The reason you get a lifetime warranty with your Le Creuset skillet is that anything made of cast iron can last for generations.
But yes, the appearance will degrade over time. The black matte enameled finish on the inside becomes uglier as time passes by.
So, it’s no wonder why many people like you wonder how to restore Le Creuset cast iron skillet. They just want to scrape it back down to the skillet’s original state.
In this article, I will try to help you out in this regard.
Restoring Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet With Oven Cleaner
When you compare Le Creuset with Staub or other brands, it’s still the market leader. From skillets to pans, they got a wide kitchen accessories range.
The cast-iron skillet from Le Creuset requires regular cleaning. Occasionally, you may feel to restore it completely.
Here is a step by step restoration guide:
- Get an oven cleaner that sprays a Lye-based foam.
- Spray the oven cleaner all over the Le Creuset cast iron skillet.
- Seal the skillet in heavy-duty garbage bags.
- Let it sit there for at least 24 hours.
- Use a heavy-duty scrubber to scrub the skillets.
- Keep scrubbing until you remove the seasoning and restore the skillets to their original cast-iron surface.
Depending on the condition of how bad it is, your cast iron skillet may require several applications of the above method.
Restoring Le Creuset Skillet With Lye Solution
If you need a fast result and you need to restore several of such kitchen items, you need pure lye (one-pound bottle) like a bottle of drain cleaner. You can get it from your local hardware store.
You can follow the below steps VERY carefully:
- Make the lye solution first. Pour the 1-pound lye into the 5 gallons of water using a large bucket. Do not pour water into the lye!
- Submerge the skillets in the solution completely and let it sit there for at least 24 hours.
- It may require more than 24 hours. So check your skillets, scrub a little, and put them back in the solution if it requires more time. Don’t worry the lye won’t harm the cast iron for the prolonged submersion.
- Lastly, scrub the skillet well to remove the seasoning completely.
Precautions And Safety Note
Do not let your children or pets go nearby the bucket filled with the lye solution. It’s very hot! For 24 hours, make sure to put the bucket covered securely in a place far away from them.
For cleaning Le Creuset, some people recommend using oven cleaner, baking soda, or Barkeeper’s Friend, etc.
I believe you can find so many other solutions from the internet that can make you really confused. So, I should talk about what NOT to do when it comes to restoring Le Creuset.
First, do not use Naval Jelly (a form of phosphoric acid) or sandblasting to restore the skillet. It can actually make it worse. Let me explain why.
The Naval Jelly dries on the cast iron and makes it very hard to remove it. Yes, it works great only if you can completely submerge the cast iron skillet in the jelly.
As for sandblasting, it can alter the original surface of the cast iron. So, don’t do it as well.
Lastly, watch this restoration video.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Everything will stick to the non-stick cooking surface. The heat generated from the cast iron, not enough oil, and non-stick cooking surface results in making the surface sticky over time.
No, you should not use steel wool on Le Creuset. Use a soft sponge always. If it can’t wash away stubborn food particles, use soft abrasive pads.
You can use oven cleaner or lye solution to restore it. Soak it with either one of them and let it sit for 24 hours. Lastly, scrub until it’s completely restored. You can use baking soda instead of oven cleaner or lye as well.
Yes, it’s possible to restore the enamel on Le Creuset. But it may need a complete repair of your cookware.
Final Remarks
After reading this article and watching the video, no one should be wondering how to restore Le Creuset cast iron skillet. At least that’s what I believe.
But I want to you remind that you can actually have a replacement for your Le Creuset cast iron skillet if you can explain to them properly how it has got its current state.
Either way, let me know your thoughts in the comment box.
About Author
Thanks for the only post on the internet that actually answers this question!
I have a small Le Creuset frying pan with a cast iron interior and blue enamel exterior. The blue enamel was caked with black when I bought it at a yard sale about 40 years ago, and it’s gotten worse. Do you know of anyone who could recondition it? I sprayed on some oven cleaner and it did very little, and I’m not comfortable going any further with it.