Caustic soda OK for burnt pan? (2023 Update)

[Guy King]

The message from Lobster contains these words:

You can still get aluminium pressure cookers - I think.

[dingbat]

Not aluminium smelting capacity though - they were just recycling those same Spitfires post-war. The Landrover was bodied in an aluminium alloy because steel was in such short supply, but there was a huge supply of scrap aircraft. The first Landie prototype was panelled with sheet cut literally with an axe from aircraft awaiting disposal.

Owing to concerns over alloy quality, almost none of the pans were ever used for Spitfires. For years there was a large dump of them (Welsh quarry somewhere?)

[John]

Lobster: going back to basics, what kind of pan scrub? A few months ago I bought a pack of six of those stainless steel wire scrubs (*not* steel wool -- these look like very neat bundles of steel shavings (but they're obviously not)). I bought 'em in the Pund Shop as we caal it up here in GeordieLand.

I'd seen these all my life, on and off, and never used them -- they looked too scruffy for my pristine kitchen.

Well, I tried one of these out and by god it works miracles. Not only that: they're indestructible; I'm still using the first one out of the pack. And there are "1001 uses" for a keen DIYer.

Apologies, if that's what you've already tried, and also to any long-time aficionados of the steel pan-scrub, so long shunned by myself.

John

[Malcolm Stewart]

If the OP isn't too clued on on "O" Level chemistry, suggesting the use of < ether > in a kitchen could lead to very interesting and dangerous(?) results.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|Trying to resurrect a pan (s/steel I think?) which is comprehensively |caked in burnt-on residue (long story, don't ask). Think the pan is OK |below the crud but a two-day soak and pan scrub is doing nothing. |Should caustic soda be OK to use, or might the pan dissolve too? (Can't |remember my 0-level chemistry!) | |If it's not stainless steel might it be something else that might be |adversely affected?

We soak burnt pans in hot water with washing powder, bio or non bio makes no difference. Perhaps a quick scrape to finish the job.

[vortex2]

Fill pan with water and put in an improbably large amount of dishwasher powder (like 1/2 a mug full or more)

Bring to the boil.

If after 15 minutes the water has turned a disgusting shade of brown you are making progress. Discard contents and repeat above until the pan is gleaming.

David H.

[Lobster]

Actually I am indeed an aficionado of that very pan-scrub, and if I could find one I'd be using it now! We used to use one called (perversely) "Goldilocks" but haven't seen them for ages. Current model is totally useless - pseudometal plastic of some sort.

David

[Mary Fisher]

When I used to burn food in metal pans (haven't done it for years) there was an easy solution. I did it with aluminium, stainless steel, copper and iron.

Put the pan, empty, on the hottest burner you have. The carbon (that's what the burnt food has turned to) will burn to carbon dioxide and leave the metal cleaner than it's been since new.

It won't be shiny but that's not important. You can bring up a shine mechanically if you like but what's the point?

WARNING: don't do it with a pan with any kind of coating - 'non-stick', teflon, anodised, enamel - ANYTHING.

Mary

[Geo]

I used to know the answer...

[Dave Baker]

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Mine wasn't. I have an old aluminium pan and an aluminium pressure cooker both inherited from the four bears. Can't say either of them get much use but they don't appear to have done me any harm. I know that because I can still ummm, sorry what was the question again?

[Jonathan Telfer]

I saw those women on TV use coke (the drink) to clean a pan. Poured a litre or so in and heated gently. To get it working well I think you'll need to fully rinse any alkali off first though.

Be sure to report back - I'd be interested to hear if it works as well as it looked.

Jon

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's easy to melt aluminium on a gas ring. Not SS, though - it will just go blue.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

IIRC, they were the first type to have a non stick coating. And still readily available today - aluminium gives a much more even spread of heat over the entire pan.

[Mary Fisher]

Neither has happened to me and I've got them glowing.

Mary

>

[Andrew Gabriel]

Aluminium melts before it glows. Most likely, you have an alloy.

[John Armstrong]

I tried it last week, worked fine. This was just discolouration in the bottom of a stainless steel pan, rather than burnt on food though. Mythbusters explored the various uses of coke too, and found it was better at cleaning chrome than chrome cleaner was. Cheapest nastiest asda own brand was what I used.

[Jason]

I got some burnt rice off a SS pan the other day, by boiling some diluted household amonia for a five minutes in it. The amonia gas was driven off completely in that time, but I was able to remove the burnt rice with a plastic brush after that.

-- JJ

[Guy King]

The message from "Jason" contains these words:

How did it taste?

[chris French]

In message , Cicero writes

Rather the opposite really

I don't think there was ever a strong suggestion scientifically, but it seemed to catch media/public attention. In 1997 the WHO declared that al wasn't health risk for those not exposed to it at work, and no evidence that it was primary cause of Alzheimer's. And anyway, the amount of Al that gets into food through cooking in contact with Al is very low. Though it's best not to use it with highly acidic foods as it can taint the food.

I've got an Al pressure cooker and couple of uncoated Al pans I picked up along the way somewhere. My Mum still has and uses her set of Swan pans she has had for ever AFAIK. New EU regs came in in I think 2004 tht I think effectively bans uncoated Aluminum.

I much prefer much good quaity anodised and non-stick Al pans to Stainless steel ones.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|In article , | "Mary Fisher" writes: |> |> Neither has happened to me and I've got them glowing. | |Aluminium melts before it glows. |Most likely, you have an alloy.

Almost nobody uses pure aluminium for anything, it is much too soft and ductile. I had no end of trouble getting some 99% aluminium sheet for a project. Pans will be some recycled alloy, I believe that alloy from ships is very good.