We all have one of those days where we put something on the burner and go to the other room for a second, only to rush back at the smell of heavy smoke. And with our utmost horror discover the worst nightmare- a burnt frying pan!
The worst part isn’t that your morning breakfast is now completely ruined. All you can think about is, “how in the world am I going to clean that up?”
Guess what? To make that frown go away, here, we have gathered all the ‘tried and tested’ tricks on how to clean burnt grease from the bottom of frying pans.!
Keep in mind that different types of frying pan require different methods. We will talk about it briefly a moment later!
The Ingredients: There is a Wide Range of ‘em!
You don’t have to use all these ingredients at the same time. We tried to add things you’d easily find at your home. This way, it’s more practical and convenient!
To remove grease from pan, you will be needing ingredients such as:
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Lemon
- Salt
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Ketchup
- Grease remover
Things you need to scrub:
- Scrubbing pad
- Toothbrush
- Scouring pad
How to Clean Burnt Grease from Bottom of Frying Pans: Three Most Effective Ingredients
Let’s be honest, we hardly look at the bottom of our frying pans. Unless you are Monica, who has time to look at all those nooks and crannies of the kitchen!
But when we finally notice them, the gunk has been building for months and months. It literally takes hours to remove all that burnt grease off of the pan bottom and still they don’t fully come off.
Well, it’s not about how you are cleaning it but mostly what you are cleaning it with. You can’t use normal dish soap to clean up a mess like that!
You might be wondering what’s the best cleaning agent for burned-on grease from the bottom of pans. Here are three of the most effective methods to easily finish the job.
(Keep in mind you will still have to scrub, just not as much! Sadly, there is no non-scrubbing method yet).
Baking Soda
Baking soda is probably the easiest and most known method for cleaning up old pots and pans. From removing rust to keeping the pan grease-free, baking soda is super useful for many different items. It is one of the best grease cleaner.
The reason why baking soda works is because it is a mild abrasive. So it removes the upper layer of your pan while being gentle enough to not damage the core.
Cleaning pots with baking soda is very simple. To use baking soda, all you have to do is sprinkle some on the surface and wait for it to do its magic.
Never use baking soda on non-stick pans. As the non-stick layer can get damaged.
Oven Cleaner
Oven cleaner is not what comes to our mind when we think of cleaning our pans. But it makes sense as the oven gets constant burns and stains from baking/roasting/grilling. Oven cleaners are designed to remove all those tricky spots from a metal surface.
Just make sure you’re using an oven cleaner only on your non-stick and ceramic pans. Apply a light layer on the bottom and let it sit for an hour or so. Then use a scrubbing pad/ brush to scrub everything off!
Bar Keeper’s Friend and Aluminum Foil
You might be wondering what is the best kind of cleaning agent to use for cleaning burned-on grease. We have a proven option for you!
You can understand why aluminum foil would work on tough burnt grease. The Bar Keeper’s Friend is the only thing on our list that you will need to purchase!
The first time we tried, we couldn’t believe it either. Sprinkle some Bar Keeper’s Friend on a wet pan and use the foil to scrape everything off.
Even if you use Bar Keeper’s Friend by itself, it is strong enough to remove any spots or stains. You can remove burnt food from pots very easily.
One side note, this method is not ideal for non-stick pans or any pans with protective coatings.
How to Clean Different Types of Frying Pans
There are a few different types of pans we all use on a regular basis. Even though they all function as frying pans, the construction, and materials on them have nothing in common.
So it is no surprise the process of cleaning scorched pan would be different. The three main types of pan that we will be discussing are stainless steel pan, cast-iron pan, and ceramic pan.
Cleaning a Stainless Steel Pan
For stainless steel pans, a combination of vinegar, baking soda, and salt works wonders. It not only removes all the burnt marks and grease but also makes your stainless steel brighter and shinier.
Here’s how to clean burnt stainless steel pan:
Step 1: Apply a generous layer of baking soda and coarse salt on the bottom. Put some extra on the tough burns.
Step 2: Either lightly pour vinegar on top of the soda or spray it. Make sure the vinegar reaches the whole surface properly.
Step 3: Let it sit there for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Use a scouring pad to scrub off the grime and grease from your stainless-steel pan.
You may also like: How to clean calphalon grill pan
Cleaning a Cast-Iron Pan
Cast iron pans are a chef’s most prized possession. They are not very common in most households yet. This might be because of the high-maintenance nature of cast-iron skillets and pans.
No matter how much you season your pan, burning your cast iron is fairly easy. This may be because cast-iron pans can take a lot of heat.
Here are our easy steps to how to clean the bottom of a cast-iron pan:
Step 1: Salt is your best friend for cast iron pans and skillets. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt all over the pan.
Step 2: Scrub the pan with a damp cloth or a plastic scraper depending on how tough the burnt is.
Step 3: For a cast iron pan, as appealing as it seems, you can not use steel wool to scrub. Only use a brush or coarse fabric.
Step 4: Wash it thoroughly and dry the pan completely.
Step 5: Apply a light layer of oil to not let it turn into rust.
Cleaning a Ceramic Pan
Ceramic pans are on the rise nowadays. This is simply due to their aesthetic look and practical nature. Ceramic pans are known for their non-stick feature. They are super easy to clean up too!
Most of us think, if a ceramic pan gets burnt, you can’t use them anymore. They need to be tossed out. But that’s not true at all.
To easily remove the burnt grease from your ceramic pans, try following these easy steps:
Step 1: This is the preparation part. Remove as much burnt grease and grimes as possible from the pan.
Step 2: Pour vinegar water with a 1:4 ratio. Then place it inside a stove. Let the stove heat up to medium until it starts to boil. Let it sit like this for a few minutes then remove the pan from the stove.
Step 4: This step might stink so we advise putting the pan outside or removing a window. Let the water cool down.
Step 5: Start to scrape inside the pan with a silicone spatula and sponge. For the rough areas, use a scraper.
This answers your question of how to clean baked on grease. After you are done with all these steps, your pan should look brand new again! For the bottom of the pan, simply soak it in vinegar water overnight.
Things You Should Never Do!
Here is our list of what NOT to do when you don’t know what to do:
- Never use an oven cleaner on stainless steel or cast-iron pan to remove burnt grease from the bottom. This can seriously damage the surface and you might lose the warranty. This method only works for mon-stick and ceramic pans.
- Never soak your pan in Pepsi/Coca-Cola or any of those surgery carbonated drinks. They simply don’t work.
Maintenance Tips for Your Frying Pan
A good frying pan is one of the most used items in any kitchen. So you really need to take care of it properly. And that doesn’t mean just cleaning it regularly.
- It is a good idea to invest in quality cookware as they can withstand a lot of heat and damage so you won’t have to replace your pan every two years.
- Always grease your pan before you start cooking. This includes non-stick pans too. Do a gentle brush of oil and it will keep the pan sleek and smooth.
- If you use a cast-iron pan, season it twice a year. Cast iron pan can easily get rusty without proper seasoning.
- After washing the pan, dry it properly and use a microfiber towel to wipe it off.
- Store your pan in a pan rack or hooks on the wall. Basically anywhere but on the stovetop!
So There You Go!
Cleaning the burning grease off of your pan is that easy. The key thing is to clean your pans and cutleries regularly. This way you never get any grease buildups.
Having a quality pan is a commitment. As the pan serves us, we have to put a bit of our time and effort to maintain its beauty. The better your pan looks, the higher it performs!
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