What happened, when I boiled this pot dry?
I started boiling water in a small, stainless steel, copper-bottom pot. Old story: I forgot about it, the water boiled away, and the pot spent a couple hours on maximum heat from my electric stove.
I noticed it as I sat reading: a funny smell was coming from the pot, not unlike the smell of burning plastic. I opened the pot and saw the bottom covered with this dark grey matter that doesn't wash easily. What could it be?
Then, while washing the pot, the nice dark copper color seemed to wash away. Now I have this. What happened, here?
Lastly, now I have white spots on my cooktop where the pot sat. What could these be?
Best Answer
The first photo is of mineral deposits left behind when you boiled your water away. If you water is really hard (full of minerals) you may get these even in normal use. Barkeeper's Friend cleaner and some hard work can remove it.
The second photo is showing that you actually managed to clean the dark oxidation off some of the bottom, but not all of it. When copper is really clean (free of oxidation) it's quite bright and pinkish or orange. The way your pot was before, it had a fairly even layer of oxidation, which makes the copper brown. You could either clean it all the way--again, barkeeper's friend is a good bet--or leave it and it will soon be brown again.
The last one I'm just guessing about. I think it is probably mineral deposits too, if there was water underneath the pot, or if if boiled over. I do not know if something like Barkeeper's Friend would be appropriate for your cooker, though. It could also be oxidation or staining from the pot--something on the pot that burned off and left a residue or discolored the surface. It's also possible that the hot pot actually damaged the surface, in which case the discoloration may be permanent.
In any case, your pot is not damaged if the bottom is still flat (sometimes overheated pots warp). Cleaning it will make it look nicer, but none of the things you're seeing are likely to have an impact on how it cooks.
Pictures about "What happened, when I boiled this pot dry?"
Quick Answer about "What happened, when I boiled this pot dry?"
If you left water boiling too long and the water cooked out, the bottom of the pot may have turned dark or white from the mineral deposits from the water or liquid. If stew, chili or another type of food boiled dry, this leaves a thick, stuck-on residue that requires patience and persistence to clean.How do you restore a pot that has boiled dry?
Another option is to mix 1-part of vinegar to 1-part water and a few drops of dish washing liquid. Place it in the pan and turn it on medium-high heat. Let the solution boil in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes or until all of the burnt patches have lifted from the side of the stainless steel pot.What does boiling dry mean?
Boil dry is a pan that is left unattended on a heat source allowing liquid to boil completely dry out of the pan.What happens if you leave a dry pot on the stove?
If you leave an empty, or a nearly empty, nonstick pan on a hot burner for a few minutes, he says, by the time you smell it in the next room, toxic fumes are in the air. The fumes can cause headaches and chills and even kill pet birds, which have sensitive lungs.How do you fix a scorched pot?
Soak a burnt pan with soap and water, and add a dryer sheet into the mix. Allow it to sit for an hour. The dryer sheet (you can substitute a tablespoon of fabric softener) will loosen the burnt-on food and leave you with a shiny like-new pan.Frog In A Pot
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Castorly Stock, Castorly Stock, RODNAE Productions, RODNAE Productions