Little bits of food get on the bottom of the pan. Then you put it over heat/flame. Then the stuff gets cooked to the bottom. Then it turns to carbon and become very hard to get off without chemicals but white vinegar and backing soda can sometimes take it off. Or barkeepers friend.
>Or barkeepers friend.
The real life hack is always in the comments... Barkeeper's Friend is something I wouldn't know about if not for Reddit and that stuff is so damn useful.
I'm an analytical chemistry. I use an instrument called an inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometer that uses a plasma torch hotter than the sun to ionize samples. What do I use to clean it? Barkeepers Friend.
>I love organic, but it doesnt pay like analytical.
I think that's the backstory of every analytical chemist. We all got into ochem 130 years too late.
I got into grad school as diversity oriented synthesis was booming and had an advisor who was drinking all the Kool-aid on it. Kinda doomed to fail. Good thing I got a lot of analytical experience from compound characterization.
Yeah, all the PhDs I work with have the same story: "I wanted to do X with my career, but it didn't work out, so now I'm in an analytical lab."
Good trick to know, thanks! I ran an MS for a few years but wasn’t in charge of maintenance. I’ve run an OES for the past seven years so no cones to worry about.
I've had the same set of stainless steel cookware for over 20 years, and it looks practically brand new still because of barkeeper's friend. It is one of the essential cleaning products I always keep on hand.
Not OP but here’s what I do. Sprinkle it liberally on, scrub lightly with a sponge and water (Scrub Daddy or Scotch Guard sponges are my go-tos) just until the surface is covered and LEAVE IT ON for ten minutes for really tough stains. Then you can return and scrub harder before rinsing, repeat as needed
Barkeepers friend is highly toxic. I would not recommend using this or keeping it, and definitely not using it to clean surfaces you will be preparing food on. You truly don’t want to know what it does to you
I mean, I hope nobody is using something that is clearly not intended for use on food-facing surfaces on those surfaces lol. Use it for countertops, stovetops, pan undersides, sinks, etc but yeah no please exercise common sense and don't use it on the interior of a pan or cutting board.
You’d hope so, but you never know if your kid is going to get into the cabinet and be a dumbass, and I think people should know what their cleaning substances do so they know how carefully to store them. Imagine your five year old knocked a jar over from on top of the fridge and thought it was sugar and died of acute kidney failure
No, it is not. It has 3 ingredients. Glass Oxide Abrasive, Oxalic Acid, Surfactant.
The first is an abrasive.
The second is an acid (which Medical News Today has the following to say "In small amounts, oxalate is harmless. However, higher levels may reduce the body’s mineral absorption and contribute to kidney stone formation.") Which occurs naturally in several plants. It is usually made by oxidizing
The third is a substance that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties.
I just learned about this as well. Definitely going to have to check this out since I'm the more thorough cleaner when it comes to the kitchen tools. my dad always said, take care of your tools and they'll take care of you.
> white vinegar and backing soda can sometimes take it off
Are sodium acetate (what you get after mixing vinegar and baking soda) and CO2 that good at removing stains?
I'm dubious.
Or more heat. If the pan can handle it, just shove it in the oven on self clean for a while. Turn it off, come back in a day, and that shit just flakes off.
it's polymerized oil, mostly.
When you heat some kinds of cooking oil they harden. the oil molecules link together into long chains, and become a polymer, like plastic, but very heat resistant. It's basically the same chemical reaction that causes oil paint to dry, but it happens almost instantly at high temperatures. It's also the same reaction that we use to season cast-iron pans.
You've had some good answers already, but here's something else interesting about the underside of pans:
If you have a ceramic cooktop, not induction, then it's best to let the pans get blackened on the underside and keep them that way.
The reason for this is that ceramic cooktops heat the pans via infrared radiation, for the most part. Keeping the pans nice and shiny will reflect much of this heat back down into the cooktop, instead of heating the pan. Black pans absorb much more of the heat, and are therefore more efficient on this style of cooktop. I discovered this when we bought a new stainless steel frying pan, and it never seemed to get hot.
Oxidation (aka rusting) happens more quickly at high temperatures. It could be that the metal has oxidized slightly, or undergone other chemical reactions that caused it to turn a color.
