How to Remove Burnt Food from a Pot

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Is there burnt food stuck to the bottom of your favorite pot or pan? No worries! We’ve got tons of easy ways to use everyday household supplies to restore pots and pans, including the stainless, ceramic, enamel, and nonstick varieties. Here, we’ll teach you to give your scorched pots or pans TLC so they’ll stay in tip-top condition for years to come.

1

Vinegar, baking soda, and water

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  1. Coat the bottom of the pot with 1 cup (240 mL) of water and 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar , then bring the solution to a boil. Turn off the stove and set the pot down so it’s away from any heat. Drizzle baking soda into the pot. Once the burnt food fizzes up, scrub it off with a scouring pad . [1]
    • Soak your pot to prevent set-in stains. Right after you've burnt food, fill your pot with the solution of vinegar, baking soda, and water to tackle scorch marks. [2]
    • To avoid too much fizz that you'll have to clean up later, pour out the vinegar and water solution before you sprinkle in baking soda.
    • For stubborn stains, make a paste with baking soda and just a couple of drops of water. Apply the paste all over your pot and wait several hours so the mix can penetrate the stains.
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2

Dish detergent and water

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  1. Scoop out 1 tbsp (14.3 grams) of powdered dish detergent and drop it into your pot. Add enough water to bring your cleaning solution to a boil—around 1 cup (240 mL) should work. Bring the mix to a boil and wait 15 minutes. Then, turn off the stove, dump out the hot water, and scrub your pot with a heavy duty scrub sponge . [3]
    • Before emptying the pot, scrape the scorch marks with a spoon to see if the cleaning solution is working and breaking them up or if you need to keep the soapy water in the pot a bit longer.
    • A cleaning method that uses powdered dish detergent and water is great for copper, stone, and enameled cookware since you need to care for these varieties of pots and pans with really gentle products.
3

Lemon juice and hot water

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  1. Chop up 2 lemons into 8 pieces. Cover the bottom of your pot with the lemon slices. Pour in 1–2 cups (240–470 mL) of water so you cover the scorched bottom of the pot. Bring the water to a boil. Wait for the water to cool, dump it out, and scrub away grime and crust with a kitchen brush . [4]
    • As you boil the water, you should already see flakes of burnt food loosen up.
    • You’ll probably notice brown water at the bottom of the pot. If there are still any scorch marks, they’ll be easy to break up with your kitchen brush.
    • Rinse out your pot once you’ve scrubbed off food particles like burnt noodles.
    • The natural acids in lemon juice work great for treating stains in aluminum cookware.
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4

Salt and dish detergent

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  1. First, coat the bottom of your pot with a thin layer of salt—try 1-2 tbsp (14.3-28.3 grams). Then, pour in 1–2 cups (240–470 mL) of water and add 1-2 drops of liquid dish detergent . Scrub away burnt food particles and scorch marks with a dish brush . [5]
    • For best results, mix coarse salt with fine ground salt . The two varieties will break up both small and large pieces of food.
    • If any burnt residue remains, wash out the pot and repeat this process. Then, give the pot a final rinse.
5

Alka-Seltzer tablets and hot water

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  1. Pour 1–2 cups (240–470 mL) of water into the pot and bring it to a boil. Once it bubbles up, drop in 3-4 Alka-Seltzer tablets. Turn off the heat, let the Alka-Seltzer tablets fizz up, and wait 1 hour. When you return, add 1-2 drops of liquid dish detergent to a heavy-duty scrub sponge and wipe away the burnt food. [6]
    • If there's a lot of crust or stubborn stains on your pot, drop in 6 Alka-Seltzer tablets.
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6

Oxalic cleaning powder

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  1. Use an oxalic acid cleaning powder that you can sprinkle onto your pot— Bar Keepers Friend is a popular choice for cookware. Soak your pot for 20 minutes. Then, drizzle oxalic cleaning powder onto the burnt areas on your pot. Once they’re coated, scrub them with a non-scratch scrub sponge .
    • Be careful not to get any oxalic cleaning powder on your skin or in your eyes. To be extra cautious, wear a particulate respirator mask when you apply it.
    • When you’re done rubbing away stains, rinse out your pot and throw it in the dishwasher to eliminate any residue from oxalic cleaning powder.
7

Aluminum foil, vinegar, and baking soda

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  1. Pour 1 ⁄ 2 cup (120 mL) of white vinegar into your pot. Then, drizzle 1 tbsp (14.3 grams) of baking soda over the stains in your pot. As the vinegar and baking soda solution bubbles, rub away all the scorched food with a 6 in (15 cm) square piece of aluminum foil .
    • Apply light pressure as you scrub stains with the aluminum foil.
    • Thoroughly wash your pot when you’re done to remove any food particles or flakes of aluminum foil.
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8

