Thank you for all of your comments on the comparison video ua-cam.com/video/6-ErbHo_444/v-deo.html ! I now know the best way to clean pots and pans! Cheers!
Oddly enough when I found your video I had just seen the Kirkland set at Costco and after comparing brands for a couple of years there was no doubt,bought it, no issues,read carefully remark about warped pan,only 1 such remark and very irresponsible user,think any pan but cast iron would have warped, I worked for almost 8 years as a metal fabricator and my girlfriend only had a cheap set of stainless so I got a quick lesson in how to clean because her and her daughter both put pans on stove and walk away,burning the crap out of rice several times, fyi my brother is a chemical engineer and even the cheapest dish soap straight is a great degreaser,vinegar takes stains out of stainless,stubborn ones heat slightly,best seasoning on stainless is corn oil,smoking hot and its non stick,some rub salt on too, fyi baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, good with water for indigestion, Also recently got girl friend an instant pot and dinner pot is you guessed it,stainless steel so same cleaning for pans works with instant pot! And new model has an actual pot with handles you can saute with on stove then pressure cook!Have a qt and an 8qt!
AwareHouseChef - Thank you for the compliment. That was very gentlemanly of you to accept my constructive criticism with such grace. And I am delighted to teach you how to properly clean pots and pans, especially Revere Ware! :-)
Good vid. One suggestion: advise people to WIPE OUT ALL OILS before cleaning with anything that will go down the sink. Minimize the oil you flush down the drain. Most of us in N America live in a temperate climate (doesn't feel so temperate today though: it's -15C outside). Pipes get cold in the winter. Any fat/oil you send down the drain precipitates out & forms a thick layer of fat in your pipes underground. That layer just keeps building up. Eventually one of two things happens: the pipes between your house & the sewer clog up & you have a very expensive plumbing expense, maybe even have to have your pipes dug up. Or the crud builds up in the sewage line on the street & the City needs to dig it up, adding to your tax bill & inconveniencing you too. Wipe out your pans. Throw the paper towel in the green bin that goes out for composting (in your back yard or the municipal one). Pay $.02 for the paper towel & save yourself thousands in contractor fees.
Correct. We had our pipes clogged from 30 years of oil / fat. It ended up in a flooded cellar (you don't want to know how 30 year old fat smells) and a 4 digit bill from the company that fixed it. The stuff in our pipes was hard like concrete, no way to get it out without special equipment once it has built up.
Good tip! Even if you do this, it helps to run lots of hot water down the drains, even boiling a stockpot full and pouring that down. It won't remove decades of gunk, but will keep new stuff from building up. Last year I had to replace the sink main drain in my duplex, $2500. 125 year old cast iron and many years as a rental (tenants rarely care) can build up a lot of grease!
On the rare occasions I can’t clean my stainless steel pans with water and washing liquid, I use barkeepers friend and they go back to factory settings and look amazing.
I use Barr keepers friend with a soft sponge. After washing my pieces, I apply a small amount of oil and wipe it until it is almost completely off. I do this with my stainless steel sink, cooktop and pans. It conditions them. Once a month I use a stainless steel polish and smooth little nicks. I have had my pans for 37 years and they look brand new! ❤
To use Barkeepers Friend properly, make a soft paste with it. You used too much water. It actually polishes the pan. Try it on your yellowed one. I will definitely try that soda/water technique! Cheers!
If you have a piece of stainless steel cookware that already has noticeable scratching, then Barkeeper's Friend is a good Go To. But if you have a near 'New Old Stock' vintage piece that you want to retain the factory-like mirror finish, you are better off using Bon Ami, making a paste with watery Dawn soap and scrubbing with a stiff bamboo bristle brush.
Another tidbit I have learned, with ANY cleanser (BKF, Bon Ami, Cameo)... make that paste, make it kind of thick, and use your fingers, not a scrub pad. Not sure why, but I get better results with bare hands than any scrubbie/sponge.
I recently subscribed, so I'm just getting caught up on your videos. Two points from this video based on what I used on my stainless dental instruments over the past 38 years. Orange solvent or orange degreasers really need to be used with gloves. They are great degreasers, but are also great at removing the natural skin oils. This will cause cracking and bleeding around your nails. Kuhn-Rikon stainless polish will usually remove stains from stainless and other metals. Not the burnt on stuff, but that yellow stain you were left with after trying to season your stainless. It worked very well on the darkened stain that stainless gets after repeated sterilization cycles. I also use it to clean my Alissi stainless moka pot, and the brass bolsters and stainless blades of pocket knives. Thanks for these videos! Glad I subscribed.
I only season my stainless skillet when frying something I know will stick like eggs or potatoes. When I season I put canola oil in the pan to cover the bottom, turn the heat on med-high and watch. When the oil starts to "move" or shimmer I take it off the heat right away and let it cool to warm, pour off the oil, then use fresh oil to fry. I've never discolored my stainless with this method and my over-easy eggs are perfect :) (Grandma taught me that one) I'll continue to scour my pans with baking soda and Dawn paste mostly cuz it also works on the Corningware left me by my mother and they're important to me.
@@AwareHouseChef I got similar issue. My new stainless steel frying pan got a very yellowish color in both inner and outside of the pan after I overheated it. I tried white vinegar, baking soda, none of it worked. Did you find any solution for this issue? Thanks!
Thank you for this. I have some burnt on crud on stainless steel pans from a hot dog cart. I watched this and immediately ran to the kitchen and started the overnight soaking process with the baking soda. It started breaking it all down immediately. Respect!
Still exists, and it's the best! I use it as my standard dish washing tool. If you can't find it in the supermarket, check a smaller hardware store. I even found a clone in Aldi once.
I just deglaze hot pan with with touch of water, and swirl wood or nylon spatula after taking food out. Works a charm, just a minute, then sink soak to clean sides.
Best video for how to clean stainless steel pans! I was watching so many and this was honestly the most informative. I'm getting my first set and am doing research so I don't end up just throwing them in the trash! LOL 🤣
I used scrubbies on my AllClad pans for years. They still look beautiful to me. I only found out about Barkeepers Friend a few years ago. I think it's the best. I soak my pan for a little while with warm to hot water and sone dish soap. Sometimes inlyb10 or 15 mins, sometimes longer. Then pour that out and use a pad like the green side of your sponge with Barkeepers Friend. Voila! Easy peasy.
The best way I have found to wash all pans is to soak the pan in hot water and original Dawn, 15 mins later (which is after the rest of the dishes are done) everything wipes out. Way easier than everything else.
A pan that is clean on the inside will be prone to sticking. Even SS. I like to keep SS clean on the outside, but ANY pan that is well-seasoned on the inside will cook better with less sticking.
I bought a cheap set of stainless steel pans, to see if I would like them, and I love them. I am trying to go towards more cast iron, but I do like Stainless. The ones I have are thin and cheap, but they clean up so nice.
I just bought my first stainless set in November and I love using them. I use Dawn power wash after the pan cools, then rinse and repeat if necessary. Then use a sponge and finish with Bar Keepers Friend to restore shine and remove mineral deposits. Works like a charm and very little elbow grease needed. Just some time and tlc.
We have been using baking soda plus heat for years, we add a squirt of dawn foaming spray to augment the baking soda. We find this combination quite remarkable. Thanks for the UA-cam channel. Really enjoy your channel
Even more remarkable is if you add vinegar to your soda, dawn, water mixture, then let sit for sometime before washing off. It works like a dream, and no elbow grease whatsoever.
@@AwareHouseChef thank you so much! Your videos have been great I was about to pull the trigger on getting an all clad set but you changed my mind so now I have a Kirkland set with a few Misen frying pans. I will probably end up getting the industry Deboyere set but I want to know what I’m doing before I get really nice expensive pans
Baking soda worked great! I had a few stains on a 10" All Clad that stayed on until I used baking soda today. I did not try the other methods listed, although I do use Soft Scrub cleanser from time to time. That does not do as good a job as the baking soda.
Hello. I always use hot water and baking soda for cleaning. Once There was a very big yellow stain on my pan and I cut a lime in half and scrubbed the yellow area with it (to be sure it will go away added a little baking soda too) My pan is bright and shiny again, like brand new.
Mixing baking soda with lime or lemon is a myth. It does nothing other then creating a foam. It doesn't make the cleaning easier, faster or stronger... Proven fact ☝️
I once got aluminum poisoning and never cook with aluminum. I have cooked on stainless for 60 years. I use Barkeepers Friend a lot now. But mostly since the beginning I use baking soda. I rarely burn and often deglaze and make sauce or gravy which is my favorite way to clean the pan!
