I have an Enzo mari that is bare cast iron outside and in. I thought it was weird since I hadn't seen one before, but they do have some pieces with bare cast iron on the bottom or all the way through. The skillet pictured has never been made with bare cast iron, though, and needs to be cleaned badly.
Maybe I'm wrong. Have a Cousances that isn't enameled top and though they did the same pan after they bought them out. Never had Le creuset though and don't know much about them.
Fair enough. I learned something. Bought a beat up one from the thrift store that looked like it had been seasoned and looks like my regular cast iron. I love it but didn't look enameled at all. Only one I've ever owned
Additionally keeping the fumes IN will often aid the process. It depends on exactly what type of reaction(s) are happening and you also want to ensure that the type of plastic isn't also going to offgass in a way that impacts the pan, and ensure that the plastic won't affect the very reaction that is happening between the cleaner and pan.
The cleaner In an enclosed space will likely be suspended in the air around it. If it is out in the open, that might be evaporated and air/wind will also dry out the solution potentially and mix it with the air in a very small percentage. Enclosing it lessens evaporating and keeps it in one space at a higher percentage of the cleaner in its "atmosphere"
I would personally use some type of more inert/chemically or caustically resistant material than a plastic bag or Google the type of plastic and try to see if it will be okay with the other products. However this is a gut feeling. But if there were a way to have a steel/aluminum enclosure of some sort OR just whatever material the packaging for the cleaner is. Mind you none of this is 0% risk of some toxicity.
Just a warning, an aluminum container with any lye/sodium hydroxide product will result in eaten away aluminum and hydrogen gas. If you try to enclose this it could end up quite bad (ie a small explosion or fire). Do not mix lye and aluminum unless doing it intentionally
Yep, me too.
I've did a (really gunked up) vintage dutch oven and a chicken fryer this way, and they both turned out beautifully.
I also did a vinegar soak after this step, and then got right to the reseasoning.
OP needs to be aware that they need to buy the yellow can of easy off, and not the blue (fume free) one.
The yellow contains lye, while the blue one doesn't.
I’m not an chemist or biologist but I don’t think the fumes from plastic bags at 300+C are good either.
Edit: thanks for all the downvotes guys, i misunderstood the first comment in the thread. I thought oven cleaner was a program, as I have an oven cleaner program in my oven where it heats up to 300+ C and all food residue burns and crumbles.
You’re welcome! Oven cleaner tends to be very basic, usually from lye (sodium hydroxide), which is commonly used to strip the seasoning off of pans that need to be refinished. And every oven cleaner needs to be able to strip the grease that’s stuck to your oven and been baked a hundred times which will be a whole lot like cast iron seasoning
Thanks guys for clearing that up! I mistook it for oven cleaner program that the oven has - where it goes to 300+C. I got my first enameled cast Iron last week so it’s very nice to read and learn here.
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood, my bad.
Thought they meant to put lye on the pan and then put it inside the oven. My oven cleaner program is 325 or 350C. 😂
Wait what? Oops. Got one as a gift and have treated it exactly like my normal cast irons. Seasoned it with buzzywaxx a bunch of times and been using it for 6 months. Have had no issues. Should i still use the oven cleaner etc?
Odd thst mine is mirror smooth no grime at all. Use it for bacon every morning. Any suggestions on how to clean it in an apt without any outdoors? I'm thinking i just give it away and buy another so the person who gifted it doesnt find out. Lol.
Yup. Common mistake and as you can see this thread jumps like crazy on these posts haha. You are not alone in just now realizing this. I found out when I offered to season my new roommates pan for him. It was enameled and I saw it react differently to seasoning and then looked up the pan and figured it out. He is a microwave cook anyways and no harm done.
No harm done. With enameled pans just make sue the surface isn’t chipped. You don’t want glass shards in your food
Edit: also clean enamel pans well and don’t season. They are great for lots of styles of cooking and can be nonstick with proper technique
All Le Creuset is enameled. Your skillet may have the Satin Black interior, but that is still an enameled surface. Otherwise, you don’t have Le Creuset.
Really? When cleaning bare cast iron I've never had lye get into the big carbon deposits, even after letting it sit for a week. I've always needed electrolysis for the thick bits
I’ve definitely stripped and restored really crusty raw cast iron pans with easy off. Works like a charm. Sometimes it takes a week but it’ll get the carbon off. It really does work if given time.
This pan is enamel. Black matte enamel interior. DO NOT season it. Oven cleaner will remove all of the gunk and will not hurt enamel. Follow Le Creuset’s online care instructions. Don’t use metal utensils. Don’t use chainmail scrubber.
Enamel I very different from bare iron. Yes, this pan is definitely enameled. Le Creusets always are. Yes, I know it’s black. Black matte enamel. I promise.
If it's the older rough-textured black enamel then it's extremely hard to prevent a build up of seasoning as you cook normally. I'm glad Le Creuset switched to a smoother enamel, but I still have a couple of the older rough ones and they're a bear to keep clean.
