From memory, there's a couple of processes that are potentially happening here from a chemistry perspective: 1. The Sodium hydrogen carbonate (bicarb soda) is decomposing into carbon dioxide (the gas bubbles) and sodium hydroxide at the surface of the pan. -I would expect that the carbon dioxide bubbles start lifting some of the burnt on stuff 2. The sodium hydroxide is allowing saponification reactions to occur, which will start to react with the burnt stuff at the bottom, making it a bit more soluble. 3. The sodium ions may be reacting with some of the large organic molecules to solubilise them. I would expect all three processes to be occurring (plus probably a few that I haven't remembered)
That and also a mechanical action of the bubbles probably being created WITHIN the pores of the white ceramic ( yes the porous surface grabs on to the carbonized bits ), like in Champaign glasses bubbles aren't created on smooth surface but can only begin to be created and expand on asperities and irregularities of the surface ....The bubbles popping within the pores probably expel the carbonized "hooks" of the carbonized plaques within the pores ....making the mechanical scrubbing like 100% more effective
The gas in this case is coming from the rapid decomposition of the carbonate by reaction with the amino acids in the stain. Either that reaction is enough by itself, or something else more complicated (and impossible to find in a Google search) is happening, to alter the proteins and make them stop gluing the stain to the glazing.
When heated, sodium hydrogen carbonate decomposes into sodium carbonate, releasing carbon dioxide. Sodium carbonate solution is alkaline, so the saponification reaction (also know as hydrolysis or de-esterification) can take place.
What happens is when the baking soda mixes with the water and boils, it activates a million little cleaning ladies that spray fabuloso on the micro particles and wipes them down with an old sock with holes
Ref' "it activates a million little cleaning ladies that spray fabuloso on the micro particles and wipes them down with an old sock with holes"., Everybody knows that, but it has to be said in favour of the million cleaning ladies that what they do works............. ;)
We forgot to turn off a burner underneath a big pot of braised cabbage goulash, for about a half-hour. The resulting carbon layer on the bottom of the pot was thick enough to protect a space shuttle during re-entry. I tried soaking it in vinegar for a couple of days with the lid on, which only served to harm the un-enameled surfaces where the lid fits to the pot. I still couldn't put a dent in the 1/16" layer of carbon. I honestly believed we'd just have to take my Le Creuset 7 quart out for some target shooting to get any more use out of it. As a last ditch-effort I tried this process, and it's working. During the first boil, I took off all carbon built up on the walls of the pot and about half of the carbon on the bottom. I am boiling it again now to get the rest.
Thank you! I was just on another video that was almost 30 minutes long and he was going through what seemed like all of the wrong things to do and you come on in four minutes with baking soda and succeed-brilliant!
That's comparing apples to oranges. One pan had a 50-year accumulation of burning and staining, the other pan had a one-time scorching of the risotto. Not the same.
Have used baking soda for years and used on stainless too with nasty burns. sprinkle a thick layer over the bottom, add enough water to make a little bit more that a paste and let sit overnight. Just wipes away. You do not need to scrub hard or risk even micro scratches to your pans that way. Key is time. Leave overnight.
My friend and I once boiled one of those stove top Corelle water kettle pots completely dry. It was literally red hot when we noticed. We shut off the burner and let it cool. It was black inside from the water top level down. Then we tried to clean it. A lot. Eventually we boiled baking soda in it several times. Looked completely undamaged when we were done. When I am cleaning burned stainless I put a paste of dish soap, baking soda and a little water on and scrub, then I repeat and leave overnight.
Just sharing: Don’t leave the pot unattended when it boils.... because the boiling reaction it will spill over and the mess is unbeilable... It happened to me.... The pot still burned, not much but still burned... :-( However, there is alway good news: After the mess, the baking soda got cold ... when I removed, it cleaned the top of my stove :-) two in one! GREAT!
I bought a stainless steel skillet at the thrift. It had a similar black coating inside and on the bottom. I soaked a paper towel in ammonia, put it in the pan, put the pan in a plastic bag tied shut and left it overnight. The next day, the crud just peeled off in a sheet.
You can also boil some water in the pan, add some citric acid (the kind they use for canning), turn the heat down, and let it simmer. The crud will wipe off with a sponge or rag on a stick.
Thanks for the upload - well done! The trick Le Creuset recommended with the baking soda+boiling water can be rectified before you remove the pot/pan from the burner by simply adding water and some dish detergent or baking soda without removing the burned contents and letting it simmer for about 8-10 minutes. No special tools needed.