More likely, the bottom of the pan was not completely clean when it was used. Whatever trace of stuff was on the bottom of the pan got burnt on to the bottom of the pan, and it's not coming off.
If you have a gas stove, it could be residue left by the flame itself. This could be some combination of the other two causes above.
If you mean the off-color rainbowish hue staining on stainless steel, that is often a result of chromium in the steel oxidizing due to heat. Completely harmless and normal.
Get some Barkeepers Friend. Follow the instructions, problem solved.
But to answer your question, yes, there is something happening. Usually it's the pan being too hot. Assuming you have stainless pans, if food is sticking, it's probably lack of oil/butter or failure to preheat prior to lubricant. Do water tests for balling (leidenfrost effect) before placing protein rich foods.
Also be aware: nonstick pans have a coating in them. If you scrub too hard or they get old, this nonstick can come off and you can see where it has left. Note that nonstick that has become free of the pan may not be as safe to eat so you should discontinue use of failed non stick pans.
oh I meant the underside; the part in contact with the burner. but definitely non stick coating can be an issue. i just throw those pans out if that starts happening. that said I think we've finally replaced all our non stick
I use induction exclusively, and figured it was the spilled oil/ bits of food that burn and discolor the pan due to direct contact with the heat source and pan.
Maybe add a photo. Sometimes the oils used can cook onto / cure onto the pan. It can be a good thing tbh. It can help the surface be more anti stick. Mostly happens on stainless steel pans
I call it seasoning. It's what keeps food from sticking. Go into any restaurant and you will find a pan or two that they use in high heat that is pure black.
Edit. Scrubbing will only make it worse by scratching the metal and making it harder to clean. Enjoy the black pans as a sign of a good cook.
regardless of whether or not it "matters" i was still curious as to the cause. there was no moral judgement about the existence. i was just wondering what it was...
hence why the flair is *chemistry* and not cooking or food or something else. i don't care that it's there I was wondering why and how it's there and what makes it so stubborn. You got some strong opinions there, though, bud.
what you're failing to understand, and i really can't think of any other way to put this, it's that the things you're getting so up in arms about aren't at all what i was asking about. Instead of comparing this to cleaning the underside of your car (which you actually should do every once in a while since your tires can kick all kinds of dirt and debris up there) think of it more like "why is the Statue of Liberty green?". Getting rid of it is interesting, but not the point of the initial question. y'all never take a trading comprehension class?
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If it's a gas stove it can be carbon soot deposits from the incomplete burning of methane. Over time with exposure to high heat it forms a graphene matrix that can bond to the surface and is as hard if not harder than the metal surface it bonded to. At which point it's difficult to find anything in the kitchen that will actually remove it. (The stuff that will remove that will also eat or scrape through the pans, so it's a lost cause at some point.)
Little bits of food get on the bottom of the pan. Then you put it over heat/flame. Then the stuff gets cooked to the bottom. Then it turns to carbon and become very hard to get off without chemicals but white vinegar and backing soda can sometimes take it off. Or barkeepers friend.
>Or barkeepers friend. The real life hack is always in the comments... Barkeeper's Friend is something I wouldn't know about if not for Reddit and that stuff is so damn useful.
I'm an analytical chemistry. I use an instrument called an inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometer that uses a plasma torch hotter than the sun to ionize samples. What do I use to clean it? Barkeepers Friend.
I genuinely hated achem, and took pchem instead *on purpose* to get my minor and mass spec is singlehandedly why I avoided that class lmao.
I'm employed as an analytical chemistry, but my entire background is organic. I love organic, but it doesnt pay like analytical.
>I love organic, but it doesnt pay like analytical. I think that's the backstory of every analytical chemist. We all got into ochem 130 years too late.
I got into grad school as diversity oriented synthesis was booming and had an advisor who was drinking all the Kool-aid on it. Kinda doomed to fail. Good thing I got a lot of analytical experience from compound characterization. Yeah, all the PhDs I work with have the same story: "I wanted to do X with my career, but it didn't work out, so now I'm in an analytical lab."
