I had a nice 5 liter pot that eventually had its bottom warped, meaning it could no longer sit flat on a stove top, and therefore would never get adequately hot to boil water.
Is there any way to fix warped pots? Also, how does one clean the bottom of pots when they turn black? How does one prevent warped pots? (cleaning w/o harsh abrasives?)
How to fix a warped pot?
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Re: How to fix a warped pot?
Uh... I wonder how that happened? Did you leave it sitting for too long? Or did you dunk the hot pot in cold water? (Don't).
A warped pot will still work on a propane stove, but if you must attempt a fix, do the following. Heat up the pot until it is really hot by boiling a little water in it. Dump the water and turn it around face down so the top rim rests flat on a sturdy surface. Take a rubber mallet (not a metal one) and hit the bottom hard until it flattens out. Allow it to cool down on its own. If you don't have a rubber mallet, use a flat piece of wood on the bottom and hit the wood with a rock.
The black stuff (carbon) at the bottom is fine. If you use propane it's actually preferred since it absorbs heat instead of reflecting it. It shouldn't affect other heating methods either. If you still want to get it off try scrubbing with a brass pad.
A warped pot will still work on a propane stove, but if you must attempt a fix, do the following. Heat up the pot until it is really hot by boiling a little water in it. Dump the water and turn it around face down so the top rim rests flat on a sturdy surface. Take a rubber mallet (not a metal one) and hit the bottom hard until it flattens out. Allow it to cool down on its own. If you don't have a rubber mallet, use a flat piece of wood on the bottom and hit the wood with a rock.
The black stuff (carbon) at the bottom is fine. If you use propane it's actually preferred since it absorbs heat instead of reflecting it. It shouldn't affect other heating methods either. If you still want to get it off try scrubbing with a brass pad.
Re: How to fix a warped pot?
Also you might try filling with water and freezing. That's how I get the dents and wobbles out of my klean kanteens, though they have sealable tops which keep the water contained, allowing the expansion to do the work.