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Kenleung
3
Oct 18, 2017
What are some good ways you can clean a pan/skillet ? I always have issues cleaning them. It's either food remains persists and stay there or after I remove the dried up food that I cook there's a stain that takes forever to get rid of.
KenleungDepends on the material. But in most cases, deglazing lets you knock off most fond. If it's been sitting around, drying up, let it soak in soapy warm water for at least 30 minutes then try knocking it off with a wooden spoon.
Stainless steel, use steel wool, especially for polymerized grease. If that doesn't work try Barkeeper's Friend. That stuff makes stainless look completely new again. It's abrasive so be careful what else you use it on.
Cast iron and carbon steel, use a stiff brush. Heat can help. Cast iron you can throw in a really hot oven and it'll just burn it off.
awk
1600
Oct 18, 2017
KenleungDepends on the cookware, but to occasionally remove stubborn stains/food from stainless or enameled I use nylon scrubbing pads, melamine sponges (aka Magic Eraser) , and/or Bar Keeper's Friend (either the regular or the one for cookware).
KenleungIt is depending on what the pan is made of. For some stains on like stainless you can do a water, vinegar, and baking soda mixture that you boil in the pan for a few minutes to loosen up/remove stains.
Snarge
39
Oct 18, 2017
KenleungSo the dirty trick I use is apparently a short order cook trick. I learned it from family growing up. When you have the food you wanna eat out of the pan, you scrape the excess food off and dump it, then crank the heat to high, so the pan gets hot enough to flash boil water. Don't let it go too long, because burnt-in food is even harder to get out of a pan. I would be cautious about using this technique on coated and nonstick pans, since it subjects the pan to a fair bit of thermal shock. When the pan is good and hot, toss a small quantity of water in. I usually use just enough to coat the bottom of the pan to start. It should boil almost immediately before cooling down. Dump the water down the drain, and scrape again. If some food still persists, I usually cover any stuck-on food with water and bring it to a boil, and scrape while it's boiling. You can also use ice cubes, but I haven't found any advantage, at least not enough to justify subjecting the pan to that much thermal shock. Basically it works on the principal that soft food sticks to stuff less than baked-on food. It's like a mega-soak, but the heat takes the time from hours to seconds or minutes.
Kenleung
3
Oct 18, 2017
KenleungThank you guys for the responses. I forgot to say that I meant it in general since I'm not entirely sure what the pans I used are made out of (I do not do shopping for cooking utensils/supplies)
trevor266
281
Oct 19, 2017
KenleungBaking soda, slowly pour vinegar and scrub, add a small amount of warm water to cover the baking soda and let it sit, depending on how badly burnt the food is you may have to repeat several time (it took 8 tries at this when I left spaghetti on the burner for nearly 5 hours)
btimup
45
Oct 19, 2017
KenleungFirst step is that you need to season your pans. Cover in a thin layer of oil on all sides then put on the stove on high heat until the oil starts to smoke. Turn off and let it cool, then wipe the excess oil and store away. Use oil every time you cook, then after cooking, use a scouring pad or brush to scrape off any remaining food. Don't use soap, as this will strip off the seasoning. After washing, wipe down with a cloth or paper towel, then use a new paper towel to coat the pan with a thin layer of oil before storing away. After a while due to the seasoning, your pans will become non-stick!
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