How to Clean a Stainless Steel Cookware Pan with Baking Soda

Blackened, crusty, burnt food in the bottom of a pan. It can happen to anyone – even professional chefs. From the looks of the mess, you might have lost hope of trying to clean it, but a badly burnt pot can be saved with the power of Baking Soda and a little elbow grease.

Remove Badly Burnt Food from Your Pot or Saucepan

It only takes a second for your eggs, sauce or other food to get scorched. Any distraction or discrepancy in timing and you can be fanning the smoke detector and staring at a burnt pot that seems beyond saving.

While the food you were cooking is ruined (time for takeout, maybe?), your stainless steel saucepan isn’t, even if it’s oxidized, blackened, discolored, or covered in stubborn charred debris. Reach for your Soda and follow these steps to clean the burnt pan and get it back in commission in your kitchen.

How to Clean a Burnt Stainless Steel or Aluminum Pan

With some basic kitchen staples, there are several techniques you can use to clean a badly burnt stainless steel pan. You’ll need baking soda, water, and white vinegar, and a scouring pad and scraper, such as a wooden spatula. One method uses a fresh lemon, cut in half.

Baking soda is your go-to for cleaning a burnt pot or pan because it has mild abrasive properties and its alkaline pH can help neutralize acidic burnt foods. It can also combine with an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice to create a fizzing reaction that helps loosen burnt food to get it off your pan.

The Baking Soda & Water Method

If you have a scorched pan with burnt food, you can use baking soda and water to get the job done.

1. Remove as much food and debris from the pan as possible.

2. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Make enough to cover the scorched portion of the pan. For a full pot bottom, try 1 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup water.

3. Liberally apply the paste to the burnt pan. It should be thick enough to coat fully.

4. Alternatively, cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of warm water. Then add enough baking soda to create a paste.

5. Let the mixture sit for a few hours or overnight, then add more baking soda and scrub with a nylon brush or scour sponge.

6. If you don’t want to wait, add another ¼ - ½ cup water to thin the paste then put the pan on the stove and let it come to a boil. Remove it from the heat quickly – you don’t want it to burn again! Let the pan cool and wipe or scrub to remove the scorched bits.

You can also use baking soda in this way to wash pots and pans regularly and help prevent scorched stains or burnt-on residue.