As an ex-employee of Le Creuset and thus a regular user due to generous staff discounts and slightly damaged samples falling off the back of a lorry I hope I can help a bit.
The non-stick coating will have started peeling as it has been overheated. Cast iron can withstand blisteringly hot temperatures and teflon can't and it is my guess that if you turn it over, the enamel will have hairline cracks radiating out from the centre. It should really only be used on a medium heat. For what it's worth, damaged non-stick is the most common reason for returning a Le Creuset pan to the manufacturer and is not covered under the guarantee as it counts as abuse rather than malfunction. If you continue to overheat it, the top layer will continue to come off. Just don’t try and cool it down fast or you’ll end up with return number 2 - thermal shock – when the enamel on the outside will chip off in lumps.
There are several layers of "stuff" involved in making a pan non-stick and it is probably only the top layer that was peeling. The lower layers are there to stick fast to the cast iron - the opposite of non-stick in fact. To be honest, as someone else has already said, even if you were to get rid of all the coating, you'll end up with a bare cast iron surface which will need a huge amount of looking after - making sure it is completely dry and oiling it after each use to prevent water vapour from rusting it - there is a good reason why it is coated in a nice shiny layer of enamel!
You’re probably best off just using it as it is. There is no doubt that cast iron is the best medium for cooking with (I really do sound like an ex sales employee now!) and there is nothing toxic about the non-stick surface if some were accidentally to get into your food.
(You’re right about it being difficult to get not-non-stick frying pans in this country. Le Creuset make them but stopped importing them into the UK 7 or 8 years ago as they didn’t sell. .Conversely, they only make the non-stick ones for the UK market. As someone else suggested, a catering suppliers such as Pages or Leon Jaeggi will be your best bet, but won’t be cheap)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-06-01 11:54 am (UTC)The non-stick coating will have started peeling as it has been overheated. Cast iron can withstand blisteringly hot temperatures and teflon can't and it is my guess that if you turn it over, the enamel will have hairline cracks radiating out from the centre. It should really only be used on a medium heat. For what it's worth, damaged non-stick is the most common reason for returning a Le Creuset pan to the manufacturer and is not covered under the guarantee as it counts as abuse rather than malfunction. If you continue to overheat it, the top layer will continue to come off. Just don’t try and cool it down fast or you’ll end up with return number 2 - thermal shock – when the enamel on the outside will chip off in lumps.
There are several layers of "stuff" involved in making a pan non-stick and it is probably only the top layer that was peeling. The lower layers are there to stick fast to the cast iron - the opposite of non-stick in fact. To be honest, as someone else has already said, even if you were to get rid of all the coating, you'll end up with a bare cast iron surface which will need a huge amount of looking after - making sure it is completely dry and oiling it after each use to prevent water vapour from rusting it - there is a good reason why it is coated in a nice shiny layer of enamel!
You’re probably best off just using it as it is. There is no doubt that cast iron is the best medium for cooking with (I really do sound like an ex sales employee now!) and there is nothing toxic about the non-stick surface if some were accidentally to get into your food.
(You’re right about it being difficult to get not-non-stick frying pans in this country. Le Creuset make them but stopped importing them into the UK 7 or 8 years ago as they didn’t sell. .Conversely, they only make the non-stick ones for the UK market. As someone else suggested, a catering suppliers such as Pages or Leon Jaeggi will be your best bet, but won’t be cheap)