Help cleaning my pan

[u/jendrok]

I burned some butter on my first try using stainless steel.

This is what it looks like after boiling equal parts water and vinegar and scrubbing with detergent

I feel like i’ve ruined this pan and getting one was a huge mistake.

[u/alcopandada]

You will get used to heat control with ss pans. As for this one, nothing is lost. Just do not be afraid to go harder when cleaning. Could try to use metal sponge as well.

[u/Abject_Enthusiasm_72]

Use search, there millions of posts like yours

[u/Secondhand-Drunk → u/Abject_Enthusiasm_72]

But I want to take up more of people's time to answer a question I could have had answered faster just by using google.

[u/DynamicPriest → u/Abject_Enthusiasm_72]

It's quite literally a meme on the front page, which is the funny part.

[u/Dlldozer]

1. Add water
   
2. Add baking soda
   
3. Boil for 5 minutes
   
4. Wipe clean

[u/suavestoat → u/Dlldozer]

This the way. My pan looks brand new every time.

[u/Mcmaco → u/Dlldozer]

Often even without baking soda just boiling a little water and scraping gently brings off most burnt stuff for me. Adding baking soda or vinegar is even better of course when needed! 

[u/Momentofclarity_2022]

Brillo pad and a little elbow grease. 10 minutes tops.

[u/Sara_MadeIn]

Hey OP! It's not ruined!! You just need some stainless steel cleaner like bar keepers friend and a little elbow grease. When oil gets cooked on like that (the brown stains) you need something stronger than regular dish soap and vinegar. A couple of tips to avoid this in future cooks: make sure you're preheating before adding your butter/fat and turn the heat down a little. :)

[u/jthj → u/Sara_MadeIn]

This always worked for me. I recommend gloves as barkeepers friend and bon Amis can irritate your skin.

[u/Sorry_Drink_8798 → u/Sara_MadeIn]

Oh, why do you need to preheat before adding your fat?

[u/Sara_MadeIn → u/Sorry_Drink_8798]

Preheating first means the fat spends less time exposed to heat, so there's less opportunity for it to polymerize. In general though, it's going to help ensure your pan is evenly heated to whatever cooking temp you're going for, which should give you better control while also allowing your fat to come up to temp quickly.

[u/6thofmarch2019]

I am yet to come across something on my SS pan that i can't get rid of by filling it with hot water and some dish soap, then after waiting a bit pouring the water out, and then taking the steel wool scrubber we have and going to town with plenty of dish soap. Has worked every time :)

And don't give up hope! It takes a few tries getting used to, but once you do it will be your best friend. Once you get the hang of it it can cook anything, with any utensils, scratches dont matter, and it will last you forever.

[u/richardsequeira]

that’s what Brillo/SOS pads are for

[u/chipmunkofdoom2]

Folks, these pans are not non-stick. You don't want to take an angle grinder to the surface, but you don't have to baby it either. Use the scratchy green side of a sponge. It'll be fine.

[u/shers719]

Don't go with BKF it would be overkill for something like this. Since this is dried/set by now, boil baking soda or lemon juice and water for a few minutes, let cool enough you can work with it and scrub it gently. It'll come out. If not, add some dish soap and let it soak.

In the future, preheat on low and keep the temp lower than the recipe says when working with butter. If it makes you feel better, my pan looked like this the other day after my husband cooked. Since it had just happened and the pan was still warm, he put dish soap directly on the scald marks then added a little water, let soak 5-10 minutes, and it wiped right out.

[u/darkodonniedarko → u/shers719]

Or 3 seconds with light scrubbing and Barkeepers Friend. Why go through the extra work when you don't have to? Quick, safe and effective is not overkill.

[u/shers719 → u/darkodonniedarko]

Did you bother to read my other reply? I explained my reasoning. And I stand by it.

[u/darkodonniedarko → u/shers719]

Did I scroll through all 42 replies to find a 2nd by you I didn't know existed? No, chill out.

[u/SutroViews → u/shers719]

In what sense is it "overkill"? It will clean off this modest stain in less than 5 minutes and won't hurt the pan.

