How to Clean Burnt Pots and Pans
Restore scorched stainless steel cookware to a spotless shine using a vinegar boil, baking soda reaction, and targeted non-scratch scrubbing techniques.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Non-scratch scouring sponge
- ✓ Wooden spatula or flat wooden spoon
- ✓ Stovetop burner
- ✓ Measuring cup
- ✓ Microfiber drying towel
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Baking soda
- ✓ White distilled vinegar
- ✓ Liquid dish soap
- ✓ Water
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never plunge a scorching hot pan directly into cold sink water to prevent metal warping.
- • Turn on the range hood exhaust fan when boiling vinegar to avoid inhaling strong acidic fumes.
- • Wear heat-resistant gloves when handling the hot cookware during and right after the boil step.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Scrape Loose Carbon Residue
Place the cooled pan on a flat counter and gently scrape away loose, flaky charred food using the flat edge of a wooden spatula. Do not use metal utensils, which scratch polished surfaces. Empty the dry flakes directly into the trash bin.
- • Only hard, bonded carbon remains adhered to the bottom of the pan.
- • Loose dry flakes are cleared away.
- • Using a metal spoon or steel wool that scratches the cookware base.
Boil Vinegar and Water Solution
Pour equal parts water and white distilled vinegar into the pan until the burnt layer is fully submerged by at least half an inch. Place the pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil for 5 minutes.
- • Liquid is bubbling vigorously across the entire surface.
- • Dark burnt patches begin releasing and floating into the liquid.
- • Not adding enough liquid to fully cover the blackened sections.
Add Baking Soda for the Fizzing Soak
Turn off the burner and carefully slide the pan onto a heat-safe trivet or cool burner. Immediately sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the hot liquid, letting the vigorous bubbling reaction loosen the remaining carbon bonds for 10 minutes.
- • Foaming white froth covers the pan surface and slowly subsides.
- • Liquid turns murky brown or black from dislodged carbon.
- • Dumping baking soda in all at once, causing it to boil over onto the stove.
Discard Liquid and Form Scrubbing Paste
Pour the dirty liquid down the drain, leaving just a few drops in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh baking soda and a squirt of dish soap directly over the remaining burnt spots to form a thick, gritty paste.
- • A thick, toothpaste-consistency slurry covers the burnt areas.
- • Liquid is fully drained without washing away the paste.
- • Leaving too much water in the pan, making the paste too watery to provide mechanical abrasion.
Scrub in Circular Motions
Take the non-scratch scouring sponge and scrub the paste firmly against all burnt areas using small, overlapping circular motions. Apply firm downward pressure along the corners and bottom ridges where carbon collects most heavily.
- • Dark carbon flakes lift into the white paste, turning it dark grey.
- • Bright metallic base of the pan becomes clearly visible beneath the scrubbed zone.
- • Scrubbing only in straight back-and-forth lines, missing the rounded corner seam.
Rinse and Buff Dry
Rinse the pan thoroughly under warm running water to remove all soap and baking soda residue. Immediately wipe the entire surface dry with a clean microfiber towel to inspect for remaining stains and prevent water spotting.
- • Cookware shows a uniform, reflective metallic surface with zero black carbon residue.
- • No cloudy white powder film left on the metal.
- • Air-drying the wet pan, which leaves cloudy mineral rings.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Hoshi Phan — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No White distilled vinegar? 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder dissolved in water or fresh lemon juice
- No Baking soda? Bar Keepers Friend powder or coarse table salt with dish soap
- No Non-scratch scouring sponge? A ball of crumpled aluminum foil (for stainless steel only, not non-stick)