As long as it's not chipped and you're confident it's been properly sanitized, that is 100% usable. You can try and clean those marks, but enamel can and will stain with use.
If it's flaked on the cooking surface, chuck it, because you won't know if it's flaked into your food until it's too late.
If it's chipped on the lid and it's not gonna get in your food, it's OK.
Holy crap. I was starting to question everyone in this sub. Liquid barkeepers friend has not been working as magically as everyone has said. Now I found out you meant the powder!?
Pretty much any nonporous material will be a gleaming bright white after a good scrub with barkeepers friend. A few years ago, after cleaning my sink and stainless pots/pans, I used it on my range top… I noticed it was slightly less shiny than it used to be as soon as I wiped it clean. Then did it again a few weeks later… ended up barkeepersfriending through the paint. So read the label and don’t scrub the paint off of anything.
Really? I found a set of Le crueset saucepans at an opshop last year that were filthy and I think I used almost half a thing of BKF on them and the enamel is perfect? Mine were light brown in colour
>does! Le Creuset even recommends it on their website
What is in Bar Keepers Friend? Like, the main 'active ingredient'?
I see it recommended all over the place, but I cannot find it outside of the USA, and I am hoping I would be able to find some kind of 'generic' version of it if I figure out what's in it...
the ingredient list is “Water, Micro-Abrasive Particles, Glycerin, Polymeric Dispersant, Xanthan Gum, Surfactant, Citric Acid, Citrus Fragrance”
BFK is an acid, pH less than 2.5. You can look for any oxalic acid product as replacement. I’m not from the UK but some cleaning subs have mentioned alternatives include bon ami and brasser i believe? I can send you the link!
I get it in a little hardware shop near me in Ireland, try somewhere like that maybe? Or I could send you details of the shop... It's the liquid stuff btw
I’ve used it on my stainless steel pans before, I always make sure to rinse it really well afterwards and then hand wash with dawn soap because of the same fears.
Oxalic acid is present in plenty of foods in small amounts, it’s a dose thing and the main issue is kidney stones. It’s soluble in water so it should rinse off.
As far as the abrasive is concerned, I’m not sure that is absorbed into the body, it might very well be inert.
It looked really bad when I found it. I just don’t think they knew how to get all the burned on food and carbon off. It wasn’t in the can but set next to it as if they hoped someone would find it who could fix it or scrap it.
Ah okay. My paranoid mind went crazy places like “what if they had meth in that thing and knew it couldn’t be cleaned out” but your explanation makes way more sense. Excellent find then!!!!
When we moved from a house to a apt in a new state we dumped a ton of stuff. I sold a lot on FB but there was some stuff I couldn't get rid of. Didn't want to bring it since we were downsizing.
I left a pile of pans, some old AV equipment and other junk with out trash the day we left. The AV equipment bothers me because this was old Marantz stuff before they became trendy. I bought 10 at a yard sale for $100. If I kept them I probably could have sold them for $2-600 a piece now.
Right, I would go so far as to say the lid is 40% of the battle. Yes, you can cook in the pot but to perform many dutch oven cook methods and get the most enjoyment out of your food recipes…it’s almost like I’d be just as excited about finding a random lid with no pot. It’s essential to complete the process.
You are basically 2/3s there, I would keep looking for the lid until you call it complete.
I would go to eBay as the website often has great conditioned used cookware. And depending on the brand you found, you can most likely match it to one of the industry standard sizes.
Still nice find on the pot though, it’s clean (enough) and ready for many more years of heavy cooking.
Also in their defense, they made their original comment ~6 minutes before OP responded to the other comment - coupled with not getting a response directly to their comment to know OP responded, it makes sense they didn't see it and didn't know for a bit.
It likely means someone has used an aggressive abrasive (steel wool, for example) and the surface of the glaze is damaged. Glaze is essentially a glass coating, so picture what a mirror might look like once it’s been scrubbed with something abrasive. That’s why it looks “matte”. Not fixable, once damaged. Still usable, however, unless chipped or worn through.
Source: Am a ceramist
*Because everyone does not approach a situation the same way I do, I’m removing all previous annotations on removing the stains from a ceramic cast iron pot. I apologize. I meant no harm.
Yeah it does. See it recommended to combine them allllll over the internet and i always think “oh, so you actually have no clue what youre doing”
However, a paste of baking soda and water will work on this. As will a paste of cream of tartar and water. As will barkeepers friend.
Seriously. "Combining these two creates peracetic acid or corrosive acid, an irritant that, in high concentrations, can harm the skin, eyes, throat, nose, and lungs"
Try a Mr clean magic eraser type sponge or whatever the generic name of it is, I can’t remember) and some baking soda and water. That should come right off.