This is really helpful! I have only ever owned cast iron and nonstick pans, but I really want to get a stainless steel one ---especially for browning meats and making sauces with the fond. My current pans don't do that well. But I've been really intimidated by the idea of trying to clean it, so I haven't gotten one yet. I will definitely need to keep the baking soda soak trick in mind!
Hello jessica! Thank you so much for reaching out. I'm going to kindly ask that you hold off until a week or two from now before you purchase your stainless steel pan. I found a really excellent brand that I'm going to be releasing a video on. Purchase with my own money, unsponsored. I think this is the best stainless on the market right now. But I want to run a couple of tests before I put my money where my mouth is. All the best!
I love using baking soda to clean! It works really great on most things in the kitchen. My favorite use for it is removing smells from tupperware. Just put in some B.Soda, little dish soap, hot water. Put on the lid, shake, let sit for a while. Barkeeper's friend is good, but much better for polishing. Like using in your sink, on your stove top, or for pans that aren't super caked in crud.
It's needs a little more effort than iron cookware. But hot water, dish soap, baking soda (for burnt stuff and proteins), acid (vinegar or citric acid for carbs) and a two sided scrubber get rid of pretty much everything.
I have regular 3ply and a Chinese Wok pure stainless steel single layer. For eggs I raise the temperature to 200 degrees, add oil, wait for it to heat up, no sticking. Eggs do not stick even on the pure steel wok, as I make eggs gor fried rice. Eggs do not require as much heat as meat. I bought a $9 infrared thermometer in amazon. It is good enough to see the temperatures.
My pans are a brand called Lifetime purchased in 1980. Their claim at the time was that they were “surgical” stainless steel. Since I cook most of the year on a wood cook stove, the bottoms had some stains - not a lot though - and the barkeepers friend removed all the stains perfectly and fairly easily. BTW: I’ve been using my LeCruiset pots and pans almost daily for almost 50 years. The Lifetime cookware still look so good, I recently was asked when I got the “new” pans. When I do get something scorched on the bottom I usually just let the pot soak in hot water and dishsoap. It wipes right off with a sponge. Remember I said: “scorched” not “blackened”. If it got that bad, I’d use oven cleaner. But I do wish Lifetime hadn’t used those handles whatever they are made of. Mine are still intact but all my friends who bought them at the same time have discarded theirs as their handles didn’t stand up. Don’t know why mine did because if I’m not cooking on the wood stove, it’s on a real restaurant stove that gets blazing hot.
@@AwareHouseChef Yes www.lifetimecookware.com/lten.htm Apparently you have to use the form on their website to contact a Lifetime distributor to purchase products. biz.regalware.com/alt/ltcontact.pgm
Yes they do still make them. I checked recently and the other person who answered is correct. I filled out the form but haven’t heard anything yet. You likely would get a quicker response being you’re in the US. In 1980, they were very pricy (a lot more than the LeCruiset set which I took to our cottage). At the time, I bought the large stock pot, a roast pan (the rep claimed it would hold a 30 lb turkey, no problem), a couple frying pans, double boiler with steamer pan, and three various sized saucepans. When my LeCruiset pots get too stained looking, I just pour in some bleach and leave them til they are sparkling again.
One thing that's not mentioned is baking soda and vinegar. I use that mix and then use a cleaning brush to get the pan clean. You don't need to use a whole lot and it will take out even the worst of stains.
thanks for the video. I trash picked a really nice SS sauce pan that had stuff cooked on, that wouldn;'t scrub off. I put some Oxyclean in it overnight,,,, it rinsed right out.
Somehow my UA-cam algorithm knew I have a cruded-up pan soaking in my kitchen at this very moment lol. Thanks for your help, I'm going to try the baking soda!
Remove ‘most’ stains on stainless pans - sauté- fry- sauce if you have any stains after cleaning with a lemon. I cut a lemon slice, leave the end on and wipe around pan. Ok to leave it for a few min. If you have time before wiping dry. Walter stains, oiler grease stains, and general usage stains will disappear.
I have stainless steel pans that are over 17 years old, from when IKEA had really good pots and pans. I also have a couple of Vision Glass pieces by Pyrex (leftovers from my brother) and I have seriously burned black: rice, tomato sauce, cheese, oatmeal, farina, gravey and food that sticks and burns in these pan and pots. Hands down, baking soda does the job. I dump out any large or loose food. The surface shoud be wet, but no water puddle. Sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda, let sit for 10- 15 minutes (or while you fuss at the person who burned the food, whichever is closest to 15 minutes) then wiple out with a sponge, dish cloth, Scubb Daddy, and 1-2-3 - shiney and clean! Every 4 months or so, I clean the inside and outside of my pots with Bar Keepers Friend when I want to have TV pots and pans. It does an excellent job of bringing back the shine on discolored but clean pans. I don't use it on a regular becuse of the elbow grease needed to make it shine. Overall, baking soda works for me.
I've been using Barkeeper's Friend on my AllClads and it great stuff, if someone else use the pots and pans and burns something, I'll just boil water in it to break down the burnt on food or grease.
What works well for me for the inside of the pan - - As soon as I take the food out of the pan, while pan is still hot on the stove, toss in about 3 ounces of water and drop a lid on the pan. Let it cool off that way for later cleaning. So basically boiling water in the pan but without making it a separate step later. . - When I go to wash the pan, first rinse / scrub it out with a dish brush which gets the vast majority of any food / junk . - Follow that with a stainless steel scouring ball. I heard what you said about them but have been doing this for years and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Using the dish brush first minimizes the amount of junk getting caught up in the SS pad. Also, I scrub with the SS under running water so the junk being loosened tends to run away from the pad and to the sink screen. Then rinse / shake out the SS pad. To help keep the SS sanitary I run it through the dishwasher which they tolerate very well. But replacements are only a buck at a local restaurant supply store. Using the above makes my actual working time cleaning a nasty pan about two minutes. It's super fast.
I've been using baking soda as a cleaner for decades. In 2005 I moved to a new house. The previous owner left behind a plastic "scouring powder" container of baking soda, complete with label. I kept that container, refilling it many times - it still lives next to my kitchen sink. My usual way to use it is to wash the pan with hot tap water and Dawn and a Dobie (plastic) pad, then, if I need more cleaning power, use the baking soda. If scrubbing doesn't work, let it sit a while. In the worst cases, put water and baking soda in a large pot, bring to a boil, add the dirty thing, and simmer for 30 minutes. I've used this method to strip 100+ year old paint off bronze hardware (using a pot that never touched food). FYI, it's much cheaper to buy large sacks of baking soda at the big box or hardware store. Put some in a mason jar for cooking, use the rest for cleaning.
@@AwareHouseChef I wonder if boiling the viniger and water would work just as well if you did it for the same amount of time as the baking soda instead of half the time.
I haven't done it with SS, but for my porcelain teaware I use baking soda and citric acid mixed with warm water. Let it sit till the fizzing stops then scrub.
In the UK we have a product called Oven Mate. It’s a caustic gel so be careful. That will shift that yellowing from seasoning. It’s great for resetting a pan.
Just got stainless steel pots and pans for Christmas. Really debating wether to season or not, but at least I now know how to properly clean them. Thanks for the vid!
I like to put a "crudded up" .....after cooking stainless steel pan IMMEDIATELY under a flow of hot water in the sink, gets a lot off straight away!... If it's really bad then definitely the baking soda method, but also a splash of vinegar which activates the baking soda & then simmer the pot at lowest temperature for 15 mins
baking soda and some old fashion soaking, yes....once and awhile ceramic bright made for glass top stoves....then for seasoning the pan Christine Cushing's tip. You only have to do it once in a while, green onion tops and a wee bit of oil, slush around the pan on med heat, get all sides, wipe with a paper towel.. ready go! Cook away!
As of yesterday, I just recovered my saute pan with barkeepers friend and a good chainmail scrubber. I was able to undo the horror that grease did to the bottom of my pan after frying chicken the other day. Those Scotch Brite pads I had, were no match, and I might just toss those away
Great video! I usually use the hot water method (on the stove), but it doesn’t get the stains out. The stains like you had after seasoning. For that I use barkeepers friend. It’s about an 8 out of 10, and i probably should be wearing gloves because the cleaner makes by fingers hurt, but, it can get the pans looking new again. I really like the final finish that barkeepers friend leaves, but, it is a lot of work. Next time I’ll try adding baking soda, maybe i can go a few more uses before i feel the need to “polish” the pan with barkeepers friend.
