If you can scrape a bit off with your fingernail then you might have a chance of cleaning it. If you canât then it means itâs baked on and almost impossible to remove.
Comment on Daily Discussion Thread: đđđ Sunday, 8 December, 2024
tombruzzo@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
I have a Le Cruset crepe pan that just has all this black stuff burnt to it. Happened the first time I used it and I havenât been able to get it off. Any tips for removing it? Or should I try for warranty because I think the pans themselves are meant to have lifetime, the coating only so long
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
tombruzzo@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
It can be scraped off, thereâs just a lot, most of it is stubborn, and it comes back on every time I use it
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
My guess would be you have the heat turned up too much.
dumblederp@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Power tools. Brass bristle brush in a drill?
I use one of these in my polisher to clean my burned pots. 3M Scotch-Brite Roloc Bristle Disc
TheWitchofThornbury@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Not on an enamel coating, you barbarian! You can do this on cast iron or steel or copper or even teflon, but not enamel.
Force_majeure123@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Not on a le creuset! Have mercy
dumblederp@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
The brass is softer than the ceramic coating. Donât be too aggressive and itâs fine. My hands are a bit stuffed and Iâm not wearing them out because I forgot my noodles while partaking in Dr William Nelsons Jamacian arthritis relief system.
Catfish@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Oh no! That was not a fantastic move. If itâs that fucked youâd have to strip it back to raw and season it. Like this guy, but less reddit.com/âŚ/oop_seasons_a_cast_iron_pan_100_timeâŚ
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
What did you use to clean it?
tombruzzo@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Iâve been careful not to use any thing abrasive. I have this silicone scrubber thatâs like a sponge and some brushes. It can probably take more but I donât want to scratch it
TheWitchofThornbury@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
The black stuff is probably burnt on pancake batter or similar which has polymerised. Gonna be tough to get off. OK, Le Creuset puts heat tolerant enamel on as the coating on their pans, so this might work. Enamel is a glass, which doesnât react to strong alkali or acid but is fragile to impacts and scratching. Once cracked, itâs ruined as cookware as you really donât want glass shards in your dinner.
First, fill the pan with water, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and put the pan on a very gentle simmer for an hour or so. Watch it like a hawk so it doesnât boil dry - top up with hot water as needed. Then let it cool a bit, tip out most of the water and scrub with a plastic scourer.
If that doesnât work to lift the black bits, then its time for the heavy duty stuff:
Mix up a slurry of bicarb or baking soda with dishwashing liquid to make an alkali intense treatment - which degrades the polymerisation chemically - the consistency of wet snot is what youâre looking for. Slather this on the black bits and cover with a layer of cling film. Leave the pan in a warm spot for a day or so, then rinse off. Try scrubbing with a plastic scourer on the now weakened black bits. If some comes off, then repeat process once.
If thereâs still some black bits remaining after that, then what remains is resistant to alkali. So try an acid intense treatment such as a vinegar/salt/flour slurry (with cling film) to further degrade the polymerised black bits. The paste recipe is 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup salt and enough vinegar to make a slurry. Put this ONLY on the black bits not the whole pan, and lay it on thicc. This too needs to sit on the black bits under cling film for a day or so and then scrubbed. Donât soak the whole pan in straight vinegar as this will loosen the enamel from the underlying cast iron and cause it to flake off. Barkeepers Friend is an alternative to the paste recipie.
If none of these work either by themselves or together, then the pan is probably ruined. If the only stuff remaining is in a network of cracks, the pan IS ruined and should be discarded. Le Creuset probably wonât refund if the problem occurred as a result of leaving the pan on the heat after using it, as they advise prompt cleanup in their instructions.
I know, I know, it sounds like a whole lotta work. Le Creuset is expensive, and very good quality, but does need to be cared for properly and not abused.
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
and this is why I will never buy one these things.
Seagoon_@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
yup, stainless steel for me
Force_majeure123@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
You are a treasure
tombruzzo@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Iâll try the bicarb slurry. I have citric acid too, could I do something with that?
TheWitchofThornbury@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Barkeepers Friend is citric acid. Try it if the alkali treatment doesnât work. Donât mix it with the alkali cos all youâll get is foam. While foam is nice it doesnât actually do anything much.
Taleya@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Barkeeps is oxalic - rhubarb acid
LowExperience2368@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
TheWitchofThornbury@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Ahem, several ruined Le Creuset pans later ⌠I did eventually read the instructions and have had no problems with my favorite risotto pan since. And the lid of it is a fine fine frypan that does 2 eggs beeeyoutifully. Or 1 steak, which as I live alone is just so so nice.
The fix up info dates from the 80s when I was coming back to human life from a severe substance abuse addiction and took a job as a shearerâs cook during the very last gasp of the gang shearing system. I dealt with a LOT of âruinedâ pans and stove tops inherited from previous cooks using the methods above. Limited resources, no budget for replacements, and 18-30 hungry shearers to be fed 6 times a day meant I had to get on top of the available very basic equipment super fast. You havenât known grief until youâve tried to clean a wood stove dated 1880 with one leg missing, and which leans over so far the gravy in the roasting pans sets into a pyramid when it gets cold. And 40 deg plus temperatures where the bastards snuck in and filled the kero powered fridge with beer so all the milk got warm enough to curdle. I could tell some stories about food service in that industry that would curl your hair (if not already curly) but I will spare your blushes.
The upside of that experience was that I finished up after 4 years with the price of a house in inner Melbourne in cash in my back pocket, which has been the foundation of my current prosperity. So not all bad.
Catfish@aussie.zone â¨4⊠â¨weeks⊠ago
Agree with all of the above.