Cleaning an Enamel Cast Iron Pot
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2019
- In 2011 I made one of my first cast iron bargain scores, and still one of the best. At a flea market I found a huge Le Creuset 13 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven, or "french oven" for only six bucks. It was already beat up and the lid was missing, but there was no way I could pass up a bargain like that. For the past eight years this has been one of my most useful cast iron pots, as I've used it for cooking many pots of pasta sauce, stews, Boston baked beans, and even South Carolina barbecue hash. But this pot has not only become stained, the enamel itself has become worn down, and the pot is unfortunately reaching the end of its lifespan. So, here's what happened when I tried to clean up a beat up, worn down, and very stained enameled cast iron pot.
- Zábava
Just grind the enamel out leaving the nice color outside and use it as cast iron. Just keep it seasoned as you would with any other cast iron.
You can stil use it as Dutch oven to bake Bread in it 👍🏼
The enamel has certainly worn through in several areas. I'm not sure how it was when you acquired it, but using an abrasive pad to scour the bottom is a big no-no according to Le Creuset. The abrasive pads will create scratches in the enamel, making it weaker and prone to chipping off. Bar Keepers friend and baking soda are the most abrasive things you should ever use to clean enameled cast iron cookware.
I have a few vintage Le Creuset enameled pots and I love them. They are worn down but they still function fine. Awesome quality.
I figured I had nothing to lose with a vintage enamel Descoware pan. It was black and charred on the bottom and had years of grease build up inside and discoloration. I put it in the oven upside down and put the oven through a self-cleaning cycle and it came out looking nearly new!
My pot was just a bad and worked for days trying to clean. I had a idea to put about ¼ cup of Oxi Clean power in pot and add hot water into the pot and let it sit overnight. This morning it looks like new. I had tried everything and only the Oxi Clean worked. Give it a try.
yes Oxi Clean overnight worked for me also.
Will it ruin the glaze eventually though?
@@banker1313 I have used this process many times without any damage to the porcelain finish.
@@garywilliams878 Ok perfect thank you! I just bought a Lodge 3.6 qt enameled cast iron and before I use it I wanted to check into how to actually clean it as many stated the stains are almost impossible to remove.
One more thing....what is your take on baking soda?
@@banker1313 I tried baking soda on my stain and it did very little.
Lifetime guarantee means call LC and get authorization to send it back!
You can still save and use this pot. It's cast iron, so you cant really ruin it. The enamel layer on the inside, however, is at this point unsalvagable. But the pot itself is still good! What I would do is apply acetone to the inside of the pot and let sit for a few hours, then scrub with steel wool to remove the remaining enamel. Then coat the inside of the pot in avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or another high smoke point neutral-flavored oil of your choice, pop in the oven, set to the highest setting your oven will go, and let cook for an hour to an hour and a half. Repeat with another layer of oil, and you'll have yourself a perfectly fine cast iron pan!
I would still use it!
William Hurt! W O W, you just never know who's into cast iron!, Modemac I have collected on and off for 30 years, I used to have access to a very high temp oven 4000 f. ,put a little Wagner coated ashtray in it out of curiosity,small flash then fire,hour later clean cast iron, I have smaller LQ 8qt.,made pasta one night,went to clean it the next morning popped a noodle off the side, took off the stained ,and left a noodle imprint until this day, so the coating can be sanded off. Keep up the good work you have done a great job,educating the public, you will be truly missed by all,someday maybe we will meet it would be my pleasure. Big Al....
be quite sure that i am not the same william hurt that you are probably thinking about. i am william 111. have a story for you though, the william you were thinking about started shooting "the big chill" in my home town, beaufort, sc. the very same week i moved to atlanta. guess there was not enough room there for two william hurt's. ha!
Aren't there any options available to have the pot re-coated with enamel?
Also...it just occurred to me that when all else fails, this pot could make an excellent mini smoker/BBQ pit....🤔🤔🤔
Yes, good quality ones can be re-enameled but it's a specialist job and may not be worth the price
U can still use it, just make sure that no enamel comes off in the food, no problem, its only cast iron at the bottom.
But why risk food safety? Out of desperation if he paid full price maybe. But this was basically a free pot for him.
@@embracethebright1587 no food safety issues? Don't you use a cast iron frying pan?
