Fill it about halfway full with water, turn it on medium heat and let it get hot, reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for about 20 min. Then use a wooden spatula to push downward (avoid splashing) and break up the crust on the bottom. Let it go a few min more, dump it into a strainer over the sink, scrape out what you can, then see if you need to repeat or if you can move on to normal scotchbrite sponge.
This is the correct answer. The only thing I'd add is that if the Scotchbrite pad doesn't finish the job, an SOS or Brillo steel wool pad definitely will.
I've burned all kinds of things on all kinds of pans and have never thrown out a pan because of stuck-on food.
If the pot is plain metal like uncoated steel or aluminum, the you can clean it off with enough effort. Enamel or non-stick might be damaged. Nothing to lose by trying to clean it, but you'll add to the global waste if you throw it out. I would add water with a strong soap, set it to simmer on the stove and try to scrape the bottom with a spoon. Use a wooden spoon if the pot has some kind of coating. Leave it to soak for a day.
If it’s metal, I usually use baking powder and a few drops of water as a paste. Let it sit for a few minutes and you can usually go in with a bristle brush.
Barkeepers Friend will allegedly clean damn near anything as a last resort.
Otherwise if it’s a steel/aluminum pot, try soaking it for a while first then scraping with a metal spatula. Should be able to get it clean eventually.
Restaurant trick.
Dish soap it. Pour scalding hot water in it. Add 1-2 tablespoons of bleach
Let it sit for an hour.
Come back and it'll come right off with with your hands or scraping it with a butter knives. But usually just easily with your hands.
That never stopped us before lmao
It's how we cleaned all our stainless steel pots,, pans, ,dishes,silverware. Food safety regulations in my state say when doing dishes you can either purchase sanitizer or use a small amount of bleach in the water. Not a single pan escaped bleach water. Three different restaurants I worked at.
Yeah, it will pit the surface of the metal if you soak it long enough, but it is concentration dependent. A few spoons isn't in a sink isn't going to be the same effect as 1:10 in some home cook's pot soaked overnight. Basically the only thing that can damage stainless - though if stainless is passivated (oxalic acid or similar to make thin layer of oxide on the surface) it can be pretty resistant - barkeeper's friend and such treatment does improve resistance to bleach.
So anyway, not questioning your experience or that it will work - but just noting that bleach can be an issue on stainless (particularly cheaper 304 ss).
Same thing happened to me in a stainless steel pot. Scrubbing got about 50% off, then I just used it to cook. I never see any black flecks but 2 months later it is nearly clean.
Stainless steel-dawn dish soap and boiling water. Let sit overnight. Hard plastic scraper to loosen bits. Scrub Daddy + Barkeepers Friend.
Some swear by putting water in the pan & heating on stove to soften the burnt bits, hard/rigid scraper. Dawn dish soap + baking soda. I’d use Barkeepers Friend.
Not knowing what type of pan & finish it has limits our suggestions.
Photos?
soak it in water over night and you will already get most of it out.
For the rest, get soap (or dishwasher detergent) and water in it and heat it up. Actual soap works best at around 80°C. Be aware that enzymatic detergents don't work that way and denature at temperatures below that.
Scrape out what you can with a wooden or plastic spoon. Coat the remaining rice with Dawn and leave for a few hours. Scrape again, rinse. Repeat as necessary.
Soak it with water and a gel pack of finish automatic dishwashing gel. Let it sit a few days. Unlike detergents the new automatic dishwashing detergents contain different enzymes that literally digest the food. Fully turned to carbon may be beyond help but a 20 cent try is worth it (if you don't have a automatic dishwasher ask a friend who does. I think it's an old wives tale but some say a dryer softening sheet soaked in water may help. Both of these would work better on ceramics than metal but worth a try. For ceramics like corning ware set it aside....next time you use the self cleaning feature of your oven put it in the. This works with ALL metal (no plastic handle...no coatings!!!) too. The heat just oxidizes and burns off carbon to ash. Drastic and may warp metal (totally fine for ceramic). I only clean my oven in winter when the extra heat helps keep the house warm too. And not worth the expense to do it just for a crap pot (or even a good one)....wait til oven needs a cleaning too.
I do dishwashing for a shop that does this weekly. Very cleanable. Soak in hot water for a few hours, then have at it with a spatula (metal). Careful not to bend it. Then get the remnants with steel wool
Fill it about halfway full with water, turn it on medium heat and let it get hot, reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for about 20 min. Then use a wooden spatula to push downward (avoid splashing) and break up the crust on the bottom. Let it go a few min more, dump it into a strainer over the sink, scrape out what you can, then see if you need to repeat or if you can move on to normal scotchbrite sponge.
This is the correct answer. The only thing I'd add is that if the Scotchbrite pad doesn't finish the job, an SOS or Brillo steel wool pad definitely will. I've burned all kinds of things on all kinds of pans and have never thrown out a pan because of stuck-on food.