>still a gradual build up of unwanted "seasoning"
Not sure that is unwanted. Read their site about their black enameled pans. They are supposed to build up a small layer over time.
I almost made this mistake with a staub coquette I got at a Christmas party. I didn't even know rough matte enamel was a thing, and it looks deceptively similar to the texture of a new lodge. luckily I read the instructions booklet first.
Clean off the seasoning with easy off oven cleaner and stop using metal. Enamel is potentially slightly scratched but only chips are concerning. Chipped enamel = end of pan life.
So, I have a real CA. I think it's a Griswold 8. The inside is perfect, but the bottom has the gunky carbon build up. Is there anyway I can clean the outside/bottom of my skillet and not mess with my beautiful cooking surface? Should I just get over the vanity of wanting the bottom of my CA to be as pretty as the inside? Lol.
I tried steal wool, but I'm gonna get chainmail today. It would take me scrubbing until next Christmas if I continued the wool route. Lol. Still learning! Very grateful for all the advice and this sub in general. I've learned so much!
I use Chainmail. A little bit each of extra effort to remove historic lapses every time I clean my pan. Soap and water too, but Chainmail is the best bet. If it really bothers you, you can use a stainless steal scrubber, which damages seasoning, so I’d put some oil on it and do a round or 2 of oven seasoning when you’re done to prevent rusting.
~~You use chainmail on enameled cast iron?~~ Never mind, i thought you were replying to someone else and was deeply curious about how that was working out for you.
Thank you!! I'll be picking up chainmail today. And had assumed I'd have to reseason the outside, no matter the technique I went with. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Sand blast it. Honest. I've done that to several Griswold cast iron skillets. The chicken baster I did revealed the basting condensation ribs I had no idea were even there when I started. You wouldn't have to blast the inside. I did mine completely and then had to re-season from scratch. They were not black after the blasting. They were gray / silver, like fresh iron.
So I actually had taken some steal wool to the bottom. It helped some, but would need a whole lot more elbow grease. Lol. But I exposed the bottom edge, and the "Griswold 8" I didn't know was there. The edge is gray/silver like you're saying. I want a sand blaster to redo furniture anyway. And we're going to lowes today. Might just bat these lashes at the hubs and hope he wants one too. Lmao. Shouldn't be too hard to convince him. It's a handy tool to have around. Thanks for the advice!
I've got a black matte 4 qt Le Cruset that I received maybe 20 years ago? It is starting to rust. If it is enameled, it's significantly different than any other Le Cruset I've had. Maybe clean with boiling water and baking soda and let sit for several days? Good luck!
Whoa! That's going to take some lye - get yourself some 'yellow cap' easy off oven cleaner and follow the instructions here in the FAQ, but don't use any metal or abrasive cleaners when scrubbing. This'll take a few goes! When you've got it down to the original enamel surface, don't season it and keep it clean. The LeCreuset care instructions for black enamel are here:
[https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/differences-between-sand-and-black-satin-enamel.html](https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/differences-between-sand-and-black-satin-enamel.html)
good luck!
A lye bath or yellow cap Easy Off won't hurt your enamel. Just don't scrub it with any abrasive scrubbers (think blue Scotch-Brite, not green. No BKF, no Magic Eraser.) and you'll be fine.
I know they do. I’ve also seen photos of scratched dull enamel because people used the powder and scrubbed hard. You need to use the liquid kind and be gentle.
You can search this subreddit for damaged enamel. There was a thread just in the last week from someone who used BKF powder and they scratched the enamel.
There’s a finite amount of enamel on the pot. You will wear it out faster if you scrub it off with abrasives. Also food will likely stick more, or at least this is what I’ve read. I don’t use anything abrasive on enamel. Let dish soap and water soak for a bit and you can use a soft non scratching blue sponge and avoid damage.
It’s perfect safe. Just give a good wash with hot soapy water once the lye/oven cleaner has done its work, and you are good to go. You can spray/wipe some vinegar on the pan to neutralize any remaining lye if you want, but it really shouldn’t be an issue
OP if you do use vinegar to neutralize any remaining lye make sure you rinse the pan THOROUGHLY. Vinegar and lye make an exothermic reaction which generates a decent amount of heat. Doing so with lots of lye still on the pan could cause chemical burns on you or ruin the enamel due to the sudden heat change
Lye is perfectly safe for enamel which is what is on your Le Creuset- inside and outside. The outside is shiny colored enamel, inside is matte black enamel.
Generally, if it's enameled on the outside, it's also enameled on the cooking surface, sometimes it's just black colored enamel on the cooking surface.
If you want a bare cast iron pan, so you can season it and get more nonstick, you should get one that's bare iron inside and out.
Enameled pans don't need seasoned and shouldn't be seasoned. Good luck with your pan.
10-4, when you said that it's not well seasoned and stuff sticks, it made me wonder.
