Experts Reveal Simple Hack to Clean Burnt Saucepans with Minimal Effort
Cleaning dirty saucepans is a chore that most people dread, often involving strenuous scrubbing to remove stubborn burnt food residues. However, those days of practically breaking your arm may finally be over, thanks to a surprisingly simple method uncovered by experts.
Which? Tests Popular Cleaning Methods
The consumer champion Which? conducted a thorough investigation to find the ultimate way to clean a burnt saucepan. To simulate a real cooking nightmare, the team scorched baked beans onto the bottom of a pan before testing various popular cleaning hacks. These included baking soda, lemon juice, dishwasher tablets, and even dryer sheets.
Their results indicate that if you've had a culinary disaster, your best option is a dishwasher tablet. According to Which?, this method helps achieve a 'sparkling saucepan' with 'relatively little elbow grease.' For the study, Which? tested four popular hand-washing options, though it notes that many non-stick saucepans can simply go in the dishwasher.
The Dishwasher Tablet Technique
The best method was found to be the dishwasher tablet technique, which Which? tested using Fairy's 29p Platinum Plus tablets. Here's how to do it:
- Fill the saucepan with enough water to cover the burnt bits.
- Add a dishwasher tablet.
- Put the pan back onto a medium heat and let the water simmer for 10 minutes.
- Rinse out and wipe away any residue with a soft sponge.
- Wash as normal to get a sparkling saucepan achieved with minimal effort.
While this technique is effective, Which? points out that using a whole dishwasher tablet for a single dirty pan isn't good for the planet – or your wallet. 'We'd recommend using this method only as a last resort,' the consumer champion explained. 'That would be when you've got a really stubborn patch of burnt food you just can't seem to shift, and the only alternative is chucking the pan away.'
Alternative Methods Tested
Don't have any dishwasher tablets? Don't panic. If you have dryer sheets, lemons, or baking soda, salt and vinegar, these are also effective – although they require more scrubbing.
For the dryer sheet method, put a few drops of washing-up liquid into the pan and cover it with a few inches of hot tap water, before completely submerging a dryer sheet for an hour. 'To our surprise, this method proved very effective on the areas of the stain the dryer sheet touched,' Which? said. 'These areas came away with a rinse, but the rest of the burnt food needed a lot of elbow grease and vigorous scrubbing to fully remove.'
For the lemon technique, cut up three lemons and simmer them in the pan for around 10 minutes on a medium heat. While this does the job, Which? admits it's an expensive option. 'This method is one of the pricier ones, at around 90p a go, and feels like a waste of three perfectly good lemons,' it said.
Finally, you can cover the burnt bits with a paste made from baking soda, salt and vinegar – although this is the least effective option. 'It worked, but we had to do it twice,' the consumer champion admitted. 'Each time, there were fewer burnt bits left, but we still needed to do some serious scrubbing, and even after that the pan wasn't left looking new.'
Considerations for Non-Stick Saucepans
Which? also highlighted important considerations for non-stick saucepans. 'Many saucepan manufacturers claim their saucepans are dishwasher-safe, but we'd still recommend you wash non-stick saucepans by hand if you can,' it explained. 'The very hot water used inside a dishwasher can wear down non-stick coatings over several washes.'
This advice underscores the importance of choosing the right cleaning method based on your pan's material to ensure longevity and effectiveness.
