Last year my stove top got burnt with caramel glaze while baking an anniversary cake for my husband. Scrubbing this burnt sugar off my stove was an extremely traumatic experience for me.

I tried everything I had seen on the internet, but nothing worked well. The sugar layers were coming off the surface but in bits and pieces. Then finally, I got my hands on these remedies, and the effort was worth it!

I learned a lot about stain removal and prevention techniques for my stove and cookware. And I’ll be sharing all of them with you!

I’ve shared 4 magical ways to help you get rid of these tough stains forever in this blog post. So, if you want to explore more about how to get burnt sugar off stove top, keep reading!

How to get burnt sugar off stove top without any damage

The safest way to clean burnt stove tops is by using clinically proven and hygiene-friendly ingredients. This guide will walk you through effective and safe ingredients to remove tough stains like solidified sugar.

Soak in hot water and soap

The first and foremost important step to cleaning your burnt-off stovetop is; soaking it in water. Hot or lukewarm water not only softens the stain but also allows the soap or dishwasher to dissolve readily.

Pour some hot water mixed with dishwashing liquid onto the burnt area of your stovetop. Once loosened, scrub off these sugar chips using scrubbing pads or brushes. Wipe off the extra liquid or soap to prevent white stains. Make sure the temperature and scrubbing gadgets are compatible with the material of your stovetop.

Cooktop cleaners

Cooktop washing liquids or creams are essentially present inside every kitchen. These products specialize in removing burnt cooking and baking stains safely.

There are plenty of such cleaning formulations that are available in the market or online stores. I love using Weiman and Cerama Bryte  cooktop cleaning kits that are pretty effective and easy to use. You can also use them as a polisher for your stovetop or burners.

Just scrap the carbonized sugar chips gently using a scrubber. Apply the cleaning gel or liquid to cover the burnt area completely. Rub it over the surface using Scotch Brite or any scrubbing pad. Rinse the soapy mixture with clean water.

  Vinegar and baking soda soak(s)

You’ll find vinegar and baking soda in pretty much every cleaning guide. These natural exfoliants are essentially beneficial, biodegradable, and safe for human health. There are different methods to get the maximum advantage out of these 2 potential cleansing agents.

How to get burnt sugar off stovetop using vinegar and baking soda.

1. Clean the stove gently with a cotton wipe or towel and sprinkle 2 tbsp. of baking soda over its surface. Add some hot water to make a fizzy mixture (You can also apply it in the form of a thick mixture). Let it work for good 30-45 minutes and scrub off loosened sugar chips with the help of a scrubber or razor. Clean the stove using a dishwasher and water.
2. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to approximately 2 cups of water and simmer this solution for 15 minutes. Pour this hot solution on the burnt stovetop and let it catalyze the tough carbonized sugar layer. Pull off these tough layers of sugar using a good scrubber and wash it with a gentle dishwasher.
3. You can also try vinegar sprays that are specifically designed for cleaning such tough stains. These are the perfect handy solutions for your burnt stoves.
4. Add 1 tbsp of baking soda to 1 cup of white vinegar and pour some water into this mixture. Simmer this mixture for 20 minutes and pour it over the burnt area of your stovetop. Let this hot solution sit for some time until the sugar layer starts chipping off. Using these 2 exfoliating agents at once speeds up the cleaning procedure and provides better results. Scrub the stovetop with a cleaning pad or scrapper and rinse the stove with water.

Disclaimer: This technique isn’t suitable for glass stove tops!

Using razor blades or scrapers is quite a risky yet effective method to get rid of burnt sugar from your stovetop. One thing I’m sure about is the effectiveness of this method, especially for stainless steel stoves.

Being risky doesn’t mean you’ve to be a professional to handle a razor. This cleaning method is accessible at the same time, but you should know these tricks before using any sharp object on stovetops.

• Use hot water or wet the stove with soap solution to soften the carbonized layer of sugar.
• Most importantly: use the razor at an angle of 45°.
• Scrub it in a way it doesn’t damage the paint or coatings of the stove.
• Wash off the cleansed surface with water and mild soap suitable for your cooktops.

