The Best Kitchen Cleaner

[@alekwadahek]

"I think the technical term is um, magic" lmao. That's why I love Kenji

[@shrach8]

It’s easy to hate him for saying stuff like that too

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

There are better reasons to hate me.

[@maraschwartz6731]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt it's just one of those things that screams dad. And for that, it's great

[@mandobrownie]

smh that's some Brian Griffin shit lol

[@alekwadahek]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt lol

[@Tommmmas]

Video idea: essential kitchen hardware for starters.

[@TijmenDal]

Big cutting board, 8" chefs knife, paring knife, carbon steel 10" pan, dutch oven. You're welcome.

[@soop8665]

Tijmen Dalhuijsen is a paring knife really essential though?

[@dosemakestoxin]

The website he works at, Serious Eats, has an article about that in addition to his already mentioned book chapter. www.seriouseats.com/2017/06/basic-starter-kitchen-equipment.html

[@Tommmmas]

@@dosemakestoxin Oh great, thank you!

[@dosemakestoxin]

@@Tommmmas You're welcome! I really like that they always have recommendations for many budgets. Happy cooking!

[@dylanherrera4410]

The reaction is a surface passivation. Essentially, the oxalic acid helps removes free iron and oxides from the surface making the pan more corrosion and oxidation resistant.

[@hughhoover7069]

Yep, acid passivation - removes any iron on the surface so the chromium is on the surface and the iron can’t contact air anymore.

[@jaimegutierrezjag78]

Oh totally forgot why stainless steel can rust because it contains iron then it oxides

[@cutter3501]

is this stuff ok to use on cast iron? I generally don't use soap and I just heat the pan up and then blast it with really hot water so it steams stuff off. It sucks and I've burnt myself before but I don't wanna risk using soap

[@notmyrealname23]

@@cutter3501 Good news, soap is actually ok! The seasoning isn't just oil, it's oil that's been polymerized, so it'd need something much harsher than dish soap to take it off (Kenji has written about this in some articles on cast iron care)

[@choilive]

Cutter unless you want to strip off all the seasoning, definitely not. How do I know? I’ve tried it with bar keepers friend on a pan I wanted to reseason as an experiment.

[@blackytemp]

would love a post-purge pan overview!

[@lphillis1]

This

[@elitejackson05]

Yes please! I've been rewatching your videos to see the types of pans you use

[@adnans3222]

Would love this

[@frankgressiii7206]

get a life

[@katopavla]

@@frankgressiii7206 pans are our lives kiddo

[@paulasimson4939]

"The technical term is magic" Hahaha!

[@youlilgremlinkun]

Man, I thought he was just gonna start talking about his dogs.

[@markpfeffer7487]

I discovered BKF a few days ago. Every single bit of steel in my kitchen is freaking beautiful now. Also the glass cooktop is smooth and clear as new. Love this stuff. Works for hard water stains on glass too (allegedly)

[@popo978]

We need a video on the pan purge! I have a small kitchen with limited storage and would like to see your thought process.

[@NNTechService]

THIS

[@waymor2460]

I’ve reached the point in my kitchen where for every new pan, utensil, appliance that comes into my kitchen a comparable item is thrown out. It’s a rule I use religiously to keep down clutter.

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

I think the reaction is called "passivating". BKF is also good for cleaning those SS sinks; which I am sure Kenji also uses it for!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes. I use it every day in my sink.

[@hui-an-xin]

Alright I'm sold, no more toiling for hours over old oil stains.

[@JohnDoe-xo2yf]

They should keep one bottle of this on each oil tanker and rig, in case of shit hits the fan.

[@biobagholder8081]

That's the best part :(

[@Andersonbohar]

Here I am in awe watching a guy wash his dishes... quarantine does weird things to people.

[@mathewkwan]

Yesterday I was amazed watched a lady do her laundry with borax. Search #laundrystripping

[@ceebeeelem]

it’s not quarantine. i think ur supposed to derive pleasure/feel fulfilled from ‘little’ things. thsts life

[@deadfr0g]

Kenji’s thought process: Maybe I should put on the GoPro while I do these dishes. My thought process: Oh boy, a new Kenji video!

