How to clean a non stick pan

Figuring out how to clean nonstick pans can be challenging, especially when the pan has burnt bits deeply embedded in the non-stick surface. In this tutorial, I will be showing you my method for cleaning my Scanpan Skillet. “Scanpan” is a high-end line of cooking cookware with a non-stick finish that has a lifetime guarantee, but these instructions should work for deep cleaning any mid-range or higher nonstick skillet.

After I downsized from a 3 bedroom home in Missouri to my tiny-house-style studio in downtown Seattle, I realized that I needed to trade in my full kitchen of pots and pans for just a few pieces of high-quality cookware. Luckily, living in the Pike Place neighborhood of Seattle means Sur La Table is in my backyard!  After marching myself down there to drool over the $80 Skillet I had in mind, I decided to make the purchase.

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I purchased a Scanpan because I was tired of buying a new $25-$30 skillet every year. Inevitably, I would buy the latest greatest skillet (in the cheap to midrange price category) and find a few weeks later that the surface was already beginning to become less non-stick. Cast iron skillets- though one did follow me in the big move to Seattle- were too difficult to clean and re-season in my tiny kitchen (which boasts floor space of just 3ft x 5ft!). The lightweight Scanpan came to the rescue, being easy to maneuver, a dream to clean, and light enough to hang on my pot rack.

Cooking with the Scanpan was a dream for the first 5 or 6 months. But after a while even though I only hand-washed my pan, I began to find that the non-stick surface was not working as well. A few weeks later, the pan became essentially useless unless well-greased and I was just about ready to march myself back to Sur La Table, receipt in hand, and ask some questions about this “lifetime nonstick warranty.”

Before attempting the return, I decided to try a deeper clean than the dish soap and sponge method I used for everyday cleanup.

The Scanpan website recommends this method for deep cleaning:

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“Burn marks due to overheating or charring of fatty substances can be removed by filling the product ¾ with water, bring to a slow boil using medium heat, add a tablespoon of detergent (for dishwasher or washing machine, not for handwash), simmer for 15 minutes, and rinse.”

“Laundry soap for the skillet? Weird, but ok!” I thought. And I dutifully followed these factory instructions- and saw no significant improvement to the surface of my now very non-nonstick skillet.

When that didn’t work, I decided to experiment with alternate cleaning methods. The method that finally worked was a mash-up between the manufacturer’s instructions, old-fashioned cleaning tips, and one modern cleaning tool. Read on to learn more about how I restored the finish on my non-stick skillet.

With a few secret weapons and a bit of elbow grease, I’ve been able to restore my scanpan to almost-new condition and the nonstick finish back to being able to cook, fold, and plate the perfect omelet with ease.

You’ll need:

• A pan in need, like my Scanpan
• Magic Eraser (or bulk melamine sponge which seems to work just as well for this purpose)
• Baking Soda
• Dish Soap
• Rubbber dish gloves (essential: you’ll be scrubbing with VERY HOT water!)

Step By Step Instructions:

Prefer a video to step by step instructions? View the entire process start to finish in this video (or just keep reading!)

There, I place about 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the skillet. While in the video I’m working with room-temperature materials, this method works best when used HOT, so get yourself some thick rubber gloves to protect your hands from heat.

Using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, which offers mild abrasiveness – combine water baking soda into a paste and then vigorously scrub the paste all along the surface of the pan, focusing on areas that are visibly stained or crusted with burned food.

In the video still below, you can see the sponge begins to discolor as the pan is scrubbed, even though this skillet had already been well washed. When working with a warm skillet and hot water, this transfer happens much much faster, so you’ll need to stop, rinse the pan, rinse the sponge, and start the process all over again with a new batch of water heated on the stovetop. Repeat until a clean side of the Magic Eraser does not discolor when scrubbed against the surface.

When done regularly (every 2-3 months) this method can restore my non-stick skillet to a like-new finish in less than 5 minutes. If it’s been too long since the last deep clean, it can take 3-4 rounds of this treatment and some real elbow grease. – Time well spent to get a like-new nonstick finish on my well-loved and heavily used nonstick skillet.

When done, be sure and do a final wash with soap and water to rinse out any residue from the cleaning sponge.

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