Here’s how to clean stainless steel pans and restore that flawless original shine in less than 5 minutes!
Stainless steel skillets are my best friends in the kitchen! They’re ideal for searing steaks and scallops, creating that flavorful golden brown crust.
But sometimes, they gather up some caked-on burnt oil along the sides and whatnot. It’s super annoying to look at, so I wanted to restore the original shine.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Pans:
I tried different methods:
- Obviously, regular dish soap with sponge didn’t work.
- So I tried boiling water with baking soda in the skillet, like I do for cleaning my Dutch oven. No avail.
- And I don’t like boiling vinegar, so I skip that.
And that led me to Bar Keepers Friend. Soooo many people comment (mostly on Pinterest) on my Dutch oven cleaning post to use Bar Keepers Friend.
Well, I ordered it (the liquid version – LOVE IT!) and tried it on my stainless steel skillet.
And OMG, it worked magic!!! It took me less than 5 minutes to clean it spotless!!!
Ah, the satisfaction I get from this is ridiculous!!!
General Tips on Cooking with Stainless Steel Pans:
- Always preheat your skillet on medium heat before adding the oil
- Then add oil to the hot pan and heat the oil before adding the food. This way food won’t stick to the pan too much.
- When you’re searing steak (or scallop, for example), don’t force the food to unstick. It’ll usually unstick easily, once it’s fully seared.
- Don’t pour cold water into a hot pan to clean.
- If too much food stuck to the bottom, add a little water, bring it to a boil and then turn the stove off and let it soak for half hour or so. It’ll be much easier to clean.
Reader's Reviews
LouT62 says
Once or twice a year, I clean the exterior surface of my Le Creuset with Easy-Off oven Cleaner. they are over 30 years old and look like new
Chris says
I use one of three things. 1) Bom Ami, 2) The Pink Stuff, 3) Saladmaster Stainless Steel Cleaner. Just a smear and a damp paper towel, Et Viola. Shiny!
Wallace says
Bar Keepers friend is my go to for my AllClad SS pans; amazing!
I also use it for Le Creuset French Ovens I have and it gets the “haze” you get after brazing and something sticks.
-After pan cools, dish soap and water works really well, although I sometimes have to soak over night, but it comes off!
-Now I am left with a “haze” where the food was stuck to the surface and Bar Keepers friend always gets it off! Now I am back to shiny enamel.
As a matter of common sense, never use metal utensils, scouring powder or metal scouring pads, not even the tough plastic ones; they scratch too!
Linda says
I use my stainless steel pot to put on my woodstove to allow moisture in the air in winter.
I always have a real hard time, getting it to come clean in spring.
Do you think this would work?
merle klebanoff says
tried your cleaning method for my Dutch Oven, sadly, it fit not work.
Julie says
To clean burnt-on food and oil, I usually squirt both dish soap, and liquid dishwasher soap into pans, adding water to cover the dirty area, and let it soak for awhile, checking occasionally to see if the gunk is loosening. It usually works week, without much scrubbing.
Cheryl Jones says
I use cream of tarter, and water. Let it boil on the stove, or let it sit overnight, then rinse it clean.
Nancy A Brown says
So how do you clean the outside of the pans? Any advice on sheet pans how to get the crud off of them.
LouT62 says
Once or twice a year, I clean the exterior surface of my Le Creuset with Easy-Off oven Cleaner. they are over 30 years old and look like new
Delyse Logan says
I live in Western Australia, I haven’t heard of that Bar Keepers Friend. Can you recommend another way of doing the cleaning of those items – saucepan or Dutch Oven.
Many thanks
Del Logan
Kat says
Bon Ami works well. It is a powder.
ZBear says
Another vote for Bon-Ami..
I’ve also had good results from boiling water, adding a generous amount of Baking Soda and leaving it overnight. I’ve gotten off some NASTY burned-on messes than way. A Scotch-brite pad works well too.
Carmen Miller says
Another product that cleans stainless steel is Kleen King. It keeps my All-Clad & Cuisinart pans looking like new and I’ve had them for over 10 years. It also works on other metals.
To my knowledge Kleen King only comes in powder form unlike Bar Keepers Friend which is available in both powder & liquid form.
Shinee says
Hi, Carmen. Thanks for sharing about Kleen King. I’ll give it a try too.
L Phillips says
I’ve been using Barkeeper’s Friend for the past 10years,I started with the powder formula then found the liquid form at Target it keeps my pots and pans shiny and looking like new. I put a little on a microfiber cloth and scrub
Wouldn’t be without it.