Have you just burned your lunch to the point where your crockery is smoking like a volcano? Does your burnt pot look more like an ancient artifact than a modern kitchen tool? Don't worry—it's not the end of your cooking career. Instead of searching for a new pot, try a trick that uses a few everyday ingredients to do some real cleaning magic.
A burnt pot is not to be written off: Ingenious a trick, which turns burnt food into a kitchen beauty again.
The trick is not only homemade, but also smart. No harsh chemicals, no expensive “specialized” cleaners that promise miracles, but usually just smell of citrus and disappointment. The recipe we entrust to you today is based on the basics of chemistry, common sense and a little perseverance. The result? A pot surface that shines like a MasterChef winner.
How can we save a burnt pot?
A burnt pot is actually the result of a perfect storm of combinations: too high a temperature, too long a cooking time, and grease or starch that has stubbornly burned onto the metal surface. When that happens, neither sponges, nor hot water, nor even desperate scraping with a fork will help. You need mechanical-abrasive power, a chemical reaction, and time – in that order.
The key to success is synergy: baking soda and salt act as abrasives to mechanically soften the layer of burnt-on food, detergent breaks down grease, and vinegar triggers a reaction with baking soda, creating bubbles. These help to “lift” stubborn residue from the surface of the dish. All this without the use of dangerous chemicals and without the need to replace your entire kitchen equipment.
What you need
-
- bicarbonate of soda
- table salt
- dish detergent
- alcoholic vinegar
- paper towels
- (and a little patience)
How the process works
First, make sure the fired pot is completely dry. Then sprinkle the bottom with a mixture of baking soda and salt – about one tablespoon of each on a medium-sized bottom. Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent, just enough to make a loose paste, but do not add any water.
Using a wire sponge or kitchen brush, work the paste well into the burnt areas. Once the mixture is evenly distributed, cover the surface with two to three layers of paper towelsThen pour these towels over alcoholic vinegar, so much so that they are completely soaked, but do not break.
Now let time do its thing. In 10 to 15 minutes The vinegar will start to break down the grease and create foam, which, together with the abrasive action of the baking soda, will start to “lift” the blackness from the surface. After this time, remove the towels and gently rub the remaining paste with the same cleaning tool – most of the burnt-on residue will come off without much resistance.
The pot is like new again – and you are a kitchen hero
After this process, your pot lights up like new (unless it was last used in a volcanic eruption – in which case, no offense). But the best part: this trick also works as a preventative measure. Use it whenever dark spots or burn marks start to appear, and you’ll never have to hide your dishes from visitors again.
Advice for moving forward: Don't give up too quickly
If it doesn't work out perfectly the first time, repeat the process. Persistence pays off in this case, because in addition to a clean pot, you also get a feeling of victory over kitchen challenges.
