Not a Recipe, But Need Help With Burned Pot
 

HELP! I burned my good stew pot making beef stew earlier this week. I've tried plain water, water with dish liquid, boiled water with dish liquid, hoping to loosen the burned on mess. Using brillo pads didn't take it off and manually scraping only took off the "top" layer of burnt food, not what's stuck to the bottom of the pot. I don't want to toss the pot so I need suggestions. (Pot is stainless steel, no special finishes like Teflon, Silverstone, etc.).

Thanks for your help!

Anita

Try covering the burned on food with a layer of powdered dishwasher detergent, add about an inch of water and let soak. Let it soak for many hours. May need to repeat a few times but I've had great success with this method.

Hope it works for you. I hate it when a favorite pot/implement gets ruined!

Try putting back on the stove with baking soda and water and cook at low heat for a bit and it should loosen the gunk !! You should be able to clean the pan right up. My student often do this at school and this is the fix I use. Good luck!!

the baking soda trick should work , after you remove from heat let the pot sit til it cools down , usually will loosen right up. good luck

I have taken dishwasher soap, powdered or liquid and poured a big lot of it in the pan and then added some water to it, enough so that you can boil it for a while. Then let it cool in the solution and you should be able to get it off with a scratcher without much effort. I always cleaned my stove burner pans like this before I had the flat top. You may have to do this a couple of times, but don't be stingy with the dishwasher soap. You probably will think you have added way to much, but then add some more. Good luck

The baking soda treatment works well. Also courtesy of my son-in-law a used fabric softner sheet that was used in dryer works. Use hot water and let set over night

I used apple vinegar once that worked, I put a lot in, added as much water then brought it to a rolling boil, turned it off and let it cool. Came upon the process by accident, I had been boiling apples to grind down for apple sauce, after I was cleaning up for the day I saw the large pot I used to boil the apples was cleaner than when I started. It was a very old pot with lots of stains, after that day it looked almost brand new.

I have had that happen so many times (you know the thing about not watching a pot). All I do is put the pot/pan on the stove on burner with water. Bring it to very warm or almost boil and just use a metal spatula and just start working it up. The hot water opens the pores enough for you to start scraping. Always after using the pot while it's still hot and after emptying, I put enough water in it (couple cups will do). I never let the pot cool down before I do this. The best preventative is to spray the pot with a vegetable cooking spray. I use it on all my cookware. I also spray the lids.

Another thing that works is to use fabric softener diluted with water, let it soak overnight. It has worked really well for me.

I have used this also, I put a dryer sheet (or 2) in the pot and just cover with water. Best thing I have found for
burned pots.

I cleaned a new stainless steel double boiler (the bottom pot) with cream of tartar. I boiled the c of t for a while and then turned off the heat and covered until the water was cooled a bit. The wiped out the pot.

I've seen the commercial about the dryer sheet to clean a burned pot (place it in the pot with water and boil). Worth a try.

I use the metal scouring pads that are coarser than the brillo ones.

Burned Pot
 

[QUOTE=ILoveToQuilt;6380321]HELP! I burned my good stew pot making beef stew earlier this week. I've tried plain water, water with dish liquid, boiled water with dish liquid, hoping to loosen the burned on mess. Using brillo pads didn't take it off and manually scraping only took off the "top" layer of burnt food, not what's stuck to the bottom of the pot. I don't want to toss the pot so I need suggestions. (Pot is stainless steel, no special finishes like Teflon, Silverstone, etc.).

Thanks for your help!

I haven't tried some of these hints, but some sound great. I always put white vinegar mixed with water, probably 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 water and just cover the burned area. Put lid on - broil a bit - cool some and use a stainless scraper and usually all comes out with not a lot of elbow greast. I'll keep some of these other hints to try in the future. Good luck.:)

I wonder, would this also work for the burner grates that has burned on crud on them?

I have used cream of tartar, bring it to a boil and let it sit. Burned stuff should comrade right off.

I found a recipe on line to clean burned pots: suggested cider vinegar, dish washer soap and soda brought to a boil and then rinsed out immediately. That has worked for me. We always add the vinegar and (Arm and Hammer) soda to our dish washer soap when doing our dishes by hand...cleans the plastic glassware better, too. Good luck with your pan.