[@michaelpeters6350]

the abrasive in this is what really makes it work. it polishes the surface of the steel removing not only stains but oxidation which is what makes it shiny clean

[@tempesttube]

It's actually not. It's certainly part of it, but ajax won't work like this. Apparently this was developed after finding that cooking rhubarb cleaned the stains. I've also found that cooking scrambled eggs in my pans makes them shiny.

[@michaelpeters6350]

@@tempesttube yes of course the oxalic acid is key to how this works, in combination with the abrasive. my point is that the high abrasive content of this powdered version is what makes it so effective on metal surfaces compared to other products with oxalic acid and less or no abrasive.

[@WhatsInAName222]

I use it ALL the time. Works like magic. I have a porcelain sink which gets marked very easily and this removes those marks easily. I also use it to remove olive oil residue from supposedly nonstick pans. And of course to shine my stainless steel vessels. Glad to know that this is now Kenji approved

[@beers-jackofbbq]

We have been using Bar Keepers for years and you are correct, works fantastic! We like the powder over the liquid/gel. Thanks for sharing!

[@barbara-holley]

Bar Keeper's Friend keeps my All-Clad brand new looking! I also use it on my stove whenever something burns on. It makes me so happy.

[@DCMdrummer]

This simple video right here may just be the most helpful cooking video I’ve ever watched! Thank you Kenji!

[@Bkellyusa]

Bar Keeper's Friend is a must for cleaning stainless steel. Most people who don't understand stainless steel don't realize it is easy to bake on an undesirable coating on the pan. Including just water water marks. If you keep them clean with Bar Keeper's f\Friend they will be so clean that they are almost non-stick. About once a year I even clean the outsides and bottoms. I keep also the coffee pots clean with it as well.

[@reggietheporpoise]

The conjugate base of oxalic acid (aka the version of the compound that’s lost a hydrogen atom, or in this case two hydrogen atoms) is called oxalate. Oxalate acts as something called a chelating agent, which means that it forms some fancy ass bonds with the metal ions on the surface of the pan. This forms the thin barrier that Kenji mentioned, which prevents the metal ions from coming into as much contact with water and oxygen as when they’re naked. Hence, they get some clothing AND rust protection...... CHEMICAL WIZARDRY. Also, oxalic acid is what gives sorrel its wonderful sourness. It’s in spinach, too (and many other greens). Some of the oxalic acid you ingest gets precipitated in your body as calcium oxalate. Your body is usually cool with this and just gets rid of it. But if you eat an ungodly amount of oxalic acid-containing greenery and too much accumulates, your body could get angry at you and reward you with kidney stones. Owww.

[@bunchi2k]

a.k.a. "magic"

[@mauz791]

Kidney stones are ungodly

[@rohanmisra7346]

Dietary oxalates will also chelate away minerals like iron, making them difficult to absorb. Be careful about combining oxalate rich foods with sources of micronutrients.

[@pinkyjohns5198]

I just asked how to clean steel pans on the video about giving away cookware! Lo! and behold, I find this video!! Thank you!

[@cesarverhoeven5891]

Pantless kenji cracked me up, made my morning so far!

[@ElSuperNova23]

Magic works but you nailed it anyway. There are also some potassium/sodium sufracants which, with the oxalic acid, form soluble Na/K ferrioxalates. The mild abrasive power comes from crushed feldspar.

[@jiffreypop]

I love that stuff! Use it all the time especially for my pots and pans. They also make a "cookware" version that's also a powder, not sure what the difference is between that and the original but they both do work like magic!

[@KarunKabooom]

I remember in a previous cooking video you cleaned your pan and forgot what you used. Was gonna comment at some point to ask, but then you upload this. Amazing 🙏

[@IstashaJayde]

This video came at the perfect time. I was going to buy some BKF today, but wasn't sure if it worked on burnt on oil. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely be picking some up.

