Burnt pots and blackened stoves: Use these easy cleaning techniques

Ask any homemaker about their least favourite kitchen chore, and almost all will point to scrubbing grime and soot off pots and pans and the stove. Blackened pot bottoms can be a real pain to clean. Vigorous scrubbing can even scratch and damage the cookware. But fret not, there are easy ways to clean even the most stubborn burnt pots, without resorting to harsh abrasives.

Traditionally, housewives would clean their pots and pans in the courtyard using ash and coconut husk. These days, dishwashers and liquid soaps have taken their place. However, the first step to preventing blackened pots is to cook on medium flame. High heat can quickly lead to burning if you're not careful.

Vinegar is excellent for cleaning burnt pots. Simply soaking and washing the pots with vinegar can remove the grime. You can also boil a cup of vinegar in a pot of water. As the solution heats up, you'll see the burnt residue loosening. This method also works well for cleaning stovetop stains.

While using non-stick cookware, always cook on low heat. Excessive heat can not only damage the coating but also release harmful toxins. Never use non-stick cookware with damaged or peeling coatings. Studies suggest a link between cooking in such pots and health issues like high cholesterol and hypothyroidism.
To clean the inside of a pressure cooker, simply boil water with a little tamarind in it. Tea stains on steel utensils can be removed with a mixture of soot and salt water.

Here's another trick using onions: to remove burnt food residue from the bottom of a steel pot, boil water in the pot with an onion. However, with the fluctuating price of onions these days, this trick might not be the most cost-effective solution.