My wife and I were completely blown away by how effective the baking soda was we cleaned out a couple of pots yesterday that we grilled steaks in. Effortless!
I have had good luck just soaking in water with or without soap. Most things wipe off but if not, a medium brush, and then soft scrubber works. If I still have oils or hard water stains, a short soak of vinegar and then wipe down and rinse finishes the job.
Seasoned Pan? Use the Bartenders Friend to get that yellow off of it. Smear it around and leave it for a minute then rinse it with the sponge. It's oxalic acid and will remove anything from your stainless. Great video.
@@AwareHouseChef How did the Bartender's (or is it Barkeeper's) Friend work out for you? I accidentally 'seasoned' my pan again by letting oil get too hot in it. It took a couple of cleanings to get rid of the color. Stubborn problem. Just wondering how you did with that. Cheers.
@@alext8828 I like to use it differently than what is recommended by the package. A hot slurry almost like a wet paste does the job really well on the inside. Not too great on the outside. All the best
Thank you. I love those plastic scrapers for cast iron and regular pans if the stuck on food is soft it comes right up or boil water for a few then do it but they work great. What I need is how to get that black burnt on oil off I’ve tried everything nothing takes it off when it’s super cooked on so I bought the carbon off
I really appreciate this video! A lot of great info. One recommendation is not using bleach in the kitchen! I have experience in the disinfectant and cleaning industry. The recommendation of soaking the steal scrubber in bleach is not food safe, and could get restaurant owners in trouble with the FDA. Using food safe cleaners and sanitizers is what should be used and will keep everyone safe!
If your stainless is yellow, please try the BKF again. I would use it liberally and let it sit for a bit. This is where BKF shines. :). Works best on glass top stoves to.
@@oliviagreen8853 - I’m assuming it was labeled “non-scratch.” We threw away the wrapper, but it was the blue Scotch Brite-brand, as that’s all we buy.
I haven’t tried the orange degreaser but the deep purple degreaser cleans even the “yellow” (and black) caramelized oil on pans and is probably more heavy duty. The deep purple liquefies the WORST burned (caramelized) grease and then a green 3M scrubby pad takes it right off. BUT deep purple can clean TOO good full strength. It takes the lettering off your toaster when using it as a cleaner. I use deep purple to remove layers of smoke grease from my smoker and the smoking racks. Dissolves it right off. It is pretty heavy duty for removing oil based stains. For “normal” cleaning in 2 minutes while the pan is warm with hot water briefly soaking in it, use Bar Keepers friend and the 3M green scrubbing pad very lightly pressed down is the best method. Get most of the crud off with just soap and a green scrubbing pad, then sprinkle a little Bar Keepers Friend to form a paste, and scrub to a clean, white metal finish. Lodge makes a GREAT plastic crud scraper for their cast iron pans that works great on scraping off chunks of crud on ANY pan (especially sheet pans) but is mild enough for cast iron seasoning. It gets under an edge and often pulls off the entire chunk at a time. It is like scraping with your finger nail on steroids. I often use it as the first tool to remove nasty, burned on crud on any pan. Of course, pouring a tablespoon or two of cooking oil into the pan, and heating the pan up to 350 degrees help to re liquify and soften the burned on grease, onions, mushrooms, meat, peppers, etc. and makes using the plastic scraper to get rid of most of the crud all that more effective. I found out about using oil instead of boiling water to clean cooked on crud because of my cast iron pans. I mostly clean them with no water now. Just pour in cooking oil when done cooking, heat to soften, scrape out the crud AFTER THE PAN COOLS TO BE TOUCHABLE, then wipe the pan out with a a clean paper towel to perfectly clean, then reoil and a short reseasoning in the oven. My cast iron looks like brand new every time I pull it out. No scrubbing ever. Do not melt the scraper in too hot a pan. Want to just remove discolorations in stainless steel (you even get it boiling water or steaming vegetables)? I found that Tarnex, the same thing for removing silver tarnish works just as good wiping with only a Tarnex dampened paper towel. It works as well as the acids in Bar Keepers Friend but, you only spread it with a paper towel. No scrubbing at all. Didn’t remove all the discoloration? Rewet the paper towel fresh Tarnex until the discolorations are gone. Then wash out the pan with soapy water, rinse and dry and it is like brand new (scratches aside from years of use). Those stains are a chemical reaction and Barkeepers friend or Tarnex immediately removes them with another chemical reaction. Bar Keepers friend adds the scrubbing power and works great on glass stoves as well. I never tried pouring cooking oil on a glass stove top and then heating it up to soften cooked on crud (like I do on pans), but now that I think of it, I will have to try it. While the pan has the oil in it and the pan is almost smoking hot, I have scraped baked on crud with a flat wooden scraper and that often removes a lot of the crud as well. The idea is to put enough oil in to soak the crud, just like if you were using water. I often pour the oil into the hot pan when done cooking, scrape some with a wooden spoon to see what comes loose easily, then walk away to eat and let the oil soak in and soften the crud. Heat definitely helps because that was how you created the mess in the first place and that is how you soften it back up.
I'm 55yrs old and grew up in a house of 6 kids to adults and had dishes/kitchen duty chores on 7 day rotations.... S.O.S pads work wonders on stainless steel pots and pans that have food burnt to them..... let them soak in hot soapy water about 30 minutes or boil water and add some dish soap....then use the 3M pad/sponge to remove the heavy food then finish up with S.O.S. Pad....I've never seen a Surface/Finish damaged by S.O.S Pad used on polished stainless steel
If you clean the pan quickly after you use it and just use water that is the best way definitely cheapest definitely best for the environment end it works really good but I like the baking soda I tried it you have to wait and you have to buy the baking soda but it definitely was a good way to clean it after the fact thank you for your video it was a great help
I just wanted to say that I’ve been using pure copper “chore boy” scrubbing pads from Amazon to clean my stainless steel pans for years. Copper is softer than stainless steel, but harder than carbon deposits, so it tends to work better than the green side of a sponge, IMO, and I haven’t noticed it ruining the finish, but I’m not the kind of person who cares about the finish of a tool like a pan.
Thanks! Good comparison and hands down baking soda as it's environmentally friendly! Btw us foreign subscribers are notnecessarily familiar with some US brands and products. ... and btw I don't season SS pans either.
Boil water in the pan, turn the heat off and then add about a teaspoon of sodium percarbonate (99% pure of the active ingredient in OxyClean). Let it sit overnight. In the morning, the cooked on stuff will practically wipe out with a paper towel. I use it to clean coffee makers, laundry, you name it. It cleans wooden decks and when it falls through it turns to water so is non-toxic. It's basically powdered hydrogen peroxide.
I can vouch for sodium percarbonate. I brew beer and the cleaner most known is Five Star Chemicals Powered Brewery Wash (PBW). There's less expensive alternatives available (Active Elements on Amazon is what I use). That stuff tears through any baked on mess. Cheese is obliterated. Carbonized stuff is removed and no scrubbing needed.
I use Bar Keepers just to keep my stainless steel in immaculate condition and boiling water and baking soda for cleaning them and I had my stainless steel cookware for 5 year and they look like new.
I was living pretty much off grid, getting water at store. I used an instant pot for cooking & found that if I wiped out the stainless steel pan with a paper towel while it was still warm to get oil & food stuff out, then used an alcohol sanitizer wipe, I could get it clean. I never put oil down a drain. If I burned something in it, I let it sit with water for awhile, at worst used plastic spatula to scrape or green scrubber for really burnt area. I thought I'd have to get a new pan for it once, but it came clean letting it sit with water overnight. I grew up with the boiling water & baking soda method.
My solution is a grease cutting dish soap a dab of water form a paste with baking soda and use BLUE scotch brute. It does not scratch, the green does scratch.
This is fantastic! It’s easy for everyone to get baking soda. I’m thinking of moving to stainless steel and that’s great to know. I often use a product we have here in Australia and that is Nappysan. It contains enzymes which eat the crud when left to soak. Needs some good rinsing but otherwise cleans up a dream on my roasting tins or if I burned my stainless steel saucepan.
This is great info! For me, the "nuclear option" to clean stainless, if it gets really bad (especially on the outside), is self-cleaning cycle on the oven. Obviously this can be damaging to some pans.
@@AwareHouseChef A tiny bit, but not worse than the pans were before. (and usually I've done it to baking sheets and stuff like that. I did run a demeyere proline skillet through and it was maybe only the tiniest bit duller, but that pan is 10+ years old and the end result was vastly better.)
