Melted plastic inside metal pot -- argh!

i like baby fat

Never really tried to render any, but I see no reason it wouldn't work in this application.

No lard, not kosher. I'll look into using Crisco.

I wish I had known about this yesterday, as we barbecued. But no reason why it can't be done today or tomorrow.

Anyway, thank you all for your suggestions. Debra, you sure you want to buy me a pot? It's a Le Creuset, blue, 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven. Amazon has it for only $150.

Current situation -- the inner surface is smooth, just stained, after scrubbing with heat and even cooking some Comet cleanser in there (it gives off - whew! - a wicked smell). It feels the same as the rest of the inside of the pot, e. g. no plastic can be felt inside the pot. Now it's going in the dishwasher.

Will this be enough?

I dunno.

Tune in tomorrow for: as the pot turns.

You could also try running it through a self-cleaning oven.

Oh please ditch it, Jespah!
And put it down to experience or something .... I have a cupboard full of pots, many of which I never use. I wish I could just give you one.
Nah, don't even think of using it again. I don't like the sound of this at all!

I use this pot several times a week.

Ah. I see. An old favourite.

Good luck, then!

Didn't know it was enamelled - prolly wanna avoid the more physical remedies: wire brush is right out, if the interior is enamelled. I'd guess that if the interior feels smooth to the touch, you've done whatchya can, and likely well enough.

I happen to really like heavy cast iron cookware too - properly seasoned, used and maintained, its the original "non-stick cookware", and it never wears out. I have and use cast iron stuff thats been in the familly several generations.

Oh wow.
I bet that pan 'o yours makes some great hamburger..

Le Creuset's a bit different from cast iron pot!

Have you been to their website or called their customer service line? They're supposed to be very responsive. The Taunton folks are always raving about it.

I didn't say I would buy you a cast iron pot, I said I would send you one! LOL

My honey owns his own store and he buys truckloads of crap--I mean, good stuff,--every month. We have cast iron dutch ovens--unseasoned--made in Taiwan. Perfect!

He's on another buying trip and I've been running the store for him while he's gone. I looked over our supply of cast iron today and found a Le Creuset (oval oven, blue) sitting on one of our shelves. My honey has it priced at $29.00. Should I tell him how much it's really worth? Should I take the pricing gun away from him? LOL

At $29 even a cheap Taiwanese dutch oven would be a good deal. I think I paid $45 for the cheapest one I have. Cast Iron frying pans can be found at Goodwill stores on occassion but dutch ovens are harder to come by.

I use old pots to melt lead to make 29 oz sinkers for cod fishing.

How bout a blow torch aimed at the plastic until its carbonized. then hit it with carbon disulfide to dissolve the carbon residue. Dont breathe in the CS2, its vile and can be a bit toxic.

I tried the barbecue coals in it and I think that worked, as there was a bit of a plastic aroma. The inside is still stained but smooth. So here's hoping.

Debra, I'll send you a PM.

Oh ye of little faith, who wanted me to throw out a great pot.

I can report that the pot is clean. Actually, it's cleaner than we started.

I'll explain what we did.

After the initial meltage plus scraping off whatever we could, we put the pot on high heat on the stove top and that may have gotten rid of a little more plastic. Then I tossed it in the barbecue with live coals in it. There was a bit of a burning plastic aroma. I scrubbed and the pot was smooth inside but stained.

I then talked to my Dad on the phone and he suggested a little bleach. I did as told, putting about 1/4 inch of bleach inside the pot. I left it, uncovered, in the basement slop sink so as to not have to smell the lovely aroma of Clorox. Two hours later, I went downstairs to get the pot and noticed the bottom was cream-colored. It had not been cream-colored since we had purchased the pot, back in 1990 or so.

There was an aroma of bleach so we hand-washed it out, then ran it through the dishwasher twice. It was probably fine after the first run-through but I wanted to be certain that the smell and chemicals were gone.

We've used it twice and we ain't dead.

PS This pot is part of a set that we bought with money from my bridal shower. How could I throw it away?

You can't, jespah. Not that anyone is superstitious, but
it could have had repercussions. So you did well, and the
pot looks like new, that's even better

Another Le Crueset fan here..

glad the pot has been reborn, Jespah.

Le Crueset is great stuff, no argument, but LODGE, who have been at it a lot longer, produce cookware which does the same job for lots less money - and they've even got a line of prettied-up, priced-up enamelware. I prefer their Original line; the money saved buys lotsa ingredients to go into the cookware, and plenty of beer to go with it

Baking soda boil 2-3 minutes try scraping it f2f might take a few times

Eleven years later, the plastic is gone.