Not lemon, not vinegar: chefs swear by this fizzy drink for loosening burnt bits from pans

The pan hits the sink still hot, streaked with amber and black where last night’s pasta sauce welded itself to the metal. You reach, by force of habit, for lemon juice or the vinegar bottle, already bracing for the eye-watering fug and a long scrub with the harsh side of the sponge.

Professional cooks will tell you to stop right there. The thing they quietly pour into scorched pans isn’t acidic and sharp, and it certainly doesn’t smell like a chip shop. It’s the same fizzy water you drink at the table.

Cold sparkling water – plain, unsweetened, straight from the bottle or siphon – has become a low-drama favourite for loosening burnt-on bits. In busy kitchens it helps salvage saucepans between orders; at home it can turn a potential write-off into a quick wipe-down.

Why chefs reach for sparkling water, not vinegar

Vinegar and lemon juice work because their acid breaks down browned proteins and sugar. The trouble is, they bring their own flavour and smell, and they can be a bit fierce on some finishes. Sparkling water takes a quieter route.

When you pour cold fizzy water into a hot pan, three useful things happen at once:

• Carbonation lifts: bubbles push under stuck-on food, nibbling at the edges and physically lifting it away.
• Gentle acidity works slowly: carbonic acid (formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water) is mild, but warm it slightly and it still helps loosen browned bits.
• Thermal shock helps: the contrast between a hot base and cool water encourages stuck residue to contract and release.

You don’t get a sharp tang, you don’t perfume the kitchen, and you’re less likely to strip seasoning from cast iron than with aggressive scraping and strong acid.

“If a pan looks tragic, I hit it with cold soda water first. Nine times out of ten, the fond just slides off before service is over.” - head chef, small bistro in Leeds

Two ways to use it: mid-cook and after the damage

You can let sparkling water earn its keep in two very different moments: when you want flavour, and when you just want a clean pan.

1. Deglazing for flavour

Those browned bits on the bottom – the fond – are flavour gold. Instead of wine or stock, a splash of fizzy water can do the lifting when you don’t want extra alcohol or salt.

1. Brown your meat or veg as usual, then remove it from the pan.
2. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
3. Pour in a small splash of sparkling water (start with 50–75 ml).
4. As it sizzles, scrape gently with a wooden spoon to dissolve the fond.
5. Reduce slightly, then whisk in a knob of butter, a spoon of mustard or a swirl of cream for a simple, light pan sauce.

Because sparkling water is neutral, what you add afterwards takes centre stage. No lingering vinegar note, no extra sweetness.

2. Rescuing a burnt or stuck pan

For full-on burnt patches – the late-night “I’ll just check my phone” scenarios – sparkling water turns a punishing scrub into something closer to a soak and wipe.

1. Take the pan off the heat and let it stop roaring-hot for a minute or two.
2. Pour in enough cold sparkling water to cover the stuck area by about 1 cm.
3. Return the pan to a very low heat until you see a gentle simmer and plenty of bubbles.
4. Turn off the heat and leave it to sit for 10–20 minutes.
5. Use a wooden spatula or nylon scraper to push at the residue; most will lift in sheets.
6. Finish with a mild washing-up liquid and a soft sponge.

If the pan is very badly burnt, repeat once more before reaching for anything abrasive. The goal is to let the bubbles and soak time do most of the work.

Which fizzy drink actually works?

Not all bubbles are created equal. The restaurant trick relies on plain, unsweetened carbonated water. Other drinks can behave very differently.

Drink	Works for pans?	Notes
Plain sparkling / soda water	Yes, best choice	Neutral flavour, no sugar, gentle on most surfaces
Tonic water	Sometimes	Sugar and quinine can leave a sticky film or bitterness
Cola and sweet soft drinks	Only for heavy-duty trays, not fine pans	Acidity helps but sugar can caramelise again and stain
Flavoured sparkling waters	Usually fine	Check for sugar; natural flavourings are generally harmless

In a pinch, cheap supermarket “soda water” or basic sparkling mineral water is ideal. Expensive, strongly mineral waters are unnecessary; you’re not drinking this batch.

