Do you have one of these?
Gas cooktop (or stove) with porcelain-covered cast iron (or steel) grates.
They’re very pretty.
Until the first time you cook something on them.
From that point on they’re no longer pretty – they’re the bane of your otherwise clean kitchen.
Why is it that even WATER makes them turn black? Can someone explain this to me?
And goodness FORBID should you ever overboil potatoes. Egads!
Well, after 4 years of looking at mine, I was getting ready to put them in my oven’s self-clean cycle. I’d had enough.
But first, I decided to peruse the ‘net to see if there was another alternative. I read this suggestion on several websites: Put them in a ziploc bag with some ammonia. Let them sit overnight and wipe them clean.
Yeah, right.
But having some ammonia – and those nifty XXL Ziploc bags – on hand (naturally), I decided to try it.
They sat on the deck overnight.
I pulled them out.
They looked the same.
I scoffed (yes, scoffed).
Then brought them to the kitchen sink to wipe the ammonia fumes off.
What? What’s THIS?!?! The black…the burnt…the stains…wiped right off! Nirvana!
I’ve never SEEN such an amazing sight.
They shine. They gleam. They’re pretty again (until I cook something).
Of course, this does make me regret the 4 years of using brillo pads on them, but let’s just pretend that didn’t happen, ok?
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