I usually treat any stains immediately so they don't build up, I use bicarbonate of soda with a bit of lemon juice applied with a plastic washup scourer and the stains come straight off.
I just clean it soon as possible after using it, and once or twice a year just clean it with the official le creuset cleaning cream. It’s slightly abrasive but not enough to ruin the finish, and it comes up brand new every time. I use my pot to braise beef, make bolognese, etc etc
The newest version of Le Creuset's own cleaning/polishing liquid is the single best way to do this. I am not advertising. I have an extensive collection that I've had for 20+ years and just picked up their newest cleaner. It is hands down better than the last version of their cleaner they sold, and I'm loving it: it brings a pots shine back like new, as it is a dual action product. I'd pass on the all the hacks and just use their brush, a flat tipped wooden spatula for nightmarish glued on stuff that needs scraping, and their cleaner/polisher.
I tried using white wine (a cheap one!). poured an amount to easily cover the bottom of the pot and let it heat up. The baked on carbon soon starting breaking off easily when scraped with a wooden spoon. It didn't take long at all to get it all off. The pot was then given a quick was with soap and a nylon sponge to get back to being spotless. * Lesson * Use the wine while cooking to deglaze the pot to save the time afterwards. It will wash the flavour being baked onto the pan back into the food and the alcohol will quickly cook off.
What looks like carbon is partly carbonized epoxy (the oils are cross-linked)...As mentioned, sodium hydroxide is the key, but it attacks more directly than just saponification: it breaks the epoxified cross-links. Simmering with baking soda is low-strength, directly with sodium hydroxide (lye) is hi-powered (and more hazardous), and the ammonia/water mentioned does a similar thing, but mid-powered....it attacks the epoxy links as well. Oven cleaner is jellied lye goo. You don't need heat if you give time with lye.
Ah...true. If there is already chipping, it can undermine. Not bad for smooth enamel, but potential problems with crazed or chipped.. I am really impressed by the baking soda trick...best to try that first. Same warning for the oven cleaner.
I’m going to try this… I burned the crap out of my favorite le creuset pot trying to make applesauce… and almost burned the house down… I would love for the baking soda and boiling water to work… I’m sure it will. Thanks so much. P S … my pot looks 10 times worse than yours. Should be fun 😎
Well… this really works. The baking soda and boiling water removed 90% of my burned sliced apples and I mean 5pounds of sliced apples burned through and through, nothing was salvageable.… then leaving some baking soda in the pan on the counter got another 5% and using a wooden spatula … boiled some water and a little more baking soda and voila all gone. It takes patience, definitely a wooden spatula … thank you for sharing this, as I thought my $300 le creuset pot was doomed for the garden with a plant in it… yes my stove was a mess, but I have a glass top electric stove, that easily wiped clean. Thank you!!!!!
For that burnt part it's better to just fill the pot with hot water and let it sit until the water cools to ambient temperature and do it again a second time if needed. This burnt mes, being rice, will absorb all the hot water and the starch will expand and come off on its own, no dry scrubbing needed, I think after a second soak you can use method one on this video to finish the job, but sure boiling baking soda in the pan works too.
By adding baking soda, you change the ph of the water which makes more hydroxide ions available to react to food stuck to the porcelain. Heating the water increases the chemical reaction.😄
Cool video, but I have a much easier option that does not require any manual work, but it is slightly more dangerous. Put some hot water in the pan, add some caustic soda and leave for half a hour, better still, do the above, but put on a low heat on the cooker to keep the water hot. Caustic soda will work with cold water, but hot it better. If anyone tries this, just be careful putting in the caustic as it reacts with hot water and can splash up if you pour a lot in straight away. Always a good idea to wear protective googles just incase it does splash. If it gets on your skin, just rinse with cold water. The tip is not to add a lot of caustic in one go.
I just discovered a realy neat trick, I had three roasting pans from the forties that were just as bad as yours. I sprayed oven cleaner on them, let them sit for ten minutes, rinsed them off and wiped them with a sponge and soap. After a final rinse they were like brand new.
Baking soda works by changing the composition of the brown. The brown then does not bond to the surface any longer and can be lifted off. A baking soda paste spread on your brown stained stove will also remove the brown that will not come off. Just make a very wet paste, smear it on the stainless of your stovetop and let it sit for an hour or more.