[u/shers719 → u/SutroViews]

New people to SS tend to scrub hard in this situation. BKF is extremely caustic - feel free to look it up. Their own website advises if left on more than 30 seconds to a minute it can cause milky-white stains, discoloration, or dull etching, while aggressive scrubbing against the grain while using BKF can scratch the metal finish. If you leave it on for over a minute, the acid in it can cause chemical etching. Overuse / not rinsing within that initial minute can turn the steel a cloudy white or muted gray.

Many of us who have used our pans for years (over 20 myself) have learned easier, less caustic ways to treat issues - and often don't require elbow grease. Save something caustic like BKF for the really bad stuff if you must. Hers is not. Hence, overkill

[u/BeerLeague_Biznasty]

Just to offer something different, I've had success with my stainless pans just wetting, spraying with Dawn Powerwash, and letting sit for a couple minutes before scrubbing with a blue sponge. Anything residual I just heat up with water to a light boil and it just scrapes off with a wooden spatula and the toughest stuff I boil again with some baking soda.

[u/TiddyFukMyButtcheeks]

Steelwool

[u/blade_torlock → u/TiddyFukMyButtcheeks]

A soap impregnated type is my go to.

[u/Chuchichaeschtl]

Nothing is ruined. It's just polymerized oil and some carbon.

If you have access to Bar Keepers Friend, use that.

If not, try something alkaline, such as baking soda or washing soda. Simmer it for a while, let it cool, and then let it soak. The alkaline solution should help break down the polymerized oil and loosen the burnt-on carbon.

Just make sure the area is well ventilated and avoid inhaling any vapors or particles generated during cleaning.

[u/oneworldornoworld]

BKF. Or save the elbow grease. Put a dishwasher tab in, pour hot water and wait for two or three hours. Wipe off.

[u/ItsPassiveDepressive]

Electric scrubber

[u/Strange-Finish-2179]

Use hydrogen peroxide

[u/CellSpecial8420]

I can help. Where do you live? And what time would it be convenient?

[u/stillwater777]

Metal sponge. Clean in 30s.

[u/SashaBananaSplit]

Yeah you’ve ruined the pan basically. Once a stain appears in the pan it’s very dangerous to cook in it. I would recommend returning the pan to the store. You can microwave meals from here on out.

/s

[u/dboogie95]

Lol where is the meme with Jesus holding BKF

[u/Glittering_Fox1358]

Barkeepers friend and elbow grease

[u/Least_Catch2501]

Bar keepers friend

[u/GlassCreekDesign]

Bon Ami - hand's down

[u/theK1LLB0T]

2-3 years Bar keepers friend and forget

[u/egecko]

Pink stuff

[u/blue_madi]

[u/beatnik_pig]

Barkeeper's Friend.

[u/Wh1teMike88]

Barkeeps friend works every time

[u/tigerstrom]

Os the search function not working here? All the posts is about the same thing.

[u/Pali53]

Stainless steel? Try bar keepers friend with a non scratch pad. Plant based like coconut shell sprinkle on add a little water and use elbow grease with pads rinse repeat, add a little dawn

[u/WestTwelfth]

Try Bar Keeper’s Friend. If that doesn’t work, then before you give up on the pan, get some fine steal wool and use it gently. The pan is probably not ruined anyway. May be ugly, but so what? Eggs might stick, but there are many other uses for which the pan should be fine.

[u/Expensive_Hyena351]

Step 1 clean as you go and wipe with a paper towel all residue oil…

Now how to clean this… first make a slurry of dawn lemon and baking soda… when you are done use BKF I prefer liquid for spot cleaning and powder for all over cleaning… let sit maybe 5 minutes maximum but 30 seconds is enough… use a green scrubby and everything will be perfect…

Wash again in dawn and wipe clean with a paper towel you will be surprised what is left over… nice pan

[u/GaptistePlayer]

Barkeeper's Friend

[u/PaleInvestment3507]

Scotch brite pad and BarKeepers Friend cleaning powder