Enamel is a vitreous coating fused onto cast iron or steel, creating a smooth, non-porous surface. To clean the enamel on a Dutch oven, use mild dish soap and a soft sponge or cloth, avoid using abrasive materials. These simple yet effective cleaning techniques can maintain the pristine exterior of your enamel Dutch oven for years to come.
When cleaning the outside of an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, it’s important to let it cool, scrape off food residue, prepare a cleaning solution, wash the Dutch oven, and thoroughly rinse. If the exterior has burnt on stew, follow these steps:
- Let the Dutch oven cool.
- Scrape off food residue.
- Prepare a cleaning solution.
- Wash the Dutch oven.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Follow these steps to clean a heavily stained or burnt Le Creuset enameled Dutch oven.
The simplest way to clean your Dutch oven is to soak it with hot water and dish soap. Then, wash it with a cloth or sponge that is not abrasive to avoid accidentally scratching the enamel. Bar keepers friend works wonders, and baking soda can be used as a paste.
Food director Carla Lalli Music recommends making a paste from baking soda and water and scrubbing it onto the pot with a Scotch-Brite pad.
Oven cleaner can be used on the outside of your Le Creuset enameled cast iron without damaging the finish or color. Baking soda can be very effective against burnt spots for both the exterior and interior of your Dutch oven.
In summary, cleaning the enameled cast iron Dutch oven requires following simple cleaning techniques and avoiding abrasive materials.
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I inherited my turquoise oval Le Creuset dutch oven from my stepfather, who had it before he and my Mom started dating in 1972. I used these cleaning techniques and it looks good – definitely not like new but just fine. Its working great after 50 years!! How many pans last that long? Thanks for offering these cleaning tips
My beautiful le creuset Dutch oven often gets stained and darkened. I’ve tried soaking it with baking soda and water, then scrubbing, didn’t work. Tried simmering it with same mixture and scrubbing..no better. Tried baking soda and vinegar with simmering, then scrubbing..nope. Used Barkeeper’s Friend (VERY toxic to skin..use gloves.. and don’t breathe it in!)..better, not great. Heard on YouTube to use bleach and let it sit for an hour and YES! It looked brand new without scrubbing! Make sure to pour out bleach and thoroughly wash pot with soapy hot water.
The first demos that she does were helpful and impressive. But the 3rd demo where she’s focused on cleaning the exterior is the reason I wanted to see this article. She shows you what to do and then goes back for a repeat cleaning (understandable). But then she says this will look as good as new, before she puts it down and hides it behind the white pot! You can tell that the red one does not look anywhere as good as new… this is discouraging!
Hello, I’m a LC newbie, informed where cleaning and care, heating and cooking is important. While I haven’t needed to use baking soda, I’m not sure I would. If it is a gentle abrasive, that would go against the recommendations published by Le Creuset. They recommend using only hot soapy water, sponges, or vinyl brushes to scrub these enameled vessels with. Also, the “non-abrasive” sponges, are abrasive. For instance, Scott sponges are advertised as “non-abrasive”, but are stiffened with an aluminum substance. Aluminum would be very abrasive on these enameled surfaces. On the other hand, Miss Chan has demonstrated the cleaning ability of these alleged non abrasive chemicals and sponges. Maybe she is right.
I have a Le Creuset Enameled dutch oven mine is a “Doufeu” among many other Le Creuset pieces.. My dutch oven looks like the one in her hands, all stained and brown.. Looks exactly like hers.. I tried everything, including “Bar Keepers Friend”.. nothing works.. Mine is still stained, brown, and no longer is sas easy to clean as it used to be.. I’ve contacted Le Creuset.. They’ve graciously said they will replace it.. They don’t make mine anymore. They now make a standard oval dutch oven.. I’d rather my Doufeu.. But I’m concerned mine, the interior finish has been damaged by repeated serious cleaning efforts.. I’ve never put anything abrasive in it, scour pad.. But I have used oven cleaner.. I most certainly tried what she did and it didn’t work at all on mine.. I guess the interior is damaged.. …. I’m just going to return mine and take the new one..
I’ve had my beautiful and trusty white dutch oven just like hers (since 1971!) and have never had a problem cleaning it. But it got heated in an oven for 30 minutes and there is a dark brown stain on all the surfaces that just does not come out with scrubbing (have always soaked it and used Bon ami) – can’t soak the sides in bleach. What is another option?
Ordered two iron trivets and have never received my package. I began calling last week once I saw that UPS listed the package as delivered. However, I was told by the LeCreuset Custer service that the package was delivered to my local post office, but it was never delivered to me. I called LC customer service today and was hung up on twice. They were rude and the information I received was conflicting!! I have spent so much money with this brand, if I had known they had horrible CS that would have never happened! I will not be ordering any thing else from the brand.
