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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,170
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

I guess I should have been more careful. I was warming up tomato soup and walked away. Well long story short, the inside is burned. The pot is old and was from my original set...many years ago. I am not going to dump it for sentimental reasons.

Questions: How to clean a stainless steel pot and remove baked in and burned food. Hard to scrape the inside because it is not a really big pot. Knife does not fit well. I tried Brillo like pads. Not working all that well. Might take me a better part of a day if that is my only method

Regular Contributor
Posts: 243
Registered: ‎07-11-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

Well, first, I know I've seen a specialty "stainless steel" cleaner in the store.

But if you want to do it without extra expense, measure out sufficient vinegar to cover the baked in crud. Heat that up in another pan, put your stained pan into the empty sink and pour the hot vinegar into that pan. Let sit. After about 10 min. pour in a half cup of baking soda. It will foam up (which is why the cruddy pan needs to be in the sink). Let sit. After another 10 min or so lightly use a scrubby and the crud should start to come off. Repeat process as necessary until clean. The vinegar/soda mixture will not scratch the pan and if you're careful with your exertions with the scrubby you should come out fine without damage to your sentimental pan.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,892
Registered: ‎02-19-2012

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

I like to soak in water for a day or so, then I tackle the stain with Barkeepers Friend. I hasve also found the Scrub Daddy to be very effective at scrubbing.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,773
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

hot water,baking soda, lid on and let soak for 24 hrs

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Valued Contributor
Posts: 932
Registered: ‎11-01-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

Try filling the pot with water and putting it back on the burner. Let the simmering water breakdown the burned stuff. This usually works for me.

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,204
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

I put a baking soda paste on pots then wait a bit. Don't let it dry out.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 634
Registered: ‎05-20-2014

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

Oh, we have all done it! But I agree, tomato soup is the worst!

here's what I do....and you may have to repeat a couple times, but I promise this will work.

1. Fill the pot with water up past the burn area, and add a good dose of Dawn dishwashing liquid (maybe 1/4 cup.) Bring the pot to a boil......let it boil and boil. Add more water as needed.

2. Remove from heat. Try scrubbing the burn gunk off then. If some still clings, repeat the boiling process, and add a cup or more of baking soda this time. Boil, even for an hour....until the hard gunk softens and the Dawn and the baking soda can do its work!

Watch that the water does not boil over because of the baking soda! Scrub again, and work some more gunk off. I have done this with great success...just keep chipping away!

Good Luck!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,519
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

I have used a combination of Dawn and vinegar in water, bring to rolling boil, turn off heat and let sit for several hours. My last food scorch was pie filling, and with the Dawn and vinegar I didn't have to do any scrubbing at all to clean my pot.
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Valued Contributor
Posts: 546
Registered: ‎06-04-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

Heat the pan to very hot. Pour water in it immediately and then scrub with a scotchbrite pad. If that doesn't cut it, COMET cleanser with scotchbrite pad. Lots of elbow grease. But remember, if you have to use COMET, it has a chlorine base, so it will bleach your clothes just like liquid bleach. You can do it! I have faith in you! Smiley Very Happy

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 80
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Need to remove baked on food --- stainless steel pot. Help Please!

Dawn Platinum - it takes off anything in no time at all. I've bought small bottles and given them to friends and family who are in awe of how well it cleans with zero elbow grease. Good luck.