For those of you who read my posts, you know I hate buying cheap new stuff, and would rather get sturdy old stuff. I buy ugly cast-iron and refurb it. I also buy ugly copper clad Revere Ware and clean it up.
The husband and I made a quick run to the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore today. About once a month, or six weeks, we stop in to see what we can find. We even have one of the little discount cards giving us 10 percent off a purchase. Today we spent most of our time in the dishes and cookware aisle.
It didn’t take long before the husband said, “Hey. Is that one of those copper skillets you get?” Lo, and behold! He spotted a sweet Revere Ware eight inch skillet. The lid was mismatched, but I found the correct one loose a bit further up the shelf.
The skillet bottom was caked with burned-on nastiness. A small sliver of the hallmark was detectable. Anyone who did not know what to look for would never know the brand.
The skillet and mismatched lid were marked at only $1.00 ($0.90 after discount) so of course I had to buy it. Then, I had to clean it.
I tried using some ceramic top stove cleaner. The low abrasiveness makes it great for routine cleaning of stainless and copper without scrubbing away the surface. This skillet was too far gone.
The trick that served me best was to set the skillet in a weak vinegar/water solution and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 20 minutes, then cool slightly. Toss in a spoonful of baking soda and let the solution bubble. Soaking is done when a hard plastic spatula (Don’t use metal utensils, they scratch the copper.) scrapes off the nasty black burned junk.
After you scrape as much as you can, get the ceramic stovetop cleaner out and scrub off what’s left. It takes some work but is worth it! I found another skillet, exact size with lid, on eBay today with a bid for $14.99!
By Robin Holstein
Robin’s Upcycle is located in Kanawha County, WV. Open by appointment.
Phone 304-460-5NEW (5639).
For info, visit facebook.com/robinsupcycle