When you add baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) to boiling water, a chemical reaction causes it to give off CO2 and water, leaving sodium carbonate (washing soda) which is a stronger alkali and good at dissolving fat. The bubbles you saw after adding the baking soda are the reason it's used in baking since the formation of tiny bubbles of CO2 are what makes pancakes etc. rise.
Yep. My wife loves these pots and burns them a lot so I do the clean... i boil dish detergent for a few minutes and it all comes off. Btw, I hate them because they're heavy and I do most of the cooking...
you can actually scrub it with the coarse side of a sponge, then to "re-season" the enamel I just put it on the stove with a little bit of avocado oil, wipe it around, on high heat, once the oil is just about to smoke take it off the heat and continue wiping a bit and let it cool. eggs slide right off it, works every time
Instead of acid from the coke, use those foam to clean oven made from sodium hydoxyde. It's a strong base and let it sit a while, it will soften the carbon buildup. Baking soda is a slight base, but sodium hydoxide is a lot stronger. Its used also in drain cleaner stuff.
Anything acidic like coke dries thing out. Anything basic/alkaline like baking soda melts things. So I’m guessing since the carbon was already dried out, it really needed to be melted off w something alkaline.
Yo, i do the boiling without any baking soda, with ANY kinda pan that has build up. Usually I'll just boil water in the pot for 5 minutes, possibly drop the lid on to allow things to steam, then it'll be ready for a brush & soap. Easy peasy. And for what its worth, not a chemist, but a well researched home cook: The carbon is "baked on," boiling water ultimately just dissolves that bond using heat and water. I think of it like soaking a loaf of bread in a bucket of hot water. It'll turn to mush eventually, no matter how dry or burnt the loaf is.
Oxyclean in a strong solution made with hot water, left overnight in the pan works wonders for me and no damage to the pan, and absolutely no brushing or scrubbing. Caution though. Place your pan inside a plastic or enamelled dish washing bowl as the oxyclean (or other oxygen type bleaching powder), can react with stainless steel and darken it. You don't want a second problem to solve!
@ruphusii Pinned by The Hot Sorcerer @ruphusii 8 months ago From memory, there's a couple of processes that are potentially happening here from a chemistry perspective: 1. The Sodium hydrogen carbonate (bicarb soda) is decomposing into carbon dioxide (the gas bubbles) and sodium hydroxide at the surface of the pan. -I would expect that the carbon dioxide bubbles start lifting some of the burnt on stuff 2. The sodium hydroxide is allowing saponification reactions to occur, which will start to react with the burnt stuff at the bottom, making it a bit more soluble. 3. The sodium ions may be reacting with some of the large organic molecules to solubilise them. I would expect all three processes to be occurring (plus probably a few that I haven't remembered) 14 @geekbaritone @geekbaritone 6 months ago For that burnt part it's better to just fill the pot with hot water and let it sit until the water cools to ambient temperature and do it again a second time if needed. This burnt mes, being rice, will absorb all the hot water and the starch will expand and come off on its own, no dry scrubbing needed, I think after a second soak you can use method one on this video to finish the job, but sure boiling baking soda in the pan works too. 2 @chickbornheim9766 @chickbornheim9766 7 months ago You can also boil some water in the pan, add some citric acid (the kind they use for canning), turn the heat down, and let it simmer. The crud will wipe off with a sponge or rag on a stick. 13 @armindacomasltvtpgvv @armindacomasltvtpgvv 3 days ago This was amazing! Thank you for making this video! @vickyburton2434 @vickyburton2434 5 days ago By adding baking soda, you change the ph of the water which makes more hydroxide ions available to react to food stuck to the porcelain. Heating the water increases the chemical reaction.😄 @catw5294 @catw5294 2 months ago Have used baking soda for years and used on stainless too with nasty burns. sprinkle a thick layer over the bottom, add enough water to make a little bit more that a paste and let sit overnight. Just wipes away. You do not need to scrub hard or risk even micro scratches to your pans that way. Key is time. Leave overnight. 