Have you ever felt frustrated when you saw the bottom of your favorite skillet filled with a scorched layer that seemed impossible to clean? Don't worry, even professional chefs have made this mistake. Heating milk over high heat, not stirring frequently, or not watching the food being cooked can all leave an annoying scorched crust on the bottom of your pan. When faced with this situation, don't rush to scrub the pan with a dishwasher! To prevent damage to the lining of your pan, try some of the methods below. Although it may take longer, at least the entire process below is worth it to clean the surface of the pan without scratching or damaging the coating!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Dish Soap
Step 1. Fill the pan with enough warm water
Make sure the entire scorched area is submerged in water, and add more water than necessary, as some of the water will evaporate when heated.
Once filled with water, wipe the bottom of the pan dry so that no water drips onto the stove
Step 2. Pour in a few drops of dish soap
Water alone won't be enough to remove all the scale that's stuck to your pan. Therefore, add two to four drops of dish soap to the pan, stir well until the soap can mix well with the water.
To remove stubborn scale, we recommend using a special detergent for the dishwasher instead of regular dish soap. You can use one tablet, a few drops of liquid, or 1-2 tbsp. special detergent powder for dishwashers
Step 3. Bring the water and soap mixture to a boil
Once the water and soap are well mixed, place the skillet on the stove and heat it over high heat until it boils. To remove most of the stubborn crust, let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Make sure the water and soap mixture is really boiling. The sign, you can see the emergence of large bubbles from the bottom of the pan. In addition, the steam that comes out looks constant
Step 4. Cool and scrub the pan
After simmering the water and soap mixture for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pan cool completely (about 20 minutes). After that, discard the water and soap mixture. At this point, you'll notice that the bottom of the pan looks much cleaner than before. Then, scrub the entire surface of the pan with hot water and dish soap (or a special dishwashing detergent) to remove any remaining scale.
You may need to use a dishwashing sponge or a special brush to remove all the scale stuck to the bottom of the pan. Sponges with a steel wool coating are effective, but will often scratch and damage the lining of your pan. Therefore, try using a sponge with a plastic fiber that is able to clean stubborn scales well without damaging the coating of your pan
Method 2 of 3: Using Vinegar and Baking Soda
Step 1. Fill the pan with water
To start the cleaning process, fill the pan with enough water to cover the entire burnt area. The amount of water you need will depend on the size of your pan, but generally 250 ml is the standard rule. If the amount is not enough to soak the burnt part, feel free to increase the amount.
Step 2. Pour the vinegar into a pan of water and bring the mixture to a boil
After filling the pan with enough water, pour about 250 ml of vinegar into the water; stir until the two ingredients are evenly mixed. After that, place the pan on the stove and heat it over high heat until it boils. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
The amount of vinegar you use will depend on how much water you have. In general, use a 1:1 ratio for the water and vinegar you use
Step 3. Remove the pan from the stove and add the baking soda
Once the water and vinegar mixture is boiling, turn off the stove and add 2 tbsp. baking soda into the pan. When it comes in contact with vinegar, the baking soda will cause a powerful hissing reaction, making the crust at the bottom of the pan easier to peel off.
- The pan will be very hot when you add the baking soda. Therefore, make sure you don't touch it so you don't hurt your hands.
- After the sizzling reaction occurs, let the pan sit until it cools completely.
- The role of baking soda can also be replaced with cream of tartar. Before pouring into the pan, first mix 1 tbsp. cream of tartar with 250 ml of water. If you use this method, you don't need to add vinegar to the pan.
- Baking soda works great for cleaning stainless steel pans. However, you should never use baking soda or other alkaline-based cleaning agents to clean aluminum cookware made with the anodizing technique.
Step 4. Scrub the bottom of the pan clean
Once the pan has cooled completely, discard the water, vinegar, and baking soda mixture, then rinse the pan with a mixture of hot water and soap. Use a dishwashing sponge with plastic bristles to scrub off the crust that's stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Don't worry, the baking soda and hot water mixture should have removed most of the crust that's stuck to the bottom of your pan.
- If there's still a crust that won't go away, try mixing some baking soda with a few drops of water until it has a paste-like texture. After that, apply the baking soda paste to the stubborn area and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it off.
- Repeat the process several times to remove any really stubborn crust.
Method 3 of 3: Using an Oven Cleaner
Step 1. Make sure your pan is not coated with nonstick material
While oven cleaner is very effective at descaling pans, make sure you use it as a last resort as it is highly caustic and can change the color of the pan. Also don't use it to clean pans that are coated with nonstick material if you don't want the protective coating of your pan to be damaged.
Since oven cleaner has the potential to damage your cooking utensils, make sure you only use it if all other methods have not worked. However, if you don't mind throwing the pan out if it breaks, there's nothing wrong with trying this method
Step 2. Put on the gloves and open your kitchen window
Remember, oven cleaner contains chemicals that are very caustic and have a very strong odor. Therefore, make sure you take extra protective measures before using it. First of all, protect your hands by wearing rubber gloves. After that, make sure the air circulation in your kitchen is really good by opening all the windows before spraying the oven cleaner.
- If you are really sensitive to the gas contained in the cleaning liquid, try wearing a mask to protect your nose and mouth area.
- Read all instructions and warnings on the oven cleaning liquid container for other protective measures you need to take.
Step 3. Spray oven cleaner onto the bottom of the pan
After taking all necessary protective measures, spray oven cleaner on the burnt area. Since the chemicals in it are very caustic, don't spray too much liquid on the bottom of the pan. Use a brush to evenly distribute the liquid throughout the pan.
In fact, oven cleaning agents are more often sold in liquid form. However, you can also use a cream or soft foam cleaner if it works more effectively to clean the scorched bottom of the pan
Step 4. Cover the pan and set aside
In order for the cleaning liquid to be properly absorbed into the pores of the pan, you first need to let the pan sit for about half an hour. Since the oven cleaner gives off a rather strong gas and aroma, make sure you place the pan outside and cover it with a lid.
If you can't place the pan outside, try placing it on the edge of an open window
Step 5. Scrub the pan and rinse thoroughly
After letting it sit for half an hour, use a sponge to scale off the bottom of the pan. It should be easy to remove the crust afterwards. After that, make sure you rinse the pan thoroughly to ensure that no cleaning liquid remains on the surface of the pan.
If you're concerned about the cleaning liquid remaining on the surface of the pan, try wiping the entire surface of the pan with a dry cloth after rinsing it. If you find that there is still crust on the rag, make sure you rinse it again until it is completely clean
Tips
- Before practicing any technique, it's a good idea to first soak the pan in hot water to make the peeling process easier. Do this process for at least half an hour or overnight.
- The method of cleaning the pan using vinegar, baking soda, and oven cleaner is more suitable for pans made of stainless steel. It's best not to use this method to clean anodizing aluminum pans or Teflon pans.
- In fact, the dishwasher is safe to use to clean Teflon-based pans.
- Anodizing aluminum pans should only be cleaned with hot water and dish soap. In addition, you also have to clean it manually and not using a machine.
Warning
- Always read the instructions on the cookware case before cleaning it. Be careful, some ingredients can damage the ingredients of the wok! Also, your pan's manufacturer will most likely recommend a specific method for removing scale that's stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Make sure the pan is completely cool before cleaning so your hands don't burn.