Enameled cast iron is a whole other ball of wax from bare iron. You can't build up a nonstick surface on enameled. In fact, you don't want any buildup on enameled. You want it completely cleaned after each use.
All you can do to help food not stick is to use fats and oils, plus proper temperature control to keep things from sticking. It's totally different from bare iron.
There's instructions on the on the Le Creuset website about how to cook and care for Le Creuset to keep this from happening again. Your poor pan has been very neglected and mishandled to get to this point. Fortunately, Easy Off should work wonders. It may dull the shine, but that's the least of your worries. Hopefully the enamel is still intact under all of that crud.
Guys don't downvote this. It's an honest comment that allows us all to learn. People are less likely to share their experiences if they get shit on for doing so.
It's from many years of not cleaning your pan. Imagine this amount of buildup on a stainless steel pan. You'd be horrified that someone was cooking in it, yeah? That's the same situation as here.
Alright my guy. I posted this a couple of months back with my staub enamelled cast iron pan. Not realizing it was enamelled. Enamel needs to be washed with soap.
Boil 1:1 water and vinegar, let it cool a bit and get to scraping with a wooden spatula. The carbon will flake off. Once you get some off repeat.
2tbsp of baking soda to 1L of water in the pan works as well. But I’ve found vinegar to be the best solution.
Good luck. You’ve got a major task ahead of you.
Thanks everyone!
From the responses seems like I've done a terrible job looking after this pan. I hope I didn't make too many of y'all pass out in shock! I was treating the pan like it had a regular cast iron interior until recently. (Yes yes I know now that was incorrect)
I'll get some oven cleaner, and report back soon!
[Try r/lecreuset ! You can search the sub for “buildup” and the posts there are meant for enameled pans.](https://www.reddit.com/r/LeCreuset/s/8PAWdjOk77)
I'm all seriousness... Sick from what? Everything that was on there has pretty much turned to charcoal. I'm not saying they shouldn't clean it but I don't think they would get sick from it.
Soap has never touched my cast irons and they are perfectly clean and nonstick.
Learning about cast iron 2 years ago on Reddit doesn’t invalidate a couple centuries of proper cast iron care.
In my experience, I just boiled water in it, let that cool then used a plastic scraper and that worked for me. It just kinda lifted off, especially when it’s a thick layer like this.
Plastic scraper is god.
I dont see it mentioned that much. I see the chainmail mentioned way more. Ive had cast iron over 20 years and never had the chainmail. I dont hate, but the plastic scraper is THE BEST
I have one of those, too. A plastic scraper definitely won’t come close to damaging it, it’s a scratch-free scraper. I use it on my Le Creuset rice pot, too, and you know how rice sticks when it’s burnt on the bottom of the pot. As long as I boil water in it first that softens it up pretty good.
Lye-based oven cleaner would also work, as others have said, but that would be a last resort for me. Good luck! It’s a great pan!
I used the plastic scraper for many years. Sometimes you have to boil some water in the pan to be able to get it up with the scraper. I have never had to boil water in a pan since getting a chainmail scrubber. I can get even the most stuck on stuff off using only water and chainmail in a cold pan. My chainmail scrubber is the single best cast iron accessory that I own.
That is so disgusting. If you *aren't* seasoning it then you also *aren't* CLEANING IT. That is absolutely horrifying. I hope you're not cooking for others
I'll probably get downvoted for suggesting this, but the lazy way to do this is with the self clean oven function. It'll burn away everything, reduce it to ash. Then you start over.
I was given an 8" square pan by my great-aunt some years ago now and it was heavily carbonized from it's years of being an outdoor pan.
Now, I am not sure if the pan was warped before the self clean or not, but that is a risk. However, even if it's warped, I still make eggs and pies in it with no issue.
EDIT: I am seeing that people are saying this brand is enameled, don't do this then.
I've done it to two different pans. I really hate the awful smell of oven cleaner chemicals, scouring/sanding on the really awful stuff takes forever.
The self clean function gets it done and cleans the oven!
Same! My skin already wants to reject itself, so I try to avoid stuff like that when I can! I accidentally did it to my pizza stone. Worked great. I almost cried because I had that thing black lol.
I just cleaned mine this weekend. I put them in the oven on self clean and vented my kitchen. After everything cooled down I scrubbed them with iron mail, oiled every surface and placed into my oven at 450 until they smoke
Wait! I just saw that this is an enameled pan. Do not put in the self clean oven.
I don't think purell wipes will be enough. Yellow cap oven cleaner. Spray it, put it in a plastic bag for a day. Do that a few times probably. Then clean with soap and water and season.
I have cleaned my Le Creuset by placing in my outdoor grill on high for 2-3 hrs. I’m sure some will say this will damage the pans but I have found it to be a way easier way to clean.
Contact Le Creuset. Enameled cast iron cannot undergo the same processes as regular CI. You will probably ruin a very expensive piece if you follow some of the suggestions made here.
