topic Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset? in Community Chat

Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 17:47:57 GMT

I have mentioned on another thread that I have a few Le Crueset pieces. I have a large stock pot or dutch oven that is in good condition because I don't use it very much. I also have a few other pieces that look good when they aren't used either.

However I have a small frying pan that got so black on the bottom of it that I gave it to my son to use when he goes camping.

I bought a new one. It was great for a while but started to get black too. It go so black and I found it impossible to clean off. I tried almost everything! Even leaving oven cleaner on all night which took some of the black off but only about half. It's too much work to try to maintain. I have a gas cooktop so maybe the gas was making it black? I don't know.

I've gotten to the point where I have turned to using stainless steel. It may not be nonstick but it's not hard to get clean and it looks beautiful!

Does anyone else have this problem? ....any tips?

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

riley1 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:26:54 GMT

@haddon9 - I now have an electric rangetop (hate it) and find that I really can't use a high heat to cook - I mostly use med or med high for most things.

However, I had gas for years when I lived in NJ. Are you cooking with too high a heat setting? I never had that happen to any of my pots with gas.

Have you tried Bar Keepers or even a paste of baking soda with a dobie scrubbing pad? I've never seen that before.

Sorry I could not be more helpful.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

Icegoddess — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:30:26 GMT

I have neither gas nor Le Creuset and all my pans have black on the bottoms. Even my stainless steel pan although I can at least use an SOS pad on it and get some, but not all, of it off. The inside of the SS pan is pristine.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

RedTop — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:31:22 GMT

I think this is related to cooking with gas. None of my cookware has ever scorched like this on an electric stove.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:32:43 GMT

@riley1 I try to keep the gas down to a medium flame at most. I know high flame isn't good for some pots.

Yes I have tried Barkeeper's friend and a few other pastes which did almost nothing. I just don't understand why the underside of my two frying pans got so blackened. I feel that the only thing that will get the black off is an electric sander! LOL! I give up!

I have been happy with my stainless and have been using that most of the time now. They look great each time I use them.

I was just wondering if others have had the problem that I have with Le Crueset.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:35:05 GMT

@Icegoddess @RedTop I think it really has to do with the gas but I don't know if others who have gas have experienced this as well with cast iron enamel.

My stainless has not gotten black on the bottom and still looks great.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

MezzieStarr — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:42:55 GMT

On the Le Creuset YouTube channel they say to use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

Probably won't get it back to 100% but might take some off.

I've had success on other pans using Bar Keepers Friend.

Screen shot from Le Creuset:

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

RNbynite — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:45:26 GMT

@haddon9 …Try easy off oven cleaner…..I’ve read that I works without dulling the enamel.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

Carmie — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:46:11 GMT

I have had this happen to quite a few pieces of my different types of cookware, including LeCrueset.

I found a product that will restore it to like new. You might have to use a little grease at first, but after that it only takes a few minutes to maintain a clean button and sides of the pan.

This product is also great for cleaning the stove and other items around the house. I have had my container for a few years and use it often. It seems to last forever.

I think I bought it from HSN a few years ago.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

Sooner — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:48:49 GMT

It's a matter of not letting any pan get like this. If you scrub them after cooking while there are tiny spots, they won't get this way.

You might have to use a scouring powder or pink stuff, maybe baking soda on not so bad spots, but you have to get it off before it gets cooked on again.

Also, it is a symptom of using really high heat and grease spattering and burning.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:50:49 GMT

@haddon9 I guess it must be the gas flame. I have electric, and my Lodge enamelled cast iron looks like the day I bought it. I use it nearly every week. I have some All Clad frying pans that have discolored on the bottom, and I use Bar Keepers Friend. But, I see that didn't work for you. Have you thought about contacting the company?

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:00:03 GMT

@RNbynite wrote:
@haddon9 …Try easy off oven cleaner…..I’ve read that I works without dulling the enamel.

@RNbynite I did! Left it on for hours and only a small amount of the black came off.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:00:58 GMT

@Carmie wrote:
I have had this happen to quite a few pieces of my different types of cookware, including LeCrueset.

I found a product that will restore it to like new. You might have to use a little grease at first, but after that it only takes a few minutes to maintain a clean button and sides of the pan.

This product is also great for cleaning the stove and other items around the house. I have had my container for a few years and use it often. It seems to last forever.

I think I bought it from HSN a few years ago.

@Carmie I have used this as well....no luck!

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:02:56 GMT

@Sooner You are probably correct that I should not have let it get that bad to begin with. However even when it had small spots before it got bad, they were difficult to remove. Maybe the heat was too high and I didn't realize it.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:04:22 GMT

@PA Mom-mom I did call them and they gave me some suggestions which were similar to the many suggestions here.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:06:33 GMT

@MezzieStarr "On the Le Creuset YouTube channel they say to use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide."

I have tried baking soda but not with hydrogen peroxide. I will give this a try. Thanks for the tip!

Her pot looks a lot like mine...I'm going to check out the Youtube video.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

Cakers3 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 20:08:46 GMT

Ugh. Went to edit.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

Burnsite — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:44:02 GMT

In my former house, my vintage "I Dream of Genie" kitchen (electric coils,mustardy color, which I loved) would blacken pots if I put the larger burner on high. I would work with medium heat.

I have a larger LeCreuset I use all the time (6 or 7 quarts?) though it is in storage right now til I find a house. Couldn't take much to my short-term rental apt.

To me, it seems possible that if you put the burner on high rather than raising the temp by stages, it might blacken the bottom. If I remember it right, the directions said "no high heat".

It's my favorite pot. How I miss it, esp. when I am trying to make my mother's beef stew recipe in a $20-something pot purchased at Big Y (a grocery store near me).. The pot bottom doesn't blacken, but the food inside the pot will, if I don't watch the temp.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

haddon9 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:48:38 GMT

I purchased directly from Le Creuest and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Thanks....I'm going to look into Barkeeper's friend with hydrogen peroxide.

Re: Anyone have this issue with their Le Crueset?

bikerbabe — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:52:02 GMT

🙋🏻‍♀️ Me. I’ve had that happen. To LC and Staub. On both gas and electric.

Barkeepers Friend and a plastic scrubby. It took a couple of rounds to get it off. I let it sit for awhile. Then scrub. Just don’t let it get this bad again. 💕