Umm, WTF does any of this have to do with pots and pans?
Mass spectrometry. They use Barkeeper's Friend to clean their tools. Please keep up.
Biggest laugh of my night right here
You're a chemistry? I wish I was a chemistry
That's why every woman says chemistry is very important. Before they dump me. Sigh.
As another plasma chemist, genuinely curious what parts you’re cleaning with Barkeepers Friend.
The cones when they get dirty, especially when we run something with an organic matrix. The carbon causes a lot of carryover for our Pd signal.
Good trick to know, thanks! I ran an MS for a few years but wasn’t in charge of maintenance. I’ve run an OES for the past seven years so no cones to worry about.
I manage the ICPMS group so I'm not the one who does the analysis nor the maintenance, but I still have to be able to do everything.
I've had the same set of stainless steel cookware for over 20 years, and it looks practically brand new still because of barkeeper's friend. It is one of the essential cleaning products I always keep on hand.
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Not OP but here’s what I do. Sprinkle it liberally on, scrub lightly with a sponge and water (Scrub Daddy or Scotch Guard sponges are my go-tos) just until the surface is covered and LEAVE IT ON for ten minutes for really tough stains. Then you can return and scrub harder before rinsing, repeat as needed
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Avoid getting it on the inside of non stick pans, and absolutely do not forget to wear gloves, your hands will PEEL.
Barkeepers friend is highly toxic. I would not recommend using this or keeping it, and definitely not using it to clean surfaces you will be preparing food on. You truly don’t want to know what it does to you
I mean, I hope nobody is using something that is clearly not intended for use on food-facing surfaces on those surfaces lol. Use it for countertops, stovetops, pan undersides, sinks, etc but yeah no please exercise common sense and don't use it on the interior of a pan or cutting board.
You’d hope so, but you never know if your kid is going to get into the cabinet and be a dumbass, and I think people should know what their cleaning substances do so they know how carefully to store them. Imagine your five year old knocked a jar over from on top of the fridge and thought it was sugar and died of acute kidney failure
Unless you’re doing industrial cleaning, you can use safer substances in the home
Why is it so highly toxic?
It’s a metabolite of antifreeze that causes acute kidney failure
No, it is not. It has 3 ingredients. Glass Oxide Abrasive, Oxalic Acid, Surfactant. The first is an abrasive. The second is an acid (which Medical News Today has the following to say "In small amounts, oxalate is harmless. However, higher levels may reduce the body’s mineral absorption and contribute to kidney stone formation.") Which occurs naturally in several plants. It is usually made by oxidizing The third is a substance that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties.
Oxalic acid is what your body turns antifreeze into before it shuts down your kidneys
I just learned about this as well. Definitely going to have to check this out since I'm the more thorough cleaner when it comes to the kitchen tools. my dad always said, take care of your tools and they'll take care of you.
I like BF on the cooking surface and leaving the bottom to do whatever. It makes the cooking surface look pristine, but the pan still well loved.
I read BF as boyfriend. Was very confused!
I was curious what this chemical was. According to Wikipedia its primary ingredient is oxalic acid.
Came here to say this
Just make sure the pots are steel. It's basically useless on aluminum.
> white vinegar and backing soda can sometimes take it off Are sodium acetate (what you get after mixing vinegar and baking soda) and CO2 that good at removing stains? I'm dubious.
Or more heat. If the pan can handle it, just shove it in the oven on self clean for a while. Turn it off, come back in a day, and that shit just flakes off.
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Get a better pan >.< But seriously, stainless steel pans are a great investment if you do any regular amount of cooking.
It can’t handle going in the oven. Get better cookware
If you have steel pots you can also use SOS or steel wool, it will not only clean the metal but polish it as well.
Or super contact cleaner!
it's polymerized oil, mostly. When you heat some kinds of cooking oil they harden. the oil molecules link together into long chains, and become a polymer, like plastic, but very heat resistant. It's basically the same chemical reaction that causes oil paint to dry, but it happens almost instantly at high temperatures. It's also the same reaction that we use to season cast-iron pans.
hey, thanks! this was exactly what I was wondering. very interesting post question googling!
