Two questions actually and need answer pretty fast as my wife blames me for the lack luster quality of our first and only Le Creuset square grill pan.
First things first, the grilling part is not spotless. Soak over night in soapy water and scrub with a nylon brush the way to go? Is there a better way?
There are some baked on grease stains on the shiny enamel. How to get this stuff off? Doesn’t matter how well this sucker cooks, it needs to be bright and shiny like new.
thanks in advance.
NO SOAP! This is the big one. I use a scouring pad (like a Dobie), NOT STEEL WOOL, and warm/hot water. If it maintains a slight sheen of grease, no big deal.
NO SOAP (again).
I just found these in WalMart, and absolutely LOVE them for scrubbing pots. I went back and got a couple extras even for the kitchen and other places around the house. The ones I found are a different brand, but appears to be the same item.
After scrubbing the pot with just water, dry it, and I generally apply a light coat of oil and wipe it off again. I always put a coat of oil on my carbon steel cookware, or it rusts.
Oh, about the NO SOAP thing… NEVER use soap on any cookware that must be seasoned, oh, for example, cast iron, or you will strip it of the oils it really needs, and reseasoning one can be a pain.
I think the big question is whether it’s bare cast iron, or enameled; checking the website, it appears it’s the former.
If this is the case - no prolonged soaking! This contributes to rust, not cleanliness. Follow their care and use guidelines off their website.
Give it away. It’s not a good match for your needs.
There is no way to keep a cast-iron pan both in use and shiny-new-looking. Accumulation of grease and organic matter is part of how it works.
Yeah, good cast iron pan is going to look like it has seen a lot of use over the years. That’s part of its charm.
OK, I’ll go to the La Crueset website. Probably should have tried that first.
Per the company website, the cooking surface in a Le Creuset grill pan has a black enamel finish that doesn’t require seasoning and will not be ruined if you sparingly use a mild detergent. However, here’s what Le Creuset has to say about the patina:
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](http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Square-Skillet-Grill_10151_-1_20002_10062_10041)
For removing stains from the exterior enamel you should also avoid scouring with any abrasive surface or compound. They sell a cleaning compound on the website, but I can’t find a listing for the active ingredients. I would try warm water & vinegar (again, just on the outside) and a soft brush, pad or dishcloth. It’ll take a whole lot of brushing and wiping to remove heat marks, assuming the enamel is still OK, but you should be able to do it if you’re patient.
Personally, once I’ve got all organic crud off of the pan, I’m not concerned about removing any remaining evidence that I’ve actually used the pan over a flame, but if that’s your thing, it’d probably be best to purchase the cleaner offered by the manufacturer.
ETA: China Guy reposted while I was looking at the website and composing. Oh well. Hope this info isn’t redundant.
Interesting; thanks for the clarification. I’m only familiar with their all-enameled ware and from the shots on the site it looked like pre-seasoned cast iron.
I had the same problem on my grill so today I tried baking soda which is what I use on the bottom of my LC pans. That works fantastically to get off the black carbon stain marks. So I used the baking soda sprinkled into the bottom of the grill pan and used a wide screwdriver with a washcloth double wrapped to protect the metal from scratching the pan. And, then I cleaned away! It turned out perfectly clean. Baking soda is really amazing stuff. I use the baking soda on my ceramic smoothtop stove also and it comes out shiny clean!
I always and only clean my cast iron with kosher salt and a paper towel.
My Creuset pan is white enameled cast iron, so I don’t think twice about using soap, or putting it in the dishwasher.