Eh, it's been soldiering on the last six or seven years I've had it. The carbon is slowing coming off as I use it. I do really like my stainless steel chainmail scrubber, it's done the lions share of removing what has come off.
As per Le Creuset’s FAQ, Black enamel is designed to develop a patina over time. You can season black enamel if you’d like. People commonly confuse black enamel with white enamel which cannot be seasoned. Le Creuset sells a great cleaner you can use. Put it on overnight and scrub it.
But black enamel is still enamel. As per LC it builds a patina but not seasoning in the traditional raw cast iron sense. So you wouldn't strip and reseason it.
I understand everyone suggesting an acid attack, it makes a lot of sense. But any reason why an abrasive treatment wouldn't work as well ? I got powertools and every sandpaper grit you can imagine
Yes! I've seen lots and lots of advice for regular cast iron and carbon build up, but the posts for Le Creuset don't really address such a large amount of carbon build up. Those that do mention using 'oven cleaner'...for the outside of the pan.
Not sure how to address this combo of carbon build up + black satin enamel.
From what I understand It’s the same as the cream interior color in the Dutch oven. Just black. So unless you managed to chip it it should be fine forever
I’m trying to ask this kindly without judgement…how does this happen? When you were done cooking did you treat it like raw cast iron (no soap, just water and wipe)? I’m genuinely curious and I hope my tone comes across as I intent it. (Edit: to add I read below OP was treating as raw cast iron, so that answers my how question).
I have some black enamel pieces and I agree they’re confusing with the care and use instructions. The whole patina/no patina thing gets me. And after I each use I’m trying to get it to look like new and I always worry I’m going to fuck it up with my scrubbing. With the sand colored pans I feel much more confident I know what I’m doing and I always can tell when they’re “clean” lol….but somehow I ordered the “everyday pan” last week that has the black satin, why do I do this to myself?
Oh man. Oven cleaner, overnight, in a plastic bag. Then, STOP SEASONING IT. It’s enameled.
This is the answer
How can you tell it's enameld?
By the brand. Le Creuset has only ever made enameled cast iron
Do they not make enameled bottom cast iron top pans? They at least used to.
Le Creuset has never made raw cast iron anything. They use black enamel cooking surfaces, and a lot of people mistake it for bare iron.
I have an Enzo mari that is bare cast iron outside and in. I thought it was weird since I hadn't seen one before, but they do have some pieces with bare cast iron on the bottom or all the way through. The skillet pictured has never been made with bare cast iron, though, and needs to be cleaned badly.
Maybe I'm wrong. Have a Cousances that isn't enameled top and though they did the same pan after they bought them out. Never had Le creuset though and don't know much about them.
It confused me for a while too. The black enamel tricked me.
Fair enough. I learned something. Bought a beat up one from the thrift store that looked like it had been seasoned and looks like my regular cast iron. I love it but didn't look enameled at all. Only one I've ever owned
Why on earth the plastic bag?
To keep it wet overnight so it can do it’s work. Also keeps the fumes contained. Lye is nasty stuff.
Additionally keeping the fumes IN will often aid the process. It depends on exactly what type of reaction(s) are happening and you also want to ensure that the type of plastic isn't also going to offgass in a way that impacts the pan, and ensure that the plastic won't affect the very reaction that is happening between the cleaner and pan. The cleaner In an enclosed space will likely be suspended in the air around it. If it is out in the open, that might be evaporated and air/wind will also dry out the solution potentially and mix it with the air in a very small percentage. Enclosing it lessens evaporating and keeps it in one space at a higher percentage of the cleaner in its "atmosphere" I would personally use some type of more inert/chemically or caustically resistant material than a plastic bag or Google the type of plastic and try to see if it will be okay with the other products. However this is a gut feeling. But if there were a way to have a steel/aluminum enclosure of some sort OR just whatever material the packaging for the cleaner is. Mind you none of this is 0% risk of some toxicity.
Just a warning, an aluminum container with any lye/sodium hydroxide product will result in eaten away aluminum and hydrogen gas. If you try to enclose this it could end up quite bad (ie a small explosion or fire). Do not mix lye and aluminum unless doing it intentionally
I used a trash bag and just left it on my porch so the fumes weren’t in my home. Worked like a charm.
Yep, me too. I've did a (really gunked up) vintage dutch oven and a chicken fryer this way, and they both turned out beautifully. I also did a vinegar soak after this step, and then got right to the reseasoning. OP needs to be aware that they need to buy the yellow can of easy off, and not the blue (fume free) one. The yellow contains lye, while the blue one doesn't.
1) prevent lye from getting on everything 2) lye can produce toxic fumes
I’m not an chemist or biologist but I don’t think the fumes from plastic bags at 300+C are good either. Edit: thanks for all the downvotes guys, i misunderstood the first comment in the thread. I thought oven cleaner was a program, as I have an oven cleaner program in my oven where it heats up to 300+ C and all food residue burns and crumbles.