[@ch3xmix]

I actually told my mom about this stuff from a previous video where you mentioned it and now she uses it non-stop!

[@gigphoong9059]

"I think the technical term for it is 'magic'" -Kenji, the food wizard

[@fyrestrom]

Can you do a video on how you clean your knives and wooden cutting boards after using them with raw poultry?

[@sky_rokit]

Soap and warm water is all you need to clean surfaces with raw chicken on them. Make sure that your wooden cutting board isn't warped or cracked so bacteria can't grow deep inside of it and oil it regularly to keep the surface protected.

[@isorna2456]

If you are really concerned you can also cover you cutting board with a thick layer of salt. Leave it for a while then collect the salt for reuse for cleaning. Bacteria dead, rinse the board and let it dry.

[@yvway5834]

Ooooooooo!!!! Do an auction with the purge pans, use the proceeds for one of the charity projects your involved in! It'd be a win-win!

[@ritamackenberg505]

I would buy one of those pans!

[@krisyallowega5487]

It is a little more expensive than most cleaners but it is worth using. Source out the polish the Barkeeper's Friend has as well. It saves on how many times you need to deep clean things. Whenever I consulted for a bar or lounge I would cringe when I would see *Comet or some other scouring cleaner behind the bar. But I guess it was ok, because it was hardly used anyway. I think they used it more as an air freshener than a cleaner. Oh the good old days when people socialized freely.

[@NikilMehta]

Kenji, have you found anything this good for cleaning aluminum? I always struggle to clean/de-grease my sheet pans.

[@mrboat580]

Works great on glass top stoves, as well. Been using it for over 30 years.

[@Flyingstationwagon]

Totally agree!! I wish I’d discovered this earlier. I follow all your videos. Keep up the good work.👍 .

[@markmarcelo9342]

my grandmother came to stay with us for a summer and she made us go to half a dozen different grocery stores to find bar keeper's friend. She INSISTED nothing else would do. We found it at a 99 cent store and came home with 5 cans.

[@The_Mad_Chef78]

I've converted dozens of people to bar keepers friend. I even use it at work to clean the griddle/flat top instead of the normal high-temp cleaners(which are a ton more expensive too), finish it off with a little lemon juice and you'll never have a more sparkly clean flat top.

[@thatcandont]

Kinda nervous the stuff wasn’t gonna come off, what a relief.

[@airbornepizza]

I always loved comet for my sink, this looks great for pans.

[@dorigirl7122]

bkf will also take hard water spots off of windows. Also Oxalic acid is the active ingredient in "wood bleach" if you want to rejuvenate grey wood.

[@kylerodgers3608]

The type of pan you want is called “cladded”. A typical pan would be 3 ply - meaning 3 metals cladded together. This would be 1 layer of aluminum samwiched between 2 layers steel on the top and bottom. I personally own all clad pans as they patented this process originally and they will last for decades.

[@BKDDY]

We used to use BKF on the contacts of old cartridge based videogames to get them working again. Worked great.

[@shayladawson6268]

I use the liquid form of Bar keep Works just as good. Also works on glass- top stove. I would love to see what cookware makes the cut and why others don't.

[@handofgod9386]

Been using bartenders friend fir a very long time Great stuff!

[@MerylBliss]

My grandmother swears by bar keepers friend. Bathroom, kitchen, floors, pots, pans, concrete, etc. You name it try bar keepers friend. Good stuff.

[@gailhoover9263]

Just for kicks, try using a thick paste made with baking soda. Works just as well for me. Works for surface stains too.

[@itsthebrod]

Love Barkeeper's Friend. It removes the unsightly brown stains in a stainless sink with ease.

[@alperenerol1852]

no one: kenji: I have 70 odds pans to clean. And I thought my grandma was obsessed with pans.

[@BabyBoiAaron]

i'm living for these kenji videos, i still remember the first video of his i watched years ago!

