She Used One Cleaning Paste on 10 Years of Pan Buildup and the Stainless Steel Came Back
Burnt oil had been collecting on this Cuisinart pan for close to a decade. Brown stains and black deposits covered the base, rim, and curved stainless steel sides.
Reddit user u/_take_me_away said the buildup had reached the point where it discouraged them from using the pan. Rather than replace it, they set out to remove years of burnt oil and see how much of the stainless steel could be recovered.
Homedit has tested The Pink Stuff paste on stained grout, where its abrasive texture helped cut through set-in grime. For this pan, the Reddit user paired the same paste with paper towel, no scrubber, and spent just under an hour working through the buildup.
Ten Years Left More Than Surface Stains
The worst buildup sat around the outer base, where repeated exposure to heat had left bands of cooked-on oil. Some sections were brown and copper-toned, while spots near the edge had turned black.
Removing it was not a matter of wiping away fresh grease. The owner said several old patches fought back during cleaning, even with an abrasive paste.
No Special Scrubbing Tool Was Needed
For a pan in this condition, the tool list was short. The owner used The Pink Stuff and paper towel, with no scrubber.
The tradeoff was time. Working around the entire pan took just under an hour. That matters more than the dramatic finish: the paste helped, but ten years of cooked-on oil still required work.
Scratches Stayed, Burnt Oil Did Not
Cleaning did not make the pan new. Fine scratches and marks from years of use remain across the brushed base. What disappeared was the dark layer hiding much of the steel.
The curved sides show the biggest change. Areas coated in brown residue now reflect the sink, counter, and objects around them.
One Detail Matters Before Trying It
The Pink Stuff gets part of its cleaning power from its abrasive texture. That makes it useful against deposits such as these, but it also means more rubbing is not always better. Surfaces prone to scratching deserve a test in a hidden spot first.
The side-by-side view shows what the hour of cleaning accomplished. Ten years of brown and black buildup covered the outer edge on one side; exposed stainless steel reflects the kitchen on the other.
What do you use for burnt-on pan buildup: a store-bought cleaner, a natural solution, or something else?
Image credits go to Reddit user u/_take_me_away .