When fizzy water beats vinegar – and when it doesn’t

It’s tempting to crown sparkling water as a miracle cure, but it has its limits. Think of it as your first, gentle option rather than a universal solvent.

It’s usually better than vinegar or lemon when:

• You’re cleaning non-stick pans and want to avoid harsh abrasives and strong acids.
• You’ve got cast iron with seasoning you’d rather not strip.
• You’re in a small kitchen and don’t want everything to smell of vinegar.
• You’re mid-service or mid-cook and need a neutral base for a quick pan sauce.

Vinegar or stronger cleaners still earn their keep when:

• You’re dealing with years of brown build-up on the underside of pots.
• There’s serious limescale from hard water on stainless steel.
• A pan has plastic melt or synthetic residue from packaging – fizzy water won’t touch that.

You can always start with sparkling water and work up to sterner stuff if needed. You can’t un-pit aluminium you’ve soaked in strong acid.

Cookware-specific tips (and things not to do)

Different pans, different rules. The fizzy water trick is gentle, but a little care keeps it truly safe.

• Cast iron: Fine for short soaks and low heat. Dry thoroughly afterwards and rub with a thin film of oil to keep rust away.
• Non-stick: Keep the heat low when simmering sparkling water and avoid metal utensils. You’re trying to avoid more scratching.
• Copper and aluminium: A brief simmer with fizzy water is usually safe, but don’t leave them soaking overnight; prolonged contact with any acid can dull or mark the surface.
• Enamelled cast iron: Ideal candidates. The smooth enamel releases residue easily once the bubbles have done their work.

And a few firm noes:

• Don’t pour ice-cold water into a screaming-hot pan fresh from the hob – fizzy or not – especially glass or enamel. Give it a minute.
• Don’t use sparkling water as an excuse to attack with steel wool on delicate coatings.
• Don’t try to rescue cracked or warped pans with any liquid trick; if the metal’s distorted, it’s beyond a soak.

Why this quiet trick suits home kitchens

In a professional kitchen, seconds count and smells linger. Sparkling water offers a fast, repeatable way to reset pans without clouding the air or flavouring the next dish. At home, the benefits are smaller but add up.

• You’re less likely to bin a pan because it “looks ruined” after one mishap.
• You can protect non-stick coatings and enamel by scrubbing less aggressively.
• You don’t need to stock specialised cleaners – just a bottle of budget fizzy water.
• You avoid turning every late-night clean-up into a vinegar fog.

It also helps with the everyday annoyances: egg welded to a frying pan, caramel clinging to a saucepan, grains of rice cemented to the bottom of a pot. A splash of sparkling water while the pan is still warm often stops these turning into a chore.

A small “pan rescue” kit you can keep handy

You don’t need much to copy what restaurant dishwash stations do, scaled for a domestic sink.

• A 1–2 litre bottle of cheap sparkling water in the cupboard or fridge.
• A wooden or silicone spatula dedicated to scraping.
• A soft sponge and a non-scratch scouring pad.
• A teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda for especially greasy messes (sprinkle it in after you’ve simmered the fizzy water and loosened most of the burnt bits).

Use the sparkling water first, then add a tiny shake of bicarb if there’s an oily film left. The combination shifts both browned-on food and stubborn fat without ripping into your pans.

FAQ:

• Does ordinary tap water work just as well? Plain hot water will always help, but fizz gives you extra lift and gentle acidity. Sparkling water usually shifts stuck bits faster, with less scraping.
• Can I use this on burnt milk or custard? Yes. Soak with sparkling water while the pan is still warm, then bring it to a gentle simmer. Dairy often slides off in soft sheets once the bubbles have worked underneath.
• Is it safe for my dishwasher-only pans? If a pan is marked dishwasher-safe, a brief simmer with sparkling water on the hob is generally fine. Just keep the heat low and avoid long, boiling soaks.
• Do I have to use chilled sparkling water? Cold from the fridge works slightly better for thermal shock, but room-temperature fizzy water is still helpful. The main thing is the bubbles, not the exact temperature.
• What if there’s still a stain after cleaning? A light stain that doesn’t feel rough to the touch is often just cosmetic. If performance is unaffected, you can leave it. For shiny stainless steel, a separate polish or paste may be needed for looks alone.