Fuck you quality French cookware makers and your confounded sticky labels. The 4 1/2 Quart Marmite has Le Creuset forged into the iron, but you still put paper sticky labels on the base and side that stick permanently to the enamel. Can’t even use abrasive scourers to get them off, as that would damage the surface. Instead have to pick at them till my fingernails bleed, and still there is glue smegma left klinging to the otherwise perfect pan surfaces. So I’ll cook with it and get that burnt glu/paper smell, probably set off the appartment fire allarms and ruin an entire evening, just because you can’t use nice easy peel non-stinky-sticky labels on your products.
Can’t you use hot water to melt the glue off? Look it up in Hints from Heloise? (Think that’s the correct name, she wrote book(s?) for housewives with helpful hints.) I know there is a way to get even the most stubborn of labels and glue off cooking pots and pans. Hot water works pretty well. Good luck.
Try soaking it in any oil, PAM, olive oil anything. It should slide off then and clean up nicely.
Note: I mean water that is near scalding, possibly boiling hot water. I’ve soaked Jam jars in boiling hot water to help loosen the labels, and get rid of the glue. Just make certain, if it’s glass that you slowly warm it up so it won’t crack.
Use acetone, commonly found in nail polish remover. It will cut through just about any label adhesive.
Note: I mean water that is near scalding, possibly boiling hot water. I’ve soaked Jam jars in boiling hot water to help loosen the labels, and get rid of the glue. Just make certain, if it’s glass that you slowly warm it up so it won’t crack.
Have to be careful with the acetone, though. It can react with other things as well. If I was going to try something other than boiling water, it’d be isopropanol first.
I have to agree with Bippy. Although you can eventually get everything off, why do they need to make it so difficult to use their products?
I hear ya, Bipster. You pay a pretty penny for that stuff to begin with. In my opinion, the bloody cookware should prepare the meal without me!
I have Le Creuset envy now.
I agree with you about the damn sticky labels mucking up the cookware, but some WD-40 will get it right off.
Thanks for the advice, I’ve tried the hot water method, but WD 4o might be a good idea (I need to get some for my squeeking front door anyway).
You get this great cookware that looks good enough to serve the food in, and the labels make it look dirty and unpresentable. (PS Amazon often has what seem to be very good offers on Le Creuset )
Do try the oil thing. Not even wd40 but just plain cooking oil. I have found it works like a charm on alot of that kind of thing. It takes the labels off of peanut butter jars pretty well.
Those uber-sticky labels drive me crazy. After spending waaay too much time and effort peeling them off of stuff, I found Goo Gone does the trick. I found mine at Bed Bath and Beyond but I know they sell it at all sorts of stores.
Congrats on the new Creuset ware-- I have my eye on a lovely red casserole.
Ooh la la, those red ones are quite dishy.
Mais oui, with her saucy little lid and firm round sides, she beckons me from the pages of my new Williams-Sonoma catalog-- tres jolie!
But you say Amazon has good deals? I must to investigate post haste. Also, I should get this silly French accent out of my head before I say something like “Zut alors!” aloud.
It’s a Le Creuset. Stick it in the oven and bake it at 450° F for a couple hours. Won’t do the pan a bit of damage, but it’ll come out unlabeled.
Peel off what you can easily with your fingernails, then saturate the remainder with glass cleaner (or dilute ammonia or vinger). Not only does it take care of the label, it gets rid of the sticky residue. You might have to do two or three applications to get the last remainders, but it should just come right off. A quick wash, and no worries about leaving potentially toxic residues. (I’d be leery of using WD-40 on anything that was going to come in contact with my food, unless it had been washed about 30 times before use. That’s just me, though.)
Goo Gone is the ticket. Plus it is right handy in removing the sticky crap from all your other purchases. Once you have it you wont go without it. Stupid overly sticky lables (and absurdly wrapped CD’s).
Actually, you may find icy cold water to be much more efficient than hot water. Hot water melts the glue and makes it stretchier and stickier. Cold water will make it stiff, and much easier to scrape off. But I’d recommend oil first - give it a good soaking and it should come right off.
A rag soaked in petrol or parafin.