6 @geneard639 @geneard639 2 weeks ago I just put in some dish washing soap and water and boil it for a half hour with the lid on, and be careful removing the lid and pouring out the boiling water. You can get a bad 3rd degree burn if you spill it on you. You also get to clean and damn near sanitize your sink pouring off the boiling water. Scrub if you have to, repeat if you have to, but that will remove anything. Took forever for me to get a tomato sauce stain off of that white. @artaguilar7338 @artaguilar7338 2 months ago Great video! Will that also work on the bottom? A few of my pans have black spots. @winterskymoonranch4818 @winterskymoonranch4818 7 months ago (edited) Hey Captain Obvious says..don't burn dinner, but hey stuff happens. Great video. Fun to watch..you were hysterical! Some good tips here. I have my enameled cast iron on the stove working on those stains w/ vinegar, water and baking soda...thanks 6 @markkdarkk2988 @markkdarkk2988 1 month ago I own a water distiller from which I'm supposed to clean the scale that forms monthly. The unit came with some "cleaning solution," a powder that looks like citric acid (or whatever that stuff is called). Sprinkle a tsp or Tbsp in the bottom, cover with a little water, and turn it on for half an hour. Cleans scale like a champion. I wonder, though, whether it would work with this. Anybody got any idea whether it's safe? (Safe for the pot; I don't care about women, children, pets, or me but just want to save my pot.) @MegaCharlottebrown @MegaCharlottebrown 7 months ago Try putting some baking soda in the pot then add some white vinegar. Fill pot with water and let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour. The gunk will melt away with minimal scrubbing. 3 @sbeckerdesign @sbeckerdesign 4 weeks ago what happens if someone [not naming names] took off the enamel when cleaning. Can anything be done? 2 @kathyfann @kathyfann 10 days ago (edited) If you use water instead of oil to cook with does that help? @kathyfann @kathyfann 1 month ago (edited) Wonder if we should spray with Pam or cook some green onions first before cooking in them. I just ordered my first Dutch oven Le Creuset 2 @Shahrdad @Shahrdad 1 month ago Just spray it with EasyOff oven cleaner (yellow can) and let it sit for half an hour. Even the worst burnt stuff comes off. @Rlo3036 @Rlo3036 9 months ago Awesome tips 3 @reezefab6759 @reezefab6759 2 weeks ago Crusty food burn, baking soda and water is fantastic. @oscarmilla1048 @oscarmilla1048 5 months ago thanks boiling water with baking soda did the cleaning easy 4 @Xingqiwu387 @Xingqiwu387 5 months ago The BEST solution: boil water in the pot and pour in a full cup or two of CITRIC ACID! Leave the acid mixture overnight and rinse clean the next day. 1 @user-ky7tv6ks3l @user-ky7tv6ks3l 5 months ago adding the baking soda to any pot with burn food with do the trick not just for Le Creuset. @bradtopp @bradtopp 1 month ago When boiling to remove residue skip the baking soda. Does nothing. Just boil and scrape with your wooden spoon. @MultiKalamazoo @MultiKalamazoo 7 months ago If I'm paying this much for Le Creuset, my maid is doing all this work. 4 @lynettedeschenes6206 @lynettedeschenes6206 6 months ago Coincidentally I am watching QVC, they are selling some pans and the Le Crueset representative suggests mixing your dish soap, probably the "blue" soap with the baking soda, if that helps🫧 there is also a lifetime warranty on the product that could be addressed with Le Crueset if an exchange need be made🙌 2 @FREISme @FREISme 2 months ago ...love the bit about your stove...funny... @anncampton8431 @anncampton8431 1 month ago A self cleaning oven cycle will clear all that up for you. @robindartt1278 @robindartt1278 1 month ago Baking soda is alkaline, oils and grease are acidic. It's breaking up the burnt grease/oils for removal. @bluwng @bluwng 5 months ago Mine is clean but has permanent stain 1 @glasgowbeck @glasgowbeck 5 months ago Or we can just learn to accept that with a lifetime guarantee comes an opportunity to add a lifetime's patina to your treasured Le Creuset. I can't abide the pristine ones on cooking shows. Give me some real food stains and the occasional chip @lucindasmith7893 @lucindasmith7893 5 months ago Do u know whete I can reporcelin my pot? @user-ie9mq3qm9w @user-ie9mq3qm9w 6 months ago good @mariahayden7181 @mariahayden7181 3 months ago Cannot hear a word you’re saying 1. Choose a topic to write about that is a favorite memory of yours. 2. Print out the worksheet shown in today's lesson. Write your name and today's date at the top of the page. 3. Write a topic sentence in the first box. 4. Write three complete sentences in the "Details" box. 5. Write a closing sentence in the last box. 6. Write a paragraph by putting all of the sentences together on the bottom of the page. 7. Take a picture of your work and upload it for review. Writing a Paragraph
Like dissolves like. Baking soda dissolves in water and forms carbon dioxide. CO2 can then react with water to from carbonic acid which is then available to attack the baked on gunk (organic residue) from cooking. Heating increases the rate of reaction.