The reason baking soda works so well is that it makes water very basic (high ph). A 1% solution of baking soda at room temperature has a pH of 8.4, now you can start to imagine what a 30% mix at 100 degrees is. Brake cleaner is also basic and usually tops out at around 8.5, but this obviously doesn't have all those harsh chemicals. I would recommend wearing gloves if using this frequently, it will likely strip all of the fats from your skin which can cause irritation and other issues.
Baking soda (and any caustic chemical) works great against burnt stuff and protein based residue (after searing meat, against burnt milk etc.). Vinegar (and all acids) is great for carbohydrates (after cooking rice, pasta or potatoes). As I can't stand the smell of hot vinegar, I use citric acid (crystalline) instead. Oxal acid (which Barkeeper's Friend uses) also works great and is best for the environment (that's why it's very popular to clean boats from algae). But you have to be careful with higher concentrations (the same goes for vinegar). The cool thing about citric acid is, it is pretty safe (the solution gets saturated at a low acidic level) and it doesn't smell much. Due to chemical processes working faster at higher temperatures, hot water speeds up things.
I found a really easy way to clean my carbon steel woks. Dilute citric acid powder with hot water and let the pan sit a near boil (boiling works too.) You can and just wipe off the grease and gunk effortlessly after a few minutes of soaking. Citric acid is a gentle, human-safe acid that cleans pans beautifully. Home canners add it to the preserves to keep food from spoiling. Target carries a pure product from Ball you can buy for under 4 dollars. I nuked the old seasoning off 3 carbon steel woks and they came out like new. Since I don't own stainless pans, I haven't tried it. Suggest you give it a try and let us know.
If you have a pan that has such thick, burned-on gunk on it that you’re about to throw it away, try unscented laundry detergent. I cannot remember where I learned this, I’m pretty sure it was on UA-cam, but soaking a pan that you think is completely unsalvageable in unscented laundry detergent works. I had a pot that had about a quarter of an inch of burned I don’t remember what on the bottom of it, and it couldn’t be chiseled off, even by my husband, who is strong. But soaking it in water and unscented laundry detergent totally worked. If I remember right, it took several soakings and scrapings and cleanings, but it saved my pan.
I'm right there with you on seasoning stainless. No need for non-stick properties if you add oil at the right time and no benefit in cleaning. It's more work and stinky smoke with little to no benefit.
Thanks for the great videos! We ordered an induction stove, now looking for different pans. How about taking the baking soda from the refrigerator used for collecting smelly stuff and using that to clean pans instead of throwing it away?
I wonder if it loses its potency? Maybe give it a try with new and old. You could be on to something. Thank you for the kindness max may your new stove serve you well in health. Cheers!
I’ve been using diluted Purple Power as a general backup cleaner around the house. Not exactly the same as a citrus based cleaner but it’s been used in all types of industrial setting for decades. I might try some on my toaster oven pan. If it can get those stubborn baked on grease stains out it should work fine on cookware.
@@AwareHouseChef I use it on my bathroom tile floors, walls, toilet and sink diluted 60:1 and its been safe so far. I should probably switch to a citrus based cleaner for household uses. My favorite cookware cleaning method is to start with heating water, scraping and progressing as needed. I just took the seasoning off my carbon steel Matfer pan by cooking a hamburger so that seasoning wasn't done properly even though eggs didn't stick. So now I have no seasoning on the bottom of the pan and thick oil residue on the sides. Bringing it back to zero is my only option. Not looking forward to that.
You need to have the Leidenfrost effect before you cook anything on a stainless steel frying pan, otherwise the food will stick onto the pan surface and difficult to get rid of.
I Really Appreciated your unbiased examination of cleaning options in the vid. I (inherited) my Pan, and prior to putting it to use, I’d like to get it ‘as new’. Eager to try the Baking Soda, but I’m afraid that I might’ve missed a detail. It needs to Boil for an Hour ? The main area of (concern) with my Pan is around the (Interior) Lip. I’m uncertain as to how I might keep it boiling, while maintaining FULL liquid for a full hour. Am I misinterpreting the specifics ?
Thanks for reaching out! All I did was warm up the water to 140° because the viewer didn't tell me how hot to make it. I added some baking soda and just let it sit for an hour. No boiling. Cheers!
The point of seasoning the pan is to leave the seasoning on, it's supposed to be hard to remove. If you really want to remove it it's best to bake it in the oven at high temperature for a while, it will burn right off.
Thank you for all of your comments on the comparison video ua-cam.com/video/6-ErbHo_444/v-deo.html ! I now know the best way to clean pots and pans! Cheers!
Oddly enough when I found your video I had just seen the Kirkland set at Costco and after comparing brands for a couple of years there was no doubt,bought it, no issues,read carefully remark about warped pan,only 1 such remark and very irresponsible user,think any pan but cast iron would have warped, I worked for almost 8 years as a metal fabricator and my girlfriend only had a cheap set of stainless so I got a quick lesson in how to clean because her and her daughter both put pans on stove and walk away,burning the crap out of rice several times, fyi my brother is a chemical engineer and even the cheapest dish soap straight is a great degreaser,vinegar takes stains out of stainless,stubborn ones heat slightly,best seasoning on stainless is corn oil,smoking hot and its non stick,some rub salt on too, fyi baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, good with water for indigestion, Also recently got girl friend an instant pot and dinner pot is you guessed it,stainless steel so same cleaning for pans works with instant pot! And new model has an actual pot with handles you can saute with on stove then pressure cook!Have a qt and an 8qt!
@@RobertPaulGoode thanks for sharing that. Cheers!
AwareHouseChef - Thank you for the compliment. That was very gentlemanly of you to accept my constructive criticism with such grace. And I am delighted to teach you how to properly clean pots and pans, especially Revere Ware! :-)
@@GoneFishin247 product has been updated with a one similar to what I use. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Can we just take a second to appreciate the quality of these videos? They're so professionally shot!
Awesome of you to say Scott! Many thanks!!
Good vid. One suggestion: advise people to WIPE OUT ALL OILS before cleaning with anything that will go down the sink. Minimize the oil you flush down the drain.
Most of us in N America live in a temperate climate (doesn't feel so temperate today though: it's -15C outside). Pipes get cold in the winter. Any fat/oil you send down the drain precipitates out & forms a thick layer of fat in your pipes underground. That layer just keeps building up.
Eventually one of two things happens: the pipes between your house & the sewer clog up & you have a very expensive plumbing expense, maybe even have to have your pipes dug up. Or the crud builds up in the sewage line on the street & the City needs to dig it up, adding to your tax bill & inconveniencing you too.
Wipe out your pans. Throw the paper towel in the green bin that goes out for composting (in your back yard or the municipal one). Pay $.02 for the paper towel & save yourself thousands in contractor fees.
Correct. We had our pipes clogged from 30 years of oil / fat. It ended up in a flooded cellar (you don't want to know how 30 year old fat smells) and a 4 digit bill from the company that fixed it. The stuff in our pipes was hard like concrete, no way to get it out without special equipment once it has built up.
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! Thank you. I always wipe off all my dishes and cookware before washing. My sink never ever clogs.
We developed land and built homes for generations, and cooking is my hobby. I *_HIGHLY_* second that! Paper towel it all out! Always!
Good tip!
Even if you do this, it helps to run lots of hot water down the drains, even boiling a stockpot full and pouring that down. It won't remove decades of gunk, but will keep new stuff from building up.
Last year I had to replace the sink main drain in my duplex, $2500. 125 year old cast iron and many years as a rental (tenants rarely care) can build up a lot of grease!
On the rare occasions I can’t clean my stainless steel pans with water and washing liquid, I use barkeepers friend and they go back to factory settings and look amazing.
I use Barr keepers friend with a soft sponge. After washing my pieces, I apply a small amount of oil and wipe it until it is almost completely off. I do this with my stainless steel sink, cooktop and pans. It conditions them. Once a month I use a stainless steel polish and smooth little nicks. I have had my pans for 37 years and they look brand new! ❤
To use Barkeepers Friend properly, make a soft paste with it. You used too much water. It actually polishes the pan. Try it on your yellowed one. I will definitely try that soda/water technique! Cheers!
Thank you! Will do!
Love my Barkeepers Friend! But I didn’t at first because I always added too much water.
