How to Clean a Ceramic Skillet Safely for Stains & Residue
Table of Contents
Where it started
Years ago, I was at an Airbnb in Montreal. I shared the space with a traveler who was renting next door. Background: when I lived alone, cooking for me wasn't serious. It was just about getting going. When I made chicken — it was basic. Salt, pepper. White wine if I wanted a treat.
But this traveler. He opened my eyes to how chicken could taste. He'd buy the same legs I'd get, but the difference was massive. He'd rub paprika, onion powder, garlic, and more. He'd oil it, fry it, and have me taste it.
For real? It was the best chicken. Ever.
The only problem? He cooked all of this in a ceramic pan. And since it was Airbnb, well, no one cared for the owner's cookware. But to probably no one's surprise, I couldn't fry an egg in there after without it perma-sticking.
It was only months later that I'd realized — he was using a ceramic skillet. And he broke one of the most fundamental rules: "never cook on high heat." One session was all it took.
I'm sharing this story as it shows why maintenance matters. You might be the best chef, but without great pans, what do you have? Care for ceramic skillets, and they reward you with beauty. Neglect them and you lose both beauty and convenience.
How not to clean ceramic pans
Let me just add, Montreal at the time was chilly AF. Snow filled to my knees the moment I left the place. That gives you a good idea of how cold the tap water was. Yeah. That went straight in the pan after he fried that batch up (LOL!). So I've put together some quick no-no's on top of that one before we get into the actual steps to clean ceramic.
- No anything but soft sponges. Once ceramic scratches, the non-stick coating goes fast. Plus you lose the visual appeal. Even with durable pure ceramic, there's no point risking damage with harsh tools.
- No prolonged soaking. Soaking in typical cleaners we buy these days can weaken the coating. Ceramic is water repellent, but with alkaline or acidic products, it won't hold up. Besides, soaking isn't even necessary. See the rescue section below to learn why.
- No harsh chemicals. Assuming you have a healthy pan, these are overkill since ceramic is already non-stick. You risk damaging the intricate finish.
Lazy tip
Ceramic pans have slick surfaces, so upkeep is relatively easy. With the one I use at home, we don't always wash the pan after frying an egg. For light messes like this, you can just wipe up and keep cooking from there. No washing needed!
Steps to get your ceramic pan back in shape
Have these items with you:
- Gentle dish liquid
- Your softest sponge
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Silicone or nylon spatula
- Microfibre cloth
- Pan protectors or scratch-cushioning items
- Optional: 3% hydrogen peroxide
Step 1: Get your pan to room temperature
The main concern here is warping, but this applies to every kind of pan. You can't allow sudden temperature drops. The same goes for adding cold food to hot pans. Food coming out of the fridge or freezer should be given time to come to room temperature — before it's added. When cleaning, avoid what the Montreal guy did with snowy water. Only ever start sponging your pan with warm water once it cools. If your situation calls for more than a general scrub, move to step 2.
Step 2: Warm up a soapy solution
Add just enough water to cover burnt bits that need treatment. Then, squirt in a pump or two of your mild cleaner, mix, and fire up the stove. Use medium heat until the residue starts to loosen. You won't need a full boil since ceramic is naturally non-stick. Gunk will loosen before your mixture nears boiling point. Sometimes, you'll have stubborn, hard-to-remove residue. It happens — maybe you forgot you were cooking, or something sugary burnt on. For these cases, use a gentle cleaner that babies the coating while still lifting stains.
Step 3: Poke at the film with utensils
When everything starts to loosen, give the scraps a boost by scraping. No metal spatulas though as these aren't cast-iron pans. Use a silicone or nylon spatula. At home, we use silicone for everything from pans to rice cookers. It's my absolute favourite and nothing comes close. Some people swear by wooden spatulas for these surfaces. I disagree. Wood isn't as gentle as people claim. And it can crack and chip over time. Once my wooden spatula chipped, it was no longer safe for ceramic pans. I wanted that cleared up since wooden tools get a lot of hype.
Step 4: Rinse off
Cool the pan back down and sponge everything off. Ensure no soapy residue remains. Go for a microfibre cloth if you want things dry fast. I steer clear of old dish cloths as tattered fabrics aren't as soft as I want them anymore. Sure, you can use the intact areas, but I like erring on the side of caution. Microfibre has always been good at preventing scratches for me.
Step 5 (Optional): Cleaning under the pan
See my non-stick pan cleaning blog for how that's done.
Discolouration and staining fixes
Vinegar and baking soda
Add 2 tablespoons of each to the pan and let it fizz. Massage the mix around with a soft sponge to move residue along. This is a universal trick for pan discolouration. These basic ingredients are super handy since they're cheap and accessible. For light stains, you'll often notice instant changes as vinegar hits the pan. As for why staining happens, it's like the rainbow hue you get with stainless pans. Something cooked that was too hot, for too long. If bicarb and vinegar didn't hit the mark, add water, and heat it to medium like you would with general cleans.
For heavy discolouration
Free your pan of any residue and cleaning ingredients from previous steps. Make sure you have a clean and empty pan. Now coat the pan's bottom with 3% hydrogen peroxide. If it starts flickering with bubbles, it means the solution is functioning as normal. Long soaking is normally not ideal, but at 3%, hydrogen peroxide is mild. So longer soaks are okay. Start with 15 minutes, and go up to a few hours at most — based on the staining. Don't soak overnight by the way, as that would be too harsh. Once you rinse off at the sink, the stains should disappear and leave you with a gleaming shine.
