So the other day I burned a pan so badly, I thought about just…throwing it out and pretending it never existed. Like, “What pan? I’ve never owned a pan. I cook exclusively with my air fryer.”
But since stainless steel pans cost more than the food I had to throw out, I decided to try to fix it.
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And by “fix it,” I mean how to get that burnt-on gunk off your stainless steel pan without resorting to throwing it in the trash or angrily googling “how to fake a kitchen fire for insurance purposes.”
Anyway, here’s my DIY home hacks for this not-at-all-fancy-but-surprisingly-effective way I saved my pan from the burnt void:
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Step 1: Get Rid of the Grease
First, remove any leftover oil or burnt goop. You can either pour it out or blot it up with paper towels.
This cleaning tip helps minimize the mess and is a simple life hack that keeps your sink from clogging up.
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Step 2: Soak It
Squirt about a teaspoon of dish soap into the pan (no need to measure, this isn’t an exact science), then fill it with HOT water. I mean HOT-hot. You might even want to bring it to a boil on the stove to speed things up. Don’t forget to turn off the burner.
Let it sit. Like…a long time.
An hour or two should do it, but I’ve also done the “leave it overnight and pretend it’s someone else’s problem” method. It was surprisingly effective.
THIS is the secret to cleaning a pan with burnt food and honestly the O.G. cleaning hack in any good burnt pan cleaning routine.
While it soaks, you can Google “how to not burn things”
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Step 3: Wipe It Out
Once you remember that you have a burnt pan soaking, drain some of the water and use a paper towel to scoop out the sludge. This can be gross. That’s okay. You got this.
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Step 4: Add Some Baking Soda
Baking soda does some low-key science magic with whatever’s left of the burnt on gunk. Sprinkle it generously across the bottom of your pan. This stuff is the holy grail of cleaning burnt pans stainless steel style.
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Step 5: Scrub
Grab a water-soaked scrubbing sponge (preferably one that’s already on its last legs – you don’t want to ruin a fresh one).
Scrub in circles, scrub in figure eights, scrub like it’s a workout. Scrub until all that black is gone.
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Step 6 (Optional): Vinegar
If your pan still looks like it needs help, fill it with water and a splash of vinegar. Bring it to a simmer for 10–15 minutes, then dump it, sprinkle more baking soda, and scrub once more.
Be careful not to burn yourself.
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Step 7: Rinse and Dry
Rinse thoroughly, dry with a clean towel, and marvel at your shiny, almost-like-new pan. 
Final Thoughts
Everyone (at least everyone who cooks) has burned a pot or pan once or twice. Even people who post their recipes on Instagram.
It doesn’t mean you’re a bad cook.
It means you stepped away for one second to check your phone and maybe you got distracted and suddenly there was smoke and now you’re here, googling your way out of it.
You’ve got this. The pan lives to fry another day.
And next time you burn something (because you will – WE ALL WILL), you’ll already know how to clean burnt pans.
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