How to clean enameled cast iron: stains, burnt food and marks

Step by step: how to clean enameled cast iron

Safety first. Let the pan cool to room temperature before it meets cold water; a sudden temperature change can crack the enamel. If you use a dilute bleach soak for stains, use it on enamel only, in a ventilated room, and never add vinegar or other cleaners to the same pot.

1. 1

   Let it cool completely

   Leave the pan on the stove or a trivet until it is warm to the touch or cooler. Running cold water into hot enamel is the most common cause of cracks and crazing. Use the time to scrape out leftover food with a wooden or plastic tool.

2. 2

   Wash with soap and a soft sponge

   Wash inside and out with warm water, dish soap and a non-abrasive sponge, dishcloth or soft brush. Scrub the outside too, since grease baked onto the exterior is what turns it brown. Rinse well.

3. 3

   Simmer off anything stuck

   If food is stuck, cover it with water, add a squeeze of dish soap and simmer on low for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and scrape gently with a sponge, bristle brush or plastic scraper. Repeat if needed rather than scrubbing harder.

4. 4

   Lift brown stains with a ceramic cleaner

   Light brown discoloration is normal and does not affect cooking. To brighten the interior, wet the surface, sprinkle or squeeze on a small amount of enamel or ceramic cookware cleaner, and rub it in with the soft side of the sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

5. 5

   Boil off burnt-on oil

   For dark, baked-on residue, add water to cover it, bring it to a boil and stir in baking soda: about 2 tablespoons for every 4 cups of water. Scrape the burnt area gently with a wooden spoon while it boils, then pour it out, cool and wash as usual.

6. 6

   Dry it right away, rim included

   Towel dry the pan and lid immediately. Pay attention to the rim and the lid edge, where the iron is often exposed and can rust if left wet. Do not leave it on a draining rack to drip dry.

7. 7

   Store it so it cannot chip

   Store it in a dry cupboard or on the stove. If you stack pans or store the lid on top, put a pan protector or folded towel between them so the enamel does not chip and moisture is not trapped.

How to remove stains from enameled cast iron, gentlest first

Work up from soap to a ceramic cleaner to a baking soda boil. Most stains come out by the second step; save the bleach soak for pale interiors with stubborn stains.

Lodge’s enameled cast iron page says a small amount of staining is expected and does not affect performance, and gives the bleach soak as the step for persistent stains. Made In explains that a stain that survives soaking is often polymerized oil, which is why the baking soda boil works when soap does not. Caraway also lists baking soda and vinegar as an option for stains; use one method at a time and rinse between them. Bar Keepers Friend says its cleansers work on ceramic and porcelain cookware without scratching when used as directed.

Cleaning Le Creuset, Staub and other brands

Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge, Caraway and Made In enameled pieces are all cast iron with a fused glass coating, so the same gentle method works for all of them. The differences are in the interior finish and the maker’s dishwasher and cleaner advice, so read your own care leaflet.

• Pale (cream or white) interiors show stains and gray marks most; they benefit from a ceramic cleaner every month or two.
• Black matte enamel interiors (common on Staub and some Le Creuset skillets) are designed to build a patina; wash them with soap and a sponge; the bleach soak is meant for pale interiors.
• Dishwasher advice varies. Lodge says enamel is technically dishwasher safe but prefers hand washing to protect the finish; Caraway and Made In say to hand wash only, because the dishwasher wears the enamel out faster.
• For the Dutch oven specifically, including bare cast iron ones, see how to clean a Dutch oven.

Gray marks, rust on the rim and chips

Gray lines and rim rust are surface problems you can fix; a chip in the cooking surface is a reason to contact the maker.

• Gray or silver lines are usually metal rubbed off utensils or other pans, not scratches in the enamel. A ceramic cookware cleaner on a damp sponge usually removes them. Lodge recommends wooden, silicone or nylon utensils because metal can scratch the enamel.
• Rust around the rim: Lodge says it comes from drip drying, the dishwasher or a damp cupboard. Clean it with a nylon sponge and dish soap, dry thoroughly, and rub a little cooking oil around the rim now and then to seal it.
• Exterior: Lodge warns that citrus-based cleaners can dull the glossy outside. Wash it with soap and a soft sponge after each use so grease does not bake on.
• Chips or cracks: stop heating the piece hard and contact the manufacturer about the warranty. Exposed iron on the cooking surface can rust and chip further.

Mistakes to avoid

• Rinsing a hot pan under cold water, which can crack or craze the enamel.
• Using steel wool, metal scouring pads or a metal scraper on the enamel.
• Heating the pan empty to burn residue off, which can damage the coating.
• Using citrus-based cleaners on the glossy exterior, which dulls it.
• Adding vinegar or any other cleaner to a bleach soak.
• Leaving the pan to drip dry, which rusts the exposed rim.