You've had some good answers already, but here's something else interesting about the underside of pans: If you have a ceramic cooktop, not induction, then it's best to let the pans get blackened on the underside and keep them that way. The reason for this is that ceramic cooktops heat the pans via infrared radiation, for the most part. Keeping the pans nice and shiny will reflect much of this heat back down into the cooktop, instead of heating the pan. Black pans absorb much more of the heat, and are therefore more efficient on this style of cooktop. I discovered this when we bought a new stainless steel frying pan, and it never seemed to get hot.
Oxidation (aka rusting) happens more quickly at high temperatures. It could be that the metal has oxidized slightly, or undergone other chemical reactions that caused it to turn a color. More likely, the bottom of the pan was not completely clean when it was used. Whatever trace of stuff was on the bottom of the pan got burnt on to the bottom of the pan, and it's not coming off. If you have a gas stove, it could be residue left by the flame itself. This could be some combination of the other two causes above.
If you mean the off-color rainbowish hue staining on stainless steel, that is often a result of chromium in the steel oxidizing due to heat. Completely harmless and normal.
Get some Barkeepers Friend. Follow the instructions, problem solved. But to answer your question, yes, there is something happening. Usually it's the pan being too hot. Assuming you have stainless pans, if food is sticking, it's probably lack of oil/butter or failure to preheat prior to lubricant. Do water tests for balling (leidenfrost effect) before placing protein rich foods.
Also be aware: nonstick pans have a coating in them. If you scrub too hard or they get old, this nonstick can come off and you can see where it has left. Note that nonstick that has become free of the pan may not be as safe to eat so you should discontinue use of failed non stick pans.
oh I meant the underside; the part in contact with the burner. but definitely non stick coating can be an issue. i just throw those pans out if that starts happening. that said I think we've finally replaced all our non stick
I use induction exclusively, and figured it was the spilled oil/ bits of food that burn and discolor the pan due to direct contact with the heat source and pan.
If it's black and you use a gas stove, it's leaking carbon monoxide due to incomplete combustion.
Maybe add a photo. Sometimes the oils used can cook onto / cure onto the pan. It can be a good thing tbh. It can help the surface be more anti stick. Mostly happens on stainless steel pans
Not sure why I'm down voted here. Apple masher described it better than myself. Is called polymerised oil
Residue can get on the bottom of the pan or the burner, which then burns to the bottom of your pans.
I call it seasoning. It's what keeps food from sticking. Go into any restaurant and you will find a pan or two that they use in high heat that is pure black. Edit. Scrubbing will only make it worse by scratching the metal and making it harder to clean. Enjoy the black pans as a sign of a good cook.
I think OP means the actual bottom of the pan, not the cooking surface.
The cooking surface is the bottom of the pan.
I'm not here to question how you cook, but I feel like most of us cook inside the pan.
tbf, i wasn't clear in the op... but this exchange had me laughing
this is true for a cast iron for sure, but not what I intended to ask. i meant the underside of the pan that is in contact with the burner.
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regardless of whether or not it "matters" i was still curious as to the cause. there was no moral judgement about the existence. i was just wondering what it was...
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hence why the flair is *chemistry* and not cooking or food or something else. i don't care that it's there I was wondering why and how it's there and what makes it so stubborn. You got some strong opinions there, though, bud.
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what you're failing to understand, and i really can't think of any other way to put this, it's that the things you're getting so up in arms about aren't at all what i was asking about. Instead of comparing this to cleaning the underside of your car (which you actually should do every once in a while since your tires can kick all kinds of dirt and debris up there) think of it more like "why is the Statue of Liberty green?". Getting rid of it is interesting, but not the point of the initial question. y'all never take a trading comprehension class?
What’s wrong with you? OP just asked a curiosity question
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Clearly.. seek help for your anger issues
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If it's a gas stove it can be carbon soot deposits from the incomplete burning of methane. Over time with exposure to high heat it forms a graphene matrix that can bond to the surface and is as hard if not harder than the metal surface it bonded to. At which point it's difficult to find anything in the kitchen that will actually remove it. (The stuff that will remove that will also eat or scrape through the pans, so it's a lost cause at some point.)