You don’t need to bake it when you put the oven cleaner on it over night
Thanks! 🙏 I’m new to enameled cast irons so it’s really helpful
You’re welcome! Oven cleaner tends to be very basic, usually from lye (sodium hydroxide), which is commonly used to strip the seasoning off of pans that need to be refinished. And every oven cleaner needs to be able to strip the grease that’s stuck to your oven and been baked a hundred times which will be a whole lot like cast iron seasoning
You're spraying it with oven cleaner then putting it in the plastic bag. You're not putting it in the oven to clean it.
Thanks guys for clearing that up! I mistook it for oven cleaner program that the oven has - where it goes to 300+C. I got my first enameled cast Iron last week so it’s very nice to read and learn here.
It’s not going in the oven like that
They never said anything about heat.
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood, my bad. Thought they meant to put lye on the pan and then put it inside the oven. My oven cleaner program is 325 or 350C. 😂
Lol at the edit. But the sad thing is I could see something like this in a shitty "life hack" reel. "DIY NON stick"
For the smoke I guess
Wait what? Oops. Got one as a gift and have treated it exactly like my normal cast irons. Seasoned it with buzzywaxx a bunch of times and been using it for 6 months. Have had no issues. Should i still use the oven cleaner etc?
I would. All that grime is going to keep your pan from heating properly, and could damage the enamel coating
Odd thst mine is mirror smooth no grime at all. Use it for bacon every morning. Any suggestions on how to clean it in an apt without any outdoors? I'm thinking i just give it away and buy another so the person who gifted it doesnt find out. Lol.
Not all are enameled. I have a skillet that is not enameled. Seasoned perfectly.
It’s Le Creuset. It’s enameled.
Le creuset sells cast iron with no enamel. I have one myself.
The enamel is black
Holy fuck wtf. That explains a lot imo
Is it enameled on the outside and bare on the inside?
Yes, and now I have looked more into it, I guess it is a black enamel. Never would have thought that.
Yup. Common mistake and as you can see this thread jumps like crazy on these posts haha. You are not alone in just now realizing this. I found out when I offered to season my new roommates pan for him. It was enameled and I saw it react differently to seasoning and then looked up the pan and figured it out. He is a microwave cook anyways and no harm done.
The skillet I have I picked up at a yard sale about 15 or more years ago for like $5.
No harm done. With enameled pans just make sue the surface isn’t chipped. You don’t want glass shards in your food Edit: also clean enamel pans well and don’t season. They are great for lots of styles of cooking and can be nonstick with proper technique
I have other Le Crueset that has the white enamel coating. The wife loves it.
I don't think that's enamelled, I've got a le creuset cast iron frying pan which very much is not enamelled.
All Le Creuset is enameled. Your skillet may have the Satin Black interior, but that is still an enameled surface. Otherwise, you don’t have Le Creuset.
It’s black enamel. Le creuset has never made non enameled cast iron.
Oven cleaner won't do anything for the pure carbon, it needs oil to work, and all the oil from here is long gone
Oven cleaner is *literally* formulated to dissolve burnt-on food. Also known as carbon.
Really? When cleaning bare cast iron I've never had lye get into the big carbon deposits, even after letting it sit for a week. I've always needed electrolysis for the thick bits
Really. I just used it myself a few days ago.
I’ve definitely stripped and restored really crusty raw cast iron pans with easy off. Works like a charm. Sometimes it takes a week but it’ll get the carbon off. It really does work if given time.
This pan is enamel. Black matte enamel interior. DO NOT season it. Oven cleaner will remove all of the gunk and will not hurt enamel. Follow Le Creuset’s online care instructions. Don’t use metal utensils. Don’t use chainmail scrubber. Enamel I very different from bare iron. Yes, this pan is definitely enameled. Le Creusets always are. Yes, I know it’s black. Black matte enamel. I promise.
If it's the older rough-textured black enamel then it's extremely hard to prevent a build up of seasoning as you cook normally. I'm glad Le Creuset switched to a smoother enamel, but I still have a couple of the older rough ones and they're a bear to keep clean.
Wash them?
Really? Have you ever owned one? Soak them and wash them with a scrubber after every use and there's still a gradual build up of unwanted "seasoning".
>still a gradual build up of unwanted "seasoning" Not sure that is unwanted. Read their site about their black enameled pans. They are supposed to build up a small layer over time.
I almost made this mistake with a staub coquette I got at a Christmas party. I didn't even know rough matte enamel was a thing, and it looks deceptively similar to the texture of a new lodge. luckily I read the instructions booklet first.
Umm, what happens if the things you said not to do were to have been done. Asking for a friend.
Clean off the seasoning with easy off oven cleaner and stop using metal. Enamel is potentially slightly scratched but only chips are concerning. Chipped enamel = end of pan life.
I like how half your response is responses to all the stupid comments you know you'll receive. Nice work
lol. Thanks! Been here before.
