How to clean a frying pan? Safe and effective methods

Ceramic frying pans are the most popular type of kitchen equipment. Proper use and cleaning of these items will allow us to use them for many years to come. At FormAdore, you'll find a wide selection of frying pans of this type, including fat-free frying pans, frying pans with lids, WMF frying pans, and woks. No matter which type of frying pan you choose, one thing is certain: a ceramic-coated frying pan needs to be looked after properly. How do you get a ceramic frying pan sparkling clean?

For everyday cleaning of a ceramic frying pan, it's recommended to use a mild washing-up liquid, running water, and a soft sponge or cloth. If there are dried food residues after frying on a ceramic steak pan or one used for preparing other dishes, it's worth filling it with warm water and leaving it for about 15 minutes. After this time, the dried residues should start to come off on their own. Remember to avoid cleaning ceramic frying pans with harsh scourers and strong detergents, and also try not to scrub or scrape them, as this can lead to irreversible damage to the coating.

A ceramic frying pan should only be washed when it has completely cooled down. Pouring cold water onto a hot frying pan can result in damage. Furthermore, after each wash, it must be thoroughly wiped dry. Leaving a damp frying pan can lead to a thin layer of limescale building up on its surface, which will eventually cause it to lose its non-stick properties.

It's fair to say that everyone occasionally burns something they're cooking in a frying pan. So, how do you deal with it then? How do you clean a burnt ceramic-coated frying pan? Home remedies come to the rescue, specifically baking soda. Into a burnt frying pan, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of baking soda, pour in hot water, then place it on the hob and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes. After this time, the burnt food residues will start to come off on their own, and any remaining dirt can be easily cleaned with a sponge or cloth.

Steel frying pans are solid, durable, resilient, and resistant to all kinds of mechanical damage. Furthermore, they have a smooth surface and are easy to keep clean, although like other types of frying pans, steel frying pans require a specific cleaning method.

How do you clean a burnt stainless steel frying pan? It's simple! Just cover its bottom with baking soda, vinegar, and water (the mixture should reach about 2 cm high in the pan). Leave the mixture in the pan for an hour, then place the pan on the hob, set the burner to the lowest power, and heat for about fifteen minutes. Let the frying pan cool down and clean it with a soft sponge. Refrain from using scourers and wire sponges to avoid scratching the pan's surface. To clean stubborn dirt covering the frying pan, you can use liquids or creams designed for cleaning steel surfaces, but be careful that they do not contain micro-granules, which could permanently damage the utensil.

A cast iron frying pan is a piece of equipment worth having in your kitchen. However, for a grill pan or pancake pan made of cast iron to serve us for many years, it needs to be cared for in the right way. How do you clean a cast iron frying pan?

• Cleaning a cast iron frying pan with boiling water

Are large pieces of food stuck to your cast iron frying pan? Hot water comes to the rescue. Place the cast iron, deep frying pan on the hob and fill it with water to about 5-6 centimetres in height. Bring the water to a boil and cook for a few minutes, and you'll see that after a while, pieces of food will start to float on the surface of the water. You can also use a wooden spatula to easily remove food residues. Take the pan off the hob, set it aside for about 15 minutes to cool down, then pour out the water and rinse the pan with fresh, hot water. Wipe the pan with a dry paper towel.

• Using salt and water

Using coarse salt and water is an excellent way to clean a cast iron frying pan. Salt acts as an abrasive cleaning agent that easily and quickly removes food residues stuck to the pan. Simply cover the surface of the still warm (but not hot) cast iron frying pan with coarse salt and add a little hot water so that the salt sticks together and resembles a cleaning paste in consistency. Next, using a sponge, spread the salt paste over the entire pan. Rinse the pan with hot water, removing all salt residues, and you're done!

• Cleaning a frying pan with coarse salt

You can also clean a cast iron frying pan with salt alone, without adding water. This is an equally effective cleaning method. Sprinkle coarse salt over the surface of the frying pan and rub it into the dried residues with a paper towel. Scrub until the pan is completely clean, then remove the salt from the utensil and wipe its surface with a new paper towel.

• How to clean cast iron frying pans? With a potato and salt

How do you clean a frying pan of old grease? Coarse salt and a potato come to the rescue, tackling even the most stubborn grime. Cut a potato in half and rub it over the surface of the pan. Next, sprinkle a tablespoon of salt and, using half of the potato, scrub the pan's surface. Once it's perfectly clean, rinse off any salt residue and wipe it dry.

After cleaning a cast iron frying pan, it's worth greasing it on both sides with oil. What's the purpose of this? To maintain the pan's natural non-stick coating, protect it from moisture, and give the surface a beautiful, shiny colour.

Regardless of which cleaning method you choose, remember that you should not leave water in a cast iron frying pan for long, as this can lead to rusting. Furthermore, never pour cold water onto a hot cast iron frying pan, as this can cause it to warp. Before cleaning, it is recommended to let the pan cool down or clean it with very hot water.
It's worth noting that detergents and harsh scourers are not recommended for cleaning cast iron frying pans, as they could damage their coating.

Although caring for a frying pan doesn't seem complicated, many people forget to clean its exterior and bottom during the cleaning process. Restoring any type of frying pan, whether a small or deep one, an aluminium one, or one designed for induction hobs or ovens, to its original state after neglecting its outer surface can be quite a challenge. So, we're here to tell you how to clean the outside and bottom of a frying pan.

• Using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide

A burnt frying pan bottom is a common problem that can be easily tackled. Just prepare a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. To a bowl, add 6 teaspoons of baking soda, then pour in ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide. Mix and apply the paste to the bottom and outer surface of the frying pan, leave for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and wipe the pan dry.

• Citric acid solution

How to clean a frying pan of grease and burnt-on residue? Another excellent idea is to clean it with a citric acid solution. To a small amount of water, simply add 1 teaspoon of citric acid, and then bring the resulting mixture to a boil. Place the dirty frying pan into the prepared solution and ideally leave it there for several hours.

• Cleaning a frying pan with vinegar and baking soda

Pour hot water over the bottom and top of the frying pan, then add a few tablespoons of vinegar and set aside for a few minutes. Next, rub the surface of the pan with baking soda, then use a sponge to thoroughly clean the burnt and dirty areas. Rinse the pan under running water and wipe it dry.

As you can see, cleaning even heavily soiled and burnt frying pans doesn't have to be a tedious and laborious task. We are confident that with our tips, you'll no longer have trouble restoring your frying pans to their original glory.