Cleaning Your Pie Pan with Bar Keepers Friend

April 23, 2025

When you love pie as much as I do, cleaning your pie pan is critical. When the mood strikes to bake a pie, a grimy pie pan can ruin the ambiance in the kitchen. So, I try to keep my pie pans clean at all times. Whether following one of my grandmother’s recipes or creating my own, like my Rhubarb & Jalapeno Pie, I enjoy mixing the ingredients, smelling the aroma of a baking pie, and of course savoring the deliciousness of a freshly baked pie, don’t you?

However, what if the pie pan you want to clean is scorched with burnt-on pumpkin filling, or worse, it’s your grandmother’s pie pan, and you’ve forgotten it in the corner of a cupboard? What if you find an antique pie pan at a thrift shop that is more black than shiny and metallic? Yes, what then? BKF just might be the answer you’re looking for.

Cleaning Your Pie Pan with Bar Keepers Friend

1. Wet the pan. Soak the pie pan in soapy water or dampen it with a wet cloth.
2. Apply Bar Keepers Friend. Sprinkle the powder directly onto the area with stains or discoloration.
3. Create a paste. Add a small amount of water to the powder to form a paste.
4. Rub and scrub. Gently rub the paste into the stains with a soft cloth or sponge. Avoid using abrasive scrubbers or steel wool, as they can scratch the pan.
5. Rinse and dry. Rinse the pan thoroughly with water to remove any remaining paste, then dry it with a clean cloth.
6. Repeat as necessary. If some stains persist, repeat the process as needed.

Keep in Mind

• The material of the pie pan

Bar Keepers Friend is safe for stainless steel and enameled or lacquered cast iron cookware. However, BKF strongly advises against using it on regular, run-of-the-mill cast iron. So, please don’t attempt this on standard cast iron products.

• Time limit

Bar Keepers Friend should not be left on the pan for more than a minute to prevent potential discoloration or etching.

• Scrubbing

Scrub with gentle, soft materials to avoid scratching the pan. A circular motion works best.

• Thorough rinsing

Be sure to remove all of the paste before drying the pan.

What Others Had to Say

“We tested Bar Keepers Friend for one of our pan cleaning methods, and the results were impressive. It’s a household cleaning product everyone should have in their cupboard since it can be used on a variety of surfaces like stainless steel, ceramic, and more. It’ll be your new cleaning best friend in no time.” — Lauren Habermehl on A Taste of Home.

“When cleaning enameled cast iron — it’s also important to remember to use a nonabrasive sponge or soft cloth, as anything rougher might scrape off the coating. In conjunction with a soft cleaning tool, you’ll also want a nonabrasive cleaner, like the Bar Keepers Friend powder cleanser. Simply sprinkle the powder on the bottom or inside of your wet cookware and scrub in a circular motion to remove built-on grease and stains. If you’re unsure if the coating of your cast iron is enameled, Bar Keepers Friend recommends spot testing first.” —  The Food Network  5 Kitchen Surfaces You Can Clean with Bar Keepers Friend

It’s Always Time for Pie!

Someone once told me that pie is a holiday treat, but for me, it’s year-round. How about you? What’s your favorite pie? Do you have a recipe you can share?

About the Author

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management.