Cooking For Engineers Forum Index Cooking For Engineers
Analytical cooking discussed.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Cleaning Steel Pan
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Experiments
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
gourmetfan



Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:40 am    Post subject: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

The easiest way to clean food stuck to a steel pan is to heat some wine. The gunk will fall right off. Why is that?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
McDee



Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Works with water too. The instructions for my stainless pans recommend water with a drop or two of dish soap, bring to a boil and clean immediately.

Then again, if you throw some minced shallots into the pan, sweat them a bit, pour in some wine and spices, break up the cooked-on food with a wooden spoon, then whisk in some butter, you can clean your pan and make a nice sauce for your dish at the same time Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kolsz



Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, you are right man! Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kolsz



Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, you are right man! Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

gourmetfan wrote:
The easiest way to clean food stuck to a steel pan is to heat some wine. The gunk will fall right off. Why is that?


Acid in wine.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GaryProtein



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 535

PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:14 am    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

DrBiggles wrote:
gourmetfan wrote:
The easiest way to clean food stuck to a steel pan is to heat some wine. The gunk will fall right off. Why is that?


Acid in wine.


How about boiling some white vinegar (and water)? It costs less and is more acidic.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 5:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

GaryProtein wrote:
DrBiggles wrote:
gourmetfan wrote:
The easiest way to clean food stuck to a steel pan is to heat some wine. The gunk will fall right off. Why is that?


Acid in wine.


How about boiling some white vinegar (and water)? It costs less and is more acidic.


Oh, I imagine there's quite a handful of ways to handle the deal. Whatever works for you and doens't ruin the pan is the way to go.

Biggles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SgtNickFury



Joined: 20 Nov 2006
Posts: 37

PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

GaryProtein wrote:
DrBiggles wrote:
gourmetfan wrote:
The easiest way to clean food stuck to a steel pan is to heat some wine. The gunk will fall right off. Why is that?


Acid in wine.


How about boiling some white vinegar (and water)? It costs less and is more acidic.


I clean everything with viniger, sometimes even myself.....My Dr. even recommends that you keep a spray bottle of viniger next to shower, as daily soap use strips the skin of natural acids, and makes people more suceptable for fungus for example......so feet especially should get a quick spray of viniger after a shower.....it will kill any fungus infection.....not sure what that has to do with this topic....bu I thought I would throw that in.

Also Viniger is EXCELLENT for cleaning grime off your windshield, car, and engine block.......so yeah it will do great with cookware..just becareful it can also clean off non stick coatings.....Teasing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GaryProtein



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 535

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:48 am    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

SgtNickFury wrote:
.just becareful it can also clean off non stick coatings.....Teasing


Really??? I had no idea. How does acetic acid remove PTFE which is one of the most non-reactive substances in the solar system? ---or does it react with the aluminum pot substrate and peel if off from around the periphery??


I don't know about spraying myself with vinegar after a shower, especially before going to work in the morning. I used to do a lot of black and white darkroom photography, and everyone in the house knew when I came out of the darkroom because of the acetic acid smell. (Well I guess that AND the sulfides in the fixer made an odoriferous combination.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SgtNickFury



Joined: 20 Nov 2006
Posts: 37

PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

GaryProtein wrote:
Really??? I had no idea. How does acetic acid remove PTFE which is one of the most non-reactive substances in the solar system? ---or does it react with the aluminum pot substrate and peel if off from around the periphery??


I'll be honest I have no idea......all I know is that a viniger based concoction I was cooking caused the non stick to peal on a T-fal pot I had......I doubt it was th highest quality pan, but it had been used many times before no problem. Someone smarter then me on teh subject might know why. I suspect it has to do with the fact the pan already had some nicks all over the non stick coating from metal utinsels that had been used with the pan....maybe it got behind the coating somehow.

As for the Viniger, on yourself....besides making you very hungry for fish and chips for some unknown reason the smell quickly disipates.....but the idea is to return your skin to the Ph levels it was designed to be at.....I got a fungal infection on my face of all places a few years back which was embarrassing because I clean constantly, and he simply prescribed viniger daily, which was good news becuase lamesil tablets are insanely expensive.

He told me later that he always sprayed with viniger for this and other health reasons, after showering....I tend to pay attention as my Dr is over 50 and looks to be about 30.....most of his advice on suppliments, eating, and lifestyle have been spot on....and I deffinately have never had any athletes foot since spraying with viniger after showering.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
youngcook



Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 97
Location: GA

PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use the soak method where I soak it in water and dish soap. Most of the gunk come off and then I scrub,soak for 30 mins with hot water and a lot of soap, maybe a 1/2 cup, scrub again, and it is FREE from GUNK! Then, into the dishwasher with little detergent ( soft water you know, don't need to damage my pans. Because eltonyo didn't respond to this I am giving it to you as he would.) The truthiness of it all is that wine is not needed! Laughing Out Loud Big smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GaryProtein



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 535

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What kind of dish soap are you using if you need 1/2 cup? What I do is get liquid DISHWASHER soap (cascade) and use it in the sink for washing. The stuff has absolutely zero bubbles or suds (which I hate anyway because it takes as long to wash off suds as to wash the pot in soft water) so in the container I use for dispensing the soap, I mix five parts liquid dishwasher soap to one part regular sink-type dish soap to use the small amount of bubbles that form as an indicator that the soap is where I think it is. The dishwasher soap has enzymes and all kinds of stuff to really cut through gunk. If you have ultra soft, sensitive tender skin, you might not want to do this. Don't put the dishwasher soap in your fancy built-in soap dispenser because it will clog the nozzle bwtween uses when the soap at the tip dries out. Just use a squeeze bottle. You won't believe how well it cleans and rinses off. You'll also avoid having tons of bubbles obscure your view of the surface you are trying to clean.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
NobleUrbanDesign
Guest





PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:39 am    Post subject: Cleaning Steel Pan Reply with quote

While cooking, wine, vinegar, or beer can be used to get that beginning to burn stuff off of the bottom of the pan...I think its called a deglaze...as long as it isn't burnt to a total crisp it'll add a bit of robustness to the flavor of your dish. As an engineering student I really enjoyed the concept of adaptive design...cooking this way, I look for the acidic and alcoholic liquids around me and try to find something that will quickly balance out my dish (hopefully while getting rid of some old beverage that is starting to turn to vinegar).
Back to top
Cornelius



Joined: 17 Nov 2009
Posts: 16
Location: Everett, WA

PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If the stuff IS burnt to a total crisp, as in a completely black coating on the bottom of the pan, a tablespoon or two of Cream of Tartar in an inch or so of boiling water in the pan will loosen it enough that you can easily scrub it off with steel wool that you push around the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while the solution is still boiling.

Wine, or even water, will work on stuff that is barely burnt and stuck, but not on the stuff that is thoroughly burned on.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
IDontUse
Guest





PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just don't burn a pound of sugar (damn distracting cigarettes)
Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Experiments All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group