@@susieserb6068 they're saying the enamel is the issue, not the cast iron
What I have found that actually works best is using OxiClean powdered detergent. This does not get rid of burnt on food. It gets rid of the staining on the inside bottom of your Dutch oven. Fill your Dutch oven with water, and pour in a cup of OxiClean powdered detergent. Let it sit overnight. You may have to repeat this process a few times, but I guarantee you the stains will be removed. Mine was stained with blueberry residue, and after doing this three different times, the stains were completely gone.
I don't have any enameled pots or pans that damaged, but I really like using the mr clean magic erasers for some of the staining I've been getting.
Same! Also removes with out damage.
You'd want to be really careful doing that. They do seem like magic and they certainly have an outstanding marketing campaign. However Magic Erasers are basically a superfine sandpaper usually made of a melamine. Disregarding the environmental effects of using such things what they actually do is remove very thin layers off the item, in this case potentially the enamel. Eventually you will weaken the enamel in the meantime you are also potentially leaving micro abrasions. You are better off just using bicarb (baking soda) which is also the recommendation from Le Creuset themselves. It's well known for its cleaning properties, including removing coffee and tea stains from cups and a lot less abrasive than a magic eraser.
Did you think of removing the enamel coat altogether and just season it like any regular cast iron pan??? 🤔
I have an enameled cast iron Dutch oven by Martha Stewart that I love. Not very expensive but a great pot.
You could have it re enameled. But looks okay to me. I still use pots and pans with enamel coming off. Don't forget the more you scour or clean it the more of the surface covering will be removed due to the prosses.
Kurt, How do you re-enamal your pot. I can't find information anywhere. Thanks in advance.
@@leonarussell595 its a specialised procesa. You need to take ir somewhere that do this. Like the manufactures who made it. Or another company who deals with this sort of thing it may be expensive just for one item. Try looking in phone book on re enamelers in yor area or other type of engineering services.
Hope it helps
@@kurtsteiner8384 Thanks Kurt!
how/where do you get a pot re-enameled?
@@pjaccountname
Read my previous msgs on this. It may be an idea to contact the manufacturer of the pots. It is an industrial process and needs to go through to do this. Failing that look up re enamelers in your area in phone book. They may be able to help.
I will depend how bad these pots are weather its worth doing or not.
I sent these msgs well over a year ago.
Hope it helps
great job , about as well as could be done............thank ye , for the share........
You can get a replacement from La Crusant. The Warranty is very good
Fret not, that's still an awesome Dutch oven to bake bread in. 👍🏻
Sure, the enamel has worn away but the cast iron would still be okay for cooking. It's a beautiful colour and lovely dimensions.
That's assuming you effectively remove all the enamel. For anyone reading, please don't use any cookware where a layer of anything has started to come off. Teflon, enamel, rust on cast iron... That is not safe, you'll hurt or poison yourself. Repair if possible and discard if not.
and yet another interesting point for you modemac, there is a le cruset factory outlet in Yamasee, S.C. if you ever go back, then you are the one to check it out and write a review!!!!!!!!!!!
can you cure it again it looks like it is down to the iron
Not sure why you just don't send it back to the company. They replace them for free! These things have lifetime warranties.
Ok then...I'm looking into this as mine is showing some very serious wear and tear after a some years of fairly regular use.
Abigail Brewster Well, I'm sure the guy in the video didn't mention that because he got his for $6 bucks at a garage sale, so he really doesn't qualify for this coverage. But, he might have sent it off anyway! But, if he didn't send it, I can respect that. I don't believe they harass people for proof of purchase. I mean, how could they? Some of these are pots returned many years after they've been purchased.
@@RumbleFish69 you know..it would be a nice optional service offered but companies selling more ovens wins, I suppose.
Le Creuset pots cost a small fortune. Sure, they won't ask a proof of purchase and will just send you a new one. 🙄
Actually it is a 30 year limited lifetime warranty. And they can identify the age by how the handles are shaped and the colour amongst other distinct design features. Also the warranty is meant for manufacturing defects like chiping inner enamal not for an abused pott.
You definitely got your $6 worth 😂
You are doing it the hard way. Use Barkeeper’s Friend to clean it. Works like a charm with much less effort. If the enamel coating is completely worn through nothing will help, but Barkeepers Friend will remove any kind of crud from the enamel.