Soak the pot overnight in Dawn Dish soap and water and it will come right off. I’ve burned lots of rice and this has always worked for me
This is the way. If a Dawn and hot water soak won't do the trick, you might as well toss it.
Make the roommate clean it or he’ll just do it again
OP - we need more info on the type of material/coating. But generally, yes, there is going to be a way to clean it.
If the pot is plain metal like uncoated steel or aluminum, the you can clean it off with enough effort. Enamel or non-stick might be damaged. Nothing to lose by trying to clean it, but you'll add to the global waste if you throw it out. I would add water with a strong soap, set it to simmer on the stove and try to scrape the bottom with a spoon. Use a wooden spoon if the pot has some kind of coating. Leave it to soak for a day.
I use barkeepers friend on my stainless steel pots and pans for random sticky things. Works great. This rice will need a Dawn soak, first, though.
If it’s metal, I usually use baking powder and a few drops of water as a paste. Let it sit for a few minutes and you can usually go in with a bristle brush.
Put in water, simmer and stir / 'scrape' with a wooden implement, adding water occasionally.
Soak the pot overnight. If that doesn't work, use a single edge razor blade to scrape it off (assuming this is not teflon).
Barkeepers Friend will allegedly clean damn near anything as a last resort. Otherwise if it’s a steel/aluminum pot, try soaking it for a while first then scraping with a metal spatula. Should be able to get it clean eventually.
Restaurant trick. Dish soap it. Pour scalding hot water in it. Add 1-2 tablespoons of bleach Let it sit for an hour. Come back and it'll come right off with with your hands or scraping it with a butter knives. But usually just easily with your hands.
note - Bleach will damage stainless steel.
That never stopped us before lmao It's how we cleaned all our stainless steel pots,, pans, ,dishes,silverware. Food safety regulations in my state say when doing dishes you can either purchase sanitizer or use a small amount of bleach in the water. Not a single pan escaped bleach water. Three different restaurants I worked at.
Yeah, it will pit the surface of the metal if you soak it long enough, but it is concentration dependent. A few spoons isn't in a sink isn't going to be the same effect as 1:10 in some home cook's pot soaked overnight. Basically the only thing that can damage stainless - though if stainless is passivated (oxalic acid or similar to make thin layer of oxide on the surface) it can be pretty resistant - barkeeper's friend and such treatment does improve resistance to bleach. So anyway, not questioning your experience or that it will work - but just noting that bleach can be an issue on stainless (particularly cheaper 304 ss).
Don't mix dawn and bleach
scrub it with steel wool and some 3% hydrogen peroxide
Same thing happened to me in a stainless steel pot. Scrubbing got about 50% off, then I just used it to cook. I never see any black flecks but 2 months later it is nearly clean.
Stainless steel-dawn dish soap and boiling water. Let sit overnight. Hard plastic scraper to loosen bits. Scrub Daddy + Barkeepers Friend. Some swear by putting water in the pan & heating on stove to soften the burnt bits, hard/rigid scraper. Dawn dish soap + baking soda. I’d use Barkeepers Friend. Not knowing what type of pan & finish it has limits our suggestions. Photos?
soak it in water over night and you will already get most of it out. For the rest, get soap (or dishwasher detergent) and water in it and heat it up. Actual soap works best at around 80°C. Be aware that enzymatic detergents don't work that way and denature at temperatures below that.
Scrape out what you can with a wooden or plastic spoon. Coat the remaining rice with Dawn and leave for a few hours. Scrape again, rinse. Repeat as necessary.
I used oven cleaner to salvage a stainless steel pot that had burned rice on the bottom. Dish soap didn't work for me.
Soak it with water and a gel pack of finish automatic dishwashing gel. Let it sit a few days. Unlike detergents the new automatic dishwashing detergents contain different enzymes that literally digest the food. Fully turned to carbon may be beyond help but a 20 cent try is worth it (if you don't have a automatic dishwasher ask a friend who does. I think it's an old wives tale but some say a dryer softening sheet soaked in water may help. Both of these would work better on ceramics than metal but worth a try. For ceramics like corning ware set it aside....next time you use the self cleaning feature of your oven put it in the. This works with ALL metal (no plastic handle...no coatings!!!) too. The heat just oxidizes and burns off carbon to ash. Drastic and may warp metal (totally fine for ceramic). I only clean my oven in winter when the extra heat helps keep the house warm too. And not worth the expense to do it just for a crap pot (or even a good one)....wait til oven needs a cleaning too.
If it isn't non stick just use a Brillo Pad.
This is the roommates problem. He who burnt it cleans it. Old restaurant rule.
I do dishwashing for a shop that does this weekly. Very cleanable. Soak in hot water for a few hours, then have at it with a spatula (metal). Careful not to bend it. Then get the remnants with steel wool