Food & Drink

The Clever Reddit Tip for Getting a Le Creuset Dutch Oven Looking Good as New

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Some issues look higher and higher with the patina of use. I really like my well-worn copper pans and iron skillets, for instance. Know what doesn’t look nice after years of heavy obligation kitchen use? An enameled forged iron Le Creuset.

Items from a long-ago Christmas, my giant Dutch oven and small stovetop pot from Le Creuset are the workhorses of our kitchen. And do they ever look it, specifically the Dutch oven. That factor has made numerous wonderful meals, however within the course of the grey enamel exterior has gotten completely gunked with, nicely, gunk. I used to maintain it sitting on prime of the range in satisfaction of place. Now I hold it hidden within the pantry as a result of regardless of how a lot we scrub it, it simply appears gross.

Effectively, there could be an answer that may carry my actually prized Le Creuset again into the kitchen… if it really works. 

The Reddit Tip for Cleansing a Dutch Oven with Oven Cleaner

They go on to say that their three Le Creuset pans would by no means come clear regardless of how a lot they scrubbed with cleaning soap and a sponge. Different makes an attempt — together with salt scrub, baking soda, and Bar Keepers Friend — labored to a point, however nothing did the trick to get the complete floor trying clear and new. 

So what did this enterprising Redditor do? Introduced out the large weapons, within the type of oven cleaner. The end result? 

“I examined a small space first. Labored like a attraction. So I did the entire thing (exterior solely). Needed to let it sit for some time to essentially clear it 100%. I first did half-hour and it labored okay. However then I reapplied and left for the day. Received dwelling from work and each single little bit of cooked-on grease simply rinsed off.

I’ve simply cleaned them with oven cleaner for the second time this 12 months. No harm, no issues.”

What the Specialists Stated About This Methodology

A strong dialogue ensued with many supporters of the strategy, however I strive to not entrust my favourite possessions to the knowledge of groupthink on the web, so I turned to 2 specialists. First, straight to the supply at Le Creuset. 

And let me inform you, it took some persistent questioning to get a selected reply. The primary response from their PR crew sidestepped my “Hello, can I take advantage of oven cleaner on my Le Creuset?” with: “As a model, we suggest utilizing our cast iron cleaner or soaking in water with a bit of baking soda.”

Okay. I attempted once more, and this time bought phrase that they couldn’t remark as a result of they haven’t examined it internally. One final try bought me a agency no remark, with a aspect statement that some issues work and a few don’t — and so they can’t check every thing. Truthful sufficient.

So I moved on to certainly one of our favourite cleansing specialists, Carolyn Forté, the Residence Home equipment/Cleansing Merchandise/Textiles Director for the Good Housekeeping Institute.

And whereas I wouldn’t name her reply a ringing endorsement, I not less than really feel good that it’s coming from a spot of intensive information. 

She hasn’t tried this tip personally, she mentioned, and identified that Le Creuset doesn’t suggest it. BUT (emphasis mine) “many oven cleaners may be safely used to identify clear cookware, broiler pans, and different surfaces with burned-on residue,” she says.

It feels like we’re submitting this below: as a final resort. 

“If different cleansing strategies haven’t efficiently cleaned it, oven cleaner could be price a strive,” Forté says. “Observe the label instructions fastidiously and apply it to a small spot on the underside as a pre-test. After a number of minutes, if there’s no harm, strive a bigger space.”

So how does this work, anyway? “Oven cleaners have elements to chop via and dissolve robust grease together with cleaners to clean away the soil,” she explains.  

If you wish to experiment, she left us with a warning. “I’d suggest brief durations of sitting and rinsing with repeated purposes, if wanted, somewhat than one lengthy soaking,” she says. “It’s simpler to observe and management that method.”

Replace: The Kitchn employees truly used this stuff on Dutch oven for the images on this submit and had shockingly wonderful outcomes. Our official takeaway, this works! However to be further secure, observe Forté’s instructions and check out a check spot on the underside and work in brief durations of time somewhat than an all-day soak.

Have you ever ever tried oven cleaner in your Le Creuset? Or have one other miracle cleaner? Tell us!

Dana McMahan

Contributor

Freelance author Dana McMahan is a continual adventurer, serial learner, and whiskey fanatic primarily based in Louisville, Kentucky.

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