Great advice but sometime thing are just too far gone. Thank you for the video
I didn't know you can use vleach🤔mine looks horrible and have tried scrubbing till my fingers hurt😒i am definitely trying this
You can still use it. It as just worn the enamel. The inside is cast in o no problem.
Won't paint/enamel chips get into the food?
@@aumelb no, there are no chips as such. Molecules would be present in cooking anyway but not chips.
My le creuset ovens are Treasured! I lightly use their cleaner which is basically phosphoric acid- try a coke! I see your bottom is rubbed raw😉though.
ummmm.....LOL
Comparison of Descoware, Lodge and generic Chinese enameled pots showed me pretty quickly that the Chinese enamel is quite soft and porous, compared to the vintage European products. Hence, cleaning stains from the Chinese products is not really an option. The enamel rubs right off! Since my only remaining Chinese pot is a wonderful rice cooker, I have learned to be content with the stains in order to keep the enamel surface intact.
How do you know when it's reached its end? I burnt one pretty bad
Standup give a formula on how much bleach to use to clean your le creuset with water & bleach. You need to let it sit for 24 HOURS, then wash it again. This formula works, I used it on my cast iron pot.
Would boiling it with baking soda help you out at all??
I scanned/read-through many of the previous commenters to find out with what are you using to scrub your pot? It sounds like a stainless version of a Brillo pad. We use green Scrubbies without the sponge on the other side. I can see why a pot with enamel would look like this as it’s not made for such abrasive treatment even with the plastic-based scrubby it can remove varnish from a table even though it’s not metal. It sounds like that’s what’s happening here.
Just got the 7.3 dutch oven and it was a lot bigger than what I was expecting. You must have giant meals to use a 13.
It's actually quite useful.
Hey I seen a video here on CZcams boiling citric acid and water and it helped take out stains of the enamel. Not as stained as this one but hey try it and post to see if it works I really like to know!
Why can’t you use it like that
Is it safe to use bleach to clean the pot?
At the risk of asking a silly question ... it's a cast iron pot under that enamel and given that would it not be possible to grind off the enamel with a wire brush/drill? Thoughts??
It’s not unlikely that I could have it sandblasted to completely remove the enamel.
Just a idea but why not contact the company and have them put a new coat of stuff in it? Or you can turn it into a planter!
I had the same size pot. After about 15 years It started to develop pitting. I heard that if you call the company they would help evaluate the pot. Well I had to send the pot to them and guess what they replaced the pot for free!
@@adrianstasiuk8366 Le Creuset, I have no idea if the policy has changed, but they stood by their product for me.
Yes they did that for me too but only when I could show the original receipt from when I bought it. Le Creuset is amazing.
A good cast iron pot will be worthy treasure for a life time. The former owner did not clean this pot properly thus is why its trash now. Once you invest your money in another good cast iron pot at least read the directions and know how to take care of and it will in turn take of you. Le creuset have high end cast iron;and Tramontina is a good cast iron, less expensive.
Eric, I've been thinking about buying one of the Lodge Enameled Dutch Ovens for a while now. One of my Sisters has one and she definitely loves and uses hers quite often.
Thanks for sharing your cleaning attempt, too bad that the bottom had worn out. But, you have to think about all of the great meals that were prepared in that pot.
Nothing compares to CI Dutch Ovens.
Stan
Modernly priced brands like Tramontina, Rachael Ray, Marths Stuart are good quality brands for less money, compared to top of the line brands such as le Cruest and Staub
These pans sucks...are heavy and absolutely a pain in the fingers. Buy some high quality professional pans instead. You'll be happier
No ! No ! Noooooo !!!!! I have mentioned multiple times that doing the john-method of SHELACCING (even on this encrusted cast iron with outside enameling ... that you can still shellac over this. Get up a high heat of BBQ briquets (and for this size pot) you want to do the inside bottom first, then do quarters of the inside sides with a layer of veg oil. Let sink in, boil, fizz, burn, and bind with the cast iron and other stuff on the sides. Continue this process (time consuming) for 14-16 ... up to 20 layers of wiped on veg (gooey shellacy) oil on the surface. It will eventually turn its blue-black "blueing" process (like gun blueing) and smooth out to glass all the pores and pimples on the crust surface, making a super smooth and glass surface - non stick. No more rusting, seasoning, just wipe out, dry, and store away.
you should make a video
Soke in.cloth washing detergent powder over night and give a good boil next day.cool down then scrub with hard scorer pad. I've cleand my brunt pan this way.come out clean.
soak, clothes, scouring, cleaned, burnt, came. you're welcome. cheers!
