Suzy Homemaker I'm Not

Fill the pan with water - add some baking soda - and let it gently simmer until the burnt stuff starts to loosen up.  It may take a while, but eventually the gook will come up and you can give it a good washing.

Deb W.

 you can also try vinegar and salt - rub it in and it usually cleans surface very well

Anne, I'm so glad that you started this thread.  I'm not suzy homemaker either.  So much so, that DH & I have seperate pots & pans.  Mine are the burnt ones, & his are the nice ones.   Maybe, if I pay attention, we can consolidate down to one set of pots & pans.

I agree with all the suggestions but I'm wondering if the metal is truly scorched if it's more permanent. If it's smooth, then there's really nothing left to remove, right? Anyway, just thinking outloud and I'm no expert on this stuff.

BEVOLASVEGAS

Anne, I'm so glad that you started this thread.  I'm not suzy homemaker either.  So much so, that DH & I have separate pots & pans.  Mine are the burnt ones, & his are the nice ones.   Maybe, if I pay attention, we can consolidate down to one set of pots & pans.

OMG Amanda, break my Betty Crocker heart why don't you. Baking soda and vinager do do the trick. You can also use lime juice. Ketchup cleans and polishes up copper pots.

And I was compelled to go and check my crepe pan, just to make sure it never got wind that there are pots and pans out there that are burnt!  And have had a scrubber attack them! Gawd............I was shuddering.

Shoot, all my answers already got used.

The vinegar volcano is FAB.  Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, pour on the white vinegar and much of it should be removeable with just rubbing with a dish cloth.  Simmering either salt or soda should do the trick as well.

If all else fails, put some water in it, add soem powdered dishwasher detergetnt and let it sit overnight.

glenmar

Shoot, all my answers already got used.

The vinegar volcano is FAB.  Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, pour on the white vinegar and much of it should be removeable with just rubbing with a dish cloth.  Simmering either salt or soda should do the trick as well.

I like doing this. If nothing else, it's funnnn! :)

That's the very reason I only buy *non stick* pans, and if I need to soak something overnight and it isn't clean by morning, I toss it and dash off to Wally or Target and get another one. I won't buy expensive pots and pans because I refuse to coddle them by handwashing them.  Everything that will fit in the dishwasher goes in.

Joyce

spiritdogs

 So, I really scorched the heck out of one of my new stainless steel pans (burned the sausages).  I soaked the pan, and scrubbed the pan, and washed the pan, and still have black gross stuff in it.  Anyone have a fix???

Buy a new pan.

ron2

spiritdogs

 So, I really scorched the heck out of one of my new stainless steel pans (burned the sausages).  I soaked the pan, and scrubbed the pan, and washed the pan, and still have black gross stuff in it.  Anyone have a fix???

Buy a new pan.

Hey, wise guy, this is part of a brand new set;-)  Believe it or not, it replaced a set I had for thirty years - I generally don't burn stuff, but I got sidetracked!

As to the non-stick, after all the articles on Teflon and dead canaries, I'm not trusting any of that crap yet.  They say that it's safe if the pan doesn't get too hot, but what happens if it does, and who measures the temperature of the pan when you're frying an egg?  I only have one cookie sheet with that stuff on it, and I use it very rarely.  Supposedly, it's the new generation of coating without the toxic chemical, but who really knows?

 I use a product called Bar Keeper's Friend for cleaning and polishing stainless steel...including my sink.  It does a good job at getting discolorations out.

Anne,  I always simmer my pans after I cook because something usually sticks to the pans, it makes it very easy to clean.  But when in doubt baking soda!!!  I use it to clean my carpets, my toilets, everything,  it is magic and a baking soda/vingar volcano is even better!!

Sorry, I'm with Ron lol toss it and buy a new one. lol

I burn things sooo bad on my pans lol when I read you were cooking sausages, I cringed.  I am SO BAD at cooking those, to the point that one time the smoke detectors on both the ground floor AND the second floor went off! lol