How often should you clean a burnt stove top?

Knowing how to get burnt sugar off the stovetop isn’t enough. You should better understand how often you should wash your stove for desirable outcomes.

It’s the supreme rule of hygiene to clean your cooktops even if it’s safe from any cooking spill or grim.

Your stoves are one of the most expensive investments in your kitchen. You should never compromise on their cleaning and maintenance practices.

The best practice is to wash off sugar or any other accidental spill instantly. Typically, we keep on cooking irrespective of the damage. Heating or longer stay time for such spills on the stove increases the strength of the stain. Don’t forget to wash the grates, heads, and handles. They’re of equal importance!

Stainless steel stovetops are pretty resistant to scrubbing as compared to ceramic and glass stoves. But these practices are less favorable for ceramic or glass stoves.

So you should better understand the basic chemistry of these stovetops before experimenting with anything harsh on them. Other than that, you should also follow mindful cooking practices. Control overflowing of food or boiling liquids by monitoring the flame carefully.

How to keep your stove top shiner for longer?

Once you’ve removed the burnt sugar off your stovetop, it’s time to keep the shine last longer. To avoid messing with such tough stains again, stay alert right from the beginning. Here’re a few steps that can help you in this maintenance process:

Be consistent with your cleaning schedule

As I mentioned earlier, whether your stovetop gets spilled or not, you ought to clean it daily. Avoid deep cleansing every other day or cleaning with knives, vinegar, or baking soda.

Fix the stove carefully after cleaning

Remove the grates, screws (if any), or heavy handles of your stove before starting the cleaning process. It will protect them from incompatible chemical exposure responsible for erosion or other irreversible damages.

Wait for your stove to dry completely and fix everything in place just like earlier. It ensures that the grates or stove gadgets won’t fall off during cooking. Also, be careful with the gas lids. If you fail to fix them tightly at their proper place, you’ll invite some trouble.

Follow the user manual

The user manual that comes with your stove is of prime importance. Every cookware has a certain attitude towards heating. Following the instructions in the user manual can help you cook your food without burning it at a high temperature. It tells whether your pans and pots are compatible with your stove or not.

Is it safe to clean your stove top with bleach?

No, don’t ever use bleach to clean your stove top. It’s highly unsafe for your stove and your health as well. Bleach is a powerful oxidizing and disinfecting agent that doesn’t help get burnt sugar off the stove top. It doesn’t even help remove dirt, grime, or grease from the stove’s heads, top, or handles.

It potentially destroys the color and coatings of your stovetop. From a health point of view, on reaction with ammonia or detergents releases toxic fumes. These fumes are hazardous for our health and pollute the environment. 

How to get burnt sugar off stove top with deep cleansing?

The term “deep cleansing” refers to the thorough cleaning of the stove, including its head, handles, and burner caps. If the liquid sugar has spilled and reached all over the surface, it’s time to deep clean your stove. Begin with soaking the heads, caps, or grates in hot water and wash it off by following the methods as mentioned earlier.

Is it safe to use a razor for removing burnt food off your stove? 

Careful use of razors, knives, or any other sharp object works best for getting burnt sugar or other food items off your stove top. But, I won’t recommend using one because you may end up damaging the color or interior of your stove top. Especially in the case of glass stoves, razors or sharp-edged objects can break their sensitive parts, making them useless.

Is hydrogen peroxide effective against burnt sugar stains on the stove top?

Yes, a hydrogen peroxide solution is quite effective and safe compared to ammonia and bleach solutions. It’s an efficient cleaning agent that doesn’t produce undesirable halogenated byproducts. But still, I would recommend using vinegar, soda, or hot water soaks to stay within safe limits to clean your stove tops.

Even lime can dissolve burnt sugar; you just have to rub it frequently, giving it a shorter stay time.

The final verdict

There are many cooktop cleaners and harsh chemical exfoliants available in the market to remove stains from your stove. But I’ve tried focusing on how to get burnt sugar off stove top using ingredients readily available inside your kitchen. Now, burnt sugar can’t stop you from melting more caramel or sugar for your sweet recipes!