Standing out to be one of the most reputed brands as far as cookware is concerned, Le Creuset pans are expensive. Because of this, it is important to know how to best take care of one to greatly increase its lifespan.
So, “How do I clean a burnt le Creuset pan?” you might wonder. If it had just a few spots, cleaning would be relatively easy and quick. If, unfortunately, the pan is burnt, you need to put in a little more work -unfortunately, most people don’t get the cleaning right. Below we discuss some tried and tested methods to get the job done right.
Hand washing the pan (For mild burns)
This is the easiest option there is when it comes to getting your pan clean after mild burns. These are the simple steps you need to follow:
Step 1: Allow the pan to cool down first
One of the greatest mistakes people make when cleaning their le Creuset pans is plunging them into cold water too soon rather than letting it cool down first. This can result in – since most of these pans are made of enamel – the enamel coating cracking or even worse be damaged completely. As such, just give it time to cool down; 15 to 20 minutes should do.
Step 2: Fill the pan with warm water and dish soap
The next thing you’ll want to do is add traditional dish soap into the pan. Having done this, run hot water on top of the soap till it starts to lather. After this, mix up the soap and water until bubbles start to form.
Step 3: Let it soak
The next thing you’ll want to do is allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. This assists in breaking the food particles that are stuck on it.
Step 4: Let the washing begin
After the particles are loosened up, grab a soft sponge to wipe down the pan. They should come off quite easily but if otherwise, switch to wither nylon or the soft abrasive pads as these will get off the stubborn particles. Refrain from using steel wool or other harsh abrasive pads
Step 5: Rinse the pan clean
For the final touches, run hot water over your pan to eliminate any suds or soap residue and if you are satisfied that it is clean enough, dry the pan off with a cotton cloth. Ensure that all the moisture is removed; you could also use a paper towel or microfiber cloth should you wish.
Using baking soda and vinegar
For stains that are more than just burnt spots, here’s how a mixture/paste of vinegar, baking soda and water can come in handy.
- To cater for varying intensity of the stains, use 1 tbsp of the mixture for mild stains and 3-5 tbsps for tougher stains.
- Next, spread the paste in the burnt sections evenly and let it soak overnight or for several hours.
- After the soaking time is up, use a wooden spatula or a cloth to scrape off food residues from the pan.
- If there are any stubborn food particles, you could use a toothbrush, preferably an electric one.
- Since there might be some persistent spots, these can be removed with household vinegar. To do this, spray household vinegar on the pan then allow it to sit for a while.
- Thereafter, use a brush, cloth, or spatula to wipe and clean the vinegar.
- After the cleaning is done, rinse the pan with water which should clear out all the remaining baking soda and vinegar.
Using a le Creuset cookware cleaner
It’s not always guaranteed that baking soda and vinegar will do the trick, as such, you may have to take things up a notch if the burns are more intense which can be somewhat difficult. Fortunately, there is a cookware cleaner by Le Creuset that should make things a little easy.
The best thing about this cleaner is that it’s exclusively meant for enameled Le Creuset pans and it is not as harsh as other cleaners. Because of this, if the burns are not extremely intense, it should get the job done just fine.
If on the other hand the burns are tough, you may need to use other means. As much as possible, avoid stronger cleaning solutions such as Bar Keeper’s Friend and Efferdent, these are abrasive and they should not be used aggressively.
Bleach and water mixture
Some stains can be stubborn and they demand more effort before they can come off. The best thing about the Bleach and Water method is that it is guaranteed to take all the stains and marks away. On the other hand, however, this method can be damaging and should only be used as a last resort (possibly just once a year).
To use this method you should soak the interior of the pan with 1 teaspoon of bleach per 1 pint of water for a few hours, or overnight if the burns are too intense. Next, use a sponge or cloth to wipe and that’s it;
Something to watch out for…
Tempting as it may be, don’t use the water and bleach in a 1:1 ratio and neither should you heat the solution as this may damage the pan.
Final verdict
Regardless of how intense the burns on your Le Creuset pan are, either of the steps above should get things done quickly and easily. Additionally, for baking soda, you can use it to clean outside the pan for equally good results. On that note, you must avoid using too much baking soda. We hope this has helped you to tackle the question ‘How do I clean a burnt le Creuset pan?’ well.
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