Oh dear, now I need to buy a new pan

Stirring a cauldron

@Asylum (47893)

Manchester, England

February 18, 2016 7:23am CST

Yesterday I decided to make a potato hash. For the benefit of those members who may not be aware of what this is, it is a basic stew made from chopped potatoes, vegetables and corned beef. This is easy to make any very appropriate for this cold weather. I never tie myself to the stove, so I usually bring it to boil and reduce the gas to an absolute minimum and let it simmer. On such a low heat it does not burn, so I can come back to the kitchen every 10 or 15 minutes and stir it. Once it was finished I filled a bowl and ate it while watching television, then went upstairs to my computer. When I returned to make a coffee a couple of hours later I was met with a strong burning stench. Yes, I had forgotten to turn off the heat. I had to leave the pan outside in the garden for an hour before it was safe to throw in the dustbin, so now I have to buy another pan.

23 people like this

23 responses

@celticeagle (167071)

• Boise, Idaho

18 Feb 16

Where I come from they just call it 'corned beef hash'. I burned a pan one morning when I came home drunk and decided I was hungry. I put something in a pan on the stove and proceeded to go pass out. I woke up hours later with pan blackened and whatever was in it gone. Never did recall what I had tried to make.

4 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

Quite a similar scenario, although in my case I was awake and should have known better.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

@celticeagle The universe should mind its own business, I never interfere with the universe.

3 people like this

@celticeagle (167071)

• Boise, Idaho

18 Feb 16

@Asylum ....Well, maybe it was just time to get some new pots. The universe just has a ways of telling us these things. LOL

3 people like this

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@mysdianait (66009)

• Italy

18 Feb 16

It is a good job that you discovered it before the firemen arrived!

Curiosity: when you say 'corned beef', is that from a tin? If so when do you add it?

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

Yes it is from a tin. I usually add the potatoes, vegetables and corned beef in layers so that it mixes better.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

@mysdianait You surprise me Diana. This has been a traditional dish here as far back as I can remember, although I suppose it may be more popular in Lancashire.

3 people like this

@mysdianait (66009)

• Italy

18 Feb 16

@Asylum Thank you! I have never tried making that ever. Here corned beef in tins is available in some places so I might give it a go

I will try and remember what happened to you so that I do not forget to check it while it is cooking.

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@LadyDuck (471482)

• Switzerland

18 Feb 16

This happens Barry, it happened to me last summer, the smell is horrible and the pan is good for the bin.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

I ended up with the French doors and windows open at 10 PM on a cold evening, so I will take greater care next time.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

@LadyDuck I expect that I may become a little neurotic about for a while.

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@LadyDuck (471482)

• Switzerland

18 Feb 16

@Asylum From that day I go back to the kitchen several times to check if the gas is off.

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@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

18 Feb 16

That's so easily done, and the pans are usually unsalvageable.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

It was hardly worth my while even bothering to try, so it went into the dustbin.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

@jaboUK I never thought of putting it your bin, although it may have been a bit too far to walk at that time of night.

2 people like this

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

18 Feb 16

@Asylum Yes, it would have gone in my bin too.

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@fishtiger58 (29820)

• Momence, Illinois

18 Feb 16

I have done that, hate when I forget to turn off the burner.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

I cannot remember the last time that I made such a foolish mistake, but it is certainly not the first time.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

@fishtiger58 So it would seem judging by the number of members who have owned up to it.

2 people like this

@fishtiger58 (29820)

• Momence, Illinois

19 Feb 16

@Asylum We have all done it believe me

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@nottoooldtowrite (2715)

• Philippines

18 Feb 16

Oh my! Poor pan. Glad you discovered it earlier.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

So am I, but I doubt if the pan would ever forgive me so I disposed of it.

3 people like this

@nottoooldtowrite (2715)

• Philippines

18 Feb 16

@Asylum good decision

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24649)

• Singapore

18 Feb 16

My goodness, your potato hash becomes potato ashes. Fortunately you are still at home. If you happen to go out for a dental appointment, you will come back to find a whole house stinks of burnt potato.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

It is a good job that I had the kitchen door closed because otherwise I would have smelled it from upstairs.

1 person likes this

@allknowing (136595)

• India

19 Feb 16

I am now careful. I used to burn milk and I have atleast 4 of them beyond use.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

I only heat milk in the microwave, so that would not be likely for me.