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and an SOS pad.

Clorox bleach. Pour enough in to cover the burned stuff. Let sit overnight. The burn will probably be floating in the morning. At least that's the way it worked for my burned on spaghetti sauce.

I use baking soda then some vinegar and let it sit overnight.

I agree the baking soda treatment works. After heating mix. cover let sit covered till cool.

Where were you ladies when I burned six eggs to the bottom of one of my favorite leCrueset (don't have spell check and can't go to Google from here) cooking pots; I mean burned to the bottom, exploded all over my kitchen, stove, refrigerator, cabinet tops--that kind of burned. I had to throw it away, and with it went half of my heart. Can you tell I become very attached to my cookware?????

All these suggestions sound good to rescue your favorite pot. To really shine it up and to clean any residue that's left, use Barkeepers Friend (on the same shelf as Comet, etc) at WalMart. Have used this product for years on my Revere Ware (stainless) and occasionally on my flatware (the knives, especially). Good to use on stainless steel sinks and ceramic cooktops as well. It's my ace in the hole, as the saying goes. Try it.

Place your pot in a black plastic bag, put in about a cup of ammonia, seal it up and place in a sunny spot for a couple of days. It should just wipe off after that. Had the same problem just last week. ( Too poor to pay attention)

nifty nickel has good advice. The baking soda always solves my burned on food problems.

Try laying a dryer sheet over the burn and cover with hot water. Let it sit over night....

Oven cleaner. Works every time.

Caustic soda

A good raised dessertspoon of baking soda to about an inch of water... boil for about 10 minutes then leave the pot on the stove until the morning... you will find the burn will just lift off.... we have all done it at some stage in our lives...

I have read this ammonia remedy many times, and I wouldn't hesitate to try it. It always sounds like it works wonders for those who try it.

I just burned a pot this evening...was cooking some quinoa...and it wasn't done yet, so I left cooking longer, and left the room, got distracted, and by the time I was back it was burned to the bottom of the pan. I will be trying one method, and then the next to see if I can save the pan. It is a stainless steel one-I have had it over 35 years...one of my favorites. Think I will start with soaking overnight with fabric softner sheet(s) and see what that does.

I have cleaned our heavy stainless steel stockpot which had burned on apple pieces on the bottom inside. First, I did the baking soda with hot water on the range. DH was so upset with himself for "ruining the pot" when he made applesauce. No problem! Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide right in the pot and apply liberally to the burned areas. Allow to loosen or even leave overnite. You should be able to remove the clumps and scorched areas with ease with a brush or SOS pad. Apply more than once if necessary. Relax! :-) I have "renewed" even old pans with baked on grease.

The dryer sheet is what we do and it works amazingly well. :-)

Soak the pan in a paste made of water and Barkeepers Friend powder....there is a chemical in the powder that will make fast work of it.

This thread has come at just the right time for me. Was cooking corned meat last night and forgot about it. The meat is still edible but the pot is a mess. Have it soaking with salt & lots of vinegar. if that won't work I'll try some of the methods suggested here. Thank you all for your suggestions. Love this board and all the helpful members.

I've done this many times. Use Bar Keepers Friend, found by the Ajax and Comet cleaners in the grocery store. Scrub with a scouring side of a sponge. It comes off.

I think, whatever method you use, you need to let it sit for a day or two to work.

Cream of Tartar is an Old Timer fix and really does work. Just not sure of the measurements.....anyone know?

I saw on TV one time about using Cream of Tarter and vinigar to clean a burned on pot. It also works with glass and even my cooktop without scratches. Pour a small amount of vinigar into or on top of the mess and add Cream of Tartar until it is of a paste consistency. This is usable on many objects but it does require a little bit of elbow grease. I especially use this this mixture a lot, on my cooktop which appears to be a painted material, not the old porcelain.

There is some stuff that beer makers use to soak the bottles in and take the labels off, it is called Straight A and it took the stuff off my burned pot like magic :)

How about putting some paper towels with ammonia in it and letting it sit. I know it works for ovens