How to Clean a Scorched Pan with Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish

February 15, 2023

Today, I'm sharing how to clean a scorched pan with Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish from a personal experience. In a post from January of 2021, While You're at Home Anyway: Deep Cleaning with BKF, I talked about working from home and looking for ways to use my time productively. You know, like organizing my closet by color or alphabetizing the spice rack and medicine cabinet (not together). When BKF retained me as a writer, I asked if I could get my hands on some samples. Bar Keepers Friends sent me a care package of their products, including Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish. Thank you! It saved my Skillet! Now, allow me to share my experience, and explain how to clean a scorched pan with Bar Keepers Friend.

A 50 Year Fan

I’ve been a fan of Bar Keepers Friend for more than 50 years, but there were a few BKF products I was unfamiliar with. One of those was the Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish. So, last week I put it to the test. I wanted to know if this BKF could "fight fire." Let me explain. How to Clean a Scorched Pan - Image 1

I love to cook over a wood fire. At one end of my backyard firepit, I have a 12-inch by 18-inch cooking pit. It’s simple. I stacked bricks four high and topped them with a steel grill.

Fire!

A couple of years ago, I decided to set a skillet on top of the fire. I placed it on the grill and then dropped some unsalted butter in the pan. Then I swirled it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Except, I swirled some of the butter into the fire and set the pan ablaze. The butter burned, charred, and smoked. That didn’t stop me. I continued to cook. Afterward, I tried to clean the skillet, but one side, I assume where the spill occurred, wouldn’t come clean regardless of what I did. The skillet sat on a shelf in my shed for more than three years until I brought it in to see just how good this BKF Cookware Cleanser & Polish really was. How to Clean a Scorched Pan - How to Clean a Scorched Pan - how to clean a burnt pan - Image 2 - Pan Before

How to Clean a Scorched Pan

Wet the area to be cleaned
Sprinkle BKF Cookware Cleanser & Polish
Rub it in with a soft wet cloth
Rinse it off with clean water
Wipe dry

For tougher stains, like my three-year-old wood-fired, butter-stained, skillet, make a paste of the Cleanser with water, let it sit for a minute, wash, rinse, and dry. I only had to do it once. Bonus: Do you have pans that are copper bottom and steel top? You can use the BKF Cookware Cleanser and Polish on both surfaces! "This product, as I said before, is designed for both stainless steel and copper cookware, so despite the fact that copper can be a softer metal it is safe for use!" -- Stain Removal 101 -- A Busy Mom's Guide to Cleaning, Laundry, and Stains

How Does BKF Cookware Cleanser Clean a Scorched Pan?

When thinking about how to clean a burnt pan, you probably wonder about the role BKF plays in making the magic happen. BKF Cookware Cleanser & Polish was formulated to remove "burnt-on food and stains, BKF Cookware Cleanser & Polish can make old cookware and dishes look new again." The secret to Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish is that it contains 50% more grease-cutting detergents than our other cleansers. BKF Cookware Cleanser not only can remove burnt-on stains from a metal skillet like mine, but also from glass and ceramic dishes, stainless steel utensils, enamel-coated cast iron, and more. How to Clean a Scorched Pan - how to clean a burnt pan - Image 5

How to Clean a Scorched Pan - how to clean a burnt pan - Image 5

SCORE: Bar Keepers Friend: “One." Fire-Stained Skillet: “Zero!”

Okay, the truth was I was a little skeptical the BKF Cleanser and Polish would clean a three-year butter-fire-scorched pan. Now, I’m a believer. It’s another BKF product that I will keep in my cabinet and rely on for tough stains.

My story isn't unique. Lots of folks out there have used BKF to clean their own scorched and burnt pans. Check out this fantastic how-to before & after video from BKF Fan, Kimberly H. - How to Clean a Burnt Pan with Bar Keepers Friend :

So, now that you know how to clean a burnt pan, why not give BKF a shot? Be sure to snap some before & after photos and send them to us. They may end up in our gallery!

About the Author Randy Clark - Headshot

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.