How To Clean A Le Creuset Grill Pan: Explained

Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Shari Mason

If you want a fully equipped kitchen, then Le Creuset cookware is a must-have. The brand is well-known and praised for its top-quality Le Creuset Dutch oven. Their expertise in creating outstanding grill pans is also unmatched.

Using these kinds of products from Le Creuset is pretty simple, but maintaining excellent cookware requires a huge effort. 

Now it will be easier because we’re giving you the easy steps and some important tips on how to clean a Le Creuset grill pan. Read on.

5 Easy Steps To Clean A Le Creuset Grill Pan 

1. Let It Cool

When cleaning a Le Creuset grill pan, never soak it hot in cold water. Let it cool down after cooking and before washing it.

Le Creuset grill pans are made with enameled layers that have an enamel glaze on the pan’s cooking surface, preventing it from rusting.

A hot enameled cast iron is prone to thermal shock that causes tension and weakens the enamel coating of the cast iron pans. This tension might lead to cracking the enamel or the pan.

Read:

• How Often To Change Grease In KitchenAid Mixer?
• Can You Use Metal Utensils On A Le Creuset?

2. Rinse Away All Residue

After cooling it for a few minutes, place it on your sink and start rinsing all the residuals. It is common to see all the remaining food particles from the cast iron pan from cooking. 

However, if massive grease residuals exist in the pan, don’t put it directly on the sink. 

If the pan is cooled completely, you can remove all the grease residues by soaking about half an inch of warm or hot water or warm it up in the stove and then throw the excess grease. 

Read: How To Clean Cast Iron After Cooking Bacon?

3. Use Mild Dish Soap & Non-Abrasive Brush

Gently scrub the pan with a grill pan brush and a few drops of dish soap. When cleaning Le Creuset cookware, mild dish soap and a non-abrasive grill pan brush are necessary.

A plastic brush will maintain the metal seasoning or natural enamel finish [1], preventing the pan from rusting. But does Murphy’s oil soap go bad?

Read: How To Clean Nespresso Machine With Vinegar?

4. Rinse Until Clean

Pour out all the dirty water with the brushed residuals. Rinse the grill pans and repeat the cleaning process until it is cleaned.

Remember to gently scrub the grill pans and redo the cleaning process until there are no more food residuals on the grill pans. 

Read: How To Clean A Marble Mortar And Pestle?

5. Dry the Grill Pan

Simply put the washed Le Creuset cast iron grill pan on the drying rack to air dry it, or use a paper towel to remove excess water from the cast iron pan.

Pat drying the grill pan with paper towels before putting it in your cookware storage is important to maintain its longevity and to avoid moisture from the grill pans or any Le Creuset products.

Excess moisture from the grill pan might lead to build-up rust. To control and prevent it from rusting, you can also put it on low heat on the stove for a minute or until it is dry.

Read: How To Clean LG Oven With Blue Interior?

Tips & Tricks When Cleaning It 

• Do not wash a hot pan in cold water. If you don’t want to ruin the enamel coat that protects your Le Creuset grill pan from corrosion, don’t directly wash it cold or put it to a cold temperature to fasten the cooling. 

Read: How To Clean knife After Cutting Raw Chicken?

• Avoid using a metal brush. In maintaining the enamel layer in any nonstick grill pan, prevent using steel wool or a metal brush to clean the cooking surface of your pan.

• Sprinkle salt. Using warm water with salt, like a saline solution [2], can help remove excess from your pan.

• Place the cast iron pans to extreme heat. For some people, it is easier to scrub off the pan after carbonizing all the residuals after putting it in a 500-degree oven for a few hours.

How To Clean The Exterior of Le Creuset Grill Pan 

Fat deposits, marks, and cooked-on residue could build up on the outer part of your grill pan. You can use a nylon scrubber pad to clean the exterior of your Le Creuset grill pan. 

“I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.”

– Bobby Flay, Chef/Author

Bar Keeper’s Friend cleanser can remove tough stains on the exterior of colorful enamel. But you can use baking soda with warm water as a DIY solution and clean it.

Is It Dishwasher Safe? 

Yes, the Le Creuset grill pan is dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing it or any nonstick surface pan when cleaning. 

Putting it in a dishwasher is not recommended since Le Creuset cookware is enameled. It might weaken the enamel layer and crack over time, but you can use it as a last resort.

Also, cast iron pans with wooden handles are not safe with the dishwasher.

How To Deal With Burnt Le Creuset Grill Pan

Burnt, stuck-on food and grease oil on a Le Creuset grill pan could be dealt with by simply soaking it in warm soapy water. Soak it for around 20 minutes, scrub it, then wash.

Also, you can fill the pan with warm water and baking soda and bring it to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the residuals soften. Drain the softened residuals, then rinse and dry the pan.

FAQs

How do you get brown stains off my Le Creuset?

You can get the brown stains off your Le Creuset using lemon juice and vinegar. You need to boil up lemon juice and vinegar in your Le Creuset to lighten the stains after some internal discoloration.

How do you make your Le Creuset look new?

You can use enough water and baking soda. Boil it for a few minutes, let it cool, then scrub and rinse. Also, you can use a cast iron cleaner to restore the shine of the enameled cast iron.

Conclusion 

These five easy steps on cleaning your Le Creuset grill pans are essential in keeping good cookware and achieving long-lasting nonstick efficiency.

Remember, let it cool down before washing it. But avoid plunging cast iron pans into cold water so the enamel will not weaken. 

Always use mild dish soap and a nonmetallic brush to clean it. Gently clean the pan, and wash until it is clean. Also, ensure that the grill pan is dry before storing it to prevent building rust.

Although you can use a dishwasher for these cookwares, using home cleaning alternatives like baking soda and salt with warm water can be a better option in having well-maintained grill pans.

References:

1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enamel 
2. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/saline