# How to get burnt crud out of a saucepan **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2000, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335 "2000-12-13T09:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KnowsAlotDot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/85e7bf/32.png) [@KnowsAlotDot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnowsAlotDot)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/41 "2013-04-06T14:28:03Z")
If you have aluminum pans, toss them. Why are you cooking in them anyway? For stainless steel pots and pans…oven cleaner is the best way. Spray on and soak for 4 hours to overnight. It will wipe away, just like the burnt on food in the oven. All other ways are just scratching your pot and wasting your time. Especially the wadded up aluminum foil…I tried that before I read the post about oven clean and scratched my nice pot. But SOS will smooth it out hopefully. Oven cleaner…you will be amazed enough to look forward to burning your next pot of pasta or rice. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/42 "2013-04-06T14:38:33Z")
Spray oven cleaner. Wait 13 years. Rinse. Magically clean. Now how to get stuck-on zombie out of my pot? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/43 "2013-04-06T14:42:59Z")
Scrape off the excess crud and put back on the fire until it turns to ash, then just blow it off with a good puff of air! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/44 "2013-04-06T14:46:26Z")
zombie or no He’s dead, Jim. of household cleaners oven cleaner is hazardous and shouldn’t be used contrary to directions. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/45 "2013-04-06T23:16:03Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > ALL of the above answers are wrong. > > The method I use (as a veteran pot carbonifier) is so obvious that I continue to be astounded at how few other people it’s occurred to. > > There is a readily available product on the market that has been specifically designed to dissolved burnt-to-carbon food residue from food surfaces. It’s called–get this–oven cleaner. > > When you burn a pan to this extent, and you scrub all the anthracite off leaving only the layer of diamond that impervious to all scrubbing technology, spray it with Easy Off and leave it in–wait for it–your oven overnight. In the morning it will be as warm butter before the power of your pad. I’ll second this- oven cleaner works like gangbusters on stainless steel, but I think I’d pass on using it on aluminum, cast iron (the seasoning), or teflon-coated cookware. Nothing wrong with aluminum pans, btw. It’s not toxic, and they do a terrific job of heat transfer. I wouldn’t buy new ones, but I don’t have a problem using old-school Magnalite pans at my parents house. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/46 "2013-04-07T02:25:15Z")
There are levels inbetween using a plastic scouring pad and using a wire brush attached to a power implement… Nobody mentioned “steel wool”, or better, “stainless steel wool”. This is a great product for cleaing pots ! But its hard to get the steel wool onto some parts. Just grab an old butter knife and scratch the strip of black away with that. What is “seasoned cast iron” and why is it so important ? Its nothing and its a myth that its so important. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/47 "2013-04-07T02:47:43Z")
[ What is “seasoned cast iron” and why is it so important ? Its nothing and its a myth that its so important. [/QUOTE] Absolutely right, seasoning only takes a few minutes. It is important for a no stick surface but no big deal to replace if removed by washing. All I cook with is cast iron, when a pan starts looking nasty I simply place it in a roaring fire for a while and when I remove it looks just like a new pan minus the seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/48 "2013-04-07T05:07:38Z")
I think you guys got whooshed from the dead on that seasoning bit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/49 "2013-04-08T23:44:04Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > What is “seasoned cast iron” and why is it so important ? Its nothing and its a myth that its so important. > > Absolutely right, seasoning only takes a few minutes. It is important for a no stick surface but no big deal to replace if removed by washing. All I cook with is cast iron, when a pan starts looking nasty I simply place it in a roaring fire for a while and when I remove it looks just like a new pan minus the seasoning. I don’t understand how you could season a cast iron pan in a short time, to the same quality as the seasoning that builds up slowly and naturally on a long-used pan. In what sense do your cast iron pans get to look ‘nasty’? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/50 "2013-04-09T01:32:24Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t understand how you could season a cast iron pan in a short time, to the same quality as the seasoning that builds up slowly and naturally on a long-used pan. In what sense do your cast iron pans get to look ‘nasty’? The seasoning of cast iron is simply to get the microscopic pits of the metallic surface to fill with carbonized (burnt stuff) material so that the area is very flat and thus very little sticks to it. Just burn in a layer of cooking oil. Done. Or just keep using it and over time the same thing happens. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/51 "2013-04-09T03:18:54Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t understand how you could season a cast iron pan in a short time, to the same quality as the seasoning that builds up slowly and naturally on a long-used pan. In what sense do your cast iron pans get to look ‘nasty’? ``` I normally don't wash my cast iron I simply wipe it out. If it starts to look grungy, I give it the burn treatment then simply rub on thin coats of cooking oil and let it cook off till it almost quits smoking then add another layer. I do this about 3 times over 15 min and I have a non stick pan again. I have heard a lot of guys say they have no problem cooking steak on cast iron, I agree it cooks very well but I often am forced to wash it after cooking steak for some reason. Everything else seems to simply wipe out. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/52 "2013-04-09T06:39:24Z")
I think we probably have quite different ideas about what constitutes seasoned cast iron. I only have one cast iron skillet, but it’s never needed stripping and re seasoning in over 15 years of use - the cooking surface is smooth, hard carbonised material (the original grainy texture of the iron is just barely discernible) - this is resistant to washing and can even be gently scrubbed without damaging it. This took at least a couple of months of regular use to build, and has only improved with age. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/53 "2013-04-09T13:37:34Z")
All these replies beg the question - how long would I be able to exist if I ate only burnt crud out of a saucepan? How big would the saucepan have to be to make enough crud for me to be able to live a month? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335/54 "2013-04-09T14:34:04Z")
I doubt if there’s very much food value at all in burnt crud. As long as you’re drinking water, you’ll live for a month whether you eat it or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-burnt-crud-out-of-a-saucepan/45335.md?page=2)