How to Clean Non-Stick Pans

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Lynn December 1, 2007 at 4:04 pm: If you scrape a non-stick finish too hard, you can peel the non-stick coating off. And once it starts to peel the pan is ruined for cooking, because that non-stick coating can make you sick if you eat it.
Lynn December 1, 2007 at 5:35 pm: It won’t scratch or damage your pan, but it will get all the grease off. Rinse out as much of the loose grease as you can with hot water. Then sprinkle some BKF into the pan and scrub it gently with a dish cloth. Do the same with the outside of the pan. Then rinse the pan twice to make sure you got all of the BKF off.
Lynn December 1, 2007 at 5:35 pm: Honestly, just wash your non-stick pan in the sink when you’re doing your other dishes. You can use a plastic scrubber (but not the green pads) or a dish cloth to scrub out the pan with, just don’t use steel wool or a stainless steel scrubber. And make sure the dishwater is still hot, since lukewarm water won’t help you get grease off of anything. Or if you don’t have hot dishwater ready, you can just put the pan in an empty sink, flush it with hot water straight from the faucet, then squirt in some liquid dish soap and scrub the pan out with your dishcloth. Rinse the pan under the faucet once you’re done scrubbing, then dry the pan and put it away.
Lynn December 1, 2007 at 5:36 pm: If you end up with food burned on or stuck on your non-stick skillet, ignore the irony of your situation and get to work fixing the problem. First rinse or scrape out as much of the food as you can. Then fill the skillet with enough hot water to cover all of the stuck-on food and let it sit next to the sink for an hour or so. Dump out the water, rinse or scrape out the rest of the food, and then wash the skillet with hot water and dish detergent.
Lynn December 1, 2007 at 5:36 pm: Most non-stick pans now are dishwasher safe. Check to make sure your pan is dishwasher safe, then stick the pan sideways on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Make sure you’ve rinsed the pan out before you run the dishwasher, though, or the food particles that come off the pan might get thrown up onto the glasses you have on the top rack.
Sandy Hoffmyer December 13, 2007 at 8:12 pm: Put some water and a bit of dish soap in the pan and sit it on the stove and heat til boiling for a few minutes. Let sit a few minutes than wipe off with dish cloth or plastic scrubber.
Tami December 28, 2007 at 5:42 pm: I had a very nice non stick pan that had grooves in it. The grooves became filled with food from cooking and I could not get it clean. I was just about to throw it away and decided to get on the website for that brand of cookware. They said to take 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar and boil over med. heat for 5-10 min. Let cool and clean with a soft brush. It’s like new again!!! And to think I was going to throw it out.
Ann Davis February 25, 2008 at 11:45 pm: The easiest way to clean a non-stick pan is to keep food from getting cooked on in the first place. The Frugal Gourmet had a saying: “Hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick.” It works — make sure your pan is thoroughly pre-heated, add your oil and whatever you’re cooking will not stick. And if anything does stick, rinse your pan immediately when you are finished, this will make clean-up much easier.
Joanna Jones February 27, 2008 at 5:17 am: Fill soiled pan with water and soak, with a dryer sheet in the water , It will clean easily in the morning.
Ivy Iverson April 20, 2008 at 3:40 pm: Once in a while I get food REALLY burned into a pot or pan, either non-stick or regular. The last resort is to use thermal shock: put about a half inch of water in the pan & put it on high heat JUST until the water is boiled away, then pour ice-cold water in the pan. Between the steam of the boiling water and the ice water will usually dislodge the charred remains of food, which can then be washed out. This cure may require 2 or 3 repeats to get it all. If this fails, it’s time for a hammer & chisel, dynamite or just go out and buy a new pan… and learn to cook!
kumar kamath August 14, 2008 at 4:23 pm: If The Food Partical Gets Burnt in the pan get a hot water in the pan and pore some grill cleaner and boile it after 5min remove the water from the pan and wash it throly
Scott Pritchett August 23, 2008 at 6:49 pm: I have a Woll pan, the coating is a non-stick, not the normal affair, developed by Nasa – lasered on, you know, that sort. Now after 3 years use a fat residue has built up and proven to resist all attempts to remove it, the pan was sticking every time. I’ve just discovered that Kleeneze Ovenmate does the trick, you paste it on, wait 3 hours then wash off. Took about 3 applications but now my pan works like new.
Paulette January 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm: Ann Davis’ “hot pan, cold oil” tip above is right on! But I cook in a restaurant where other people screw up expensive pots & pans. Simmering water with a little dishwasher detergent (Cascade!) cleans up burnt-on food very well. Re=season the pan per mfg. instructions after. For the outsides of aluminum pans: simmer in. 1 TBSP. Cream of Tartar per qt. of water. If it’s stainless steel, or porcelain enamel over cast iron (Le Creuset), use oven cleaner (the kind WITH fumes.)
vasanti patel March 8, 2009 at 10:59 pm: I don’t have a tip, but I have tried these methods and an still not able to get grease off the non-stick shallow skillet. Please recommend a solution. Thanks.
Allie June 4, 2009 at 3:28 pm Cleaning off Pam: I have been using Pam on my electric griddle and after a while it sticks and builds up on the nonstick surface. I have tried everything I know and I can’t get it all off. Any suggestions?
Larry August 15, 2009 at 7:36 pm Clean (outside) non stick pans: boil water inside the pan to be cleaned, this will get the pan temp. over 200 degrees, pour water out, turn pan upside down, spray with oven cleaner(follow directions on can) wait, scrub, repeat if necessary.Finish by washing inside and out with hot soapy water.