How do I save my pots and pans?

Question

I have been letting my husband and sons cook in my kitchen. Big mistake. The outside bottom of my stainless steel pots have cooked on grease. How do I best cut through it without scarring them.

Answer 1

Steel wool soap pads are made for this problem. They will only polish the bottoms of your pots and pans. I use them all the time on my copperbottom stainless steel pans.

the steel wool in the soap pads is the finer kind and really do clean the pans well.

Suggest you use your rolling pin as per Loweezy in Snuffy Smith comics of yesteryear and make Jughead and Snuffy scour the bottoms of the kettles for you. They will learn that way not to leave the kettles in a huge mess.

Answer 2

Dawn dish soap makes a product just for this it comes in a blue spray bottle.  I can't remember the name but it works great. Just be sure to follow the directions.

Answer 3

soak them in hot water and dawn, then scrub them with a green scrubbing pad......

Answer 4

This is the best answer you will get on this question, use a product called Bar Keeper's Friend.  I don't know how it got that name but it works.  I learned about it on a bulletin board on a cooking site.  It is THE product for stainless steel.  Find it in home stores.

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/

Answer 5

This works to clean up other people's mistakes, or your own. This gets the burnt part off without scraping. This can even help clean up burnt on coffee in a coffee pot!

Things You’ll Need:

Dish Soap

Burner

Water

Cookware, Bakeware, or other type of container that has burnt food or even drink

Step1

The basic way is to fill the pan or pot with water and soak it for a long time. Using warm water plus dish soap may help.

Step2

Another way is to put water in the pan or pot and place it on a burner such as a stove top burner, which makes removal easier.

Step3

If neither of the above methods work try putting dish soap in the pot or pan and then put it on stove. This should make it really easy to remove.

Step4

If cleaning burnt on coffee, use the dish soap method and put it back on the coffee maker until the burnt part easily comes off.

*************************

Sometimes the best evidence of a truly magnificent meal is the truly magnificent mess left at the end. Here's how to get those greasy pots and pans clean.

Things You’ll Need:

Liquid Dish Soap

Oven Cleaner

Baking Soda

Dishtowels

Powdered Dishwashing Detergent

Scouring Pad

Step1

Let any remaining grease in the pan cool slightly.



Step2

Pour grease into a can.

Step3

Set pan to soak in hot soapy water.

Step4

Pour off soapy water.

Step5

Arrange pan in lower rack of the dishwasher and run on "pots and pans" or "heavy" cycle.

Or,

Step6

Wash by hand using very warm, soapy water and scrub with a scouring pad.

Step7

Rinse and dry pan.

_______________________

Save greasy pots and pans for last when washing by hand.



If glass baking dishes have baked-on food, spray the pan with oven cleaner and let it sit for 45 minutes.



Sprinkle scorched pans with baking soda or powdered dishwashing detergent; add a small amount of water and let stand for an hour or more.



Try adding a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pot or pan, and bring to a boil on the stove top before cleaning.



Avoid pouring grease down the sink and causing damage to pipes.

Answer 6

No worries.  Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  This will get them clean without scratching them.  If they have copper bottoms it'll get those cleaned up, too.

Answer 7

put them in a bigger pot with some baking soda & let them simmer for at least 1/2 hour--when you take them out,--carefully--most of the grease should be off & just a light scrub with an sos should get the rest off--if not, simmer them longer.

Answer 8

Soak the bottom on the pots with white vinegar, let it stay for 15 minutes, and then use sos to scrub it away. spray vinegar again and redo  it again. the vinegar is acid and should lift all the cooked on grease.