Pots Stuck Together

I moved over the weekend, and my children were very helpful in packing. However, when I unpacked my pots and pans, one of the children (possibly the one named "not me") had nested two of my pots and they have become stuck together.

I tried puttting cold water in the top one and dipping the bottom one in hot water, but they would not budge.

Does anyone else have any ideas? One of these pots belonged to my grandmother and it always makes me think of her when I cook with it.

Thanks,
Kelly in Virginia

Answers:

Pots Stuck Together

Try putting ice and water in the top pot, and fill the sink with hot water, and set the outside pot in the hot water. After a few minutes the pots should come apart. (06/29/2005)

By

Pots Stuck Together

Kelly if you find out please let me know. I have the same problem. I tried all kinds of things. Vegetable oil around the rim, the same thing you tried with the hot water in one and ice water in another, and now I am going to try to put them both in the freezer like one reader suggested.

Will let you know if it works (04/17/2007)

By sandy

Pots Stuck Together

Got them unstuck. What I did was put them in the dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Immediately when I got them out I took the end of a butter knife and gently tapped the lip of the bottom pot. I tapped it in the area where the top pot was the furthest down in the bottom pot. Then I took 2 of those rubber square pads that you use to try to undo jar lids and slightly pulled (using the rubber pad for grip) and thank goodness it came undone.

Hope this works for you.
(04/17/2007)

By sandy

Pots Stuck Together

It worked. Ice water in the top pot and I sat the bottom pot in a sink of hot water. They were apart within 3 minutes. (02/27/2008)

By Dana

Pots Stuck Together

I had the same problem but all of the above did not work to release the top pot. So in the middle of steaming sinks, pools of melted ice cubs, greasy with oil, I opted for brute force. Screw drivers, knifes and hammers. When I was about to give up and having thrown the whole apparatus on the floor I realized that a screwdriver, strategically balanced on the floor and connecting to the little outside lip of the top pot allowed me to push the bottom pan with all my weight out of the top one supported up by the screwdriver.

(Be sure to place the screwdriver under the lip of the part of the pan most 'out' of the bottom pan and push down on the bottom pan where it is most sunken
in)
Good luck my fellow panhandlers! (05/16/2008)

By Berkeley Potsticker

Pots Stuck Together

I tried just about everything. The two pots were evenly stuck all around. My daughter had used the bottom one for steaming ingredients in the top one, therefore there was water still in the bottom one. The fit was so tight that not a drop of water could seep out. I figured as long as there was water in the bottom pan I could put it on the stove over my gas burner. I filled the top pot with ice cubes and cold water. It made quite the explosion when they finally separated after 8 minutes over the heat. This was my last attempt before thowing out these pots. Hope it works for you as well. (12/23/2008)

By Chris

Pots Stuck Together

For over six months I had two pots stuck together. I filled my sink with soapy hot water just below the top of the bottom pot. I heated a third pot with water on the stove. After that water began to boil. I poured it in the sink. I began to pull the top pot up at different points where it would move. Eventually, I was able to lift the top pot completely up. (07/08/2010)

By Ethel Craig

Pots Stuck Together

First, fill the top pot entirely with ice cubes and just leave it overnight in the sink, does not require any water in the sink. In the morning wipe the water from the pot and pull by both handles. The top pot should POP off, just go around slowly while pulling them apart. Good luck Kelly, I just got mine unstuck yesterday morning. This really works! (08/11/2010)

By Kitty B.