# Bar keeper's friend on pans?



## NBrewster (Oct 12, 2018)

The other day I walked into a friend's kitchen to find him scrubbing a particularly nasty pan with bar keeper's friend on the cooking surface. 

I've used it on the outside of pans I've bought secondhand before, but sort of recoiled when I saw him doing this. On second thought I realized that I had no idea whether or not that was sanitary/safe. Thought I'd ask the peanut gallery here.


----------



## Jville (Oct 12, 2018)

I've used it before, especially if it's caked on like stainless. I don't know about tin linning, I'd be nervous about that. But bkf is fairly gentle and works great on pans. It's sanitary, I've never had any issues


----------



## bkultra (Oct 12, 2018)

Do it all the time, fast and easy way to clean them.


----------



## Chef Doom (Oct 12, 2018)

So this id's where everyone id's getting their Umami flavor from!


----------



## NBrewster (Oct 12, 2018)

Chef Doom said:


> So this id's where everyone id's getting their Umami flavor from!



Shake or two always adds a little extra something to the gumbo


----------



## Jville (Oct 12, 2018)

Chef Doom said:


> So this id's where everyone id's getting their Umami flavor from!


Makes the coating on fried cx light and extra crispy.


----------



## btbyrd (Oct 12, 2018)

The care instructions for all of my stainless All Clad and Calphalon cookware has recommended BKF by name.


----------



## daveb (Oct 12, 2018)

I don't know the voodoo involved but it will clean up a pan and restore the luster to inside and out. In demo kitchen allways had to have the All-Clad looking new.

Of course after washing with bkf, you gotta wash again with soap. God I hate that smell.


----------



## HRC_64 (Oct 12, 2018)

btbyrd said:


> The care instructions for all of my stainless All Clad and Calphalon cookware has recommended BKF by name.



Its recommended by some also if you mess up the seasoning on Carbon pans and need to strip to bare metal.
(it removes most everything from the steel, I'm guessing its not PH Neutral).



NB You then are supposed to wash with regular soap afterwords according to the guidelines in video.

(Alot of people us BKF on stainless steel
as alternative to green schotchbrite,
both can leave some trace scratching
from what I understand.)


----------



## Dendrobatez (Oct 12, 2018)

I use it on the outside of my copper pans, even the interior tinning with a plastic scouring pad and it works well. Anything that's lined with stainless I'll use a copper scrubbing pad.
I don't however use the liquid BKF, I believe theres a decent bit of ammonia in it and it'll react weird with some metals


----------



## Bensbites (Oct 12, 2018)

BKF is oleic acid, the chemical structure related to vinegar and citric acid, but due The nature of this spesific molecule, the properties are different. Yes it is an acid. 

I use it to clean anything caked on SS steel. 

I also use it as a first step in rust removal from carbon blades. The VERY IMPORTANT second step is to neutralize the acid with baking soda. While my person method is overkill, it is also hard to screw up. Make a slurry ( think between pancake batter and paste) of baking soda water. Coat the blade with this slurry. Rub it in with your hand. Wash off. Repeat at least once. 

Dry blade and coat with mineral oil.


----------



## HRC_64 (Oct 12, 2018)

Dendrobatez said:


> I use it on the outside of my copper pans, even the interior tinning with a plastic scouring pad and it works well. Anything that's lined with stainless I'll use a copper scrubbing pad.
> I don't however use the liquid BKF, I believe theres a decent bit of ammonia in it and it'll react weird with some metals



I know this is a YMMV situation, but I would do alot of homework before experimenting,
tin linings in particular are delicate and usually not recommended for abrasives.


----------



## Dendrobatez (Oct 13, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> I know this is a YMMV situation/QUOTE]
> 
> You could be right but doing it every 3mo or so for a few years and haven't seen any thining in the tin lining of my pans. I wasnt ever worried about that though as re-lining a pan isn't too labor intenaive


----------



## mfishsauce (Oct 22, 2018)

I use it all the time on the outside of my nonstick all clad pans. Works very well keeping the outside nice and clean.


----------



## LostHighway (Oct 22, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> (Alot of people us BKF on stainless steel
> as alternative to green schotchbrite,
> both can leave some trace scratching
> from what I understand.)



Can confirm both from personal experience


----------



## acxenithzz (Oct 24, 2018)

BFK is pretty effective at cleaning pans.. one thing to bear in mind is that it's abrasive and will scratch up stainless steel pans if you're not careful. If you don't really care about that then it's fine. I use it more for the exterior


----------



## rickbern (Oct 24, 2018)

Bensbites said:


> BKF is oleic acid, the chemical structure related to vinegar and citric acid, but due The nature of this spesific molecule, the properties are different. Yes it is an acid



Bensbites, oxalic acid, not oleic 

Wiki says:
*Bar Keepers Friend* is a brand of mass-produced cleaning agents. The original canned powder product has been manufactured and sold since 1882.[3] It was invented by a chemist in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it continues to be manufactured by SerVaas Laboratories.[4][5]The canned product's primary active ingredient is oxalic acid, and Bar Keepers Friend has several various cleaning uses.


----------



## rickbern (Oct 24, 2018)

And this is from their faq

Is it safe to clean the dishes I cook and eat from with Bar Keepers Friend?


Yes – when properly used, BKF is safe to use on food preparation and serving surfaces. In fact, BKF carries an NSF registration and can be found in many commercial kitchens. Make sure any surface that will come in contact with food is properly rinsed to remove any residue and abrasive prior to use.

I use it all the time

Rick


----------



## Bensbites (Oct 24, 2018)

rickbern said:


> Bensbites, oxalic acid, not oleic
> 
> Wiki says:
> *Bar Keepers Friend* is a brand of mass-produced cleaning agents. The original canned powder product has been manufactured and sold since 1882.[3] It was invented by a chemist in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it continues to be manufactured by SerVaas Laboratories.[4][5]The canned product's primary active ingredient is oxalic acid, and Bar Keepers Friend has several various cleaning uses.


You are correct. I am blaming autocorrect...


----------



## rickbern (Oct 24, 2018)

I figured it was autocorrect! If you use it often you can just buy oxalic acid and save a few bucks.


----------



## MartinT (Dec 21, 2018)

yes no problem, but gotta neutralize/rinse them after BKF


----------



## tgfencer (Dec 21, 2018)

Also good for those annoying baking stains/build up you sometimes see on Pyrex and similar types of dishes.


----------



## MontezumaBoy (Dec 21, 2018)

tgfencer said:


> Also good for those annoying baking stains/build up you sometimes see on Pyrex and similar types of dishes.



Thx for the heads up wouldn't necessarily have thought of using it for pyrex and hate that baked in staining ...


----------

