How to clean a burnt pan: expert tips on fixing the damage

Don’t despair if you’ve burnt a pan – there’s more than one way to clean it.

But it’s an error we make at our peril. Burnt-on ingredients don’t budge easily, despite the extravagant claims of washing-up liquids and dishwasher-tablet manufacturers. In our experience, there’s always going to be a little bit of elbow grease required to shift those stubborn marks.

So, if you find yourself faced with a challenging cookery clean, here’s what the experts recommend.

1. Boil the burnt off

“My top tip would be to boil off whatever is burnt,” says Mark McCabe, head chef of Lake District restaurant Henrock. “Sometimes a bit of bicarbonate of soda in the water also helps to lift up the carbon,” he adds.

Although it might seem strange to add more heat to a pan that already has ingredients stuck to it, it’s a quick and easy solution.

Rob Falconer, head of range at ProCook agrees: “A burnt pan can be quickly remedied: first, clean the pan with warm water, mild detergent and a non-abrasive scourer, to keep it from scratching the pan,” says Falconer.

“Then, for burnt food that won't budge, fill the pan again with water, add a couple of squirts of detergent and start heating up to a boil. “Use a plastic or wooden spoon or spatula to carefully scrape the food from the pan,” he adds, “then wash it as normal.”

2. Use salt, lemons and even cola to beat the burn

In addition to being a vital seasoning ingredient, the abrasive powers of salt can be used to remove burnt food. Simply sprinkle some onto the offending area, rub with a damp sponge and you should see the debris lift away.

If you’ve overestimated how many lemons you needed for your G&Ts, don’t leave them abandoned in the bottom of the fridge.

Instead, harness their acidic and antibacterial properties by chopping three or four (depending on the size of your pan) into quarters. Pop them into plenty of water, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for around 10 minutes.

You’ll hopefully see the burnt food rise to the surface. Once the pan is cool enough to touch, empty the water and wipe any remaining deposits away.

We’ve all seen the stories that tell you to put a penny in a glass of cola and see how clean it gets. It’s not a myth as cola contains carbonic acid, which dissolves dirt. But don’t worry, it’s not as aggressive as it sounds – according to the Bosch website: “its acid is less potent than what’s already in your stomach.”

So if you’ve got a spare can or bottle to hand, pour some into your pan and then leave it to sit for a few hours or even overnight. Rinse and wash as normal and your pan should be revitalised.

3. Go chemical-free with baking soda and vinegar

Although we’ve already touched on a few chemical-free solutions, the trusty fail-safe cleaning solution of baking soda and vinegar can also be called upon if your cooking has gone awry.

Bosch recommends the following approach:

• Add water and vinegar to your pan in equal measure.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add two heaped tablespoons of baking soda and watch it fizz up, then clean with a sponge.
• Repeat if needed, adding water, vinegar and baking soda, mixing to a paste, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Wash your pan with washing-up liquid as usual.

Which pans are best?

Although it can be tempting to always purchase non-stick pans, as with most things, the tools are only as good as the person using them, and even busy restaurants with qualified chefs have the odd accident.

We asked McCabe what pans he prefers to use. “It sounds counterintuitive, but stainless-steel pans are generally better than non-stick,” he tells us. “Because if you do burn something onto them, you can rely on good old-fashioned elbow grease to get it off, without worrying about ruining your pan.”

4. Use foil if you don’t have a scourer

If you want to add a little more abrasion to your burnt pan, but don’t have a scourer or scrubbing brush to hand, rolling up a ball of foil can have the same effect.

Using your preferred cleaning agent, scrub away the burnt bits with the balled-up foil and then wash the pan out. Clean off the foil and then pop it into the appropriate recycling bin or bag.

5. Douse with a dishwasher tablet

A Mrs Hinch favourite, dishwasher tablets are touted by many of her fans as the best means of removing burnt food from a pan. Containing enzymes that break down the starch and proteins in food, they’re one of the reasons why dishes come out of the dishwasher so clean.

So even if you’re still undecided on whether dishwashing or washing by hand is better, there’s no reason why you can’t call upon the power of the tablets to help you out.

Cover the bottom of your pan with water, heat and then remove from the hob. Make sure the water cools enough to not burn your fingers, then take a dishwasher tablet and rub it over the burnt areas using small circular motions until it’s dissolved. Rinse, wash with warm soapy water and you’ll have perfect pans once again.

Can you avoid burnt pans?

Finally, if you are looking for prevention rather than cure, we asked McCabe if there is any way of avoiding burnt pans.

“Burning pans comes with the territory of cooking, I’m afraid,” he says, “but the best way to avoid it is to be as organised as possible before you start cooking so that you don’t get distracted when chopping ingredients or hunting for stuff in the fridge.

“Failing all of that… hire a good kitchen porter!”