[@danpickard3258]

The active ingredient in Barkeeper's Friend is oxalic acid is a natural compound that's found in some vegetables including rhubarb and spinach - it is what leaves that slightly odd dry feeling in your mouth after eating them. More noticeable in spinach for me but I like spinach. I believe this is reduced in the cooking process. I am not sure cleaning your pots and pans with raw spinach is good idea however. :)

[@monermccarthy7198]

Kenji you are so cool. I love your videos. You're the real deal.

[@corystansbury]

Knew the answer before I watched! I love the stuff, as does my Allclad!!

[@marvineastman460]

can you use the pan after rinsing the barkeepers friend off the pan? Or do you need to then wash off the barkeepers with regular dish soap prior to use?

[@JapanoiseBreakfast]

This worked wonders on my grandma's cast iron pans. Can't wait for her to wake up to clean pans.

[@OurKitchenClassroom]

Thumbs up if you were totally ready to just listen to him chat about nothing in particular while washing all those pots and pans!

[@AkashDeyadey]

Technical term is "Magic". That's the best thing I've heard in a while

[@hambone150]

If you are purging cast iron or carbon steel pans I'll give them a good home! I'll pay for shipping too! Love your videos!

[@maydaygarden]

I use barkeepers friend on my antique copper simplex teapot when its oxidized. Looks brand new.

[@Paelorian]

I use BKF and it works but it takes much more effort and time than seen here. When there's a lot of burned on oil (seasoning), I don't get it all in one pass. I scrub for a few minutes, get some of it off, and get some more off next time. Using soap would get none of it off, so the BKF definitely works but it's mildly effective. I'm guessing I'm doing it wrong. Kenji uses 3-4x as much here as I do, and I'm using the "cookware" variant (silver shaker, not gold) which I believe is supposed to be only slightly gentler (just less abrasive and good for more materials). Tomorrow I'll scrub with an extra generous helping. Like a mound. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll try the regular BKF. I certainly have some stainless where I can live with more abrasive scratching if it means cleaner objects.

[@peter_kelly]

Can also use a more aggressive green Scotchbrite pad for tougher polymerised oil and stains.

[@violetviolet888]

Oxalic is what is rhubarb leaves which makes it not preferable for humans to ingest. Great to hear it's the secret magic in Bar Keepers Friend. Especially as a plant person.

[@newvillagefilms]

I found that distilled vinegar when boiled in a pan and using #003 steel wool gets rid of %99 baked in oil including the polymerized oil in your seasoned wok, seasoned cast iron and aluminum oven tray pans. .

[@adelinenicholas7075]

I use comet. Same thing. Used to put water and comet in a pan and boil it for a couple minutes. Works great!!!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Comet is not the same. Barkeepers friend is oxalic acid which is the active ingredient. Comet is just a detergent and an abrasive.

[@adelinenicholas7075]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt oh! Didn't know that! Thanks KENJI!! I'll be buying barkeeper's friend!!

[@6JLU]

Thanks for making videos about kitchen maintenance! I appreciate it : )

[@GovenorMcLovin]

I love BKF. I started using it because it was the only cleaner I could find that was safe for septic.

[@javalin597]

IT HAS RETURNED!

[@nicn.8195]

2:33 "i think the technical term is magic..."

[@ACryin_Shame]

Great for the bathroom too. Get that shower glass sparkling.

[@leespeed91]

You’re a wizard Harry.

[@KumaBun]

Bar's Keeper Friend also works well in bathrooms, I find. I haven't found any damage yet but it's one of the best products!

[@mato9282]

Someone else called it out, but this is known as “passivation”. Essentially you’re removing free iron and other deposits from the surface and allowing stainless to do what it does naturally. So no coating, just removing flaws. You can also do this with citric or nitric acid, but BK friend works great. I was most of the way shooting a video about this for the homebrew community, but gave up because it seemed boring. Maybe I’ll finish it up.

[@chilepeulla]

Bar keepers friend is not available in my country. So I could use citric acid to scrub stainless steel pans and it would have a similar effect?

[@mato9282]

Diego Silva similar, but takes a lot longer. Search for “citric acid passivstion” and you’ll find some calculators for concentration time and temperature. I should also mention in regards to my above comment that drying pots out and giving them a couple days to “cure” is important to fully passivate the stainless

[@chilepeulla]

Mat O thank you!

