How to Clean Burnt Pots Without Huge Effort

The kids are screaming, your book is up to an exciting bit, or maybe George Clooney popped by- and you burned dinner. To a cinder. Follow our simple steps to clean burnt pots without loads of effort.

We’ve all wandered off when cooking, gotten distracted by cat videos on the internet, and ended up burning pots. We’ve put our brightest minds onto how to clean burnt pots without damaging the pot, or our sanity.
Not one product will clean everything, and not one solution is appropriate for all pot surfaces. We’ve compiled a list of the best options to clean everything from the easy, to the down-right cindered, solid mass. The first thing to do is to stop it burning further, which means cooling it (slowly, don’t plunge it into cold water as this damages the pot). After that, it depends on the product. There are some fairly deep science explanations regarding the chemical composition of the burnt food but for those of us that aren’t scientists…
Burnt Sugar
Burned something sweet? Things like caramel can burn in seconds- but luckily, they are simple to clean. Fill the pot with water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Leave to sit and the sugar dissolves all by itself.
Burnt Dinner
Whether it’s potatoes, noodles, or milk, it’s the same advice. Cover the burned area with water, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid, and return the pot to the stove top. Bring the water to a gentle simmer, and leave for up to a few hours. Then, let cool overnight and it should easily scrub off the following day.
You can also use baking soda to clean burnt pots instead of dishwashing liquid.
If baking soda or dishwashing liquid is unsuccessful, try using a light acid based product such as vinegar, this may work if the alkaline products have not helped.
Cleaning Cast Iron Pans
You can’t use metallic abrasives or harsh scouring chemicals on cast iron as it removes the pan seasoning. Le Creuset advise using a plastic brush to remove what is possible in the first instance. Then heating the pan with water inside, and using nylon or soft abrasive pads to remove any other burnt food.