Chances are you have some baking sheets in your kitchen that are marred by burnt pieces of gunk. I know the large cookie sheets I got nine years ago as a wedding present have gone from shiny silver to grease-stained.
So, I was intrigued to read The Kitchn’s clean-off, where writer Ashley Poskin tried five different methods to get tough stains off pans. My baking sheets were worse off than the one Poskin used in her trials, which made them the perfect subjects for a trial of all five cleaning techniques.
If you don’t have baking soda or vinegar on hand (or were traumatized by middle school science fairs), get yourself a powerful cleaning agent that’ll do the work for you, like Bar Keepers Friend. To use, sprinkle a little over your baking sheet, then add a few drops of water and make a paste.
Oven Cleaner And Steel Wool
Like Poskin, I don’t love the idea of using oven cleaner on pots and pans I use for baking or cooking, and I found the Easy-Off‘s fumes extremely strong. If you try this method, you’ll want to stow the coated pan in your oven to contain the fumes, or spray and leave the pan outside for the time it’s supposed to set. I also wished I’d worn gloves.
I failed at this method because I left the oven cleaner on my aluminum cookie sheet too long. I let the cleaning spray sit on the pan for about 30 minutes, and by then, the gunk on the pan had bubbled up and most of it had dried.
The part that was still bubbling when I scrubbed the solution off with water and a Brillo pad came out looking shiny and silver. But the other treated area still had some gunk on it after scrubbing.
I tried respraying the Easy-Off and letting the pan sit again. Bad idea. After further research, I discovered that untreated aluminum pans like mine can react to Easy-Off’s chemicals, resulting in pitting. So, what I thought was gunk that wouldn’t come off were actually metal pockmarks. Ugh.
Another reason to be careful with this method: Not everybody recommends using steel wool on aluminum because it can be too abrasive.
Bottom line: Don’t do this method unless you have stainless steel cookie sheets or treated aluminum pans. If you do try Easy-Off on aluminum pans, don’t leave it on for more than 15-20 minutes.
Vinegar And Baking Soda
Baking soda and vinegar are two common and inexpensive household products that seem to clean almost anything. Plus, they bubble up nicely together for a fun side amusement.
I made up a coating of the baking soda on one portion of my sheet and poured vinegar on top, though it might’ve been easier to mix them together and then pour it on. The baking soda-vinegar mixture bubbled up as expected, and I left the coating to sit for the recommended 30 minutes. Then I washed it off with a sponge.
The vinegar-baking soda combo improved the overall color and shine of the sheet, but it didn’t get off the darker brown stains, despite my scrubbing.
I’ve also now read that you should avoid using acidic products (like vinegar) on non-treated aluminum pans because it can remove the coating or cause pitting. However, I didn’t leave the vinegar on the pan long enough to see this effect.
Bar Keepers Friend Cleaning Test – Clean A Cookie Sheet.
FAQ
How do you get baked on grease off a cookie sheet?
Can you use easy off on cookie sheets?
Does Bar Keepers Friend clean aluminum bakeware?
Bar Keepers Friend can remove burned-on sugar and oils and get you back in the baking business in no time. The folks at Orson Gygi kitchenware store shared insights about caring for and cleaning aluminum bakeware on their blog. “Have your pans become a bit brown and dingy?
Can you use Bar Keepers Friend powder cleaner on a glass cooktop?
For extra dirty messes, the brand recommends using the Cookware Cleanser & Polish. If you have a glass cooktop, Bar Keepers Friend powder cleaner will also get the job done when cleaning up caked-on messes without scratching or staining the surface — just be sure to use a non-abrasive cloth or sponge and test the product on a small area first.
Does Bar Keepers Friend work on stainless steel?
Along with your stove top, Bar Keepers Friend is great for any stainless steel surface. Use it to give your kitchen sink, oven door, fridge and more a deep clean. If you have scorched stainless steel frying pans, this will do the trick to bring them back to life again, too.
Can Bar Keepers Friend be used on cast iron?
Bar Keepers Friend is recommended for surfaces including stainless steel, copper, brass, ceramic tile and glass. The company does not recommend using it on gold, silver, pewter, anodized aluminum, mirrored surfaces, wood or cast iron. This means keep it off wood cabinets, certain faucets and definitely your favorite cast iron skillet.