If you have a piece of stainless steel cookware that already has noticeable scratching, then Barkeeper's Friend is a good Go To. But if you have a near 'New Old Stock' vintage piece that you want to retain the factory-like mirror finish, you are better off using Bon Ami, making a paste with watery Dawn soap and scrubbing with a stiff bamboo bristle brush.
Another tidbit I have learned, with ANY cleanser (BKF, Bon Ami, Cameo)... make that paste, make it kind of thick, and use your fingers, not a scrub pad. Not sure why, but I get better results with bare hands than any scrubbie/sponge.
I recently subscribed, so I'm just getting caught up on your videos. Two points from this video based on what I used on my stainless dental instruments over the past 38 years. Orange solvent or orange degreasers really need to be used with gloves. They are great degreasers, but are also great at removing the natural skin oils. This will cause cracking and bleeding around your nails. Kuhn-Rikon stainless polish will usually remove stains from stainless and other metals. Not the burnt on stuff, but that yellow stain you were left with after trying to season your stainless. It worked very well on the darkened stain that stainless gets after repeated sterilization cycles. I also use it to clean my Alissi stainless moka pot, and the brass bolsters and stainless blades of pocket knives. Thanks for these videos! Glad I subscribed.
I am super glad you subscribed and for the tips!! Please always feel free to leave a video topic suggestion. All the best!
I only season my stainless skillet when frying something I know will stick like eggs or potatoes. When I season I put canola oil in the pan to cover the bottom, turn the heat on med-high and watch. When the oil starts to "move" or shimmer I take it off the heat right away and let it cool to warm, pour off the oil, then use fresh oil to fry. I've never discolored my stainless with this method and my over-easy eggs are perfect :) (Grandma taught me that one) I'll continue to scour my pans with baking soda and Dawn paste mostly cuz it also works on the Corningware left me by my mother and they're important to me.
I think I overheated mine to be honest with you. Thanks for sharing that!
@@AwareHouseChef I got similar issue. My new stainless steel frying pan got a very yellowish color in both inner and outside of the pan after I overheated it. I tried white vinegar, baking soda, none of it worked. Did you find any solution for this issue? Thanks!
@@jiarohleder136 I just kept washing it. It took about six uses and then it came off slowly
This was the best video I seen on cleaning Stainless Steel cookware.
Thank you! Appreciate the kindness! All the best and Happy New Year!
Thank you for this. I have some burnt on crud on stainless steel pans from a hot dog cart. I watched this and immediately ran to the kitchen and started the overnight soaking process with the baking soda. It started breaking it all down immediately. Respect!
That's awesome! Thank you for sharing!
Many decades ago, there was a cleaning sponge called a "Dobie." It was a soft sponge encased in a plastic mesh designed for scrubbing pans.
Still exists, and it's the best! I use it as my standard dish washing tool.
If you can't find it in the supermarket, check a smaller hardware store. I even found a clone in Aldi once.
I just deglaze hot pan with with touch of water, and swirl wood or nylon spatula after taking food out. Works a charm, just a minute, then sink soak to clean sides.
same here, rarely even need soap!
Best video for how to clean stainless steel pans! I was watching so many and this was honestly the most informative. I'm getting my first set and am doing research so I don't end up just throwing them in the trash! LOL 🤣
Thank you Natalie!! I appreciate the kindness. Let me know how your new set works out! Cheers.
I used scrubbies on my AllClad pans for years. They still look beautiful to me. I only found out about Barkeepers Friend a few years ago. I think it's the best. I soak my pan for a little while with warm to hot water and sone dish soap. Sometimes inlyb10 or 15 mins, sometimes longer. Then pour that out and use a pad like the green side of your sponge with Barkeepers Friend. Voila! Easy peasy.
The best way I have found to wash all pans is to soak the pan in hot water and original Dawn, 15 mins later (which is after the rest of the dishes are done) everything wipes out. Way easier than everything else.
I am a big fan of very clean pans, inside and out. It makes me a little wary to visit a friend and they have the ceudiest looking pans. 😝
A pan that is clean on the inside will be prone to sticking. Even SS. I like to keep SS clean on the outside, but ANY pan that is well-seasoned on the inside will cook better with less sticking.
I bought a cheap set of stainless steel pans, to see if I would like them, and I love them. I am trying to go towards more cast iron, but I do like Stainless. The ones I have are thin and cheap, but they clean up so nice.
Miss Molly what brand are they?
I just bought my first stainless set in November and I love using them. I use Dawn power wash after the pan cools, then rinse and repeat if necessary. Then use a sponge and finish with Bar Keepers Friend to restore shine and remove mineral deposits. Works like a charm and very little elbow grease needed. Just some time and tlc.
Thank you!
We have been using baking soda plus heat for years, we add a squirt of dawn foaming spray to augment the baking soda. We find this combination quite remarkable.
Thanks for the UA-cam channel. Really enjoy your channel
Thank you very much! yeah the baking soda is shockingly remarkable when it comes to cleaning Gunk off of a stainless steel pan. All the best!
Even more remarkable is if you add vinegar to your soda, dawn, water mixture, then let sit for sometime before washing off. It works like a dream, and no elbow grease whatsoever.
@@AwareHouseChef how much water and baking soda did you use?
@@maxregni9229 about a quart of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda. All the best!
@@AwareHouseChef thank you so much! Your videos have been great I was about to pull the trigger on getting an all clad set but you changed my mind so now I have a Kirkland set with a few Misen frying pans. I will probably end up getting the industry Deboyere set but I want to know what I’m doing before I get really nice expensive pans
Baking soda worked great! I had a few stains on a 10" All Clad that stayed on until I used baking soda today. I did not try the other methods listed, although I do use Soft Scrub cleanser from time to time. That does not do as good a job as the baking soda.
Never thought of soft scrub. That stuff is great on boats too. Cheers!!
Hello. I always use hot water and baking soda for cleaning. Once There was a very big yellow stain on my pan and I cut a lime in half and scrubbed the yellow area with it (to be sure it will go away added a little baking soda too) My pan is bright and shiny again, like brand new.
Great to know Nikki! Thanks for the tip ! Cheers!
Mixing baking soda with lime or lemon is a myth. It does nothing other then creating a foam. It doesn't make the cleaning easier, faster or stronger... Proven fact ☝️
Am trying the hot water and baking soda method as we speak. have 30 minutes to go still. Thank you for posting!
I once got aluminum poisoning and never cook with aluminum. I have cooked on stainless for 60 years. I use Barkeepers Friend a lot now. But mostly since the beginning I use baking soda. I rarely burn and often deglaze and make sauce or gravy which is my favorite way to clean the pan!
This is really helpful! I have only ever owned cast iron and nonstick pans, but I really want to get a stainless steel one ---especially for browning meats and making sauces with the fond. My current pans don't do that well. But I've been really intimidated by the idea of trying to clean it, so I haven't gotten one yet. I will definitely need to keep the baking soda soak trick in mind!
Hello jessica! Thank you so much for reaching out. I'm going to kindly ask that you hold off until a week or two from now before you purchase your stainless steel pan. I found a really excellent brand that I'm going to be releasing a video on. Purchase with my own money, unsponsored. I think this is the best stainless on the market right now. But I want to run a couple of tests before I put my money where my mouth is. All the best!
I love using baking soda to clean! It works really great on most things in the kitchen. My favorite use for it is removing smells from tupperware. Just put in some B.Soda, little dish soap, hot water. Put on the lid, shake, let sit for a while.
Barkeeper's friend is good, but much better for polishing. Like using in your sink, on your stove top, or for pans that aren't super caked in crud.
It's needs a little more effort than iron cookware. But hot water, dish soap, baking soda (for burnt stuff and proteins), acid (vinegar or citric acid for carbs) and a two sided scrubber get rid of pretty much everything.
I have regular 3ply and a Chinese Wok pure stainless steel single layer. For eggs I raise the temperature to 200 degrees, add oil, wait for it to heat up, no sticking. Eggs do not stick even on the pure steel wok, as I make eggs gor fried rice. Eggs do not require as much heat as meat. I bought a $9 infrared thermometer in amazon. It is good enough to see the temperatures.
I’m new to stainless steel cookware and so glad I came across this video. Baking soda now on my shopping list.
Thank you!
My pleasure. It works wonderfully! All the best!
