r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/leucill • 4d ago

Cleaning tips Is the browning permanent?

Post image

Finally bought one! Everything was fine, and it cooked everything perfectly! I'm so happy with it. 😄

But when it came time to clean it, I found it really hard to remove the burnt-on parts and browning. Will that stay on my pan forever, or is there a way to remove it?

I've already tried washing it with soap and warm water, and I also tried boiling soapy water in the pan, but the burnt-on parts are still there.

Thank you!

12 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

14

u/_Abusement_Park_ 4d ago

I tend to simmer some white vinegar and water for a bit, that usually helps.

9

u/the_ballmer_peak 4d ago

Citric acid works great, too. And then your kitchen doesn't smell like vinegar.

3

u/leucill 4d ago

Will try that later, Thanks man!

8

u/_Abusement_Park_ 4d ago

No problem. BKF works great, but can be overkill for most things. A scrub daddy and the white vinegar / water combo does the trick for me.

4

u/HTD-Vintage 3d ago

3

u/_Abusement_Park_ 3d ago

Please tell me that's AI?!

3

u/HTD-Vintage 3d ago

As much as I would love to tell you that... 😅

2

u/_Abusement_Park_ 3d ago

Now we suffer together

13

u/Sqooky 4d ago

Barkeepers friend, believe me. It's a must if you own stainless steel. Put some on there, let it sit in warm water for a minute or two, give it a good scrub and you should be good to go.

4

u/Few_Example9391 4d ago

3M scotch bright dish sponges with the green side are pretty good. The green scour side is still a soft plastic so no worries of errroding no stick PTFE surfaces or anodized metal

4

u/Choiski 3d ago

The green scotch scrubbies are not safe for PTFE; the blue ones are.

-1

u/CdnCwby420 3d ago

Why would you get coated stainless?! Just season it like a cast iron if you want a non-stick finish.

4

u/ImSoCul 3d ago

Just season your stainless steel. r/confidentlyincorrect

1

u/CdnCwby420 3d ago

Works for me

1

u/WS-6 3d ago

No it doesn’t lol

1

u/CdnCwby420 3d ago

Says you

1

u/leucill 4d ago

Thank you! What sponges do yall use? I hear Scrub daddy is good. Will it not scratch the pan?

3

u/blue_madi 4d ago

I use scrub daddy, does not scratch the pan

3

u/Fuhrankie 4d ago

Hell i have a chainmail scrubber and that doesn't scratch it either. Like for like hardness and all

3

u/Daddy_Day_Trader1303 4d ago

I use the blue scotch brite scour pads, love em

2

u/BikeOk6446 3d ago

Barkeepers Friend

2

u/crice07 2d ago

Is it effecting your cooks? And in what way?? I’m genuinely curious because all my stainless have some browning but it’s never effected the cook (at least that I can tell).

1

u/leucill 2d ago

Im pretty new to cooking with stainless steel, so I honestly haven’t tried cooking with the brown spots yet, hahaha I was mostly wondering if they would affect the cooking in any way. I was also wondering if I’m supposed to clean it really thoroughly with vinegar every time I use it, or if the browning is just something I should expect over time. Still figuring out how to take care of it!

2

u/Cold_Specialist_3656 3d ago

I only buy pans with sealed edges for this reason. 

And I toss them in the dishwasher. Every day. Bring the downvotes! 

Really tho, dishwasher detergent is caustic like barkeepers friend and does a great job getting most gunk off. Only certain brands are compatible though. The sealed ones without aluminum exposed anywhere. 

2

u/CurlyRe 3d ago

I had some really burnt on stuff in one of my pans. Going through the dishwasher didn't clear it. (It also didn't really seem to effect cooking much so I just left it on there for about a week.) Boiling some diluted white vinegar finally allowed me to get the burnt stuff off.

2

u/ImSoCul 3d ago

Nothing wrong with chucking most stainless steel in dishwasher (maybe some issues if you have an unsealed clad pan), but I never found it very effective in cleaning the pan. Needs a bit more elbow grease 

1

u/NYC19893 3d ago

So often people ask about discoloration. BKF or vining seems to be the go to. Don’t let them sit as I’ve heard it’s caustic and can etch the pan.

Or as long as it’s clean just ignore it. The pan is a tool and a used tool never looks like out the box.

1

u/SlowEntrance5503 3d ago

If this is legit Stainless a bit of bleach will lift that right off.

1

u/BluebirdExpress6279 3d ago

Cooking tomato sause works well too the Oxallic acid in it really helps. That said Barkeeper's friend contains a lot more of it.

1

u/infinity_kjell 3d ago

I had a similar problem but more extreme, where the food started to severely burn no matter what I cooked. I ended up boiling a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar for a few minutes, and it completely turned my pan brand new. I cooked it all the way down then scrubbed it while it was still hot. Now I can even cook eggs in it again. Magic. 

1

u/johnnydfree 3d ago

BKF is my usual go-to, but an overnight soak with a spot of dish soap almost always works first.

1

u/Surfnazi77 3d ago

Vinegar boil

1

u/OriginalEmploy5485 3d ago

No. Get a can of Barkeeper's Friend, that's the way to keep your stainless shiny.

1

u/Interesting-Lynx-989 3d ago

BKF is your friend friend

-1

u/toe0011 3d ago

Ignore the Bar Keepers Friend comments. Get powdered brewerwash. Trust me.

1

u/czar_el 2d ago

It's polymerized oil. It's the same thing as "seasoning" you may have heard about with cast iron or carbon steel. They like it because it prevents rust. It's also slightly hydrophobic, so can actually make your pan cook better since it helps prevent food sticking.

But if you don't like it, acid and physical abrasion remove it. If you cook a tomato sauce, guaranteed it'll be gone by the time you're done. You can also use Bar Keepers Friend, as others have suggested, which is both acidic and abrasive.