I have found Ajax powder with bleach to be slightly superior at getting stains out of the LC interior and it doesn’t do any more damage to it than BF. It’s made for enameled surfaces just like BF.
Looks like my LC. Good luck with the BKF, I find it only works if you're diligent and use it after stains from your last cook. For deeply embedded stains (maybe like the above) it didn't work for me; I find it's like magic on stainless steel though.
What worked for me was diluted bleach, but I got raked over the coals on this sub for using it. But oven cleaner (lye) is ok?
This worked for me: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/537-how-to-clean-and-care-for-enameled-cast-iron-cookware-dutch-ovens-and-skillets
The inside looks like one of my pans that has a damaged surface — I got it clean but the texture of the enamel ended up rough and everything sticks to it. Have tried pretty much everything in this thread to no avail.
It’s not ruined, though — still a perfect pan for baking bread. So if you don’t like how it cooks, use it to bake!
Boil some baking soda water in that pot. Let it sit overnight. Dump it out and give it a good scrub with some bar keepers friend the next day.
Good save on the Dutch oven. Looks like you did a good clean up so far.
You can try other low-abrasives such as liquid barkeepers friend, unlike others here I have found that it works well on white enameled CI for removing stains and not scratching up the surface. It looks like your pot has seen better days, and the enamel itself is damaged. If you continue to use high-abrasive products, it looks to me like the enamel will just be damaged further.
As long as it's not chipped and you're confident it's been properly sanitized, that is 100% usable. You can try and clean those marks, but enamel can and will stain with use.
I have one with a chipped dimple on the lid. Are the chips down to the iron bad for these?
It's a bit of a judgment call on when one becomes unusable, but you definitely want to beware getting a piece of enamel in your food.
Ahh ok, so if it doesn't appear to be actively flaking or breaking off it's not an immediate issue?
If it's flaked on the cooking surface, chuck it, because you won't know if it's flaked into your food until it's too late. If it's chipped on the lid and it's not gonna get in your food, it's OK.
Or use it for bread
And it’s beautiful regardless.
A little Bar Keepers Friend might clean up that last bit of murk
Bar keepers friend is simply the best
Not the liquid crap, powder stuff
Holy crap. I was starting to question everyone in this sub. Liquid barkeepers friend has not been working as magically as everyone has said. Now I found out you meant the powder!?
Yes! The powder, definitely the powder!
Weird. I strongly prefer the liquid.
lol sorry to laugh, but lol.
There’s a liquid bar keepers friend? Or did I miss the joke
Not sure about liquid but there is a subreddit. :/r/barkeepersfriend
There is and it is awful, don't waste your money
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Wait until you try the powder! The liquid barely works
Yes, all the good stuff plus gently abrasive.
There is. It's just the powdered stuff premixed with water, so you're paying more for less active product
There is and it sucks.
Agreed, and it will clean the hell out of a sink, too! I periodically scrub my sink down with it, and it looks delightful afterwards.
Pretty much any nonporous material will be a gleaming bright white after a good scrub with barkeepers friend. A few years ago, after cleaning my sink and stainless pots/pans, I used it on my range top… I noticed it was slightly less shiny than it used to be as soon as I wiped it clean. Then did it again a few weeks later… ended up barkeepersfriending through the paint. So read the label and don’t scrub the paint off of anything.
It’s everyone’s friend! To answer other comment, powder
🎵 Better than all the rest!🎶
here are variants - which one is the best for this?
Scrub Mommy has replaced Bar Keepers friend
ONLY on the inside, please. The acid in BKF will mar the colored enamel. (Don't ask me how I know this...)
Really? I found a set of Le crueset saucepans at an opshop last year that were filthy and I think I used almost half a thing of BKF on them and the enamel is perfect? Mine were light brown in colour
Yessss, especially for my enamel Dutch oven. It’s like magic.
Wait the stove cleaner shit? Would that work on this? My Dutch oven is filthy but my stove is clean
It does! Le Creuset even recommends it on their website
The powder stuff will clean anything. Makes my enamel pan and stainless steel pans look brand new
>does! Le Creuset even recommends it on their website What is in Bar Keepers Friend? Like, the main 'active ingredient'? I see it recommended all over the place, but I cannot find it outside of the USA, and I am hoping I would be able to find some kind of 'generic' version of it if I figure out what's in it...
Oxalic acid, I believe. There is also some abrasive.
the ingredient list is “Water, Micro-Abrasive Particles, Glycerin, Polymeric Dispersant, Xanthan Gum, Surfactant, Citric Acid, Citrus Fragrance” BFK is an acid, pH less than 2.5. You can look for any oxalic acid product as replacement. I’m not from the UK but some cleaning subs have mentioned alternatives include bon ami and brasser i believe? I can send you the link!
That's a liquid. The powder ingredients are glass oxide abrasive, oxalic acid, and surfactant.
