There’s nothing like cooking with quality pans – until it comes time to clean them. My copper and roasting pans are workhorses in the kitchen, and after a few good meals, they start to show it. Luckily, I’ve found simple effective ways to bring them back to life using a few everyday items that you may already have at home: lemons (or essential oil of lemon), kosher salt, Brillo pads, and Bar Keepers Friend.

Cleaning my Copper Pans

Copper is beautiful, but it doesn’t stay that way without some TLC. All of my cooper is old/vintage so I expect that it will be a bit tarnished even when cleaned. When I clean my cooper I take care to use gentle, natural products rather than harsh chemicals. I go old school: lemon and salt. This is so simple.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Cut a lemon in half – any lemon will do or you can use essential lemon oil drops.
2. Sprinkle coarse sea salt generously over the cut side of the lemon.
3. Rub the lemon directly on to the cooper. The salt acts a gentle abrasive and the lemon (citric acid) helps dissolve the tarnish.
4. As the salt gets dirty or the lemon dries out, reapply both and keep going.
5. Rinse with warm water and buff with a soft cloth to bring out the shine.

Deep cleaning my roasting pan:

There are few kitchen items I believe are worth spending money on and a good roasting pan is one of those items. I have two sizes and use them in the fall and through the holiday season. My favorite brand is All-clad. Before deciding on a size, make sure to measure your oven width and think about what size roasts or turkey you’ll be having for Thanksgiving.

Back to cleaning the roasting pan – Over the holidays or meal prep days days, my roasting pan collects baked on grease, caramelized bits, and stains that regular dish soap just laughs at. That’s when I bring out the Brillo pads and Bar Keepers Friend.

My step by step:

1. Fill the pan with hot water and allow to soak for a few minutes.
2. Sprinkle with Bar Keepers Friend generously over all surfaces.
3. Use a Brillo pad to scrub. I use the ones without the harsh soap but .. sometimes you may something stronger.
4. Don’t forget the corners, handles, and bottom of the pan.

After a good scrub, your pans will be ready for the next roast, soup, lasagna, or whatever else you’re like!

A few extra tips:

• Always dry your pans completely after cleaning to prevent water spots or rust.
• Don’t use acidic cleaners on nonstick pans.
• Keep lemons away from senstive stone counters (marble for example).

Happy Cleaning and Cooking!