How to clean an electric stove burner from carbon buildup?

I cleaned my stove with baking soda and vinegar - made a paste, applied it to the burner and left it for 15-20 minutes, then rubbed it with a soft cloth.

The main thing is to unplug the stove from the outlet first and let it cool down. If the burnt-on stuff is really stuck, you can try a special stove cleaner like Amway or Frosch, but with baking soda you get pretty much the same result and spend less money.

If the burners have completely lost their performance - maybe they just wore out, then it's better to replace them, they're pretty cheap at parts stores.

Baking soda with vinegar is a good option, but if the burner isn't heating properly, the problem is most likely oxidation of the contacts. I'd also recommend wiping the connection point between the burner and the stove with rubbing alcohol or a special contact-cleaning cloth - sometimes that works better than cleaning the coil itself.

The main thing is don't use abrasive materials like steel brushes or powders - they can scratch the heating element. Try the simplest approach first: turn off the stove, let it cool down, then wipe the burners with a regular damp cloth without any chemicals. Often the black buildup is just dust or cooking splatters that stuck on. If that doesn't work, then move on to more serious methods like contact cleaner or baking soda paste.

The problem might not just be carbon buildup on the coil itself, but also oxidation of the contacts where it connects. If the burner hasn't been cleaned in a while, an oxide film builds up there, which prevents proper contact and heat transfer. Before you do anything, make sure to unplug the stove and let it cool down completely - about 30-40 minutes.

Here's what actually works: grab some fine-grit sandpaper (not a metal brush, that'll damage the coil), and lightly go over the connection point where the burner meets the socket - right where you can see the contacts. Usually just a few passes are enough to remove the oxidation. Then wipe that spot with a dry cloth. If it's a cast iron burner with a built-in coil, you can follow up by wiping the visible surface with a damp cloth to get rid of dust and oxide residue.

Put the burner back into the socket so it sits snugly, and turn it on to the lowest setting - check if it heats up better. Most of the time that's enough to get half the power back. If it doesn't help much, then move on to baking soda paste for the coil, but clean those contacts first anyway - that's usually the main culprit.