Recently I was baking using a 9 inch round nonstick pan. Upon removing my cake from the pan I threw it in the sink inside of my 8 quart stockpot that was soaking from my earlier dinner. Not realizing that the two had the same dimensions, the cake pan slowly submerged into the soapy stockpot. When I started my cleanup, I found that the cake pan nestled tightly into the stockpot as they are the exact perfect circumferences for a tight fit. I now have a stockpot with a cake pan perfectly fitted in the bottom and after many attempts am unable to get the pan to even budge. Do you have any solutions for how I can get the cake pan out of then pot? Thanks.

You want to enlarge the stockpot while shrinking the cake pan. Heat makes things expand, and cold makes them shrink. I've been able to loosen nested objects by applying heat or cold to one or the other, but your situation sounds trickier than mine was. What about putting ice cubes into the cake pan for a short time to cool it off and shrink it (without simultaneously shrinking the stock pot), then turn the stock pot upside down and knock out the cake pan?

Our member excon might have some ideas. I'll PM him.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Our member excon might have some ideas. I'll PM him.

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Hello BO:

I haven't a clue. WG's idea is as good as any. Try speedball. Maybe a plumber would know about that.

If you didn't PUSH them together, it can't be metal on metal holding them together... It's got to be a vacuum. That doesn't help me figure out how to get them apart, though.

excon

Wondergirl is onto something with heating the outer vessel, and cooling the inner.

Something else to try would be to pour some cooking oil around the perimeter of the cake pan, let it soak in a bit, and turn the pot upside down and leave it for a while, that plus the heat may help the cake pan to drop by gravity.

Is the cake pan worth anything? You can always buy a new one.

If it's not worth anything poke a hole in it to release the vacuum.

Poke a hole in the pan, like J9 said, or try flipping the stockpot upside down,and tilt it slightly (in the sink of course, lol.. ) it is very unlikely that no air can get between the two at all. After a while, air will get sucked into the pot, releasing the pan.

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Originally Posted by J_9

If it's not worth anything poke a hole in it to release the vacuum.

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Hello again, BO:

Ahhh... But, if I'm wrong, and they ARE metal to metal, you'll destroy them both...

Try cooking with it.. Maybe, by accident, you've created a great new line of cooking utensils that'll make you a zillion.

excon

I say stick them in the oven for a bit and then see if it shakes out.

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, BO:

Ahhh... But, if I'm wrong, and they ARE metal to metal, you'll destroy them both...

Try cooking with it.. Maybe, by accident, you've created a great new line of cooking utensils that'll make you a zillion.

excon

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LMAO:D
But... I would try all of the above, something has got to give.:)

Here's what I'd do. I'd pour cooking oil between the two objects, fill the cake pan with a trayful of ice cubes, let it sit for maybe fifteen minutes, dump out the ice, wedge and wiggle a knife blade between the two metal objects in hopes of relieving the vacuum seal, put the knife aside, then quickly turn the stockpot upside down on a kitchen towel and let it sit for a while in hopes the cake pan will drop down. Repeat if necessary. If this doesn't work, we'll call my mom. She can fix ANYthing.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Here's what I'd do. I'd pour cooking oil between the two objects, fill the cake pan with a trayful of ice cubes, let it sit for maybe fifteen minutes, dump out the ice, wedge and wiggle a knife blade between the two metal objects in hopes of relieving the vacuum seal, put the knife aside, then quickly turn the stockpot upside down on a kitchen towel and let it sit for a while in hopes the cake pan will drop down. Repeat if necessary. If this doesn't work, we'll call my mom. She can fix ANYthing.

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This is what I would do. Maybe a skinny flathead screwdriver for more support and you won't wreck your knife. :)

Wondergirl, that makes much more sense, I guess I'm just a prier:D
The whole situation would drive me insane, I have no patience with that kind of stuff.:rolleyes: