If you’ve cooked a meal and found that black crust on your graniteware pan and it looks like it’ll never come off, you might be worried. Well, I’ve been there and let me tell you that you don’t need to worry at all. I have some tried and tested methods to help you get that crust off of your granite ware cookware.
What is Granite Ware?
Granite ware isn’t actually made from granite rock but it’s an aluminum or steel cookware with a porcelain enamel coating that creates those black and white speckles. This coating gives you that smooth, non-stick surface that cooks love.
Baking Soda Simmer
This one is my go-to method because it’s so simple and works like a charm.
Fill your burnt pan with enough water to cover the scorched areas and then add 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda. Now put it on the stove and bring it to a boil and lower the heat to let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
While it’s simmering, you can gently press on the burnt bits with a wooden spoon and you’ll see them start to lift away from the surface already. After simmering, turn off the heat and let it cool down for a bit. Now, once it’s safe to handle you need to pour out the water and give it a gentle scrub with a soft sponge and most of that burnt mess will come off.
Baking Soda Paste
When you’ve really stubborn burnt spots that won’t budge even with the simmer method then you need to make a thicker paste. Mix three parts baking soda with one part water until you get a thicker paste with a spreadable consistency. Spread this paste all over the burnt areas and let it sit for 15-20 minutes or longer even overnight for tough stains. The baking soda will break down the burnt food particles while it sits there doing its thing.
After waiting, scrub gently with a soft sponge or cloth and rinse everything with warm water and dry it thoroughly. If you’ve extra stubborn spots. Add a pinch of coarse sea salt to the baking soda paste. The salt gives you a bit more scrubbing power and it’s not too harsh on the enamel coating.
Vinegar Boil
Vinegar is acidic which clearly means it’s the best at breaking down burnt food particles.
Pour equal parts white vinegar and water into your pan and it should be enough to cover the burnt areas. Boil this mixture on your stove and once it’s boiling, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Be careful it’ll fizz up a little.
Now let this bubbly mixture sit for a few minutes until the fizzing calms down and then dump it out. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently scrape away the loosened burnt parts and finish up normally washing it up with warm soapy water.
Overnight Vinegar Soak
If that pan looks beyond help, this method can surely help.
Fill your sink or a large container with just white vinegar and enough to completely soak your pan. Now let it soak for at least an hour or just leave it overnight and the vinegar will soften and dissolve the burnt particles. After soaking, use a toothbrush or any soft scrubbing pad and remove the residue and rinse well and wash with dish soap.
Things That Can Hurt Your Pan
Be careful with these things. They can break your pan.
Do not use metal tools. Metal spoons, metal brushes, and steel wool are bad. They will scratch your pan. When your pan gets scratches, food sticks more. Use soft sponges. Use wooden spoons. Use plastic brushes.
Do not put burnt pans in the dishwasher. The dishwasher is too hot. The soap is too strong. The burnt food will not come off. Wash by hand with your own hands. This works better.
Do not put hot pan in cold water. Wait. Let your pan get cool first. If you put hot pan in cold water, the pan can crack or bend.
Do not use oven cleaner or strong chemicals. These are too strong. They can damage your pan. They can leave bad things on your pan that are not safe for food.
How to Take Care of Your Pan Every Day
Do these things so your pan does not get burnt food.
Wash your pan soon after cooking. Wait until the pan is cool. Then wash it. Do not leave dirty food in the pan all night. You can put warm soapy water in the pan and wait 10 minutes. Then it is easy to clean.
Use wooden spoons or plastic spoons. Do not use metal spoons. Metal makes scratches. Burnt food likes to stick in scratches.
Cook on medium heat. Do not cook on high heat. Your granite ware pan gets hot very fast. You do not need high heat. High heat burns food easily. High heat can also hurt your pan.
Dry your pan after washing. Use a towel to dry it. Do not let it sit wet. Water can make rust on the edges.
When Your Pan Is Too Old
Sometimes your pan is too broken to use.
Look at your pan. Does it have big cracks? Does it have big chips? Can you see metal under the coating? If yes, you need a new pan.
Do not cook in a broken pan. Small pieces of the coating can fall into your food. This is not safe.
More Tips
If food just burnt a few hours ago: Fill the pan with hot water. Wait 30 minutes. The burnt food will get soft. Then it is easy to clean.
For very dark stains: Mix baking soda with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide. Make a paste. This can help remove dark marks.
After cleaning: Wash your pan with water again. Make sure all the baking soda or vinegar is gone. You do not want this in your next food.
How to store your pan: Do not put other pans on top of it. Put a paper towel or cloth between pans. This stops scratches.
Final Words
Cleaning burnt granite ware is not too hard. Baking soda works for most burnt food. Vinegar works for very bad burnt food.
Be patient. Let the baking soda or vinegar work. Do not scrub too hard right away.
Your granite ware pan can last many, many years. Be gentle with it. Clean it soon after cooking. Do not use metal tools or hard brushes. Your pan will stay good for a long time.