# Holy mother of God, I've burnt water! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568 "2006-02-22T02:35:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/1 "2006-02-22T02:35:40Z")
That’s right. I’ve boiled water down to nothing in my favorite soup pot. I scrubbed off most of the black, is there any way I can save it? I’ve done it (once)before, so I must have saved it that time… Or feel free to come in and mock me for burning water. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/2 "2006-02-22T02:39:13Z")
Try avoiding burning water in it. 😛 No seriously, I’ve had luck gently boiling water in a pot with stuff burnt on the bottom, letting it cool down and scrubbing at it, then repeating the process. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/3 "2006-02-22T02:42:49Z")
Amateur. My wife left the cast aluminum milk steamer on a burner and walked away from it. Know what happens to aluminum when the water boils off? It catches fire. By the time I got to it, it was a flaming slag heap on the stove top. And the smell was lovely! ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/4 "2006-02-22T03:00:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Amateur. My wife left the cast aluminum milk steamer on a burner and walked away from it. Know what happens to aluminum when the water boils off? It catches fire. By the time I got to it, it was a flaming slag heap on the stove top. And the smell was lovely! That makes me feel better. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/5 "2006-02-22T03:11:30Z")
See, this is why I’d be a good catch for a woman who doesn’t cook. I’ve never burnt water. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/6 "2006-02-22T03:44:11Z")
> [@](#): > > I scrubbed off most of the black, is there any way I can save it? What I want to know is, just what do you want to save the black gunk from the bottom of the pot for, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/7 "2006-02-22T04:27:58Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > What I want to know is, just what do you want to save the black gunk from the bottom of the pot for, anyway? To make Cajun food. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/8 "2006-02-22T04:33:04Z")
I just popped in to point at the OP and laugh. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/9 "2006-02-22T04:37:57Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > What I want to know is, just what do you want to save the black gunk from the bottom of the pot for, anyway? To add to my roommates food, of course. Thanks, **MsRobyn**. I do appreciate that. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/10 "2006-02-22T08:28:10Z")
I’ve saved such pots before with a mixture of baking soda, coca cola and a little bit of water. I just sprinkle the baking soda on the inside, enough Coke to cover the burned surfaces and, well, I don’t know why I added the water, but it was only like a tablespoon or so. Leave to simmer very, very gently, scraping with a metal spoon or spatula every so often to work free the bits as they get loosened. One particularly bad mess was a pot of potatoes I had forgotten that I was boiling. I probably had to do the baking soda/coke treatment four or five times before it was finally to the point that I could just whip out the brillo pad and scour the rest off. ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/11 "2006-02-22T17:41:02Z")
S.O.S. soap pads. Those suckers are awesome! Just don’t use them on Teflon®. If your pot was non-stick, you are going to need to toss it. Any scouring will cause the coating to flake off into your food, where it may or may not cause cancer. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/12 "2006-02-22T17:57:34Z")
That’s nothing, I lost my grandma’s recipe for ice cubes and now all my drinks are warm. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/13 "2006-02-22T18:14:33Z")
> [@Lynne\_kilii](#): > > I’ve done it (once)before… [Bill Engvall] Has this become a problem? [/Bill Engvall] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/14 "2006-02-22T18:46:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Amateur. My wife left the cast aluminum milk steamer on a burner and walked away from it. Know what happens to aluminum when the water boils off? It catches fire. By the time I got to it, it was a flaming slag heap on the stove top. And the smell was lovely! There’s just a big heaping helping of gourmet coming out of your kitchen, huh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/15 "2006-02-22T18:51:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > flaming slag heap Band name! ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/16 "2006-02-22T19:10:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > flaming slag heap It’s not just for breakfast anymore. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/17 "2006-02-22T21:28:46Z")
I burnt water once. I was living on my own in California, and I went to make some ramen noodles (mmm, poor food) and forgot I had the pot on the stove. I threw it away. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/18 "2006-02-22T21:46:07Z")
Once my mother fell asleep while boiling water for tea. I came in to find the kettle literally glowing red, and its wooden handle on fire. A couple years ago, while attempting to sterilize my breastpump, I melted it. There, you should feel a bit better now. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/19 "2006-02-22T22:01:31Z")
[Nelson Muntz] Ha ha! [/Nelson Muntz] Okay, so I tried to make cheesecake once and it flopped over on me in the pan. Shush, I can _too_ cook. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568/20 "2006-02-22T22:07:49Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Amateur. My wife left the cast aluminum milk steamer on a burner and walked away from it. Know what happens to aluminum when the water boils off? It catches fire. By the time I got to it, it was a flaming slag heap on the stove top. And the smell was lovely! Wow! Cool!!! I don’t suppose you took pictures? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-mother-of-god-ive-burnt-water/345568.md?page=2)