How to clean ceramic pans, including burnt and stained ones

To clean a ceramic pan, let it cool, then wash it by hand in warm water with a little dish soap and a soft sponge. Rinse it and dry it straight away. For burnt-on food, soak it in warm soapy water for 30 minutes, or cover the burnt patch with a baking soda paste, then wipe it off. Skip steel wool and abrasive powders.

Ceramic-coated or solid ceramic?

Most pans sold as ceramic are ceramic-coated: a metal body, usually aluminum, with a slick non-stick layer made from a silica-based (sol-gel) coating. Caraway, GreenPan and Our Place make this kind. Solid ceramic cookware is fired clay with a glaze, like a stoneware baking dish or a clay pot.

You clean both the same way. A solid ceramic dish can take a bit more scrubbing. A ceramic coating can wear thin or scratch, and once the non-stick surface is gone it doesn't come back.

How to clean a ceramic pan every day

1. Let the pan cool first. Cold water on a hot pan can crack a glaze or warp the metal under the coating.
2. Fill the sink with warm water and dissolve one HeySunday detergent sheet, or put a few drops of dish soap on a soft sponge or dishcloth.
3. Work stuck bits loose with a nylon dish brush or the soft side of a sponge. Neither will scratch.
4. Rinse well. Leftover soap can cook onto the surface next time and leave a sticky film.
5. Dry it straight away with a soft towel before water spots and mineral marks form.

If HeySunday detergent sheets are already your laundry detergent, dissolve one in a sink of warm water for the pan. They leave out the harsh chemicals that can damage a ceramic surface, so the pan keeps looking good and working well.

Steel wool, scouring pads, abrasive cleaning powders and oven cleaner all scratch or strip the coating. Also keep away from:

• Harsh chemical cleaners like bleach or ammonia
• Abrasive cleaners containing chlorine or citrus acids

Can ceramic pans go in the dishwasher?

Hand washing is better, even when the label says dishwasher safe. According to the American Ceramic Society, ceramic materials themselves are durable, but the dishwasher presents several risks:

• Harsh detergents can degrade the ceramic coating over time
• High heat and pressure may cause microscopic cracks
• Banging against other items can chip or scratch surfaces
• Rapid temperature changes may weaken the ceramic bond

Caraway tells customers to hand wash its pans. If yours is labeled dishwasher safe and you'd still like to use the machine, top rack only, away from other metal.

How to clean a burnt ceramic pan

Lightly burnt: soak it

Try this first, and only move down the list if it doesn't work.

1. Let the pan cool.
2. Fill it with warm water and a squirt of dish soap.
3. Leave it for 30 to 60 minutes, or overnight for anything tougher.
4. Wipe the residue away with a soft sponge or nylon brush, then rinse and dry.

Badly burnt: baking soda paste

1. Sprinkle baking soda over the burnt area.
2. Add a few drops of water to make a thick paste.
3. Leave it for at least 30 minutes, or a few hours for stubborn burns.
4. Scrub gently in small circles with a nylon brush or soft sponge.
5. Rinse, wash with dish soap and dry. Repeat if you need to.

Really stuck on: simmer it

Fill the pan with water to cover the burnt patch and add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Keep it at a gentle simmer for 5 to 10 minutes while the bubbling loosens the burnt layer. Let it cool completely, wipe it out with a soft sponge, then wash, rinse and dry it.

There's also an older vinegar version of the simmer:

1. Fill the pan with 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water
2. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
3. Allow to cool completely
4. Wash with warm water and a HeySunday detergent sheet
5. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely

Discoloration and stains

Ceramic coatings slowly pick up brown or yellow stains from oil and high heat, and you'll see it most on white and cream pans. For light stains:

1. Mix baking soda with a little hydrogen peroxide to make a paste.
2. Spread it over the stained area and leave it for 30 minutes to an hour. Don't let it dry out.
3. Wipe it off with a soft cloth or sponge.
4. Wash with dish soap, rinse and dry.

If that doesn't shift it, try the slower overnight option:

1. Make a paste of cream of tartar and water
2. Apply to discolored areas and let sit for 8 to 12 hours
3. Gently scrub with a soft nylon brush
4. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely

Stains cooked in over months may only fade, and they don't affect how the pan cooks.

White spots and mineral marks

Chalky white marks are usually hard water minerals. Wipe them with a cloth dipped in equal parts white vinegar and water, leave it for 10 minutes, then wash, rinse and dry. Keep the vinegar contact short. A quick wipe with a mild acid is fine. Long soaks in strong acids can dull a coating over time.

How to clean the bottom of a ceramic pan

The outside of a pan gets the worst of the burnt grease. Mix baking soda with a little water or dish soap into a paste, spread it over the base and leave it for 30 minutes. Scrub with a non-scratch scrubbing pad (steel wool will scratch the finish), then rinse and dry. Heavy buildup can take two or three rounds.

How to clean Caraway pans

Caraway pans are ceramic-coated and everything above applies. In short:

• Let them cool, then hand wash with warm water, dish soap and a soft sponge.
• Soak stuck-on food in warm soapy water for 15 to 30 minutes before you scrub.
• Use the baking soda paste for burnt spots and discoloration.
• Use wooden, silicone or nylon utensils, and cook on low to medium heat.
• Store them in the racks they came with, or with something soft between them to protect the coating.

When food starts to stick

If a ceramic-coated pan has started to stick, there's often a thin layer of burnt oil on it. Deep clean it with the baking soda paste, dry it fully, then rub a very thin film of neutral oil, like grapeseed or avocado, over the cooking surface with a paper towel. Warm it on low for a minute or two, let it cool and wipe off any extra. If food still sticks after that, the coating has worn and the pan may be near the end of its life.

How to make ceramic pans last

• Cook on low to medium heat. High heat wears ceramic coatings faster and causes most staining.
• Add a little oil or butter before heating. Aerosol cooking sprays leave a sticky film that's hard to get off.
• Use wooden, silicone or nylon utensils.
• Clean the pan soon after cooking, before stains set.
• Lift pans instead of sliding them across the stove or counter.
• Stack them with pan protectors or a folded towel in between, or hang them.

Frequently asked questions

How do you clean a ceramic pan?

Hand wash it with warm water, a little soap and a soft sponge, then dry it straight away. You don't need to wait until it's cold. Once you can rest your hand on it, the residue is still soft and wipes off far more easily than after it has set.

How do you get burnt food off a ceramic pan?

Soak it in warm soapy water first, and use baking soda paste if the soak doesn't lift it. Burnt sugar and starch usually come off with the soak alone. Burnt oil leaves a brown, sticky layer, and that's the one that needs baking soda.

How do you clean a discolored ceramic pan?

30 minutes to an hour under a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide lifts most discoloration. The 3% hydrogen peroxide sold in drugstores is strong enough.

How do you deep clean Caraway pans?

A soak in warm soapy water, then baking soda paste on any burnt or stained areas, scrubbed gently with a nylon brush. The handles are stainless steel, and the same paste lifts fingerprints and heat marks from them too.

Can you use vinegar on ceramic pans?

Yes, diluted and for short periods, mainly to remove white mineral spots or in a short simmer for burnt food. Never mix vinegar with bleach or another cleaner in the same pan. Together they give off harmful fumes.