Refinishing a Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet??

I have an enameled 9 inch Le Creuset skillet, with the non stick black stuff on the cooking surface. It is getting so food sticks to it and is a real hassle to clean up. I am wondering if it is possible to have the inside sand blasted clean, and then cured and treated as a new cast iron skillet.

Anybody with any experience like this, or with any ideas about this??

anything is possible, advisable is unlikely. if the surface isn’t holding up, i’d reach out https://www.lecreuset.com/warranty-claim.html

Arthur, I’m fairly certain that Le Creuset doesn’t re-enamel their cookware but your idea to get down to the bare cast iron is interesting and might work but sandblasting generally leaves a somewhat rough surface so finish smoothing would probably be necessary.

As Yaacov suggests, LC might simply replace it; they’re pretty generous that way.

[Was your pan sold as non-stick? Their black, slightly grainy interior surface isn’t.]

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I had a similar issue with a Dutch oven. Call them and submit a warranty claim. They sent me a brand new item no questions asked.

However I also have the skillet and it’s bulletproof. How are you cleaning it? I recommend their cleaner (though it’s expensive it works) and also get a chain mail scrubber. Works wonders to remove stubborn gunk.

Hey Arthur-

I ran into the same with our same LC skillet. Get some barkeeper’s friend and scrub it back down, you have residue on there. Then season as you would any other iron skillet.

Well, I finally got the interior sand blasted out. Left a nice clean surface, similar to a new Lodge. Brought it home, washed it thoroughly, dried it, and heated up a burner and added some grape seed oil, and when it started to smoke, turned it off. Heated oven to 510, and let the skillet cool a good bit. When oven dinged, I put the skillet on the rack upside down, with a sheet pan covered by tinfoil under it to catch any oil leaking down. After an hour, turned the oven off, and let the skillet cool. Later, I cooked hamburger steaks in it, and it did great and looks good too.

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UPDATE: This redone pan works as well or better than the one that was not redone. Both are good, but the redone one does seem easier to use and clean.

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80! Coats of seasoning!

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Ok. Still for anyone in the future it makes absolutely no sense to sandblast your Le Creuset. Buy a cheap Lodge skillet and season it up if you want a regular cast iron skillet. Le Creuset has a lifetime warranty. Send it back to them and they send you a brand new enameled skillet. If you like your Lodge better you can sell it on eBay for a hundred bucks.

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Well, at least I am not quite as whackadoo as the 80 coats chap. Still, I am happy with my results. BTW, the guy who did the blasting did not charge me for it as it took him so long to get around to it in between major agricultural jobs.