Seeking Advice on cleaning a roaster

S

Serge_G

Member
As I posted at a different location, I mentioned that I got an Camp Chef Ultimate Turkey roaster. It's in excellent shape except that the previous owners oiled the Roaster when they put it storage and it has gone rancid. There is no rust, no gunk to speak of except as I mentioned the sticky film in the bottom. I would hate to go to the trouble of putting it a bath of lye and remove the seasoning just because it has some sticky gunk (not baked on).

So you experts out here, any suggestions or recommendations will be appreciated
 
Serge_G said:
As I posted at a different location, I mentioned that I got an Camp Chef Ultimate Turkey roaster. It's in excellent shape except that the previous owners oiled the Roaster when they put it storage and it has gone rancid. There is no rust, no gunk to speak of except as I mentioned the sticky film in the bottom. I would hate to go to the trouble of putting it a bath of lye and remove the seasoning just because it has some sticky gunk (not baked on).

So you experts out here, any suggestions or recommendations will be appreciated
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Pending advice from a real expert, I would suggest trying to put it in a very hot (say, 500F) oven. I believe that fat goes rancid when it oxidizes, and my thinking is that the hot oven may cause that oxygen to release.

From your Total Guess, But Can't Hurt To Try Dept.
 
If it were mine I'd try heating it up to something still below the pre-rancid oil smoke point first. Say, 250 degrees. Leave it in long enough to get up to temperature, take it out, wipe it down with a dry cotton cloth as if you were wiping off excess oil during initial seasoning, then crank it up to 500 like Dan said. I would surmise that what's left will either polymerize into another layer of seasoning or simply burn off.

Just a guess.
 
Serge_G said:
As I posted at a different location, I mentioned that I got an Camp Chef Ultimate Turkey roaster. It's in excellent shape except that the previous owners oiled the Roaster when they put it storage and it has gone rancid. There is no rust, no gunk to speak of except as I mentioned the sticky film in the bottom. I would hate to go to the trouble of putting it a bath of lye and remove the seasoning just because it has some sticky gunk (not baked on).

So you experts out here, any suggestions or recommendations will be appreciated
Click to expand...

If is me and I don't want to do all the process of lye bath,I just fill it up a couple inches water add some lye and only take like 15 mins to remove the old stuff on the bottom, rinse it up and then seasoning.
 
Do you know what type of oil was used to put it in storage, some motor oil maybe. Is worth taking a chance on what you do not know what was cooked in it, or what else it was used for. For all I know, a rat might have died in it while in storage.

Get yourself a tub of water, add some lye and add your Turkey roaster.

Start clean and season it, now you know the history going forward. What was past no longer maters.
 
I'm with Jeffery on this one, although the rest were great suggestions. Whether a piece was from a relative or a flea market, you do not know what the real history of it is or what it was used for. I strip them all down to bare metal and start fresh. Now the history is mine and I know they are safe.
 
It makes most sense to start over. Now, all I have to do is find the info on "how to season cast iron in a barbeque"? The wife won't let me use her range in the kitchen.
 
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