Favorite Grease Cutter?

[Randi R]

Anyone out there have a sure fire grease cutter? My DBF and I made a batch (well, three) of potato latkes this weekend (they were *wonderful*) but I ended up with a pan that's got the most awful yukky grease on the bottom of it, it's almost like melted plastic, but sticky. :eek: I've tried everything I know, from salt to soaking to straight on cleanser, but not one thing's working. I'm sad, this is my favorite (and best!) pan...:( Does anyone have any ideas I can try??

[whocares]

If you haven't used Bar Keepers Friend on your pan, I would give it a try. With a bit of elbow grease, it has taken off lots of very stubborn residue. Good luck in getting your pan clean.

[sneezles]

Dawn is the best grease cutter.

[Hammster]

Dawn is the best grease cutter.


I agree with Sneezles. Dawn for sure. Even in cold water it works great. The waterfowl rescuers in Alaska that had to clean crude oil soaked waterfowl used Dawn and cold ocean water and got those birds clean. That is a great testament to the power of Dawn.
Also, a technique I've used in the past is to put some Dawn and water into a pan and then heat the pan on the stove. Sort of like deglazing the pan but with dishsoap. Worked like a charm.

[Lauren]

My Mom always uses Simple Green to clean pans with grease, etc.

[LakeMartinGal]

I've been using the Dawn for stuck-on stuff... I forget the actual name, but it's just for the kind of thing you have. You spray it on a dry pan and leave it for 30 minutes or so, then wash it off! A couple of burnt-on pans have needed a second treatment and scrubbing, but not many!

[faygs]

I've been using the Dawn for stuck-on stuff... I forget the actual name

Dawn Power Dissolver. That stuff is great!

[LakeMartinGal]

Dawn Power Dissolver. That stuff is great!Yes! That's it! Thanks -- I was having a senior moment...:p

[funnybone]

Another Dawn user here. I also use Bar Keepers friend for my stainless steel sink.

[Randi R]

Also, a technique I've used in the past is to put some Dawn and water into a pan and then heat the pan on the stove. Sort of like deglazing the pan but with dishsoap. Worked like a charm.

That's worked for me too, except this weird stuff is on the bottom fo the pan and no matter what I scrub it with it stays there. It's like something from a bad version of Star Trek.

[Randi R]

Dawn Power Dissolver. That stuff is great!

I'll try that... Wish me luck!

[FruitsAlive]

I'm an avid dawn user too, but for really badly burnt on stuff I've found that a paste of baking soda and a litle water works wonders. I usually leave it on overnight. It cleans my broiler pan beautifully, and those can get pretty gross. Sometimes I'll pour a little vinegar in as I'm cleaning it up. Whether or not it does anything I don't know, but I love to watch it fizz.

[Hammster]

That's worked for me too, except this weird stuff is on the bottom of the pan and no matter what I scrub it with it stays there. It's like something from a bad version of Star Trek.

Oh, are you meaning the Outside bottom of the pan? I have to admit that you didn't say outside or inside in your OP and since you were talking about latkes I immediately went with the Inside bottom of the pan.
You definitely can't use the deglaze method on the outside bottom. LOL.

[clairea]

For nasty burned-on messes that nothing else will clean up, I've had good luck soaking in oxyclean and water. Since it is on the outside of the pan, I would just run a sink full of hot water and a couple of good scoops of oxyclean and let it soak for a couple of hours. When dawn, baking soda, power dissolve, barkeepers friend, etc. all fail me, so far this has always worked.

[sneezles]

If it is the outside I'd try getting a couple of dryer sheets wet and laying them on the pan. Be sure to keep the sheets wet though.

[Gumbeaux]

If what you are trying to clean is on the outside, it is probably not grease but carbonized food. Grease will come off easily, carbonized food is a lot harder to get off.

[Grace]

If it's on the outside of the pan, I'd use Easy Off oven cleaner or something like that.