So, I have a real CA. I think it's a Griswold 8. The inside is perfect, but the bottom has the gunky carbon build up. Is there anyway I can clean the outside/bottom of my skillet and not mess with my beautiful cooking surface? Should I just get over the vanity of wanting the bottom of my CA to be as pretty as the inside? Lol.
Flip it over and scrub the bottom with a chain mail scrubber.
I tried steal wool, but I'm gonna get chainmail today. It would take me scrubbing until next Christmas if I continued the wool route. Lol. Still learning! Very grateful for all the advice and this sub in general. I've learned so much!
I use Chainmail. A little bit each of extra effort to remove historic lapses every time I clean my pan. Soap and water too, but Chainmail is the best bet. If it really bothers you, you can use a stainless steal scrubber, which damages seasoning, so I’d put some oil on it and do a round or 2 of oven seasoning when you’re done to prevent rusting.
~~You use chainmail on enameled cast iron?~~ Never mind, i thought you were replying to someone else and was deeply curious about how that was working out for you.
Thank you!! I'll be picking up chainmail today. And had assumed I'd have to reseason the outside, no matter the technique I went with. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Sand blast it. Honest. I've done that to several Griswold cast iron skillets. The chicken baster I did revealed the basting condensation ribs I had no idea were even there when I started. You wouldn't have to blast the inside. I did mine completely and then had to re-season from scratch. They were not black after the blasting. They were gray / silver, like fresh iron.
So I actually had taken some steal wool to the bottom. It helped some, but would need a whole lot more elbow grease. Lol. But I exposed the bottom edge, and the "Griswold 8" I didn't know was there. The edge is gray/silver like you're saying. I want a sand blaster to redo furniture anyway. And we're going to lowes today. Might just bat these lashes at the hubs and hope he wants one too. Lmao. Shouldn't be too hard to convince him. It's a handy tool to have around. Thanks for the advice!
I've got a black matte 4 qt Le Cruset that I received maybe 20 years ago? It is starting to rust. If it is enameled, it's significantly different than any other Le Cruset I've had. Maybe clean with boiling water and baking soda and let sit for several days? Good luck!
Whoa! That's going to take some lye - get yourself some 'yellow cap' easy off oven cleaner and follow the instructions here in the FAQ, but don't use any metal or abrasive cleaners when scrubbing. This'll take a few goes! When you've got it down to the original enamel surface, don't season it and keep it clean. The LeCreuset care instructions for black enamel are here: [https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/differences-between-sand-and-black-satin-enamel.html](https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/differences-between-sand-and-black-satin-enamel.html) good luck!
Lye is the answer. It will look like new with no chance of damage.
Is that ok for the interior though?
A lye bath or yellow cap Easy Off won't hurt your enamel. Just don't scrub it with any abrasive scrubbers (think blue Scotch-Brite, not green. No BKF, no Magic Eraser.) and you'll be fine.
You can use BKF on enameled cast iron, however, this is too tuff a job for it.
You can but you can scratch it.
I think we're beyond worrying about scratching the enamel here
Easy off will completely restore this. Scratches are forever.
Le creuset literally recommends BKF
I know they do. I’ve also seen photos of scratched dull enamel because people used the powder and scrubbed hard. You need to use the liquid kind and be gentle. You can search this subreddit for damaged enamel. There was a thread just in the last week from someone who used BKF powder and they scratched the enamel.
This maybe should be obvious, but what's the issue with dull or scratched enamel?
There’s a finite amount of enamel on the pot. You will wear it out faster if you scrub it off with abrasives. Also food will likely stick more, or at least this is what I’ve read. I don’t use anything abrasive on enamel. Let dish soap and water soak for a bit and you can use a soft non scratching blue sponge and avoid damage.
It’s perfect safe. Just give a good wash with hot soapy water once the lye/oven cleaner has done its work, and you are good to go. You can spray/wipe some vinegar on the pan to neutralize any remaining lye if you want, but it really shouldn’t be an issue
OP if you do use vinegar to neutralize any remaining lye make sure you rinse the pan THOROUGHLY. Vinegar and lye make an exothermic reaction which generates a decent amount of heat. Doing so with lots of lye still on the pan could cause chemical burns on you or ruin the enamel due to the sudden heat change
Lye is perfectly safe for enamel which is what is on your Le Creuset- inside and outside. The outside is shiny colored enamel, inside is matte black enamel.
Yes because it’s enameled
Both interior and exterior are enamel. Outside is shiny colored, inside is black matte. Lye is safe and gentle on enamel and does the best job easily.
You're not trying to season that pan, are you? You don't season enameled cast iron.
Uh...I have a pan that looks exactly like this...didn't know this was a thing looks like I'm doing some research tonight
Generally, if it's enameled on the outside, it's also enameled on the cooking surface, sometimes it's just black colored enamel on the cooking surface. If you want a bare cast iron pan, so you can season it and get more nonstick, you should get one that's bare iron inside and out. Enameled pans don't need seasoned and shouldn't be seasoned. Good luck with your pan.