My pans are a brand called Lifetime purchased in 1980. Their claim at the time was that they were “surgical” stainless steel. Since I cook most of the year on a wood cook stove, the bottoms had some stains - not a lot though - and the barkeepers friend removed all the stains perfectly and fairly easily. BTW: I’ve been using my LeCruiset pots and pans almost daily for almost 50 years. The Lifetime cookware still look so good, I recently was asked when I got the “new” pans. When I do get something scorched on the bottom I usually just let the pot soak in hot water and dishsoap. It wipes right off with a sponge. Remember I said: “scorched” not “blackened”. If it got that bad, I’d use oven cleaner. But I do wish Lifetime hadn’t used those handles whatever they are made of. Mine are still intact but all my friends who bought them at the same time have discarded theirs as their handles didn’t stand up. Don’t know why mine did because if I’m not cooking on the wood stove, it’s on a real restaurant stove that gets blazing hot.
Do they still make that brand?
@@AwareHouseChef Yes www.lifetimecookware.com/lten.htm
Apparently you have to use the form on their website to contact a Lifetime distributor to purchase products. biz.regalware.com/alt/ltcontact.pgm
Yes they do still make them. I checked recently and the other person who answered is correct. I filled out the form but haven’t heard anything yet. You likely would get a quicker response being you’re in the US. In 1980, they were very pricy (a lot more than the LeCruiset set which I took to our cottage). At the time, I bought the large stock pot, a roast pan (the rep claimed it would hold a 30 lb turkey, no problem), a couple frying pans, double boiler with steamer pan, and three various sized saucepans.
When my LeCruiset pots get too stained looking, I just pour in some bleach and leave them til they are sparkling again.
Another reason (for me) to keep Barkeepers Friend close is that it polishes my copper pots and pans beautifully.
One thing that's not mentioned is baking soda and vinegar. I use that mix and then use a cleaning brush to get the pan clean. You don't need to use a whole lot and it will take out even the worst of stains.
Wow I didn't see that coming .. Baking Soda. 😎👍👍 Thank you 😊
Me neither! Works so well! Cheers!
thanks for the video. I trash picked a really nice SS sauce pan that had stuff cooked on, that wouldn;'t scrub off. I put some Oxyclean in it overnight,,,, it rinsed right out.
It is the best comparison I have seen, and is very educational. I use regular dawn. Then the crud goes away with Pink Stuff!
Thanks!
Somehow my UA-cam algorithm knew I have a cruded-up pan soaking in my kitchen at this very moment lol. Thanks for your help, I'm going to try the baking soda!
Works great! Welcome!
@@AwareHouseChef It did!!!!! :)
Bar Keeper is a polish. Use it for light cleaning as a paste and use it to bring the luster of stainless steel pans
Remove ‘most’ stains on stainless pans - sauté- fry- sauce if you have any stains after cleaning with a lemon. I cut a lemon slice, leave the end on and wipe around pan. Ok to leave it for a few min. If you have time before wiping dry. Walter stains, oiler grease stains, and general usage stains will disappear.
I have stainless steel pans that are over 17 years old, from when IKEA had really good pots and pans. I also have a couple of Vision Glass pieces by Pyrex (leftovers from my brother) and I have seriously burned black: rice, tomato sauce, cheese, oatmeal, farina, gravey and food that sticks and burns in these pan and pots.
Hands down, baking soda does the job. I dump out any large or loose food. The surface shoud be wet, but no water puddle. Sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda, let sit for 10- 15 minutes (or while you fuss at the person who burned the food, whichever is closest to 15 minutes) then wiple out with a sponge, dish cloth, Scubb Daddy, and 1-2-3 - shiney and clean!
Every 4 months or so, I clean the inside and outside of my pots with Bar Keepers Friend when I want to have TV pots and pans. It does an excellent job of bringing back the shine on discolored but clean pans. I don't use it on a regular becuse of the elbow grease needed to make it shine. Overall, baking soda works for me.
Thanks for sharing!
I've been using Barkeeper's Friend on my AllClads and it great stuff, if someone else use the pots and pans and burns something, I'll just boil water in it to break down the burnt on food or grease.
Not a bad method.
Bar Keepers cleanser has been good to me.
What works well for me for the inside of the pan -
- As soon as I take the food out of the pan, while pan is still hot on the stove, toss in about 3 ounces of water and drop a lid on the pan. Let it cool off that way for later cleaning. So basically boiling water in the pan but without making it a separate step later.
.
- When I go to wash the pan, first rinse / scrub it out with a dish brush which gets the vast majority of any food / junk
.
- Follow that with a stainless steel scouring ball. I heard what you said about them but have been doing this for years and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Using the dish brush first minimizes the amount of junk getting caught up in the SS pad. Also, I scrub with the SS under running water so the junk being loosened tends to run away from the pad and to the sink screen. Then rinse / shake out the SS pad. To help keep the SS sanitary I run it through the dishwasher which they tolerate very well. But replacements are only a buck at a local restaurant supply store.
Using the above makes my actual working time cleaning a nasty pan about two minutes. It's super fast.
Stainless pans curse is yellowness mainly on the outside of the pan. Barkeepers friend method is the only one to get rid of crud, grease & yellowness.
Thanks for sharing methods that don't require products. All other videos I saw just used a product.
My pleasure! And happy new year!
Glad I searched this subject. I’m looking forward to some of your other videos after searching your channel.
Very cool of you to say. Thank you so much! Cheers!
I've been using baking soda as a cleaner for decades.
In 2005 I moved to a new house. The previous owner left behind a plastic "scouring powder" container of baking soda, complete with label. I kept that container, refilling it many times - it still lives next to my kitchen sink.
My usual way to use it is to wash the pan with hot tap water and Dawn and a Dobie (plastic) pad, then, if I need more cleaning power, use the baking soda. If scrubbing doesn't work, let it sit a while.
In the worst cases, put water and baking soda in a large pot, bring to a boil, add the dirty thing, and simmer for 30 minutes. I've used this method to strip 100+ year old paint off bronze hardware (using a pot that never touched food).
FYI, it's much cheaper to buy large sacks of baking soda at the big box or hardware store. Put some in a mason jar for cooking, use the rest for cleaning.
Thank you for sharing. I want to Restaurant, so I know all about buying large containers of baking soda. 😂All the best!
I love the baking soda method. The subscribe sign is really smart.
So easy! That's all we do at home now. Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef I wonder if boiling the viniger and water would work just as well if you did it for the same amount of time as the baking soda instead of half the time.
@@sassiest2053 that's a good question. I'm going to be dirtying up some pots this week. I'll give it a go. Cheers!
I use baking soda and salt to clean my pans, also to clean my glass coffee pot. Works like a dream and I've never ever set foot in Winslow, Arizona.
BEST VIDEO EVER. Thank you sooooo much for doing the research and showing us and giving us options. Super kewl. Thanks again.
You are so welcome!
My pleasure and thank you so much for your kindness. All the best!
Great video George! I’m gonna find a doobie and clean my all clad pans now. Lololol.
Ha ha!! Stick to the baking soda! 😅
@@AwareHouseChef LOL, most definitely!!
Great video buddy!!
I haven't done it with SS, but for my porcelain teaware I use baking soda and citric acid mixed with warm water. Let it sit till the fizzing stops then scrub.
Thank you (from Sweden)
My pleasure!
I like what you said there about the iron being most natural to ingest. Makes sense to me.
Thank you. All the best!
The only pans I season are my carbon steel skillets, wok, and cast iron skillet.
I don't need those uneven cooking, heavy, inefficient utensils because I season clad.
In the UK we have a product called Oven Mate. It’s a caustic gel so be careful. That will shift that yellowing from seasoning. It’s great for resetting a pan.
Checked her in the US. Not available. Thank you for reaching out!
I like to get my kitchen cleaned right away. I’ll go with the orange cleaner with some help from Bar Keeper if and when needed
Just got stainless steel pots and pans for Christmas. Really debating wether to season or not, but at least I now know how to properly clean them. Thanks for the vid!
Thank you Angelica! Try one. I don’t think it is necessary or as important as keeping the surface as scratch-free as possible. Happy New Year!
I had the all clad d5 in my cart and happened upon your video... I bought the costco i was not disappointed
Glad to hear that it worked out for you. Thank you for sharing!
I like to put a "crudded up" .....after cooking stainless steel pan IMMEDIATELY under a flow of hot water in the sink, gets a lot off straight away!... If it's really bad then definitely the baking soda method, but also a splash of vinegar which activates the baking soda & then simmer the pot at lowest temperature for 15 mins
Cool! Thanks for sharing!
baking soda and some old fashion soaking, yes....once and awhile ceramic bright made for glass top stoves....then for seasoning the pan Christine Cushing's tip. You only have to do it once in a while, green onion tops and a wee bit of oil, slush around the pan on med heat, get all sides, wipe with a paper towel.. ready go! Cook away!
