The Best Kitchen Degreasers, According to Our Test Kitchen
Updated: Apr. 24, 2023
Ever wonder how to remove burned-on food from your pans? It can seem impossible, but the best kitchen degreasers can revive even the dirtiest cookware.
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When it comes to dirty kitchen pans, there are times when no amount of scrubbing and soaking will cut it. As much as we love cleaning hacks and homemade cleaning solutions, sometimes you need the grime-fighting power of a store-bought kitchen degreaser. But with so many products out there, it can be hard to find the best degreaser for the job.
That’s where our Test Kitchen comes in. They tried eight different products on our dirtiest baking sheets to find the best kitchen degreaser for tackling the most stubborn burned-on messes.
Our Test Kitchen-Preferred Kitchen Degreasers
After evaluating multiple kitchen degreasers using our rigorous product testing process, these three rose to the top.
Best for Burned-on Food: Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser
Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser was our favorite product for cleaning burned-on food off of pans. With just one spritz of this easy-to-use spray (plus a Scotch-Brite sponge and a normal amount of elbow grease), we were able to clean the dirtiest pans in about 40 seconds. That’s not too much work for saving your favorite baking sheet!
This product also proved to be useful all across the kitchen. You can use Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser on pots, pans, stovetops, sinks and more, making it a worthwhile product investment. Plus, the easy spray bottle makes using this cleaning solution a breeze.
Best Nontoxic Kitchen Degreaser: Method Heavy Duty Degreaser
A close second to Goo Gone was Method Heavy Duty Degreaser. This spray is plant-based and nontoxic—great for folks trying to go green in the kitchen. When it came to performance, Method worked almost as well as Goo Gone, although we had to give our pan an extra spray or two with this solution. Also worth noting: you can’t use this product on glass cooktops, marble or aluminum.
Best Budget-Friendly Kitchen Degreaser: Comet
If you’re looking for a super affordable yet effective kitchen cleaning product, look no further than Comet. This classic scouring powder cleaned up our pans in about 90 seconds. We like Comet because it’s cost-effective and you can use it on countless surfaces across your home, including porcelain, stainless steel, ceramic and more. However, Comet is a bit of a harsh cleanser, so be sure to wear gloves and rinse thoroughly.
More Ways to Use Kitchen Degreasers
If your pan is only a little dingy, you can definitely use a homemade remedy to refresh it (for instance, here’s how to clean a baking sheet with just two simple ingredients). But when it comes to cleaning an exceptionally dirty pan, it’s helpful to have a bottle of Goo Gone or Method Heavy Duty Degreaser, or a can of Comet around. Here are a few tips for making a homemade degreaser.
Chemically-formulated degreasers are incredibly useful all across the kitchen—you can use them for far more than just pans! Spritz your stovetop with a bit of Goo Gone to remove stuck-on messes, or use Method Heavy Duty Degreaser to clean the inside of your microwave. (Also, try these tips for how to clean kitchen grease off of the most common kitchen surfaces.)
Need help degreasing sauce? A famous TikToker has you covered on how to degrease sauce with a genius hack.
Teddy Nykiel, Taste of Home Associate Digital Editor, contributed to this article.
