I have to imagine that anyone who has cooked regularly with stainless steel pots and pans has at one time or another forgotten to stir regularly or accidentally set the heat too high and said stainless steel pot or pan was inevitably left with a bad burn mark. Unfortunately in my experience, stainless steel burn marks do NOT come up with regular soap and water scrubbing, regardless of how hard I try. After years (so embarrassing) of just dealing with my burned pots and pans I finally did some googling and experimenting and I am happy to say that now I have a “good as new” set of stainless steel pots and pans!
Start by pouring baking soda into the burnt pan and scrub with a damp sponge. This step alone might be enough depending on how intense the burn marks are on your pan. I did this with two other pots and I didn’t have to take any other steps - just rinsed and put them away! If you have more intense stainless steel burn marks then read on…
I filled the pan almost to the brim with a combination of water and vinegar. I used probably 80% water and 20% vinegar.
I brought the water/vinegar mixture to a boil. I let it boil for about a minute then I added some baking soda and watched the whole thing foam up for a few minutes until the pan cooled. Then I poured the liquid into the sink and rinsed with water while scrubbing with a sponge.
I still had some stubborn burn marks left so I scrubbed one more time with some baking soda and elbow grease!
Voila! It’s like having a new pan!
And now I solemnly swear to only cook with medium heat.
Check out my instagram if you want to see a fun little video clip of the process. Then if you’re so inclined, go ahead and click the follow button *wink wink!
Also - ever wondered how to get your porcelain sink sparkling white in less 3 minutes? Check out my post on how to clean your kitchen sink and see the process in action in this youtube video!
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