Green cleaning your burnt pots and pans!

I am an enthusiastic cook who is at times, prone to burning things. Especially when toasting spices or trying to make toffee and I get distracted by something else… So here's some helpful hints to attempt to reclaim a pan from the brink of diaster into a new lease of life.

Instructions

1. Put your burnt old pot or pan on a stovetop burner.
2. Pour enough vinegar to cover the bottom. Add equal parts water and a tablespoon or so of baking soda.
3. Turn the burner on and bring to a boil (we cover the pan to speed this up a bit).
4. Let boil for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, the brown and black staining should be loosened from the pan. Test this by scraping lightly with a wooden spoon.
6. Remove from heat and pour off the now-brackish liquid. It may look gross, but it's evidence that this is working.
7. Coat the bottom of the pan with baking soda and scrub with a mesh dish cloth. Again, the baking soda paste will turn brown, but this is proof that you're getting the pan clean.
8. Rinse well and get cooking with your gleaming "new" pan.