Receta Taming the Wild Beast Part 2 - Abused Wildflower 8 1/2 inch Rangetopper Rehabilitation Program
So I found a solution to my cleaning issues with the Corningware 8 1/2 inch Rangetopper Skillet I posted about a while back. A slightly expensive one ($10.00), but one that worked amazingly well.
The main problem with this Rangetopper is that the black coating on the Aluminum is oil that has actually carbonized. The oily coating on the underside has been caked on and cooked on for so long that it has literally become Coal. Thus, no amount of Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide, Barkeepers Friend, Vinegar, Bleach, Oxyclean, Awesome, Simple Green or any sort of Grease remover worked. It's just too far gone for any sort of "grease" remover to work; cause it isn't grease anymore. It's charcoal.
So, I broke my cardinal rule and purchased chemicals (sometimes ya just do what ya gotta do);
Carbon-Off is used in professional kitchens to remove carbon from the bottoms of pans. But the best part is that it is safe to use on Aluminum. Not on anodized aluminum, and definitely not on a pan with any non-stick coating (it will dissolve it), but it doesn't harm glass either, which is a bonus.
Wear gloves! You don't want this stuff on your hands. Be SURE to work in a well ventilated area, (like outside) and not near any painted surfaces. This is some serious stuff.
The directions say to spray the piece liberally from 8-10 inches away and let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash off with cold water.
Honestly, this did not work for me. I had to reapply and let it sit, and sit and sit.... for about 5 hours. Then I scraped a section with a stick (you can use a Pampered Chef scraper too) to see if it had loosened. A lot of the carbon had been turned into goo, but not all of it.
I went ahead and washed off the loose, gooey carbon by giving it a quick scrub with one of those green scrubby things and some cold water.... (Outside faucet, in a area away from where children & pets will be playing... This stuff will kill a septic tank too, so not inside.) It really DID succeed in removing most of the carbon.
But I applied some more spray and let it sit over night.
Now we are getting somewhere.
Enough of the Carbon had been dissolved so I could finish the piece off with some Barkeepers Friend this morning.....
Voila!!! Shiny clean, just like a brand new penny.
OK, not really like a brand new penny; there are little itty bitty pits in the Aluminum, left from the carbonizing. But I believe those will eventually dissolve over time, with proper usage AND proper cleaning.
Another piece of Corningware saved!! My work here is done.
Where is your Corningware??