5:23
Baking Soda
As of yesterday, I just recovered my saute pan with barkeepers friend and a good chainmail scrubber. I was able to undo the horror that grease did to the bottom of my pan after frying chicken the other day. Those Scotch Brite pads I had, were no match, and I might just toss those away
Great video! I usually use the hot water method (on the stove), but it doesn’t get the stains out. The stains like you had after seasoning.
For that I use barkeepers friend. It’s about an 8 out of 10, and i probably should be wearing gloves because the cleaner makes by fingers hurt, but, it can get the pans looking new again. I really like the final finish that barkeepers friend leaves, but, it is a lot of work.
Next time I’ll try adding baking soda, maybe i can go a few more uses before i feel the need to “polish” the pan with barkeepers friend.
My wife and I were completely blown away by how effective the baking soda was we cleaned out a couple of pots yesterday that we grilled steaks in. Effortless!
@@AwareHouseChef I'd much rather be dumping sodium bicarbonate down the drain (something I use for tooth powder daily). -Thank you for this!
@@madthumbs1564 IF ONLY people read your share bc it's cheap &n safe & IT WORKS PERFECTLY.
I have had good luck just soaking in water with or without soap. Most things wipe off but if not, a medium brush, and then soft scrubber works. If I still have oils or hard water stains, a short soak of vinegar and then wipe down and rinse finishes the job.
Use Carbon-Off for the burnt-on carbon build up on the burner-side. It's strong, and the only thing I found that really works.
Thank you! Not familiar with it, unless you’re talking about the commercial stuff. Glad you shared!
Seasoned Pan? Use the Bartenders Friend to get that yellow off of it. Smear it around and leave it for a minute then rinse it with the sponge. It's oxalic acid and will remove anything from your stainless. Great video.
Thank you! Appreciate the kindness! Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef How did the Bartender's (or is it Barkeeper's) Friend work out for you? I accidentally 'seasoned' my pan again by letting oil get too hot in it. It took a couple of cleanings to get rid of the color. Stubborn problem. Just wondering how you did with that. Cheers.
@@alext8828 I like to use it differently than what is recommended by the package. A hot slurry almost like a wet paste does the job really well on the inside. Not too great on the outside. All the best
for really gross burned on gunk.. I use the old table salt and boiled water method... works well. elbow grease a 3 YMV
thanks
You're welcome!
Thank you. I love those plastic scrapers for cast iron and regular pans if the stuck on food is soft it comes right up or boil water for a few then do it but they work great. What I need is how to get that black burnt on oil off I’ve tried everything nothing takes it off when it’s super cooked on so I bought the carbon off
Thanks for sharing! All the best!
I really appreciate this video! A lot of great info. One recommendation is not using bleach in the kitchen! I have experience in the disinfectant and cleaning industry. The recommendation of soaking the steal scrubber in bleach is not food safe, and could get restaurant owners in trouble with the FDA. Using food safe cleaners and sanitizers is what should be used and will keep everyone safe!
Thank you Chace! Do you no that, that is the government standard for all food service? Crazy right. I wonder why they mandate that? All the best!
If your stainless is yellow, please try the BKF again. I would use it liberally and let it sit for a bit. This is where BKF shines. :).
Works best on glass top stoves to.
If you don’t want little scratches on your pans they sell blue non-scratch scouring pads 😁 they work just as good as the green ones
A blue scouring pad scratched my 12-inch All-Clad SS frying pan.
@@dannymcneal was it labeled non-scratch? I use mine on all my stainless steel and haven't gotten scratches on them
@@oliviagreen8853 - I’m assuming it was labeled “non-scratch.” We threw away the wrapper, but it was the blue Scotch Brite-brand, as that’s all we buy.
I haven’t tried the orange degreaser but the deep purple degreaser cleans even the “yellow” (and black) caramelized oil on pans and is probably more heavy duty. The deep purple liquefies the WORST burned (caramelized) grease and then a green 3M scrubby pad takes it right off. BUT deep purple can clean TOO good full strength. It takes the lettering off your toaster when using it as a cleaner. I use deep purple to remove layers of smoke grease from my smoker and the smoking racks. Dissolves it right off. It is pretty heavy duty for removing oil based stains.
For “normal” cleaning in 2 minutes while the pan is warm with hot water briefly soaking in it, use Bar Keepers friend and the 3M green scrubbing pad very lightly pressed down is the best method. Get most of the crud off with just soap and a green scrubbing pad, then sprinkle a little Bar Keepers Friend to form a paste, and scrub to a clean, white metal finish.
Lodge makes a GREAT plastic crud scraper for their cast iron pans that works great on scraping off chunks of crud on ANY pan (especially sheet pans) but is mild enough for cast iron seasoning. It gets under an edge and often pulls off the entire chunk at a time. It is like scraping with your finger nail on steroids. I often use it as the first tool to remove nasty, burned on crud on any pan. Of course, pouring a tablespoon or two of cooking oil into the pan, and heating the pan up to 350 degrees help to re liquify and soften the burned on grease, onions, mushrooms, meat, peppers, etc. and makes using the plastic scraper to get rid of most of the crud all that more effective.
I found out about using oil instead of boiling water to clean cooked on crud because of my cast iron pans. I mostly clean them with no water now. Just pour in cooking oil when done cooking, heat to soften, scrape out the crud AFTER THE PAN COOLS TO BE TOUCHABLE, then wipe the pan out with a a clean paper towel to perfectly clean, then reoil and a short reseasoning in the oven. My cast iron looks like brand new every time I pull it out. No scrubbing ever. Do not melt the scraper in too hot a pan.
Want to just remove discolorations in stainless steel (you even get it boiling water or steaming vegetables)? I found that Tarnex, the same thing for removing silver tarnish works just as good wiping with only a Tarnex dampened paper towel. It works as well as the acids in Bar Keepers Friend but, you only spread it with a paper towel. No scrubbing at all. Didn’t remove all the discoloration? Rewet the paper towel fresh Tarnex until the discolorations are gone. Then wash out the pan with soapy water, rinse and dry and it is like brand new (scratches aside from years of use). Those stains are a chemical reaction and Barkeepers friend or Tarnex immediately removes them with another chemical reaction. Bar Keepers friend adds the scrubbing power and works great on glass stoves as well. I never tried pouring cooking oil on a glass stove top and then heating it up to soften cooked on crud (like I do on pans), but now that I think of it, I will have to try it.
While the pan has the oil in it and the pan is almost smoking hot, I have scraped baked on crud with a flat wooden scraper and that often removes a lot of the crud as well. The idea is to put enough oil in to soak the crud, just like if you were using water. I often pour the oil into the hot pan when done cooking, scrape some with a wooden spoon to see what comes loose easily, then walk away to eat and let the oil soak in and soften the crud. Heat definitely helps because that was how you created the mess in the first place and that is how you soften it back up.
thanks Alan! That's a lot of info that you shared with me and I really appreciate it! Will definitely be trying some of that tarnex. All the best!
Purple degreaser is Carcinogenic to Californians. label warning
I'm 55yrs old and grew up in a house of 6 kids to adults and had dishes/kitchen duty chores on 7 day rotations.... S.O.S pads work wonders on stainless steel pots and pans that have food burnt to them..... let them soak in hot soapy water about 30 minutes or boil water and add some dish soap....then use the 3M pad/sponge to remove the heavy food then finish up with S.O.S. Pad....I've never seen a Surface/Finish damaged by S.O.S Pad used on polished stainless steel
If you clean the pan quickly after you use it and just use water that is the best way definitely cheapest definitely best for the environment end it works really good but I like the baking soda I tried it you have to wait and you have to buy the baking soda but it definitely was a good way to clean it after the fact thank you for your video it was a great help
@@jonathansherman1525 thank you for your feedback. Glad to hear it. It was my pleasure to help!
I just wanted to say that I’ve been using pure copper “chore boy” scrubbing pads from Amazon to clean my stainless steel pans for years. Copper is softer than stainless steel, but harder than carbon deposits, so it tends to work better than the green side of a sponge, IMO, and I haven’t noticed it ruining the finish, but I’m not the kind of person who cares about the finish of a tool like a pan.
@@createthiscom thanks for the tip!
I use steel wire scrubbie to get the hardcore solidified stuff off, then use a normal abrasive dish sponge with dish soap to sanitise.
Thanks!
Thanks! Good comparison and hands down baking soda as it's environmentally friendly!