I can say with absolute confidence that any powder scrub will damage the enamel, I was able to damage an enameled dutch oven only using a paste of baking soda and water, so I can’t imagine something harsher like barkeeper’s friend. That said, this is how I keep mine clean and white: after cooking anything in it that browns, I put water into it immediately after I’m done cooking and the food is removed, to simmer and use a wooden spoon to scrape off the browning when it’s fresh (I haven’t used baking soda with it, but after seeing this article I will when it’s being stubborn). After that, typically anything 3D comes off, but there is sometimes light brown staining that’s in the pores of the enamel itself and this is when I use a mild bleach solution overnight and it is pristine by morning. Be careful when using bleach not to get it on clothes or towels you don’t want to be damaged. Cooking anything with acids in it, like tomatoes and other fruit, will often strip the browning bits off the bottom during cooking, so keep that in mind (a great example would be browning meat for spaghetti and then pouring spaghetti sauce in with it and scraping the bits off the bottom easily after a short simmer). I have also learned that there are simply certain foods that it’s better not to cook in the enamel, such as anything at very high heat for browning, such as fried rice. it’s always a nightmare to clean after something that’s meant to scorch and sear, I leave that to other dishes. Hope that helps!
Bar Keeper’s Friend is absolutely safe to use on enameled cast iron. Even Le Creuset’s website states that BKF is suitable for cleaning tough stains. The key is to let the product do the work, not to use an overly aggressive scouring pad. I use BKF on all my Le Creuset enamel (as needed) and have never had an issue.
I use a baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dish soap paste and scrub my Dutch oven with a dish scrubbing brush. I let it soak for a while before scrubbing it as well. My boss burned some brisket while using her Dutch oven in the oven and it looked so bad. The whole bottom of the pan was black with burned food stuck to it . She tried a lot of different cleaners and the only thing that worked was bringing some water to a boil in the pot, pouring lots of laundry softener and letting it sit for 2 days before scrubbing it. After that she washed it with some Dawn and a few drops of bleach. It looks like new!. She was very relieved because it is one of those 13.25 quarts Le Creuset Dutch Oven that is super expensive and it was a gift from her husband. My grandma used to clean hers with dish soap and bleach. It was always very clean.
My bonded on burned plum jam was ten times worse than that, and it got 97% clean with the baking soda/boiling water method several times–had to hammer the the end of the wooden spoon to chip it away initially. Took an entire day off and on, but I was determined and am oh so happy I was able to save my Le Creuset dutch oven!
You would wreck a Dutch oven with Bar Keeper’s Friend. The step you could try which is recommended for Chasseur, Le Creuset and Staub (French brands) is a light application of bleach. So 4 cups water, 1 tablespoon bleach. Leave it to soak for a few hours or overnight. I used to put baking soda and 1 part cleaning vinegar, 1 part water, bring to boil, cool, scrub lightly – it generally got it clean. Another thing to know is because cast iron is such a good heat conductor and retainer of heat, cook whatever you cook on a lower temperature than suggested by a recipe. You will be less likely to stain the enamel. Once again: NEVER use Bar Keeper’s Friend or any abrasive cleaner. To have it smelling nice after cleaning, rub with the outside of a lemon. Cooking temp recommendation from Le Creuset: “Cooking on a medium or low heat gets the best results — even for frying and searing. Let the pan heat up gradually for great tasting food that’s cooked evenly. If you do need to use a high heat, lower the setting once the desired heat has been reached.” And Le Creuse on Cleaning (sorry, couldn’t post a stable link): ” Wait for your product to cool down before you start cleaning it. Wipe any leftovers off the base and sides of the product. If there’s food stuck on, fill the product with warm, soapy water and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes before washing as usual. Do not use abrasive cleaning agents or metal, harsh abrasive or very stiff cleaning pads or brushes on any of the surfaces. Dry well after washing and store in a dry place.
I’ve used Comet on my Le Creuset dutch ovens for years. I’ll soak away the heavy stuff, but to get rid of those lingering dark stains that won’t come out, Comet does the job. The micro particles have never damages the finish, and for $1 at the Dollar Store, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than than those fancy soft scrub cleaners. After nearly 15 years of use, my expensive pots still look like new. BTW — I also use Comet to scrub my ceramic cooktop and to buff out scuffs on my car! It’s super gentle.
I had a Le Creuset that was dead on arrival….I had really killed it with some dish I burned. I tried many many many methods to clean it. Pretty much everything you have there in front of you. What worked was using a small amount of water (like a cup or less) and baking soda…. then using a wooden spoon to work on the burned areas…and a plastic scrubber. Barkeepers friend did not do the trick. Baking soda and water (heated on the stove) for the win! I didn’t use as much water as you… either way….after trying so many other products….baking soda!