Dishwasher tablet

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  1. Fill half of your pot with water. Once you’re done, drop in a single dishwasher tablet . Bring the water to a boil and wait for 10 minutes. Then, pour out the hot water and let your pot cool down until it’s safe to touch. Finally, scrub away scorched crust with a scouring pad. [7]
    • Dishwasher tablets are formulated to fight food stains, so they’re really effective for washing off burnt residue from your meals.
9

Dryer sheet

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  1. Drop 1-2 dryer sheets into your pot. Pour in 1–2 cups (240–470 mL) of hot water so they’re fully soaked. Wait 2-3 hours so the chemicals in the dryer sheets can dissolve any food stains. Then, dump out the water and scrub the pot with one of the dryer sheets. [8]
    • After you rub away stains with a dryer sheet, throw your pot in the dishwasher to remove any chemical residue.
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10

Heat

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  1. Place your pot on the stove and turn on the heat to a high temperature that's 212 °F (100 °C) or higher to “deglaze” it, or break up burnt food. Then, pour about 1 cup (240 mL) of lukewarm water into the pot. Aim for spots where burnt food has crusted on. Scrape the burnt food off with a long-handled spatula. [9]
    • After adding the water, step back quickly to avoid any rising steam.
    • To be extra careful, turn off your burner, remove the pot and let it cool before scraping off the food.
    • If you remove the crust while the stove is still hot, wear heat-protective cooking gloves to avoid burns.

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  • Question
    How do you remove bad grease stains on the outer rim of a Magnalite pot?
    wikiHow
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    wikiHow
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    Expert Answer
    Since a Magnalite pot is a type of cast aluminum cookware, it will oxidize easily and can get stained. If you want to remove those stubborn grease stains, don't soak your Magnalite pot in water or put it in the dishwasher. Instead, use a paste made of cream of tartar and water. After you've rinsed your pot and dried it with a towel, apply the paste to the grease stains. Scrub off the paste with a wool pad to rub away the grease stains, then dry your pot again.
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  • Question
    How do I clean a burnt glass pan?
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    wikiHow
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    Expert Answer
    This process is actually pretty simple! Pour 4 cups (946.35 mL) of water into your glass pan. Then, add 1 cup (236.58 mL) of vinegar. Mix up the solution. Put the pan on the stove, turn on the heat, and bring your solution to a boil. Take off the pan and set it down somewhere to cool. Drain your pan and rinse it. Finally, add 2 drops of liquid dish detergent to a sponge and scrub the stains away. Then, wash and dry your pan.
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  • Question
    How do I clean a badly burnt aluminum bowl?
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    wikiHow
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    Expert Answer
    Aluminum cookware can stain easily, but you can still restore it with natural ingredients. Take out a pot and combine 2-3 tablespoons (14.3 grams-28.3 grams) of cream of tartar with 2-3 tablespoons (14.3 grams-28.3 grams) of lemon juice and 4 cups (946.35 mL) of water. Place the pot onto the stove and bring your solution to a boil. Turn off the stove, pour the hot solution into your aluminum bowl, and let it soak for 10 minutes. Put on heat resistant gloves and lightly scrub the scorch marks on your aluminum bowl with a sponge.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/skills-battle-best-way-to-clean-burnt-pan-23003919
      2. ↑ James Sears. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 28 August 2019.
      3. ↑ https://www.adishofdailylife.com/2014/04/clean-burnt-pots-and-pans/
      4. ↑ https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-clean-burnt-pots-and-pans/#dt-heading-the-boiled-lemon-method
      5. ↑ https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-clean-burnt-pots-and-pans/
      6. ↑ https://www.housedigest.com/727389/how-to-bring-your-burnt-cookware-back-to-life/
      7. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/skills-battle-best-way-to-clean-burnt-pan-23003919
      8. ↑ https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-clean-burnt-pots-and-pans/
      9. ↑ James Sears. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview. 28 August 2019.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To remove burnt food from a pot, start by filling the pot with warm water as soon as possible after the scorching occurs. Add a few drops of dish soap, stir the mixture, then let the pot soak for at least one hour. Soaking it overnight is better, if you have time! Next, use the rough end of a double-sided sponge to scrape the burnt food off. If some food is still stuck on, repeat the soaking process! To learn how to remove burnt food from a pot with baking soda and vinegar, read on!

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