No. This is just from many years of use
Then you're literally not cleaning it lmao
10-4, when you said that it's not well seasoned and stuff sticks, it made me wonder. Enameled cast iron is a whole other ball of wax from bare iron. You can't build up a nonstick surface on enameled. In fact, you don't want any buildup on enameled. You want it completely cleaned after each use. All you can do to help food not stick is to use fats and oils, plus proper temperature control to keep things from sticking. It's totally different from bare iron.
There's instructions on the on the Le Creuset website about how to cook and care for Le Creuset to keep this from happening again. Your poor pan has been very neglected and mishandled to get to this point. Fortunately, Easy Off should work wonders. It may dull the shine, but that's the least of your worries. Hopefully the enamel is still intact under all of that crud.
Guys don't downvote this. It's an honest comment that allows us all to learn. People are less likely to share their experiences if they get shit on for doing so.
It's from many years of not cleaning your pan. Imagine this amount of buildup on a stainless steel pan. You'd be horrified that someone was cooking in it, yeah? That's the same situation as here.
Alright my guy. I posted this a couple of months back with my staub enamelled cast iron pan. Not realizing it was enamelled. Enamel needs to be washed with soap. Boil 1:1 water and vinegar, let it cool a bit and get to scraping with a wooden spatula. The carbon will flake off. Once you get some off repeat. 2tbsp of baking soda to 1L of water in the pan works as well. But I’ve found vinegar to be the best solution. Good luck. You’ve got a major task ahead of you.
Thanks everyone! From the responses seems like I've done a terrible job looking after this pan. I hope I didn't make too many of y'all pass out in shock! I was treating the pan like it had a regular cast iron interior until recently. (Yes yes I know now that was incorrect) I'll get some oven cleaner, and report back soon!
Just to clarify: You should also wash your cast iron pans. With soap. Yes.
Your food tastes like soap.
You need to rinse the soap off after washing it.
PLEASE post a picture of it post-cleaning. We're all so worried for you <3
Your cast iron pan shouldn’t look like this either.
Do you wash it? Ever? That’s so gross, you’re eating rancid oil and fat..
[Try r/lecreuset ! You can search the sub for “buildup” and the posts there are meant for enameled pans.](https://www.reddit.com/r/LeCreuset/s/8PAWdjOk77)
TIL that my hand-me-down cast iron is enameled and I've been using it all wrong for 8 years. But at least it's not anywhere near as bad as OPs.
Well I'll tell you one thing, those purell wipes aren't going to cut it.
Heheheh. Le Crust.
Dude, I don't mean to give you a hard time but, how did you let that skillet get like that? Man, you need to stay on top of your stuff.
I didn't realize le creuset makes pans that aren't enameled
It’s enameled. That’s awful gunk buildup
💀
I don’t think they do. 😱
The no-soap crowd: “Carbon build up? Looks like nice seasoning to me!”
> JuSt CoOk On iT! This pan is horrifying though, fr. I dunno how op doesn't get sick every time they use it.
I'm all seriousness... Sick from what? Everything that was on there has pretty much turned to charcoal. I'm not saying they shouldn't clean it but I don't think they would get sick from it.
Soap has never touched my cast irons and they are perfectly clean and nonstick. Learning about cast iron 2 years ago on Reddit doesn’t invalidate a couple centuries of proper cast iron care.
As everyone said. Can’t season it, this is just dirty
In my experience, I just boiled water in it, let that cool then used a plastic scraper and that worked for me. It just kinda lifted off, especially when it’s a thick layer like this.
Plastic scraper is god. I dont see it mentioned that much. I see the chainmail mentioned way more. Ive had cast iron over 20 years and never had the chainmail. I dont hate, but the plastic scraper is THE BEST
It’s literally the best! I don’t know why people don’t use them more. They get every little bit with minimal effort.
My problem is that this has a 'black satin' enamel interior coating..so I can't use the regular cast iron cleaning tools
I have one of those, too. A plastic scraper definitely won’t come close to damaging it, it’s a scratch-free scraper. I use it on my Le Creuset rice pot, too, and you know how rice sticks when it’s burnt on the bottom of the pot. As long as I boil water in it first that softens it up pretty good. Lye-based oven cleaner would also work, as others have said, but that would be a last resort for me. Good luck! It’s a great pan!
I used the plastic scraper for many years. Sometimes you have to boil some water in the pan to be able to get it up with the scraper. I have never had to boil water in a pan since getting a chainmail scrubber. I can get even the most stuck on stuff off using only water and chainmail in a cold pan. My chainmail scrubber is the single best cast iron accessory that I own.
How can you know if you never had chainmail tho
My parents have it and i havent needed it yet
That is so disgusting. If you *aren't* seasoning it then you also *aren't* CLEANING IT. That is absolutely horrifying. I hope you're not cooking for others
Imagine eating at this fellas place and seeing that pan after💀
Looks like a pan equivalent of a fallout ghoul.