I’ve used Bar Keeper’s Friend on my enameled cast iron pans. Also, if you burn something, you can always try hot water and throw a dryer sheet into the pan. Let it soak. Then scrub. The softeners in the dryer sheet, soften the burnt on gunk. Works great for ceramic slow cooker, baking pans and sheets. Do NOT use on any nonstick pans.
Great article! Baking soda + dish soap paste has given me the best results. When I’ve used Bar Keeper’s Friend it’s removed staining, but it’s also removed the gloss (I assume from micro-scratching the enamel). The wooden utensil is also important; when I’ve used a Scotchbrite pad, it’s scratched the enamel
I’ve used a dishwasher pod (Finish or Cascade) and a full kettle of super hot boiling water. Dump it in with the pod, put the lid on, and let it sit until the water is luke warm or cooled off. You can also put on an eye with very low heat to keep the water temp up longer. It usually works without scrubbing on steel coffee pots.
Here’s something I’ve learned on both Staub and Le Creuset interiors (both light smooth enamel that LC uses in their ovens, and darker, rougher enamel like LC uses on their skillets and Staub uses almost everywhere). Soap is almost never enough, even with cooking that doesn’t leave a stain or residue. What I mean is this, after stewing something that didn’t leave any visible stains/remnants, and seemed to clean visibly with dish soap and a sponge, if you look at the surface in reflective light, you will almost always see a bit of tarnish–some areas that don’t reflect as much as others when it’s new, or even some “rainbow-ing” reflections. When you’re just looking at it normally, it looks fine. But it’s that remaining buildup that slowly over time starts to attract and keep more of the grime that eventually builds up. What I do every 2-3 times I wash it is just put a little baking soda and water and scrub with a sponge and that usually restores the “like new” finish. If you let this build up over time, then as you continue to brown proteins on it, the dark residue will stick more easily to it and then you’ll need the “boil water+soda” or in worst case, barkeeper’s friend. If you do the light baking soda every 2nd or 3rd time you wash it (or whenever you see a light tarnish or rainbow reflection off the surface), you won’t need to progress that far.
What I have found that actually works best is using OxiClean powdered detergent. This does not get rid of burnt on food. It gets rid of the staining on the inside bottom of your Dutch oven. Fill your Dutch oven with water, and pour in a cup of OxiClean powdered detergent. Let it sit overnight. You may have to repeat this process a few times, but I guarantee you the stains will be removed. Mine was stained with blueberry residue, and after doing this three different times, the stains were completely gone.
I am so glad I found this article, i burned food the the bottom of my dutch oven, the entire bottom of the pan had a thick layer of burned food stuck on it. I soaked the pan overnight in water and that did not help one bit lol watched this article and did the baking soda method(3 times in a row) and the pot was so clean, not a speck of burned food left on it!! It looks brand new!! Thank you!!
You can boil baking soda in diluted peroxide to remove 3-dimensional stuck on BURNT ON food. For easily removing spots and stains, use barkeepers friend powder with a few drops of liquid at a time using elbow grease….I find that the liquid is not thick enough usually. It is safe on the enamel, but not on the sponge. Make sure to rinse it super thoroughly.
I am going through the same cleaning challenge with my mother’s Le Creuset Dutch oven and watched your article hoping to find a good solution to this cleaning conundrum. At 6:38 I saw you twirl he wooden spoon like a semi-professional drummer from somewhere of the last half century of the nineteen hundreds and my trust in you was won. Well done, Sir, five out of a possible five stars! Awesome article, love it!
thank you for sharing. I am doing my research as I only own Dutch oven from Le Creuset and looking to buy a braiser. Trying to decide between another iron skillet vs enameled one. I read that when it’s with the enamel, you actually CANNOT use it on open fire as it doesn’t do well with higher temperatures compared to their non coated ‘cousins’. The coating might crack. Just saying so you don’t ruin your pretty dutch oven😉
I found that generally soaking in hot water with dish soap over night generally removes everything, if necessary some gentle scrubbing with a non abrasive pad helps. The important thing is getting your pot properly clean each time you use it. If you don’t, the layers of dirt build up and it becomes harder. Occasionally for stubborn stains I use Le Creuset’s cleaner that is produced specially for this purpose so it doesn’t damage the enamel. The solution is similar to bar keepers friend, or Cif if you are in the UK, but isn’t so aggressive and abrasive. If you have an induction hob, the cleaners you get for them are pretty much the same.
HELP!!!! I tried to make Christmas dinner and I burnt it, I mean I burnt it bad! I had a pork tenderloin and I did everything I thought I was supposed to do before I put it all in the oven And I guess and I didn’t put enough liquid in the oven or oven or up to high I don’t know what happened but I think I’ve ruined my brand new Dutch oven!!! Can you help ? Please!