[@barb963]

Great information as I have several pots that need a good cleaning

[@DJ-nn6vg]

I have that product but I feel that long handled dish brushes also work well. The long handles allow you to use super hot water when cleaning pans.

[@careyt]

The great thing about BKF is you can use room temp water and it works fine

[@hatsumia8946]

Thank you “Bar keepers friend”

[@sefirom]

I was shocked to find after ages of scrubbing with different materials on the crusted over bottom of my Creuset that Easy Off works like MAGIC on enameled cast iron.

[@ubooya4269]

Kenji, could you please make a video of how you organize your kitchen and pantry? it would be great to get some tips from you on how to efficiently organize.

[@v1d300]

Nice. But its much easier to clean stainless steel pans than the nonstick or cast iron ones, isn't it? Also now that we know you have 70 pans and doing a purge, can we also know which pan and which material is best for what type of cooking? Thank you.

[@sigfreed11]

What’s the best kitchen towel? Keeping price in mind of course

[@nickmcdonald2808]

"I think the technical term is magic" and I'm dead

[@marcusmaximus7450]

Very helpful video. Thank you 👍👍

[@NekoIan66]

Yea, we've had the liquid Bar Keeper's friend and it's definitely not as good as the powder Bar Keeper's friend. Glad you pointed that out Kenji.

[@ShamrockShakee]

The label for my bathtub explicitly lists Barkeepers Friend to clean it!

[@scottrowe533]

You have a stainless steel bathtub? I can't even imagine what All-Clad charges for one of those. 😬 j/k

[@robertsterner2145]

I love the stuff, but I have to wear gloves when I use it because, even though I have short nails, it makes my fingernails peel away. It's the best for cleaning pans, though.

[@natebingaman4524]

comet is i believe the same or at least very similar. i washed dishes in a restaurant for a couple years and comet is what we used for the same stains

[@nathanielsmeltz5041]

Hi Kenji - would love to hear tips on packing your kitchen equipment for a cross country move. Thanks !

[@myles5084]

Can you make a video on how you season your cast iron?

[@joycestewart4893]

I also use it just about every day. Love the stuff!

[@TonyVisciardi]

Thanks for the video. Anyone know if this is available in Canada?

[@Ann-dh2cx]

Tony Visciardi Canadian Tire and Home Hardware carry it.

[@BreonNagy]

Bar Keeper's Friend is the best. Does a great job cleaning the sink too

[@arman6954]

Kenji can you do more videos on cleaning and sanitation?

[@soundgarden01]

Lmao the second this came on my notifications and I read the title, I immediately said bar keepers friend? 😂

[@alexwholland]

Can you make videos of your knife and pots/pans arsenal?

[@adnans3222]

PLEASE make a video where you go through the pans you decide to keep after the purge!!

[@gpr13martinez88]

I love this product always great results

[@kirkwattles9360]

When I worked in a restaurant we used to clean the stainless steel grill with lemon juice. Same thing, basically - or should I say acidly? - but citric acid rather than oxalic acid.

[@mmedinah22]

That’s a garage sale I would love to go to!!

[@jonclaus]

Le Creuset website recommends BKF on its ceramic cookware for similar stains too.

[@masstwitter4748]

I was literally using this today (different brand; same difference) to remove stains from a ss pan and was wondering how it was so effective - and, boom, I see this video a few hours later explaining this (along with some very well-informed comments too). Wished this happened with all my unanswered questions in life 🧐

[@epikurius5780]

What about the silver-can? Do you use it as well? Allegedly less abrasive and better for pots and pans. The gold-can isn’t too abrasive?

[@mwiz100]

"I believe the technical term for it is... magic." HAhahhahha Dying!

[@jayceperlmutter4317]

Barkeeper's Friend also will shine up copper pots - don't use on the tinned surfaces, through.

[@lisagonzalez9144]

I use this product too! It's a miracle powder for stainless for sure