Hard, caked-on oil on pans

[ALICIA21]

Hi all,

How do you remove that hard, caked-on oil from pans? I don't know what it's called, but I think it happens when you have oil on a pan that's heated and then cooled, and then it becomes this hard substance sticking to the pan like glue. That's my theory, but I might be completely wrong.

It's happened to my pans before and I usually manage to get it off after some serious scrubbing with a medium-hard sponge. However, it's mysteriously appeared on my good cookie sheet recently, and scrubbing doesn't take it off!



Please let me know, and thanks for the help.

I've tried soaking it in dishwasher detergent. I'm contemplating using oven cleaner on it, but I'm worried that might mess up the good non-stick surface of my cookie sheet.

 

[CharlieD]

What about that same kind of stuff on the outside of the frying pan? How to clean that?

 

[PanchoHambre]

Charlie... I usually am good with BKF and some steel wool but my saute pan wont budge... The bottom is sort of textured with a ribbing (stupid feature IMO) and there is a bit of a seam between the disk and the sides. It is not a super high quality pan (Farberware Millenium) but still It annoys me that it looks all nasty... Granted it is my fault for neglecting it but I hang my pots and it does not look very good... Iscrubberd and scrubbed and soaked... I am getting tempeted to hit it with oven cleaner.

 

[FincaPerlitas]

The ammonia method usually works pretty well but, after soaking, may still require a little scrubbing. A very mild abrasive cleaner, such as Softscrub, can be used if you're careful not to apply too much pressure.

Another possibility, if you haven't already tried it, is the potscrubber cycle on your dishwasher, followed by light scrubbing, if necessary.

 

[PieSusan]

Hi, bagha, and welcome to DiscussCooking! Hopefully, you will return for more than just this problem!

You are looking for something "free" to use on this "gook"....well, here is my advice!

First, NEVER use oven cleaner on your non-stick ANYTHING! That is a sure-fire way of permanent destruction of your cookware and bakeware!

Here is something that my Nonna taught me over 30 years ago, works EVERY time, and calls for no muscle other than the lifting and transporting of your pans and/or bakeware!

Place your gooked up pans inside a plastic garbage bag. You can use your "regular" plastic trash bags or even those from your markets, but just make sure there are no holes in them. Place your cookware in the bag, then place a ramekin, large glass ashtray, or other small GLASS bowl, into the bag, on TOP of one of the bakeware items. Fill that GLASS bowl with PLAIN amonia, then tightly seal the open side of the bag, either by tying it closed or by twisting and then tying with one of those paper covered wire twisty thingies. Place the bag with the amonia and your gooked cookware into your oven or any other confined area (like in a box with a lid and place the box in your garage or basement, etc.) and let sit over night or for 12 hours. After that time, peek at your cookware and see how it looks. It SHOULD, by this 12 hour mark, be clean. If not, re-seal the bag and let the cookware sit for several more hours. Depending on how thick and baked/cooked into your pans this gook is, will determine how long this will take. The gookiest can take a day. When this is reached, simply wash your pans/cookware with plenty of hot soapy water and thoroughly rinse.

I have had this gook appear from "who knows where?", and have used this trick from Nonna ever since, and without fail! Hope you have just as much success!

My mom use to use ammonia, too.

 

[jpaulg]

If all else fails you can try sand blasting, although I'd personally only use that on cast iron.

 

[Andy M.]

If all else fails you can try sand blasting, although I'd personally only use that on cast iron.

The easiest way to strip the gunk (and seasoning) from a cast iron pan is to crank up your gas grill to top speed and leave the item in there for an hour. It will come out clean as brand new.

 

[jpaulg]

The easiest way to strip the gunk (and seasoning) from a cast iron pan is to crank up your gas grill to top speed and leave the item in there for an hour. It will come out clean as brand new.

I know someone who bought a full set of 100+ year old CI pans from a hotel that was closing down, and hadn't been properly cleaned in probably 50 years or so. Sand blasting was required, and did a very good job. Did I mention that the lucky swine only paid $10 for the full set which was fry pans and saute pans from 4" up to 20".

 

[smoothseas]

I know someone who bought a full set of 100+ year old CI pans from a hotel that was closing down, and hadn't been properly cleaned in probably 50 years or so. Sand blasting was required, and did a very good job. Did I mention that the lucky swine only paid $10 for the full set which was fry pans and saute pans from 4" up to 20".

*turns green with envy* and a cast iron lover's wet dream *grins*



What a great thread. I'm so glad serendipity dropped me here at DC. I know that I'm now gonna lose even more hours trolling the archives.

 

[jpaulg]

*turns green with envy* and a cast iron lover's wet dream *grins*

The conversation went something along these lines
I see you're knocking down the old hotel.
Gotta bulldoze it down to make way for the new one.
Mind if I look at the old kitchen
No worries, go for it.
How much for these old gunky pans.
You can have 'em for ten bucks, but you've only got half an hour to get them out before the 'dozer goes in
*sonic boom*

 

[QUEEN-GUINEVERE]

What about that same kind of stuff on the outside of the frying pan? How to clean that?

The amonia procedure works for ALL surfaces of your pots, pans, cookie sheets, cake pans, pie pans, etc., where there is that gooky, sticky baked on and baked in shiney, golden gunk! The trick to this, however, is that you cannot place your items on top of one another unless the area is free from the gook you want removed. With your frying pan, Charlie, turn it upside down within the plastic bag, and this amonia procedure will work. You can then just wash well with hot soapy water or run it thru your dishwasher. You'll be surprised at how well this works! It's quite an amazing cleaning invention -- and CHEAP, at that!

 

[Wart]

The easiest way to strip the gunk (and seasoning) from a cast iron pan is to crank up your gas grill to top speed and leave the item in there for an hour. It will come out clean as brand new.

I've burnt mine out over a fire, may be different but I found the pans need oiled immediately or they rust. Seems they rust before the pans are cool enough the oil doesn't spring to flame.

That could be that I got them too hot.