Hey there. I saw something today that might be an option for you to save this pot. I saw someone baking bread in their worn enamel cast iron pot, no lid!!!! Maybe you can save it and use it for that????
you need a lid for baking bread
Buy a glass drill bit on ebay, put a few holes up about a half an inch to an inch from the bottom, and presto! A Le Creuset flower pot!
You took off the enamel with the citrus cleaner
Is there a reason why you can’t use a well worn le creuset pot.
can be used....but they are great for vinegar or acid based sauces .......un like cast iron, those sauces will eat away at your seasoning .
none unless 1)the enamel is chipping and getting in the food or 2) the roughness causes food to stick and burn.
What about using it for cooking bread?
By the way, I subscribed to your channel😊
love all of your videos, this one too but does the enamel wearing out actually make the utensil untenable to use? there simply could not be a toxic issue as the great modemac is fearless on that point. you might be ancestrally related to chief Toxaway. anyway, if the metal is still there, then what is the issue? I have an old Dru cast iron 5 quart dutch oven that belonged to my mom, i will never let it go regardless of the wear. it just seems to me that if the metal is there, then why throw it away. did i miss something, is the metal wearing away? And changing the subject, closely by the way, i was raised in south carolina so i am very curious as to where you visited and acquired that over the top, super ricth recipe for bbq hash. don't wanna know any other details but i cherish to know the region. if i was brave enough to try that in this hot weather, then i think i would have to back off on some of those ritch ingredients but that's just me, cant metabolize the good stuff like i could in my youth! And back closer to the subject, i too have found some wonderful le cruset bargains at flea markets and yard sales. seems like people are not up on that brand as the the prices seldom reflect the quality. thank you and do keep posting modemac!!!!!!!!!!!
William Hurt The enamel was beginning to chip, and that’s why the worn out enamel was a problem. The enamel could only chip more and flakes of it could get into the food.
@@castironchaos a company called Kolene produce a product called Denamel, ever thought of using something like this then seasoning the bare metal?
The previous owner dose not know how t o clean !
some can be reenameled
Sorry to see the pot coming to its end. I never scrub my enamel with a scrubber that hard. Very lightly and rare. Barkeepers friend and a sponge or baking soda and lemon juice (vinegar) with a sponge. You kind of rubbed/scrubbed the enamel off more than you needed to.
That Le Creuset to replace will cost you your first born, it's so expensive.
I have a 7qt Lodge that is working for me along with a 6qt Lodge if needed.
is it safe to use it when the white enamel is so worn out? I have a Dutch oven in a similar situation
Yes, just season it like you would a raw cast iron
What if the bottom is pitted? Is it safe to use still?
Did you ever find out the answer to this question? I just acquired a vintage enamel cast iron pot and am wondering the same
You can still use it to bake bread.
Have you ever considered having it re-enameled?
yes, this was suggested above. how or where does one find such a service?
Barkeepers Friend :)
A replacement is a better option
Citric acid, heat then leave for several hours. Does the shop!
have you tried to use the famous le Creuset lifetime warranty?
The famous Le Creuset lifetime warranty doesn't allow a user to replace a worn out pot with a brand new one. Warranties don't work like that: you can't take your car to the dealer and say "This car is at 99,000 miles and is getting worn out, so I'm using the 100,000 mile warranty to get a brand new car for free."
@@castironchaos Check out this article:
adribarrcrocetti.com/main/2014/02/17/stand-by-your-pan-dont-throw-away-that-le-creuset/#:~:text=Merci%2C%20Le%20Creuset!,Le%20Creuset%20of%20America%2C%20Inc.
Maybe you get lucky with it. Let me know.
@@ICXCNIKA001
On that link, the Le Creuset Lifetime Warranty reads: "Le Creuset cookware is warranted to you by Le Creuset of America, Inc. to be free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of its purchase... This warranty does not cover damage from abuse, commercial use or other non-consumer use, neglect, abnormal wear or tear, overheating, or any use not in accordance with the cookware instructions provided with the utensil... This Lifetime Limited Warranty begins on the date of purchase and lasts as long as a covered consumer owns the utensil." The warranty covers *manufacturing defects*, not chipping caused by heavy use of the pan under normal circumstances.