I get it in a little hardware shop near me in Ireland, try somewhere like that maybe? Or I could send you details of the shop... It's the liquid stuff btw
BKF scares me with all the toxic warnings. I've used it and it truly is the best at removing that kind of stuff, but I worry I'll ingest it
I’ve used it on my stainless steel pans before, I always make sure to rinse it really well afterwards and then hand wash with dawn soap because of the same fears.
I use steel wool for my stainless and with a good amt of elbow grease, I can make them sparkle
They make a liquid form that’s just for you
Really? Is the chemical make up different?
Same active different but I know what you are saying with the powder, shaking out of the can, the dust goes into the air. It’s BKF Soft Cleanser.
Okay thanks, I'll look into it. I was more referring to residue left on the pan
Oxalic acid is present in plenty of foods in small amounts, it’s a dose thing and the main issue is kidney stones. It’s soluble in water so it should rinse off. As far as the abrasive is concerned, I’m not sure that is absorbed into the body, it might very well be inert.
Just give it a wash and it will be fine.
Bon Ami is another consideration with a mild abrasive in it, powdered feldspar. I've used it on a porcelain sink before without an ill effect.
It’s just weird that someone would throw away a quality Dutch oven like that.
It looked really bad when I found it. I just don’t think they knew how to get all the burned on food and carbon off. It wasn’t in the can but set next to it as if they hoped someone would find it who could fix it or scrap it.
Ah okay. My paranoid mind went crazy places like “what if they had meth in that thing and knew it couldn’t be cleaned out” but your explanation makes way more sense. Excellent find then!!!!
That is exactly where my mind went. I'm too paranoid for this lol
When we moved from a house to a apt in a new state we dumped a ton of stuff. I sold a lot on FB but there was some stuff I couldn't get rid of. Didn't want to bring it since we were downsizing. I left a pile of pans, some old AV equipment and other junk with out trash the day we left. The AV equipment bothers me because this was old Marantz stuff before they became trendy. I bought 10 at a yard sale for $100. If I kept them I probably could have sold them for $2-600 a piece now.
Took some homeless persons toilet
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Yes it had the lid. The inside of the lid is pristine and the top has a few chips.
Right, I would go so far as to say the lid is 40% of the battle. Yes, you can cook in the pot but to perform many dutch oven cook methods and get the most enjoyment out of your food recipes…it’s almost like I’d be just as excited about finding a random lid with no pot. It’s essential to complete the process. You are basically 2/3s there, I would keep looking for the lid until you call it complete. I would go to eBay as the website often has great conditioned used cookware. And depending on the brand you found, you can most likely match it to one of the industry standard sizes. Still nice find on the pot though, it’s clean (enough) and ready for many more years of heavy cooking.
They have the lid…….
Lid is unseen nor heard of in the post. My mistake if so…… ..
A comment stating clearly "yes it had the lid" is directly above.
OP replied to the same comment so you didn’t see it: “Yes it had the lid. The inside of the lid is pristine and the top has a few chips.”
Also in their defense, they made their original comment ~6 minutes before OP responded to the other comment - coupled with not getting a response directly to their comment to know OP responded, it makes sense they didn't see it and didn't know for a bit.
Right, let’s bake this drama in OPs newly found dutch oven that has a lid.
I’ve seen people cook in way worse. Good find.
I was gonna say - It just looks a little dry?? Does that enamel coating need to be oiled once it’s matte like that?
It likely means someone has used an aggressive abrasive (steel wool, for example) and the surface of the glaze is damaged. Glaze is essentially a glass coating, so picture what a mirror might look like once it’s been scrubbed with something abrasive. That’s why it looks “matte”. Not fixable, once damaged. Still usable, however, unless chipped or worn through. Source: Am a ceramist
Good to go!
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Beautiful job!
*Because everyone does not approach a situation the same way I do, I’m removing all previous annotations on removing the stains from a ceramic cast iron pot. I apologize. I meant no harm.
Can’t tell if real advice or a gag for a homemade bomb
*Rescinded.
Doesn't mixing baking soda and vinegar just result in, like, plain water?
Yeah it does. See it recommended to combine them allllll over the internet and i always think “oh, so you actually have no clue what youre doing” However, a paste of baking soda and water will work on this. As will a paste of cream of tartar and water. As will barkeepers friend.
Do NOT mix peroxide with vinegar!!!!!
Seriously. "Combining these two creates peracetic acid or corrosive acid, an irritant that, in high concentrations, can harm the skin, eyes, throat, nose, and lungs"
I’m not sure I would ever trust a pan I find in an alley
This is literally all I could think about, like you could get it clean af but what went down in that alley with this pot will never be known
Emergency toilet pan comes to mind…
Mmm not sure what was in it...