A tip for storage
Once dry, use pan protectors so the coating isn't touching other cookware. At one point, I believed I was clever by storing one pan upside-down and one upright. However, this ego was short-lived. When I accrued more pans, they all started scratching one by one. To avoid this, use plastic bags at least, or hang your pans on hooks.
Further understanding ceramic pans
Ceramic-coated pans:
What they are:
Most ceramic pans today are this type. They're usually aluminium pans with a smooth, non-stick layer — made to feel like ceramic. It's like a slick paint job that makes food slide off easily. When ceramic-coated pans degrade, only the coating loses integrity. It differs from the wearing of legitimate ceramic.
Why it matters for care:
- Overheating: Low to medium heat is where you want to be. The non-stick layer isn't built for intensity.
- Cooking sprays: Like glass, coatings on these pans are smooth and polished, meaning they don't absorb oils. The non-porousness means additives from cooking sprays are bound to stick. Once you add heat, this gunk builds up and wears the coating further.
- Lightly oiling: Yes, this contradicts the previous point. Even so, a tiny coat of oil helps encourage non-stickiness. This is specific for low to mid-range pans as micro-cracks are common.
100% ceramic pans:
What they are:
Their purity comes from materials like clay and porcelain. It's solid ceramic — baked super hot, to form a hard, non-stick pan. There's no metal base. Just pure ceramic. Each time you cook, the pan sheds off tiny bits of material — allowing the smooth gliding we all love. By the way, these pans take about 20 days to make. So you can expect most pans on the market to not be this kind.
Why it matters for care:
- Higher heat tolerance: During creation, real ceramic is torched at immense heats. This gives you more leeway on higher stove settings. In some cases, depending on the brand, they're even oven-safe. This perk enables cooking methods like searing. Regardless, heating it slow is still best practice for preventing cracks. Think of it as 'inverse pan shocking' with cool water. If you're thinking about oven baking with the pan, check the manual or website to see what it can handle first.
- Easier cleaning: With pureness comes toughness. So oftentimes, dishwashers and rougher tools are okay. But even then — gentleness prevails. "No soaking" still applies though, as some designs will soak up water and erode.
- Extra weight: The tradeoff for tough skin is weight — meaning breakage is even more likely. Handle them with extra care and love.
Unboxing tip
Don't start using your pan right out the gate. Rinse and dry first to remove shipping debris.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pan sticking even though it's relatively new?
Temperature control might've been off. As much as I love maxing out the heat — oftentimes, it backfires. Keep it at medium or medium low to find your sweet spot. Also, there might've been some dry heating (no oils before firing up the stove). This can cause severe wear and tear. It's prudent to spread some fats beforehand for more even heating. A rule of thumb too is to clean right after cooking — so no food scraps carbonise.
Can I put my ceramic pan in the dishwasher?
Only if it's a 100% ceramic skillet. Otherwise, probably not. Though brands have vastly unique guidelines, so sticking by them is generally okay. That said, like with most pans, hand-washing is best. Machines will also struggle with tighter spots like rivets.
How long do typical ceramic pans last?
A straight answer would be 1 to 3 years, but brand, quality, and effort all matter. Also, it depends on what you mean by 'last'. Ceramic functions despite looking bad and lacking stick resistance. You can cook in it, but it just won't have that same slickness. I personally lean toward replacing pans when they start showing damage. This is mainly because I want to avoid coating flakes in my food. But everyone has different comfort levels with this.
What about the 'oil-heating trick' I read about?
Some rumours say polymerisation can revive ceramic. This is true to an extent, but heating oil only offers a temporary film — as there's no iron for the polymer to latch onto. So while it might offer some short-term relief, it's not a bulletproof strategy. For minor blemishes, this might help, but not for deeper scarring.
I just cook and clean regularly, should I buy a 100% ceramic pan?
If you're a ceramic enthusiast, absolutely. I totally get the appeal of ease and stylishness. For my cooking style, I focus on functionality. If I need higher heat capabilities, I still reach for cast-iron. But consider your budget and preference since pure ceramic tends to be pricier.
Is it safe to cook acidic foods like tomatoes in ceramic pans?
Yes. Ceramic easily handles the natural acids in food. The surface is non-reactive, so metal tastes won't leach into anything. What you do need to avoid though is knife-cutting in the pan. Manual actions like cuts will damage coatings far more than any acidic foods will. The same goes for stacking other dishware on top of the pan in the sink.
What's better between ceramic and other non-stick coatings like Teflon & PTFE?
Performance and durability-wise, Teflon does win out. But ceramic looks more appealing, so it's completely up to you. Ceramic is marketed as the healthier alternative to Teflon, but both are man-made. Most ceramic coatings are made from silica — the same stuff found in sand and glass. Teflon, on the other hand, is made of PTFE, which is a super slippery plastic. Silica gets mixed with minerals and clay, and the mixture is turned into smooth liquid. That liquid is torched onto aluminium or steel until it's solid and ready-to-use. Either way, neither coating handles high heat well, so that's just a thought to bear in mind.
Real talk
I respect what everyone deems important — be it sophistication or function. Whatever your priorities, use these tips and cleaning ceramic will be as easy as cooking in it.
