How To Clean Burnt Ceramic Baking Pans

Cleaning ceramic pans isn't a particularly challenging task most of the time. Ceramic pans are made for cooking, and they are durable, heavy and can take quite a bit of wear and tear. Many ceramic pans last for years and may be used thousands of times. However, while the pans themselves are durable, they are also susceptible to stains and burns. This is especially true of ceramic pans that are white.

As many home cooks are already aware, ceramic pans are one of the most timeless and popular cooking and baking products available. They are durable, long-lasting, and come in a variety of colors, shapes and styles that match any kind of decor. Ceramic pans, when properly cared for, can last for decades and even be passed down for generations. It is the treatment, care and maintenance of these pans that make them long-lasting.

However, despite the durability of materials like ceramics, they can still be stained. Foods, sauces, cleaning agents and even heat and burns can attach themselves to the surface of a ceramic pan, making it difficult to get the pan fully clean of stains and back to its original luster.

While you may be able to get a ceramic pan clean by simply scrubbing with soap and water, you may not be able to remove burnt stains that way. Stains that adhere to the surface of a ceramic pan need to be handled differently than a pan that simply needs to be cleaned of food residue, grease and germs. Fortunately, you can remove stains on your ceramic pans without needing to buy a costly commercial product.

Burnt food on a ceramic pan is often the cause of stains on ceramic cookware. When bright or deep-colored foods like fruit, tomatoes, jams or sauces heat up inside of a ceramic pan, they often leave a stain or a mark. This is particularly true for light-colored pans that can collect the coloring of anything from chicken fat to cherry pie.

Burnt on food can be difficult to get off with just a simple cleaning. More often than not, the burnt food stays on the pan for a while, and when it finally does come off, it leaves a mark. It can be difficult to remove this stain simply by scrubbing with a scrub brush and a generic dish detergent. It is advisable to move to some stronger household products.

Cleaning Le Creuset cookware or other ceramic or enamelware pans requires a good deal of care, but it does not require purchasing ceramic pot cleaner. You can begin stain removal simply with baking soda, a common household product that is abrasive enough and alkaline enough to break down food debris and remove certain stains, but is gentle enough not to cause scratches or marks on the ceramic pan's surface.

Begin by sprinkling baking soda generously over the surface of the ceramic pan. Then, using a cloth dipped in warm water, rub the baking soda over the surface of the stains on the pan in a circular motion. Once you have scraped off any burnt food or staining, rinse the area with clear, cool water.

If stains remain on the surface of the pan, repeat the process a few more times. The baking soda combined with warm water and a few splashes of white vinegar should be sufficient to remove most burnt food stains on a ceramic pan. If it does not, and the stain is still visible, you'll likely need to purchase a commercial ceramic pan cleaner.