Damage to pan bottom

Damage to pan bottom - Side view of ethnic kid sitting near furnace with metal pan placed on fire in daylight in poor destroyed district

I have a non stick Tramontina frying pan. Today, in an effort to remove the brown stains on the reverse (metallic) side, I put the pan in boiling water with baking soda for 30 min. After cleaning it with a sponge, I noticed that the outer bottom metallic layer seems to have come off quite a bit (see attached picture). I was surprised as I did not think that baking soda could do this--moreover the nonstick surface seems to be undamaged. So my questions are: What happened here? And what will be the effect on cooking?enter image description hereenter image description here

cleaningfrying-panstainless-steel


Best Answer

Baking soda is a mild base (the opposite of being acidic). In the right concentration & environment, it can be a corrosive.

What happened is that in addition to taking the burned bits off your pan, it also took the shiny finish coat off the outside of the pan. What you're seeing is the unpolished aluminium, with a coating of aluminum oxide.

Since only the exterior of the pan is affected, you've not damaged the functionality of the pan, just the looks.



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How do you restore the bottom of a pan?

How to Clean the Bottom of a Pan
  • Step 1: Rough it up. Flip the pan upside down and run some steel wool over the burnt bottom.
  • Step 2: Add salt and baking soda. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt onto the bottom. ...
  • Step 3: Soap it up. ...
  • Step 4: Let it sit. ...
  • Step 5: Reveal the clean pan bottom.


    • What happens if you scratch the bottom of a pan?

    When your pans are scratched, some of the nonstick coating can flake into your food (the pan also becomes stickier). This can release toxic compounds. What is even more dangerous is cooking in a nonstick pan over high heat (this releases a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid).

    How do you fix a ruined frying pan?

    How to Fix Damaged Nonstick Pans
  • Wash the pan thoroughly with soap and water, and dry it with a towel. ...
  • Apply nonstick cookware repair spray evenly to the entire surface of the pan, and allow it dry for half an hour. ...
  • Place the pan inside the oven, and let it bake for 45 minutes.


    • How do you know if a pan is ruined?

    How to Know When to Throw Away Nonstick Pans
  • Sign 1: The Pan Is Warped.
  • Sign 2: Dark Discoloration.
  • Sign 3: You See Significant Scratches.
  • Nonstick Pans Do Not Last Forever.
  • Can You Repair Your Nonstick Pan?



    • Clean The Bottom of Your Pots or Pans - WORKS EVERY SINGLE TIME



    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Ahmed akacha, Giota Sakellariou, Maël BALLAND, Maël BALLAND

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