I will try the Baking Soda method. I tried removing the slight darkening my Dutch Dutch oven has at the bottom with Bar Keeper. It lightened it up a tiny bit, but I made the mistake of getting some on the OUTSIDE of the lid (mine is grey, or ‘Graphite’) and the Bar Keeper really dulled that part of my lid.
My Dutch oven after much use has accumulated a network of tiny cracks or scratches on the bottom surface. The darker color is just the cast iron showing through- not dirt. I’ve never used metal implements so I’m not sure how they occurred, but they haven’t effected the cooking or caused food to stick. I realized what they were by trying the baking soda treatment. After thorough boiling and use of a wooden spoon, there was no change in appearance. So don’t panic if you start to see some discoloration from long use even when the pot is absolutely clean.
So sad this didn’t work for me. I messed up one of my enameled cast iron pots with burned on milk (before I went vegan) and it still looks pretty sad. Thankfully all the scrubbing I did + abrasives I used when it first happened did not cause the enamel to come off. Somethings are just imperfect/remind you to let it go 🙂
I wash my pot first, WD 40 gets rid of tough stains. Then I use the miracle cleaner sponge to remove more of the stain. Finally I put one scoop of dishwasher detergent into my dutch oven, then fill it with water and bring it to a boil, then turn it off and cover and let sit for 24 hours. It usually does a great job. Afterward I drain the soapy, bleachy water and refill the pot with water and some vinegar, bring to a boil and let is sit for a couple of hours. This eliminates the bleach smell and gets rid of the chemicals.
I’m in process of selling my 20 piece Le Cresuet cookware collection from years of good use. I want to restore the enameled interior of the Dutch oven. Tried a few things from related articles but made the surface dull. And that matte surface absorbs and retains contents of future cooking. Any ideas? I’ll try the oxi clean suggested by one poster explaining that the enamel is glass related poured over cast iron and most cleaners will dull the coating! Thanks.
What about the enamel coating of the Dutch oven..does it come off with the use specially the way you cleaned it with baking soda n is it safe after repeated cooking also. Like when the nonstick cookware came into the market n later everyone started saying it’s harmful for health even cancerous.. Pls reply
Thus was great! I had noticed someone commenting about the stains on your Dutch oven and I was going to suggest Soft Scrub. I use it a lot in the kitchen and bathroom because it is so gentle and doesn’t have the strong odor of Bar Keepers Friend. Plus it doesn’t streak. It is mildly abrasive, works wonders on my stainless cookware, stove top and faucets. However, what you have done with straight baking soda is great and probably much cheaper. I think I will make a shaker type jar for the baking soda and start using it each time I use one of my pans. More of these types of articles, please. In fact, I would love it if you would do a detailed article about your chopper, dicer gizmo. I have been checking it out on your Amazon list but now other choppers have popped up making me confused about I really need and what they will do. Yikes!!!!! Do a detailed (and I truly mean detailed) article about this. Quickly! Please. Help!! 😋😋😋😋😋
YES!!!I burnt on the bottom of my enamel dutch oven spaghetti sauce last night. My daughter left the evidence in the sink! I also did two rounds of baking soda after perusal your article with a wooden spatula. There are still some minor stains, but not the mess I had. Not sure how to get the slight discoloration out. Maybe soak in some bleach water?
I loved this so much. I have been trying to research for an insightful vid similar to yours that teaches the stuff in this article. 👩⚕️ 👏Your lesson is like the vids of Doctor Ethan. Doctor’s demonstrations are helpful and I actually learned a lot for my school. He is a great Doctor. I suggest you check his website out and give Doctor Ethan a like over here! ➡️ #DrEthanOnYouTube
I find that using a deglazing method usually works. If my pans/pots have stuck on food, I put it on the burner, put in some water and as it heats use a non-scratching utensil to scrape off the food, just like you would when making gravy, etc. For the most part this does the trick, and then the next step can be cleaning with an approved product.
Where is the Martha Stewart one sold??? Most of my enamel cast iron Le Creuset, Emile Henry and Staub pieces are between 20-60 years old and for years we simply add a homemade paste of vinegar and baking soda and on occasion enough bleach to cover the stain, and then we let it set for 10-15 minutes. Le Creuset, Staub, Émile Henry all French are the best enamel cast iron in my view. American made (Chinese made) enamel cast iron is not as good. Americas Test Kitchen has done some great articles on enamel cast iron. As a general rule as soon as we have cooked an item we remove it from the enamel cast iron and then soak the container in hot soapy water.
I have a Staub dutch oven. The interior is a black glass proprietary enamel / iron mix that somehow takes seasoning, but will not rust. I heavily carbonized a pot roast in it recently, but was able to clean it well by soaking it for a few minutes in boiling water and dish soap, and then taking care of the residue with a chainmail scrubber like I use for cast iron. Once clean, just re-season. I’ve also used coarse kosher salt for cleaning.