Yeah, that's the way to go. Baking soda or salt for all you dutch ovens and cast iron. They will last a lifetime if treated right. No soap ever. No harsh abrasive scrubs, just some tlc. My dutch oven, wok, skillet, and griller are all cast, and like my great gramma always said, " There is nothing else to cook with that will last you a lifetime." she brought a skillet from scotland in the early 1900
Coincidentally I am watching QVC, they are selling some pans and the Le Crueset representative suggests mixing your dish soap, probably the "blue" soap with the baking soda, if that helps🫧 there is also a lifetime warranty on the product that could be addressed with Le Crueset if an exchange need be made🙌
Never use a real high heat on these pots use med or low. It may take longer but you avoid burning the pot. It a learning curve. I started to burn something in a fry pan and accidentally used a metal spatula that chipped the finish. Don’t walk away even for a few minutes when frying.
You might not even need the bicarb for the boiling. In my experience just heating the water to a boil fora minute is enough to lift almost all burned food off. It’s the same process as when you deglaze a pan to make gravy.
I just put in some dish washing soap and water and boil it for a half hour with the lid on, and be careful removing the lid and pouring out the boiling water. You can get a bad 3rd degree burn if you spill it on you. You also get to clean and damn near sanitize your sink pouring off the boiling water. Scrub if you have to, repeat if you have to, but that will remove anything. Took forever for me to get a tomato sauce stain off of that white.
I boil automatic dish detergent in burned pots, then let it soak. Makes cleaning out MUCH easier. I guess baking soda works. Bon Ami ("hasn't scratch yet") might be too scratchy. Use some kind of rubbing compound like they sell in auto parts stores?
Hey Captain Obvious says..don't burn dinner, but hey stuff happens. Great video. Fun to watch..you were hysterical! Some good tips here. I have my enameled cast iron on the stove working on those stains w/ vinegar, water and baking soda...thanks
Here's and easy way to keep those enameled cast iron pans clean. Either when warm or cool in a sink, SPRAY THEM WITH THAT GREAT BLUE DAWON SPRAY! Wahlah! with a rince or a mininmal of scrubing they are clean. Don't let them get dirty in the first place! I keep ALL 20 of mine in good shape by cleaning each time.
Try putting some baking soda in the pot then add some white vinegar. Fill pot with water and let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour. The gunk will melt away with minimal scrubbing.
I'm not a chemist but I use the baking soda and water trick on especially on burnt rice period I had a couple of tablespoons to enough water to submerge all the burn, boil it, turn it off and let it cool, wash it out. You don't have to do any scraping beforehand or any of the other things you did? It'll literally lift out.
What do you think about a cap full of bleach in a full pot of water for a few hours. I have 40 year old Le Creuset pots and that's my method when they look a little stained and it's worked great.
The water makes contact with the hot surface and expands into gas, thereby releasing the stuck carbon. You don't even need baking soda for this. Just boil it away and when it gets soft, just scrape with wooden spoon.
It should. It'll be a little harder to keep it on while you heat it. I'm thinking I'd try putting an aluminum tray on a griddle and putting a thick baking soda solution in that (like a whole box; the stuff is cheap), heating it near boiling, then soaking and rubbing the cast iron pot in it, maybe scrubbing it with a stiff plastic brush.
What about the stains on the exterior of the DO? Have tried the baking soda paste and scrubbing, but don't have another even larger pot to boil water around it. Boiling inside it did not loosen the exterior stains.
I destroyed my creuset by cooking an acidic meal with vinegar. The enamel inside got very coarse since than. Everything sticks now when cooking. Shit happens...
No scouring at all needed! Add water into your pot any burnt pot -- and 1 or 2 teaspoon washing poder containing bleach (sodium perborate). Bring to boil. After 5 min your pot will be okay.
I own a water distiller from which I'm supposed to clean the scale that forms monthly. The unit came with some "cleaning solution," a powder that looks like citric acid (or whatever that stuff is called). Sprinkle a tsp or Tbsp in the bottom, cover with a little water, and turn it on for half an hour. Cleans scale like a champion. I wonder, though, whether it would work with this. Anybody got any idea whether it's safe? (Safe for the pot; I don't care about women, children, pets, or me but just want to save my pot.)
