Enamel finish on my dutch oven was "cleaned up" - it's no longer slick and shiny

T

tess

Well-known member
The bottom of my le crueset dutch oven had stains - never bothered me - mostly from using red wine and such.

Someone (not me) decided to clean it up and scrubbed the heck out of it. Now the bottom is no longer shiny and slick. It's very rough.

Is my dutch oven ruined? Is it safe to use?

Thx

Tess

 
I don't think the shine matters in anything but cosmetics. Too bad--clorox does the stain

removal in a NY second.
Actually even if the enamel is chipped, it is still cast iron underneath so it should be fine.

 
Here is what I found in a search...

From a Bon Appetit site about cleaning enameled cookware-
https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/tools-test-kitchen/article/how-to-clean-dutch-oven

Be gentle with the interior
The enameled inside of your pot shouldn’t need much scrubbing, Music says; “it’s basically nonstick.” If you’ve made polenta or oatmeal or something else that has adhered itself to the bottom of your pot, simply let it soak with hot water and a bit of soap or baking soda overnight; it should come right off with a sponge after that. If you, like some editors here who will go unnamed, have burned something into the pan–say, a pot of beans you forgot about before taking a nap–try boiling water (enough to cover the grime) in the pot with a pinch of baking soda, then letting it soak. Bar Keepers Friend powder is also quite handy if you have burns that just don’t seem to budge–mix it with a tiny bit of water, and scrub away. Just remember to avoid that steel wool.
Beware of cracks
Cracks and chips in enamel shouldn’t be ignored–they can seriously interfere with your cooking. Many cookware companies–like Staub and Le Creuset–have lifetime warranties, which you should most definitely take advantage of if something goes awry. A pot that works is of much more use to you than the nostalgia of a few years of cooking.

From Cooks Illustrated-
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/537-how-to-clean-and-care-for-enameled-cast-iron-cookware-dutch-ovens-and-skillets
This page says that craking or chipping of the enamel does not interfere with cooking as there is only cast iron under it.

I'd try to contact Le Creuset to see what they have to contribute.

 
Safe to use, but it will have lost some of its non-stick. I have two Dru dutch ovens

...one has lost all of its glossy finish inside and the other is perfect. Rice definitely sticks more to the older one. But both are still perfect for stews.

 
Last week I made applesauce in my Le Creuset stock pot. I never add much water

because the apples usually create their own liquid. This time however, when I checked, the apples had already stuck to the bottom of the pan. I changed pans and put the stock pot in a soak. Hubby scrubbed and scrubbed and could not get all the stuff out. A did research, and found someone said to add 1//2 inch of Hydrogen Peroxide and boil for ten minutes. Like magic, it was gone. I am going to try it today on a small Dutch Oven I have that is totally brown inside.
When I bought the stock pot, Le Creuset commented that is was made lighter on purpose due to the amount of liquid that would go into the pot, would make it too heavy for someone to life while hot. I do not like it because stuff does stick unless it is mostly liquid. I had about 25 lbs. of apples to process. I will never use my stock pot again for that purpose.

 
OH, the stockpot is a steel and it notably has hot spots that are bound to overheat.

One reason I love my heavy aluminum stockpots, and the reason AllClad stainless is so expensive--layered construction to take out the hot spots.
I had an enamelled steel pot--royal blue--like the LC ones and they look so terrific, but you really have to watch that they don't burn
If it is stain on the pot, a little clorox and water will take it off

 
Karen, I thought you had an IP.... I have made a few batches of apple sauce in mine. Easy peasy!

 
No IP but I have a great slow cooker, a Crock-Pot that I love because the

insert can go on the gas burner for me to brown ingredients. Love it. I do not need another cooking vessel!

 
Steel? Really? It is very lightweight, and with an enamel interior..

It was inexpensive compared to other Le Creuset pots like my Dutch Ovens.

 
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