pans with hardened tallow or lard residues?

[@KGhaleon]

There's a yellow residue on my pans from cooking sprays and it doesn't come out with dishing detergent. Will this baking soda solution work?

[@magpiephotographysaintjohn930]

For a burnt black pot , make a paste of baking soda and water just enough to make the paste. Coat the whole pot and leave 24 hrs. It will lift the burnt on black right off with a wipe..If it doesn't repeat. . Wash with dish soap after. It will.sparkle.

[@stunt2flame]

Which stainless steel is better for health 304 or 310? Please explain in details. Many say 310ss release chromium and nickel!

[@beanie2484]

Baking soda and vinegar give it time to fizz up and scrub👍 works every time

[@jg1way]

What fluid did you add to the baking soda? Not mentioned?

[@wilsonz9232]

For the pan, Did you pour in water or vinegar? Did you leave it on the heat?

[@jeemkennedy]

I am also wondering. For that segment, the host were too focused on entertaining each other instead of making sure they explained all the steps.

[@charlieandzoelawsonshawn2241]

I just got my first stainless steel pan. After second use I washed it. It wasn’t that bad. Rinsed dried and it almost looks like food residue. I’ve washed it twice now. It’s very light in color. Almost looks like spotting but it’s not. Will that still work? Should I turn stove on to bring to a boil? I’ve washed it and dried it twice. Lots of scrubbing. Pan is cold. I washed directly after eating which was fast. I’m so disappointed!

[@omamel2]

Nice

[@billvegas8146]

Make a pan sauce with those drippings!

[@tompagano9015]

I read that using the scotch green scrub sponge on the cook surface is a no no?

[@justrosy2635]

How do you do this with old stainless steal bread pans that also have some rust?

[@t2hbunny]

Baking soda with vinegar will help to clean the side of the pan where the oils drip down the sides 😊

[@gregrutman8808]

I have green staining on the walls, of the cooking pot, not the pan, steaming spinach. I tried vinegar and baking soda, but nothing works. Any suggestion?

[@seaglassmomma4040]

My pan, after first use, cleaned up well but it now has some light discoloration where each hamburger patty was. It’s like hazy white looking. Is this normal or should it clean off better than that?

[@frankrizo5387]

I used green scotch Brite pad on my stainless skillet and it scratched it terribly. I am confused. Is mine perhaps a lower-grade skillet? Bought it from Meissen. I have done both the water test and have seasoned it. It's no longer usable. I am going to give it to the iron mongers who come around sometimes.

[@Agnes.Nutter]

I love you both so much 😍

[@soothingmoments2139]

You clean a pan on top of a stove??..so wonderfully professional

[@raymondji1006]

Do you wait for the pan to cool down a bit (after the baking soda river) before cleaning it with a sponge? I always burned my hand a bit cleaning it away, was probably a dumb move lol.

[@BobRooney290]

i was crying when you washed away all those bits. you just washed away a ton of flavor for a good sauce. i deglaze my pan right after cooking with some wine or broth, whatever i have on hand. makes a really nice sauce for whatever meat i cooked up. this is especially true when i drop a ribeye, seer it, then bake it. i will try the baking soda boil method, because although the inside of the pan is ok, the outside is hard grease gunk.

[@CSUNmindreader]

I tried this method on a pot that I had previously cleaned with Bar Keeper’s Friend and the stains were really caked on. This didn’t help and instead made a big mess of the stove with white marks from the baking soda on the entire stove top. I would not recommend spending your time and energy if you are in the same predicament as me.

[@eden20111]

What if the pan is filled with grease and burnt bread crumbs? That is so hard to take off...

[@20stacks11]

I literally burnt my pan last night and used baking soda, lemon juice and a boat load of elbow grease.

[@suzukiclaus3028]

She is so fun 😄

[@johntaylor4787]

I know the ideal is to clean pots and pans while they are still warm, but what if you're trying to clean off 5-day-old burnt eggs?

[@derekdoubleut]

Is it water and baking soda? or vinegar and baking soda?

[@Merrlin]

I love you guys, this is gonna save me from an ass whoopin tonight

[@jackjones3657]

I always use the less abrasive blue sponges. Those green and yellow scour sponges are really harsh.

[@Phlegethon]

So how do you clean the bigger pot?

[@VitorBarbosa]

Dip it in an even bigger pot

[@Phlegethon]

@@VitorBarbosabut what about the biggest pot

[@VitorBarbosa]

@@Phlegethon you keep doing it until you eventually have to buy a new bigger pot so you can fit the previous one! And you eventually end up with all clean and a new pot 😁

[@rand-san2095]

Will this method work with cast iron/carbon steel or will it strip the seasoning?

[@janetgarcia7742]

what brand are the cookware?

[@gissellepichardo4840]

Janet Garcia looks like All Clad

[@jonathanr.5968]

I basically just deglaze the pan with some water after cooking and have never had an issue. Is this an incorrect method?

[@eri7-11]

I bought some small stainless steel pot off Amazon and use barkeeper and a brillo sponge but now when i boil water in it, it tastes like metal.

[@aam3489]

what about baking soda and vinegar?

[@rosesumaylo8304]

Nice Subscribed

[@user-is6my9oy8t]

How do you do the bottom of a frying pan

[@passiveagressive4983]

Will this work on my cuisinart 🤔

[@garyanderton]

I am new to steel pans, but I just use steel wool and everything comes off with just water and soap. Is that bad?

[@marylee9404]

I was a little confused….was it water you were adding to the backing soda? You argued over the explanation!

[@WattWireNet]

Technically, you're supposed to always add chemicals to water, so it makes sense to pour the water in first before the baking soda (method #1). It will disperse quicker and more evenly.

[@CC-mc9dw]

Help. I boiled pasta and salt in a pot and now it has a ring around it and the bottom. Will this work? Soap and water isn't working

[@monakloudy3616]

It will work

[@lornamariastephens3067]

Because you were talking over each other, I don't know what you added to the baking soda. Was it water or vinegar?