Sandblast and condition. You'll thank me
even though the enamel is coming off, you can still use the pot by seasoning the base, and it will work good as new
Asmr Forever: how do you season the enamel ?
@@bneely99 Use carbon steel or cast iron seasoning method. Same really.
Essentially polymerization of oil to create a slick & protective barrier.
Tons of YT vids about process.
Can be done in oven or stovetop, or combination.
Extra added non stickiness by stir frying scallion tops (deep green parts) in hot oil until they're almost charred. This is Chinese wok seasoning technique.
Looks like the enamel is worn off...
Le Creuset or not, I don’t know if I’d scrub anything for 30 minutes!
Spend +$300 on a new one then (:
Maria Lopez when you put it that way..... where’s that pot scourer;)
dude. i think your doing it wrong
honestly, you should only have to wipe down, minimal cleaning is best
you rubbed away the glass coating, you might as well just get a traditional black cast iron that doesn't have the white glass *enameled surface
I would grind off the enamel just on the bottom and season it like a Normal cast iron pot.
Why look for a replacement it's still more than fine to use it cast iron .
Good luck.
Your supposed to leave it overnight or 24 hours with the bleach for better results
Oven cleaner !
How did you ever eat anything you cooked in this? Doesn’t look useless to me.
I got the same problem...Lt cannot be resurfaced then ..
I don’t think there is a way to repair cracked or chipped enamel.
Just get it enameled again. Shouldn't cost much.
Use it as a planter
Next time just buy enameled cast iron with black color
All I can think of is all the chemicals that will be going into your home cooked meals now.
I gave up this dutch oven two years ago and got a brand new enameled dutch oven.
Chemicals were on it but rinsed. It’s not like using a sponge. It’s enameled cast iron. Microscopic pores might exist but proper rinsing should take care of any trace chemicals. Especially in regular cast iron where reseasoning at high temperatures would eliminate any issues.
Dont worry.
U ken uzd iven et zis kondishn.
U rily hev guud pot men.
Bar keepers friend?
Just a suggestion: perhaps retitling this to “not cleaning an enameled cast iron pot” would be a great idea and save time for many looking for an actual solution. Much luck 🙄
Wow, I haven't seem sarcasm this biting since the 2020 election. :P
Its still useful. Its just not so pretty anymore.
Is it safe? My husband just used a steel wool pad on ours and now the shine is gone and I can see some of the cast iron through the layer of enamel. The bottom looks matte now and seems like there is a layer of matte residue. I looked on Le Creuset's website and it mentioned using vinegar and water to shine it up again. But, if it doesn't shine up, is it still safe to use? I love this pot and would hate to have to toss it.
Are you kidding me?! Season it like you would a cast iron pot without enamel! That’s still a great pot. In fact, I’d attack it with my deemed tool and sand all that enamel off and then season it.
deemed tool?
@@pjaccountname Dremel. Rotary tool. Sorry. I hate spell check.
@@pjaccountname Dremel?
Too bad there's no easy way to restore a enamel, unless you have a sandblaster? a kiln and a ready enamel mix.
Why just not have 100% cast iron?
Enamel is a little less hassle. It cleans up easier and is better suited for boiling liquids.
zunedog31 and Tomato sauces
If the enamel has eroded or been chipped to the bare metal bleach is a bad idea.
dude, face it, the enamel is GONE!! You've eaten your way to the actual iron. Time to buy a new one. Hope it can be recycled. :-)
You're suppose to let it sit for 24 hours with the bleach......I still think you can get it cleane. If you re-enamel a bathtub ,why not a pan?
Do you eat out of your bathtub? Lol
yes, but bathtub enamel isn't going to hold up with oven or stove heat!
Yeah that's what I do Bleach the heck out of it
drill a few holes in the bottom and repurpose that pot as a planter.
This was my highlight this morning this dude is trying to clean the iron cast did not realizing the enamel coating is gone it is not dirt it is in did the iron because the pot is made out of cast iron what a joke!!!
I put bleach for 24 hours and came like new
Try bar keepers friend
Before throwing away bkf
Oh my ! Thts awful
dump the nasty sponge
What a waste of time to watch that!!! 👎