Why does my pan turn black when I cook? (2023)

How do I keep my pans from turning black?

What can I do? Your pots might be turning black because the heat is turned up too high or burning unevenly. If the flame is not heating evenly, you'll notice it's blue on the outside with a yellow core. If you see yellow, your air-to-flame ratio needs to be adjusted.

Teflon* is black therefore all Teflon pans are black. Other things are other colours, aluminium, copper, steel, so the outside may vary, but if it's Teflon-coated… it's gonna be black inside. Ceramic can be white, there's a stone/copper one which is brown/orange or grey speckled, anodised aluminium is dark grey.

"The combination of alkaline dishwasher detergent, high heat, and minerals in your water can trigger a reaction that darkens the metal," says Jennie Varney, brand manager for Molly Maid. Not to mention, the force of the jets can knock your pan into other dishware, scratching or nicking its surface.

Uncoated aluminum baking sheets can get stained by oil or burnt foods that were overheated on the pan and left a burned residue. This usually happens when olive oil is used—it has a low smoke point, but is often cooked with food in a hot oven for a long period of time, such as for roasted vegetables.

Overheating or allowing cookware to boil dry can cause yellow, brown, dark purple, blue or rainbow tints on the stainless steel surface. Although harmless, these tints can spoil the appearance of the pan. To remove this discoloration, use a products like Barkeepers Friend® and a non abrasive cleaning pad.

A dark metal pan absorbs and distributes heat more quickly and thoroughly than lighter-colored pans. So not only does your cake bake more quickly in a dark pan, its crust can potentially burn (or at least brown unpleasantly) due to over-exposure to oven heat.

The coating itself is considered non-toxic. Even if you ingest small flakes of it, it passes right through you. But some experts are concerned about what happens when Teflon gets too hot. "When pans are overheated, that PTFE coating begins to disintegrate," Fenton told Live Science.

It is essentially harmless, though certain industries that need a "clean" surface as determined by a "wipe test" get thrown into a panic.

Is it safe to cook with oxidized aluminum?

What About Cooking in Anodized Aluminum? Aluminum cookware that has been anodized (hardened through a process that renders it nonreactive) or clad in a nonreactive material, such as stainless steel or a nonstick coating, does not leach into or react with foods.

Black carbon residue can develop on your stainless steel pots. This residue is common on the bottom of pots and develops as a result of placing the stainless steel pot directly on a burner. Clean the black residue as soon as it develops to prevent it from building up.

Step 3: Boil Water and Baking Soda

For a simple, inexpensive way to clean burnt stainless-steel pans, grab some baking soda from your pantry. Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to your scorched pan along with enough water to cover the burnt areas. Bring to a boil and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.

Boil a quart of water and then add in two tablespoons of baking soda (more if you have a bigger pan). Stir with a wooden spoon or other non-abrasive utensil and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes. Rinse the scorched pan with hot water and dry thoroughly.

How do you fix discolored stainless steel? Rub some club soda, vinegar, and polish with a soft cloth. Using the soft cloth, going with the grain of the stainless steel, rub until the discoloration has been removed. Rinse with warm water and dry.

Take some diluted white vinegar and scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Then after thoroughly working the vinegar into your cookware, you just need to rinse and dry. The acidity of the vinegar will work to break down the oxidized rainbow layer to keep your stainless steel pots looking their silvery best.

This tried-and-true method of cleaning oxidation off stainless steel surfaces calls for the mixing of equal amounts baking soda and lemon juice to once again form a paste. This paste would then be used to completely cover the rust spots on the metal surface, before using a damp sponge to wash the gunk away.

Mix equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Use a toothbrush to scrub the tarnish off the metal with the mixture. Combine ½ cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ cup of flour for stubborn tarnish. Apply the paste and let it sit for 10 minutes before washing it off.

Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that develops over reactive or semi-reactive metals as they undergo oxidation. Tarnish is somewhat like rust, but with a slower rate of occurrence. It is mainly caused by chemicals in the air and sweat. Tarnish appears as a gray or black film over the metal.

Black smudges may also be caused by corrosion due to perspiration, exposure to salts and exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas (present in polluted air, some foodstuffs and industrial chemicals).

How do you know if a pan is ruined?

Look at your pans frequently. When they start to appear warped, discolored or scratched, be sure to stop using them.

“People do report a chemically taste,” sometimes, he said, and “it's almost certainly not toxic but it could smell up your house a bit and turn you off that appliance.”

How It Works: Fill your dirty pan with equal part water and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Remove from heat and let soak for up to 15 minutes. Discard the liquid down your drain and then use a sponge or scouring pad to scrub away any remaining burnt-on bits.