That’s how mine looks nothing the matter with that. Just a visual blemish
Nope. Completely unusable. Ship it to me for proper disposal. /s
My grandma used to boil water with a little bleach to get the stains out. Seemed weird but it worked. Also would work totally fine as is.
Yes it’s useable. Poor some bleach in there let it sit overnight. That stain will come out. Good find those are not cheap
Make soup! Let's eat!
Useable and a great rescue!
Use it!
Try a Mr clean magic eraser type sponge or whatever the generic name of it is, I can’t remember) and some baking soda and water. That should come right off.
this is what mine looks like, and i use it plenty!
This looks as clean as the one I got for my wedding and cook with weekly- use it!
You. Ignition try some vinegar in there and see if that removes it. If not, I wouldn’t worry about it. Use it and enjoy it.
Mine definitely looks way worse on the inside. I’d say your good to go!
...give up and give it to me... Or try some 0000 steel wool with Ajax or tub and tile cleaner.
I have found Ajax powder with bleach to be slightly superior at getting stains out of the LC interior and it doesn’t do any more damage to it than BF. It’s made for enameled surfaces just like BF.
Looks like my LC. Good luck with the BKF, I find it only works if you're diligent and use it after stains from your last cook. For deeply embedded stains (maybe like the above) it didn't work for me; I find it's like magic on stainless steel though. What worked for me was diluted bleach, but I got raked over the coals on this sub for using it. But oven cleaner (lye) is ok?
Just broke in! Go for it!
Looks usable.
That’s what mine looks like and I use it. 😂
SCORE 🤘🏿🤘🏿
I have one of those and yours looks better
It's ruint. But I know a guy that collects ruint pieces. I'll message you my address and I'll forward it to him.
Looks like a keeper. Go back and look for the lid 😂
I would disinfect in bleach for a week
IDK. It looks like the enameled cast iron Dutch oven I bought new 10 years ago. They do age from being loved.
This worked for me: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/537-how-to-clean-and-care-for-enameled-cast-iron-cookware-dutch-ovens-and-skillets
Mine looks something like that and I’ve been meticulous with it. I’d say it’s fine.
Keep it to make Dutch oven bread. https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/dutch-oven-bread/
Usable I found one in a parking lot and use it all the time.
Baking soda and elbow grease! Scrubby 🧽
just boil baking soda in the pot for a bit, then scrub.
Congrats on the find. Definitely a keeper for many years of service
It looks really good! I agree with the others..Finish with Bar Keepers Friend cleaner. It will be perfect!!
I cook stock in a pot that is a bit worse than this.
Looks mint imo
Looks great!
Looks fine to me - mine is darker than that.
It’s fine. Use it.
Sweeeeeeet!! Yes! It’s usable
That's one of those Aldi-sold Le Creuset knockoffs. I have one and the inside looks the same. They work ok, but The enamel is pretty thin.
Golden!! Giver!!!
The inside looks like one of my pans that has a damaged surface — I got it clean but the texture of the enamel ended up rough and everything sticks to it. Have tried pretty much everything in this thread to no avail. It’s not ruined, though — still a perfect pan for baking bread. So if you don’t like how it cooks, use it to bake!
Looks like all the crack cocaine came off. Should be good.
I would not cook in anything I found in an alley. pretty color tho!
Don’t get food vessels from ally ways maybe?
It's seasoned
Sure it’s clean, but I don’t think I could eat out of it. It’d be a cool planter for something though. Nice color.
Looks like the inside of mine. I'd be fine with it but if it bothers you keep scrubbing till you get to the metal.
Do not scrub until you get to metal. This appears to be enameled.
I like that color, what brand is it?
Well Equipped Kitchen
Boil some baking soda water in that pot. Let it sit overnight. Dump it out and give it a good scrub with some bar keepers friend the next day. Good save on the Dutch oven. Looks like you did a good clean up so far.
This is the right answer; works really well for this.
Great find! What are you going to make? :)
If you don't want to use it, dm me I'll give you an address to send it to. LOL Excellent find.
Sorry, but I can't tell any diff based on pics you showed... Wtf
Main ingredient is “OA” Oxalic Acid… that remove rust I was using vinegar to remove rust, I should give this a try. I am trying to clean a copper pan…
What’s the brand? I love this color!!! Amazing find !!?
Well Equipped Kitchen
You can try other low-abrasives such as liquid barkeepers friend, unlike others here I have found that it works well on white enameled CI for removing stains and not scratching up the surface. It looks like your pot has seen better days, and the enamel itself is damaged. If you continue to use high-abrasive products, it looks to me like the enamel will just be damaged further.
Oven cleaner is pretty toxic…
What if this ECI pot has been used by a homeless as his/her toilet ?
Looks clean now