An Ode to Barkeepers Friend

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

dcSaute

Head Chef
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
Messages
1,156
Actung! Achtung!
Clean up on Burner Three!
okay, so right up front lets get this out of the way:
I'm not a pristine clean freak.
sometimes I just let it slide a bit.

here's what happens after deep snows bury the charcoal grill and the desperate cook sears stuff and does an oven finish.... salmon seems to be the worst offender....
img_1360491_0_7a9384204b2080aa41b0eec23d2c7748.jpg


40 minutes and a modicum of elbow grease later:
img_1360491_1_82c8ad96de1bd2778b28c2ab1c442ae5.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BKF is great stuff no doubt!

I recommend picking up a bottle of Dawn Power Dissolver. Spray it on the offending areas and walk away for 15-30 minutes. Most of the stuff will easily wipe out! Then you finish off the tough stuff with BKF. A lot less effort than 100% BKF.

Also, get yourself some blue scrubber sponges. They work better than a dish cloth.
 
Last edited:
I hate my glass-top stove but BKF has come to my rescue. If I have scorched on grease, I'll make a little paste from it and use a Dobie pad to scrub the crud off. My glass-top looks brand new if you don't see the tiny chips Himself put in when scraping crud with the tip of a pocket knife. :glare:
 
BKF is great stuff no doubt!

I recommend picking up a bottle of Dawn Power Dissolver. Spray it on the offending areas and walk away for 15-30 minutes. Most of the stuff will easily wipe out! Then you finish off the tough stuff with BKF. A lot less effort than 100% BKF.

Also, get yourself some blue scrubber sponges. They work better than a dish cloth.

BKF is awesome, but I LOVE Dawn Power Dissolver! You just reminded me to check my bottle, there's only about a third left. Added it to my list. :)
 
Last edited:
I hate my glass-top stove but BKF has come to my rescue. If I have scorched on grease, I'll make a little paste from it and use a Dobie pad to scrub the crud off. My glass-top looks brand new if you don't see the tiny chips Himself put in when scraping crud with the tip of a pocket knife. :glare:
:ohmy: :glare: Oh, noooo!
 
I don't normally let it get so far gone - but now and then....

I'll keep the Dawn tip in mind - thanks!
 
Yeah, Dawn Power Dissolver...works great! It's also the reason I don't let Shrek wash my DeBuyer pans.
 
If you don't have any BKF, baking soda does a pretty darn good job with a damp rag or scrubber. I would have been able to get that skillet clean with baking soda. It would just take a bit more elbow grease than BKF.
 
Actung! Achtung!
Clean up on Burner Three!
okay, so right up front lets get this out of the way:
I'm not a pristine clean freak.
sometimes I just let it slide a bit.

here's what happens after deep snows bury the charcoal grill and the desperate cook sears stuff and does an oven finish.... salmon seems to be the worst offender....
img_1360690_0_7a9384204b2080aa41b0eec23d2c7748.jpg


40 minutes and a modicum of elbow grease later:
img_1360690_1_82c8ad96de1bd2778b28c2ab1c442ae5.jpg
Wonderful stuff. I've used it for years. I even use it on the metal parts of Horse's tack as it doesn't leave a smell and taste like metal polish does.
 
I've always used this method---- and it works!

What You Need
Materials

1 cup of vinegar
2 tablespoons of baking soda
1 cup of water (give or take depending on the size of your pan)
A burnt stainless steel pan that was left empty and unattended on a heated hot plate. oops!.
A scourer, because I can't find any way to avoid it entirely
Instructions
1. Fill the bottom of the pan with a layer of water.

2. Add the vinegar.

3. Bring the pan to the boil. It should be looking a bit cleaner already.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. Expect fizz!

5. Empty the pan and scour as normal; if necessary add an extra bit of dry baking soda.

6. If there are any super stubborn marks that don't come off with scouring, make a paste of baking soda and a couple of drops of water. Leave the paste on the marks for a while and return to clean as normal.

7. Ta-da! Now you can put your feet up and enjoy the many hours you saved yourself standing over the sink.


How To Clean Burnt Pots & Scorched Pans | Apartment Therapy

I've cleaned up some absolutely horrible messes in my stainless pans this way for years. A little scrubbing might be necessary on the worst spots.
 
or, one could just use Barkeepers Friend.
or BonAmi - also a non-scratcher.

the stuff pictured on that pan resulted from searing fish/meat then putting the pan into a hot oven to finish cook. it's a solid copper stainless lined fry pan, so the sides do get plenty hot on the burner, then the 'schufft' gets baked on in the oven. it's perhaps a pat of butter + olive oil + protein components in solution.

and I will add, it's quite well baked on.

if I take the time / make the effort to "clean thoroughly after every use" it never gets that far. but . . .
 
dcSaute's mention of Bon-Ami made me think of "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" when the old lady said "...and they even used Bon-Ami!" when she was talking about trying to remove the blood stains from the organ keys in the old haunted house.

I've been to three major markets and a couple of general merchandise stores looking for the Dawn Power Dissolver and none of them carry it. All of the stores I went to carry a variety of Dawn products, but no Power Dissolver. Could you folks tell me where you buy it, I hate to have to order it off of the internet.

Thanks!
 
I saw something on TV recently, maybe on the Today Show? that mentioned DPD, and they said it was brand-new, so it might not be available in your stores yet.
 
I got my last bottle of DPD at some kind of big box store a year or two ago, can't remember if it was Target or WalMart. Aunt Bea, they might have it in the cleaning section (like with the Comet and BonAmi) rather than the dishwashing liquid section....? I don't remember, sorry.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom