Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
I used a cookie sheet to cook little pizzas and I put olive oil down on it to prevent sticking. Now I have orange/yellow stains. How do I remove it without going all steel wool?
Unseasoning a sheet pan??
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pictonguy
Sous Chef
Try heating the pan with some water in it, that normally works pretty good. vinegar and baking soda also works then use some course salt and scrub.
Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
Like get it wet and put in 500F oven?
pictonguy
Sous Chef
No not just wet but add water enough for at least 1/4" water, then just bring it to a boil in the oven, or on the stove if you feel comfortable doing that for about 10 minutes, remove or turn the oven off and wait until you can handle it comfortably and scrub like hell. Should work.
I would use baking soda. I take a sponge or cloth and wet that a little and then squeeze as much water out of it as I can. I sprinkle the surface that needs cleaning with a bit of baking soda and then rub like heck. It tends to take a lot of elbow grease, but once the top surface of that baked on oil is breached, it goes quicker. I mostly use this method on things I don't want to scratch. It can be done completely dry on the outside of a toaster and it doesn't damage the chrome. It has been know to take of paint, but not reliably.
blissful
Master Chef
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- Mar 25, 2008
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What kind of pan is it? Stainless steel? Aluminum? What is the finish on it? A non stick surface?
If you use anything abrasive on a stainless steel or aluminum pan, it'll be fine. Abrasives on non stick surfaces usually will show.
If you heat polymerized oil to a high heat it will blacken the same way oil polymerizes and blackens when seasoning a cast iron pan.
If you want something that lasts, use stainless steel, aluminum, or cast iron. If you use a metal pan with a coating, then use parchment instead of oil, it will protect the food and the pan.
If you use anything abrasive on a stainless steel or aluminum pan, it'll be fine. Abrasives on non stick surfaces usually will show.
If you heat polymerized oil to a high heat it will blacken the same way oil polymerizes and blackens when seasoning a cast iron pan.
If you want something that lasts, use stainless steel, aluminum, or cast iron. If you use a metal pan with a coating, then use parchment instead of oil, it will protect the food and the pan.
Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
It's a cookie sheet. There are no edges to hold liquid on pan.
Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
Not sure the material. Just a standard cookie sheet. Looks aluminum. I scrubbed it with a degreaser. That helped a lot, but I fear I left behind green material from the scrub sponge. Will run pan through dishwasher to see what that does.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
If the pan is shiny aluminum, the DW will turn it all a dark grey.
blissful
Master Chef
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Aluminum, got it. Some bakers recommend letting your aluminum baking sheets get black over time. They say it bakes a nicer crust on whatever they are baking because it is black. Some bakers use combinations of vinegar, baking soda, to clean them up. Some use oven cleaner but don't leave it on a long time because it strips the sheet of everything and then starts to eat into the aluminum.
My personal experience because I use aluminum loaf pans and 1/2 sheet pans is that letting them get black is difficult and takes time. I use parchment over aluminum for baking, then a wet sponge takes off anything under the parchment and they stay silvery colored. The inside corners don't come clean anymore but I'm happy with them. I've had them for 20 years. When I visit others and use their baking sheets, if they are black I'm fine with that.
My personal experience because I use aluminum loaf pans and 1/2 sheet pans is that letting them get black is difficult and takes time. I use parchment over aluminum for baking, then a wet sponge takes off anything under the parchment and they stay silvery colored. The inside corners don't come clean anymore but I'm happy with them. I've had them for 20 years. When I visit others and use their baking sheets, if they are black I'm fine with that.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
This is why I always line my sheet pans with foil….
But Barkeepers Friend is safe for aluminum. If it doesn’t do the trick, I’m not sure what will. Stained cookie sheets just mean you are a great cook!
It’s a miracle product. https://barkeepersfriend.com/products/cleanser/
But Barkeepers Friend is safe for aluminum. If it doesn’t do the trick, I’m not sure what will. Stained cookie sheets just mean you are a great cook!
It’s a miracle product. https://barkeepersfriend.com/products/cleanser/
boom
Assistant Cook
I have 4 sheet pans I picked up from a restaurant supply house. I love them!! use them all the time. I tried to keep them shiny, but it was futile. even the backsides are mysteriously stained. you know what? I love the patina!! tells a story. the time a braise overflowed in the oven, the time I burned butternut squash, etc. now I embrace the stains. they even make decent backgrounds for photos!
Mighty tasty looking oyster there! Think I could eat a couple of those.
Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
Any places to buy them for under say $7 each and still get good quality?
Cooking4Fun
Senior Cook
Dark gray? From the detergent or the humidity?
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
From the detergent. Something in the DW detergent reacts chemically with the aluminum. You cannot get it back to shiny.
boom
Assistant Cook
wow. $7? I bought mine 20 years ago, and I think they were $11. so $44 over that 20 is practically free.
blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
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I've been using the Nordic Ware aluminum 1/2 sheet pans which are about 12x18 with edges. These are good quality.
They go on sale before Christmas, so they were on sale last year in later November for $21.99 for 2, or $11 each. My son's roommate is a baker and he'd used flat edgeless cookie sheets but wanted to try the 1/2 sheet pans with edges. I bought these for him for Christmas.
I don't have the flat cookie sheets that don't have edges. Those come in handy for rolling out crackers very thin, the edge doesn't get in the way of the rolling pin. I've used the back of the 1/2 sheet pans for that, so that works fine.
They go on sale before Christmas, so they were on sale last year in later November for $21.99 for 2, or $11 each. My son's roommate is a baker and he'd used flat edgeless cookie sheets but wanted to try the 1/2 sheet pans with edges. I bought these for him for Christmas.
I don't have the flat cookie sheets that don't have edges. Those come in handy for rolling out crackers very thin, the edge doesn't get in the way of the rolling pin. I've used the back of the 1/2 sheet pans for that, so that works fine.
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