Btw us foreign subscribers are notnecessarily familiar with some US brands and products.
... and btw I don't season SS pans either.
Thank you! I will keep that in mind! All the best!
Boil water in the pan, turn the heat off and then add about a teaspoon of sodium percarbonate (99% pure of the active ingredient in OxyClean). Let it sit overnight. In the morning, the cooked on stuff will practically wipe out with a paper towel. I use it to clean coffee makers, laundry, you name it. It cleans wooden decks and when it falls through it turns to water so is non-toxic. It's basically powdered hydrogen peroxide.
That’s a great tip I will try it!
I can vouch for sodium percarbonate. I brew beer and the cleaner most known is Five Star Chemicals Powered Brewery Wash (PBW). There's less expensive alternatives available (Active Elements on Amazon is what I use). That stuff tears through any baked on mess. Cheese is obliterated. Carbonized stuff is removed and no scrubbing needed.
I use Bar Keepers just to keep my stainless steel in immaculate condition and boiling water and baking soda for cleaning them and I had my stainless steel cookware for 5 year and they look like new.
Awesome Doris!! Thank you!
Your welcome 😁
I like the baking soda and hot water.
Thanks for sharing Orange Thunder
My pleasure. Let me know how it works out if you try it. All the best!
I was living pretty much off grid, getting water at store. I used an instant pot for cooking & found that if I wiped out the stainless steel pan with a paper towel while it was still warm to get oil & food stuff out, then used an alcohol sanitizer wipe, I could get it clean. I never put oil down a drain. If I burned something in it, I let it sit with water for awhile, at worst used plastic spatula to scrape or green scrubber for really burnt area. I thought I'd have to get a new pan for it once, but it came clean letting it sit with water overnight. I grew up with the boiling water & baking soda method.
That is unique! Thank you for sharing that!
My solution is a grease cutting dish soap a dab of water form a paste with baking soda and use BLUE scotch brute. It does not scratch, the green does scratch.
Bar Keepers Soft Cleanser (creme not powder) works great on my Demeyere Atlantis collection. A little bit goes a long way.
This is fantastic! It’s easy for everyone to get baking soda. I’m thinking of moving to stainless steel and that’s great to know. I often use a product we have here in Australia and that is Nappysan. It contains enzymes which eat the crud when left to soak. Needs some good rinsing but otherwise cleans up a dream on my roasting tins or if I burned my stainless steel saucepan.
So glad that the viewer made the comment about it. Works so well! Cheers!
Barkeeper's Friend. It's great, if ya' don't have problems with scrubbing.
This is great info!
For me, the "nuclear option" to clean stainless, if it gets really bad (especially on the outside), is self-cleaning cycle on the oven. Obviously this can be damaging to some pans.
Thanks Ryan! Does the clean cycle make the stainless yellow? Cheers!
@@AwareHouseChef A tiny bit, but not worse than the pans were before. (and usually I've done it to baking sheets and stuff like that. I did run a demeyere proline skillet through and it was maybe only the tiniest bit duller, but that pan is 10+ years old and the end result was vastly better.)
The reason baking soda works so well is that it makes water very basic (high ph). A 1% solution of baking soda at room temperature has a pH of 8.4, now you can start to imagine what a 30% mix at 100 degrees is. Brake cleaner is also basic and usually tops out at around 8.5, but this obviously doesn't have all those harsh chemicals. I would recommend wearing gloves if using this frequently, it will likely strip all of the fats from your skin which can cause irritation and other issues.
Thank you! Great insight. Cheers.
Great video. Thanks for this. I'll be using baking soda and hot water going forward. Much appreciated!
My pleasure and thank you for the kindness! Happy holidays!
Baking soda (and any caustic chemical) works great against burnt stuff and protein based residue (after searing meat, against burnt milk etc.). Vinegar (and all acids) is great for carbohydrates (after cooking rice, pasta or potatoes). As I can't stand the smell of hot vinegar, I use citric acid (crystalline) instead. Oxal acid (which Barkeeper's Friend uses) also works great and is best for the environment (that's why it's very popular to clean boats from algae). But you have to be careful with higher concentrations (the same goes for vinegar). The cool thing about citric acid is, it is pretty safe (the solution gets saturated at a low acidic level) and it doesn't smell much.
Due to chemical processes working faster at higher temperatures, hot water speeds up things.
Never considered it. I will now. Cheers!
I found a really easy way to clean my carbon steel woks. Dilute citric acid powder with hot water and let the pan sit a near boil (boiling works too.) You can and just wipe off the grease and gunk effortlessly after a few minutes of soaking. Citric acid is a gentle, human-safe acid that cleans pans beautifully. Home canners add it to the preserves to keep food from spoiling. Target carries a pure product from Ball you can buy for under 4 dollars. I nuked the old seasoning off 3 carbon steel woks and they came out like new. Since I don't own stainless pans, I haven't tried it. Suggest you give it a try and let us know.
That sounds great! Will give it a try. Thank you!
I use bar keepers friend.
Liked we learned in high school chemistry...use the appropriate solvent to dissolve the solute.
Excellent video. I will definitely try the baking soda and hot water method. Thanks.
Thank you Juanita! My pleasure! Glad you reached out!
We also use baking soda and hot water to clean stainless steel pains.
It is so incredibly good. Do it all the time
Do you have any suggestions for cleaning copper pans that have built up stuff on the exterior of the pan?
I used this stuff called never full that brought some very oxidized copper to a brand new finish.
If you have a pan that has such thick, burned-on gunk on it that you’re about to throw it away, try unscented laundry detergent.
I cannot remember where I learned this, I’m pretty sure it was on UA-cam, but soaking a pan that you think is completely unsalvageable in unscented laundry detergent works. I had a pot that had about a quarter of an inch of burned I don’t remember what on the bottom of it, and it couldn’t be chiseled off, even by my husband, who is strong. But soaking it in water and unscented laundry detergent totally worked. If I remember right, it took several soakings and scrapings and cleanings, but it saved my pan.
Great tip! Thank you!
I'm right there with you on seasoning stainless. No need for non-stick properties if you add oil at the right time and no benefit in cleaning. It's more work and stinky smoke with little to no benefit.
Thanks for the great videos! We ordered an induction stove, now looking for different pans.
How about taking the baking soda from the refrigerator used for collecting smelly stuff and using that to clean pans instead of throwing it away?
I wonder if it loses its potency? Maybe give it a try with new and old. You could be on to something. Thank you for the kindness max may your new stove serve you well in health. Cheers!
I’ve been using diluted Purple Power as a general backup cleaner around the house. Not exactly the same as a citrus based cleaner but it’s been used in all types of industrial setting for decades. I might try some on my toaster oven pan. If it can get those stubborn baked on grease stains out it should work fine on cookware.
That’s some pretty strong stuff. Not sure how toxic it is.
@@AwareHouseChef I use it on my bathroom tile floors, walls, toilet and sink diluted 60:1 and its been safe so far. I should probably switch to a citrus based cleaner for household uses. My favorite cookware cleaning method is to start with heating water, scraping and progressing as needed. I just took the seasoning off my carbon steel Matfer pan by cooking a hamburger so that seasoning wasn't done properly even though eggs didn't stick. So now I have no seasoning on the bottom of the pan and thick oil residue on the sides. Bringing it back to zero is my only option. Not looking forward to that.
You need to have the Leidenfrost effect before you cook anything on a stainless steel frying pan, otherwise the food will stick onto the pan surface and difficult to get rid of.
That’s true for all substrates except nonstick. Thanks for sharing!
I Really Appreciated your unbiased examination of cleaning options in the vid. I (inherited) my Pan, and prior to putting it to use, I’d like to get it ‘as new’. Eager to try the Baking Soda, but I’m afraid that I might’ve missed a detail. It needs to Boil for an Hour ? The main area of (concern) with my Pan is around the (Interior) Lip. I’m uncertain as to how I might keep it boiling, while maintaining FULL liquid for a full hour.
Am I misinterpreting the specifics ?
Thanks for reaching out! All I did was warm up the water to 140° because the viewer didn't tell me how hot to make it. I added some baking soda and just let it sit for an hour. No boiling. Cheers!
Boil, Dawn Platinum and finish with a splash of vinegar and a non-scratch sponge.
The point of seasoning the pan is to leave the seasoning on, it's supposed to be hard to remove. If you really want to remove it it's best to bake it in the oven at high temperature for a while, it will burn right off.
I use SOS pads. Mine are still shiny, and my pans are cheap. 🤷