1 person likes this

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

18 Feb 16

at least you got a decent meal out of it before the pan's noble sacrifice

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

Yes I did, but I was hoping to have more since the pan held a large amount.

2 people like this

@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)

• United States

19 Feb 16

I have never had a pan on the stove when I've forgotten to turn it off. However, I have turned on the oven for preheat and found that someone else in the house had put something in it for safe keeping.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

Oh, now that would be a real problem if you did not notice at the beginning.

1 person likes this

@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)

• United States

19 Feb 16

@Asylum Luckily it was always in a stove safe dish so all it did was heat the food up a bit. Our stove has an indicator light that turns on (half the time) to tell us it's preheated.

2 people like this

@garymarsh6 (23405)

• United Kingdom

18 Feb 16

Oops bad luck there. I do a lot of cooking in a wok it is much faster than an ordinary pan. I always burn carrots if that is any consolation. You are not alone!

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

No, it is not a great consolation Gary because I still have to buy a new pan irrespective of how many other people have burnt one.

1 person likes this

Michael Liriano

@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)

• West Haven, Connecticut

18 Feb 16

This happened to me about a month ago and I happy I woke up to lock the house gate and door and noticed a pan was on from my wife boiling a cup noodle soup and forgot to turn the stove off, its could have been very bad for us

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

Fortunately mine was on as low a light as possible, but a couple of hours was more than enough time for it to seriously burn into the pan.

2 people like this

Michael Liriano

@BACONSTRIPSXXX (14351)

• West Haven, Connecticut

18 Feb 16

@Asylum Or even worst burn the kitchen down, god forbid!

2 people like this

@JamesHxstatic (29413)

• Eugene, Oregon

18 Feb 16

I really hate it when I forget to turn off the burner, or leave something in the oven to stay warm, then forget about it 'til next day.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

We all do because it costs us extra money to ruin something this way.

2 people like this

@JamesHxstatic (29413)

• Eugene, Oregon

19 Feb 16

@Auntylou I clean it up if I mess it up.

1 person likes this

@Auntylou (4264)

• Oxford, England

19 Feb 16

@JamesHxstatic I really hate it more when my husband does it, because it is always me who has to deal with it

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

19 Feb 16

Bummer. I have a solution for for next time, if you like. I set a timer when I leave something on the stove. This way, even if I am distracted, the timer will remind me before disaster strikes.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

@ElizabethWallace yes, but if I forget to turn it off once I have dished out a bowl of it then it will not make a lot of difference.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

That would not have worked because I did not realise that I had left it on.

2 people like this

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

19 Feb 16

@Asylum If when you turn on the stove, you set the timer, it will ring. That's how I handle it.

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@Blondie2222 (28611)

• United States

22 Feb 16

Sounds like a wonderful meal but that stinks in the end you ruined the pan and now have to buy a new one. But it happens we all make mistakes

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

22 Feb 16

I suppose it does at least save me the trouble of washing the pan.

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

19 Feb 16

You are not alone in that kid of situation . I also burnt a pan because i forgot to come back to see how it is , because i went to the bedroom to watch a show .

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

It is almost unknown for me to do such a foolish thing, yet I managed to totally forget about it.

1 person likes this

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

20 Feb 16

@Asylum I think most mom has experienced this .

1 person likes this

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

26 Feb 16

I think all of us have done something similar and as we get older it is liable to happen more often.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

26 Feb 16

It was a pretty stupid thing for me to do irrespective of age.

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Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

26 Feb 16

@Asylum Well I would never say that but now that you mention it.....

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@JudyEv (340256)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Feb 16

This is so easy to do. I have ruined a few good pans in my lifetime.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

It does not happen very often with me because I use a very low light and usually turn it off once done.

2 people like this

@Auntylou (4264)

• Oxford, England

19 Feb 16

When I was a student I knew someone who put a chip pan on after a night drinking and woke up to find the cooker on fire. Cost him a fortune to replace all the landlord's stuff

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Feb 16

You would expect the landlord to have insurance to cover such events.

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@Auntylou (4264)

• Oxford, England

21 Feb 16

@Asylum I think it came out of the deposit that was paid on the house

@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

18 Feb 16

glad you saw it early, though the pan wasn't saved, the house was

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Feb 16

It was unlikely to catch fire, but of course I could never be certain of that.

1 person likes this