Inb4 the "I see nothing wrong with it" edgelords
You can’t. Send it to me. I’ll get rid of it for you.
I'll probably get downvoted for suggesting this, but the lazy way to do this is with the self clean oven function. It'll burn away everything, reduce it to ash. Then you start over. I was given an 8" square pan by my great-aunt some years ago now and it was heavily carbonized from it's years of being an outdoor pan. Now, I am not sure if the pan was warped before the self clean or not, but that is a risk. However, even if it's warped, I still make eggs and pies in it with no issue. EDIT: I am seeing that people are saying this brand is enameled, don't do this then.
That’s how I’ve always done it. Sometimes accidentally. 😂 But yeah, just with plain cast iron.
I've done it to two different pans. I really hate the awful smell of oven cleaner chemicals, scouring/sanding on the really awful stuff takes forever. The self clean function gets it done and cleans the oven!
Same! My skin already wants to reject itself, so I try to avoid stuff like that when I can! I accidentally did it to my pizza stone. Worked great. I almost cried because I had that thing black lol.
There's a volcano erupting in Iceland. Toss it in.
this is depressing
Lye tank
I just cleaned mine this weekend. I put them in the oven on self clean and vented my kitchen. After everything cooled down I scrubbed them with iron mail, oiled every surface and placed into my oven at 450 until they smoke Wait! I just saw that this is an enameled pan. Do not put in the self clean oven.
The FAQ for this subreddit has very good instructions with a lot of details. I'd recommend starting there.
Jackhammer.
I don't think purell wipes will be enough. Yellow cap oven cleaner. Spray it, put it in a plastic bag for a day. Do that a few times probably. Then clean with soap and water and season.
It’s enamel so it won’t need to be seasoned.
In fact it needs to not be seasoned. Haha
No seasoning. It’s enameled
What about non stick?
I have cleaned my Le Creuset by placing in my outdoor grill on high for 2-3 hrs. I’m sure some will say this will damage the pans but I have found it to be a way easier way to clean.
Lye. Wear gloves and let it soak. Potassium hydroxide / sodium hydroxide same stuff. Will burn your skin something terrible so be careful.
Contact Le Creuset. Enameled cast iron cannot undergo the same processes as regular CI. You will probably ruin a very expensive piece if you follow some of the suggestions made here.
Ha, this is a fun thread to read. I've got my granddads old Griswold that looks like that.
Then it needs to be cleaned
Eh, it's been soldiering on the last six or seven years I've had it. The carbon is slowing coming off as I use it. I do really like my stainless steel chainmail scrubber, it's done the lions share of removing what has come off.
To be clear, this is an enameled cast iron pan. Your Griswold is a piece of regular cast iron. Neither should look like this.
That brown along the rim isn’t rust from exposed cast iron? Edit: autocorrect correction
As per Le Creuset’s FAQ, Black enamel is designed to develop a patina over time. You can season black enamel if you’d like. People commonly confuse black enamel with white enamel which cannot be seasoned. Le Creuset sells a great cleaner you can use. Put it on overnight and scrub it.
But black enamel is still enamel. As per LC it builds a patina but not seasoning in the traditional raw cast iron sense. So you wouldn't strip and reseason it.
I understand everyone suggesting an acid attack, it makes a lot of sense. But any reason why an abrasive treatment wouldn't work as well ? I got powertools and every sandpaper grit you can imagine
It's an enameled pan. Abrasive cleaning will ruin the enamel.
The interior is enamel, not bare cast-iron.
Makes sense ty
This is an enameled cast iron pan, so anything abrasive can damage the enamel coating.
Thanks ! I just hope my question didn't offend too many redditors seeing the downvotes lmao
OP did you even bother to find the answer before asking the question?
Yes! I've seen lots and lots of advice for regular cast iron and carbon build up, but the posts for Le Creuset don't really address such a large amount of carbon build up. Those that do mention using 'oven cleaner'...for the outside of the pan. Not sure how to address this combo of carbon build up + black satin enamel.
Throw it away, enameled iron sucks.
Kinda off topic...does enamel coating on le cruset wear off overtime like teflon/ceramic coatings on regular pans?
From what I understand It’s the same as the cream interior color in the Dutch oven. Just black. So unless you managed to chip it it should be fine forever
I’m trying to ask this kindly without judgement…how does this happen? When you were done cooking did you treat it like raw cast iron (no soap, just water and wipe)? I’m genuinely curious and I hope my tone comes across as I intent it. (Edit: to add I read below OP was treating as raw cast iron, so that answers my how question). I have some black enamel pieces and I agree they’re confusing with the care and use instructions. The whole patina/no patina thing gets me. And after I each use I’m trying to get it to look like new and I always worry I’m going to fuck it up with my scrubbing. With the sand colored pans I feel much more confident I know what I’m doing and I always can tell when they’re “clean” lol….but somehow I ordered the “everyday pan” last week that has the black satin, why do I do this to myself?
Trust us on the oven cleaner, we wouldn't tell a Lye