A yellow kitchen gloved hand swiping a yellow scourer making a thorough clean swipe off what looks like a burnt pan.

How To Clean A Burnt Pan Without Baking Soda | 5 Easy Ways

I’m sure you’ve been there before – you’re cooking dinner, and suddenly your pan catches on fire. No? Or is that just me? Anyway bottom line is something burned. The burning smell fills the kitchen, and before you know it, the pan is covered in black gunk. So what do you do?

Well, if you don’t have any baking soda (Oh the horror!) on hand, don’t worry – I’ve got a solution that will help clean your pan with only a little (okay maybe more than a little) scrubbing required. Keep reading to find out how!

How to clean a burnt pan with vinegar

What you’ll need:

  • A pan with burnt food on it (duh!)
  • White vinegar
  • A sponge or scrub brush
  • Hot water
  • Dish soap (optional)

The process:

Cleaning a burnt pan with vinegar is a simple process that can be done in just a few minutes.

  1. First, fill the pan with hot water and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
  2. Let the pan soak for 30 minutes to loosen the burnt food.
  3. Next, use a sponge or scrub brush to remove the burnt food from the pan.
  4. If the burnt food is still stubborn, add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to the pan and let it soak for an additional 30 minutes.
  5. Finally, rinse the pan with hot water and dry it with a clean towel.
A yellow kitchen gloved hand scrubbing with a green & yellow sourer at burn marks on what looks like steel pan.

Additional tips:

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you clean a burnt pan with vinegar:

  • If the pan is small, you can also soak it in a sink full of hot water and vinegar.
  • If you don’t have white vinegar, you can also use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.

How to clean a burnt pan with coke

Just pour the Coke into the pan and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with a sponge. The acidity in the Coke will help to break down the burnt food, making it much easier to clean.

You may need to let the pan soak for a little longer if the burnt food is particularly stubborn, but eventually, you should be able to get your pan looking good as new.

The process:

  1. First, pour a can of coke into the burnt pan and let it sit for a few hours. The coke will help to break down the burnt food and make it easier to scrub off.
  2. Next, use a sponge or scrub brush to scrub the pan clean. You may need to use a little elbow grease, but eventually the burnt food will come right off.
  3. Finally, rinse the pan with hot water and soap to remove any lingering coke residue. And that’s it!

How to clean a burnt pan with salt

1. Gather your supplies

In order to clean a burnt pan with salt, you will need a few supplies. You will need a pan that has been burnt, salt, water, and a sponge or scrub brush.

2. Add water to the pan

Add the water sparingly to the pan so that the burnt area is moist.

3. Add salt to the water

Add 1/2 cup of salt to the water and stir until it is melded.

4. ‘Scrub’ the pan with a sponge or brush

Use a sponge or brush to gently ‘scrub’ he burnt area of the pan. The salt will act as an abrasive and help to remove the burnt food from the pan.

5. Rinse the pan with water

Once you have finished ‘scrubbing’, rinse the pan with clean water to remove any residual salt. If it still has not done the trick sprinkle another layer of salt over the burnt area and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, use a paper towel or clean cloth to scrub the area gently.

Hands scrubbing soapy suds onto what looks like a non-stick pan with a blue toned dish brush in a grey stone sink.

How to clean burnt non stick pan without baking soda

Non-stick pans are coated with a synthetic polymer that can break down when exposed to high temperatures [1]. When this happens, the chemicals in the coating can be released into the food, which can be harmful to your health. If your pan is starting to show signs of wear and tear, it’s best to replace it.

However, if you want to clean a burnt non-stick pan, there are a few methods you can try:

  1. One way to clean a burnt non-stick pan is to fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Then, add a cup of vinegar and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. After that, gently scrub the pan with a sponge or brush to remove any remaining residue.
  2. Another way to clean is to fill the pan with water and add a generous amount of dish soap. Let the pan soak for 30 minutes or longer if needed. Once the burnt food has loosened, use a non-abrasive sponge or cloth to scrub the pan clean. You may need to repeat this process a few times to get all the burnt food off.

How do you get burn marks off stainless steel without baking soda?

There are a few ways to get burn marks off stainless steel, particularly pans that are alternatives to Teflon, without using baking soda. One way is to use a product specifically designed for cleaning stainless steel. These products can be found at most hardware stores or online. Another way is to use a mixture of vinegar and water.

Simply mix equal parts vinegar and water, apply it to the affected area, and scrub with a soft cloth or gently with a piece of steel wool. You may need to repeat this process a few times to remove the burn marks completely.

Finally, you can also try using rubbing alcohol. Simply apply the rubbing alcohol to a cotton ball and rub it over the burn marks of the stainless steel. This should remove the marks quickly and easily.

Cerise pink kitchen gloved hands scrubbing at a stainless steel sauce pan with a piece of steel wool in a pinkish kitchen sink.

How do you clean a badly burnt saucepan?

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of burning a saucepan or a skillet or a frying pan, you know that it can be a real pain to clean. The burnt food sticks to the pan, and no matter how much scrubbing you do, it seems impossible to remove the blackened mess.

But there are two surprisingly effective ways to clean a burnt saucepan. First, you can try using sugar cubes. Simply place a few sugar cubes in the pan and use them to scrub of the burnt areas.

Once the food has come loose, you should be able to easily wipe it away with a sponge or dishcloth. If the sugar method doesn’t work, you can also try using rock salt.

Pour a layer of salt into the bottom of the pan and then use a halved lemon to massage the salt against the burnt areas. The salt will act as an abrasive, so scrub, scrub, scrub. And just like that, your pan will be good as new again.

Wrapping up: How to Clean a Burnt Pan Without Baking Soda

So if you are in the situation where you’ve burnt your pan (for me that is quite a common occurrence), don’t despair. You can get that brown mess off with a few simple household items. The next time you find yourself with a burnt pan, give these tips a try. And if all else fails, there’s always baking soda 😉

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Charlene Gallant

Charlene is a lover of good food. She enjoys nothing more than cooking up a storm in the kitchen and sharing her favourite recipes with her readers. She also enjoys reading a good book.

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