Never boil an egg in the microwave :-)

[railntrailcwgrl]

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

We're talking about approximately 4 cups of tomato soup that cooked down to about 1/4" of solid black. I chipped a lot of it out, then tried SOS pads, plain steel wool, boiling water with a little dish detergent in it, boiling water with vinegar in it. Nothing has gotten that final thin layer off. I haven't tried laundry soap, but I don't use the liquid so would have to go buy some. I'm also going to try the Barkeeper's Helper that somebody suggested. Other than that I'll just keep using a pan with a black bottom in it. Too bad it's one of my best pans.

I have expensive (Royal Prestige) stainless pans and they recommend using Barkeepers Friend. After trying the stuff I will never be without it! It works like a scouring powder except that it is a mild acid which helps get off any gunk that is scorched on. If I've burned something really bad I usually boil it for a few minutes, let the pan sit and cool until it is almost tolerable to put your hand into. Then dump out the liquid, be careful because the pan will still be hot. Pour in some BKF and scrub the bejeezes out of it with a scrubber. (I use recycled plastic scour pads or non abrasive kitchen sponges.

 

[Winchester]

I was going to suggest a paste of baking soda and water as that has always worked for me. Here's something I found from the internet:

Wash away as much of the food as possible, using cold water for eggs, chocolate and starch-based foods.

Fill the pot with water. Add 1 to 2 tsp. dishwashing liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cover the pot, turn off the heat and leave the pot to soak for 30 minutes.

With a wooden spoon, scrape away as much of the burned food as possible. Rinse well.

If burned areas still remain, cover them completely with a generous amount of baking soda. Drizzle in just enough water to create a thick paste, smearing the paste up the sides of the pot if needed. Set aside for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Without rinsing the pot, add 3 parts water to 1 part distilled vinegar to cover the burned food by at least 2 inches (5 cm). Boil for 10 minutes and then leave overnight.

Repeat steps 2 through 5 as needed.

 

[GoldyCat]

Originally Posted by Winchester

I was going to suggest a paste of baking soda and water as that has always worked for me. Here's something I found from the internet:

Wash away as much of the food as possible, using cold water for eggs, chocolate and starch-based foods.

Fill the pot with water. Add 1 to 2 tsp. dishwashing liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cover the pot, turn off the heat and leave the pot to soak for 30 minutes.

With a wooden spoon, scrape away as much of the burned food as possible. Rinse well.

If burned areas still remain, cover them completely with a generous amount of baking soda. Drizzle in just enough water to create a thick paste, smearing the paste up the sides of the pot if needed. Set aside for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Without rinsing the pot, add 3 parts water to 1 part distilled vinegar to cover the burned food by at least 2 inches (5 cm). Boil for 10 minutes and then leave overnight.

Repeat steps 2 through 5 as needed.

Unfortunately I've done all of that and still have a thin layer of black on the bottom and sides of the pan. It is getting a little patchy instead of solid, but still there.