With proper care and gentle handling, enameled dishes last a long time and without complaints. But in some cases, chips, cracks, and abrasions appear on the coating, which usually happens due to mechanical action on the product walls.
Is it possible to restore enamel in a pan? Some defects must be repaired at home, so do not immediately throw away the utensils.
Can I use cookware with damaged enamel?
Most often, areas with erased enamel are found on housewives' pans, which wash dishes with abrasive agents or hard metal washcloths. Also, a piece of enamel can break off when hit, the product falls. In this case, the coating will continue to crumble, as a result, the damaged zone will grow in size.
If the problem is with the outside of the pot, you can continue cooking without thinking. But the presence of internal defects will be fraught with a number of troubles:
- rapid rusting of the site, the penetration of rust into food;
- the formation of harmful oxides and other compounds in contact with organic acids from plant foods;
- accelerating the formation of chemicals when heating the pan;
- the appearance of an unpleasant taste in dishes;
- accidentally swallowing a piece of enamel.
If the pan was originally not of the best quality, its base is quite capable of containing heavy metals and other harmful impurities.
Enamel reliably protects food from their penetration, but its absence even in a small area can lead to serious consequences. Damaged pots can only be used for washing vegetables and fruits, but you cannot cook in them!
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Rules for the use of enameled dishes
Even with a successful restoration of the coating, the life of the pan is still reduced. It can not be subjected to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, and after cooking food will have to be poured into another container. Therefore, it is better to adhere to the operating standards of new enameled kitchen utensils in advance:
- do not put an empty pan on the stove, do not expose to heat without food;
- immediately after purchase, warm the product with saline (2 tablespoons of salt per liter of water) until the liquid boils - this will help to “temper” it;
- avoid temperature changes, do not pour cold water into a heated pan;
- use only wooden, silicone, teflon spoons, whisks, mixers, shovels;
- drain water from the pan, remove cooked food only after some cooling;
- not to allow blows, falls, impact of other mechanical factors on the utensils;
- do not cook too viscous dishes that often burn in an enameled pan, do not boil milk;
- to prevent sticking of cereals to the bottom, immediately stirring it after falling asleep;
- Do not put a large pot on a small tile - the size of the product must exactly match the heating zone;
- do not clean the pan with alkali and acid-based products; do not allow dishes with vinegar to remain in it for a long time.
Enamel restoration
The simplest method of repairing the pan will be the use of enamel paint from a spray can. In the store you should buy “Enamel for bathtubs”, “Nitroemal” of the desired color (usually white), clean the problem area, wash it well with laundry soap, and dry. After spraying the paint directly onto the chip. Unfortunately, this method is suitable exclusively for repairing external damage to enameled dishes: paint should not come into contact with food.
A soldering iron will also help to restore the pan. In addition to the tool itself, solder (pure tin), flux will be required. The preparation of the damage site will be similar: sanding, washing, degreasing, drying. With a hot soldering iron, a little solder is separated, distribute it over the tip of the tool.
The damaged area is lubricated with flux, immediately applied to the chip solder, smoothing it with movements back and forth. Repeat the procedure until the smallest cracks are filled with tin.
Large holes in the pan can be repaired using a special filler. For its manufacture, mix in a container:
- 220 g of kaolin (white clay);
- 50 g of calcined borax;
- 25 g slaked lime;
- 30 g of powder glass;
- 25 g of powdered sodium silicate.
All components are combined in a mortar, thoroughly crushed, mixed, diluted with water until a homogeneous, dense mass is obtained. The place of cleavage is treated with sandpaper, degreased, putty is applied, it is allowed to dry for 2 days. Then the pan is ground until a perfectly smooth surface is obtained.
Another putty recipe for enamel restoration includes the following components:
- 4 parts slaked lime;
- 15 parts of ground quartz;
- 50 parts of white clay;
- 13 parts of casein;
- 6 parts of sodium silicate;
- 5 pieces of crushed glass;
- 10 parts soda ash.
The tool is prepared and applied in a similar way. It should have the consistency of batter. Putty drying lasts 48 hours, then it becomes waterproof and can easily withstand heat. After repairing the pan, it will be possible to use a few more weeks, and with careful handling - 2-3 months.
Enameled cookware is safe when used properly. It allows you to cook delicious food, and also decorates the kitchen, so every housewife will come in handy.
