Cleaning a Burnt Non Stick Pan - 10 Tips & Nonstick Cleaner Recipes (2024)

The invention of non-stick pans has been a blessing to the kitchen when it comes to cooking. While the non-stick pan makes clean-up a breeze, there may still be times when you’ll end up with burnt food stuck to the non-stick surface. We’ll show you how to clean a burnt non stick pan without causing damage.

The non-stick coating in pans is polytetrafluoroethylene, but it’s easier to call it by its most common name, Teflon. This coating prevents food from sticking to the pan, making cleanup a breeze. If nonstick cookware is not used correctly, your Teflon pan could end up with crusty, burnt food stuck to its surface.

There are a few reasons why a non-stick pan may have things stick and burn to its surface. The main culprit is cooking the pot at high temperatures. This can also happen if there are tiny scratches in the bottom of the pan that allow food particles to get trapped.

Cleaning My Burnt Non Stick Pan

Knowing how to clean and care for your non-stick pans properly ensures that they withstand long term use. Our cleaning recipes show you how to remove food residue and burnt food from non-stick cookware. How to clean non stick pans has never been easier.

Cleaning My Non Stick Pans to Remove Food Residue

To prevent food from sticking to the bottom of non stick pans, take specific steps to remove the build-up of leftover food and cooking oil. This method shows you how to clean nonstick pans to remove food residue using hot water and vinegar.

Place your pan filled with warm water onto the stovetop and turn the burner on high heat. Add the white vinegar and allow the liquid to come to a boil. After several minutes, you will notice that the dirty residue begins to float to the surface of the boiling water.

Remove the nonstick pan from the heat and dump out the liquid. Use a squirt of dish detergent and a nylon scrubber to clean the pan. Rinse with cold water.

Cleaning My Nonstick Pans With Soap and Water

Here is one of the simplest methods for cleaning nonstick pans, and all you need is a little soap and water. While this trick is a bit time consuming, it takes barely any effort or scrubbing for removing burnt food.

Set the pan or pot into the kitchen sink and fill it with hot water and a few squirts of degreasing dish soap. Let the nonstick pot sit for about an hour while the soapy water begins to loosen the food grime.

To clean a scorched pan, dump out the dirty water and use a nylon scrubber to wipe away the softened gunk. Rinse the pan thoroughly with cold water and dry with a paper towel. For stains that remain after using dish soap and water, try our next recipe with baking soda.

I Remove Burnt On Food with Baking Soda

This cleaner shows how to clean a burnt pan using a little bit of baking soda. This technique works wonders on nonstick pans but will leave marks on aluminum pans.

Place the nonstick pan into the kitchen sink. Sprinkle some baking soda onto the burnt-on food surface area. Pour a few tablespoons of water onto the baking soda and allow the pan to sit overnight.

The baking soda will soften and absorb the gunk and grime. Use a gentle nylon scouring pad to scrub the pan clean in the morning. Rinse the pot with cold water. Apply this paste to stains and let it sit. Wipe clean, and viola! No more stains.

I Clean My Non-Stick Pan with a Vinegar Soak

White vinegar is an acidic liquid that works wonders at removing grime build up. It is also gentle enough for cleaning burnt food off nonstick pans.

Soak a washcloth with vinegar and place the cloth over the soiled areas of the pan. Let the soaked cloth sit for about an hour while the vinegar breaks up the solids of the burnt food.

Use the wet washcloth to wipe away the dissolved food. Wash away all of the residue using the washcloth, soap, and water.

How I Clean My Non Stick Pans with Salt Water

If you like the idea of letting a pan clean itself, then this is the method for you. It uses the power of salt to remove burnt food from nonstick pans and takes minimal effort.

Non-Stick Pan Salt Water Cleaner

Fill the pan or pot with hot water and pour in about three tablespoons of salt. Let the nonstick pan sit for a few hours while you do something more enjoyable.

After the pan soaks, turn the burner on high and bring the salt water to a boil. Dump the dirty salt water and wash the pan using a little soap and water.

Removing Stubborn Burnt Food From My Non-Stick Pans

Baking soda is an alkaline powder that works great as a mild scouring agent and can be used for cleaning a multitude of items in your home from your clothes to the dishes.

While you won’t be scouring your pans with the baking soda, it does remove severe burnt food from your pans by absorbing the dissolved residue. This cleaning method can also be used to clean steel pans or those made from cast iron.

Mix equal parts water and baking soda in a small bowl to make a sticky paste. Use a soft sponge to spread the paste onto the areas in the pan with the burnt food.

Allow the cleaning paste to sit on the pan for about 15 minutes without scrubbing it. Rinse the pan under cold water to remove all of the residue.

Removing Burnt Food From My Nonstick Cookware

This cleaning recipe is ideal for those extra tough burnt food stains on your nonstick pans and is relatively easy. Since there is no soaking involved, it only takes a short time to perform.

Place your nonstick pan on the stove and turn the burner onto medium heat. Pour two tablespoons of vegetable-based cooking oil into the bottom and add three tablespoons of sea salt or table salt.

Give the nonstick pan a good shake to distribute the oil and salt throughout the bottom of the pan. Turn off the burner and allow the pan to cool. Wash the pan as you would typically to clean away the dirty oil and salt residue.

Cleaning My Non-Stick Pots With Soapy Water

Cleaning your pan with a degreasing dish soap is probably one of the most straight-forward cleaning methods that you can use. When allowed to soak, dish soap breaks up grease and dried foods, making it easier for you to clean away the grime.

Simple Non-Stick Pot Cleaning

The simplest way to clean your non-stick pots and pans is to put the stopper into your kitchen sink and place the pan into the sink. Add a teaspoon or so of degreasing dish soap into the bottom of the pan and then fill it with warm water. To clean burnt food off your pan, let the pan soak for about 20 minutes.

Scrub away the loosened food grime using a nylon scrubber. For really stuck-on food, you can heat the pan with the soap and water mixture until it boils and then turn off the heat. Let the pan cool and then scrub. The mess should be easy to remove.

Cleaning My Non-Stick Pan With Bar Keepers Friend

If you don’t have the time to whip up a homemade cleaning solution, you can use a cookware cleaner and polish such as Bar Keepers Friend to remove those burnt food stains from your nonstick pans.

Bar Keepers Friend Pan Cleaning

Place the pan into the kitchen sink and wet the surface of the pan. Sprinkle some Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser onto the soiled areas of the pan.

Use a wet sponge to gently scrub the bottom surface of the pan. Rinse the pot thoroughly within one minute of application to rinse away all residue.

Preventing Foods From Sticking in My Non-Stick Pan

There are certain things that you should not do when caring for a nonstick pan, and these include putting it into a dishwasher, scrubbing it with an abrasive material such as steel wool, and using metallic utensils such as a metal spatula in the pan.

However, there is one thing that you can do to help keep the pan from having foods stick and burn to the bottom.

Maintaining My Non-Stick Pan

Rub half a tablespoon of cooking oil or cooking spray onto the bottom and sides of your nonstick pan before and after each use. You don’t necessarily have to season your pan as you would cast iron pans, but this will prevent foods from sticking and protect the coated surface.

Don’t throw those burnt pots away! While it may seem nearly impossible to clean burnt on food off your nonstick frying pan, it can be done with the right knowledge and a little elbow grease. You also don’t need to spend a lot of money on cleaning products if you use the proper cleaning tips.

Cleaning a burnt pan can be a breeze when you know how to clean a burnt non stick pan properly, so why not share our nonstick cleaner recipes with your friends and family on Facebook and Pinterest?