I recently cooked-up some Rhubarb; then, as is often the case, I went off to do something else, and forgot about it.
Well, of course it boiled over, leaving an unbelievably sticky mess all over the top of the hob. Being lazy, I left it for later (I hope Lady Magnon isn't reading this; she's in Australia).
'Later' arrived yesterday morning when I could no longer bare to look at it, and I reluctantly decided to tackle the dreadful looking burnt-on crust. It took me about 30 minutes to remove all the enamel-like lava, that clung to every crevice.
Surely, each hob manufacturer should provide a never ending tear-off roll of tin foil templates, that fit neatly over the whole hob (leaving the exact sized holes for the burners). These could then be thrown away and replaced as required.
I've never liked cleaning, and grubby encrusted hobs must be the worst!
with the oven as next worst
ReplyDeleteNever, in my life, have I cleaned an oven; better to just replace it, methinks!
ReplyDeleteI think mine is headed that way.
DeleteI totally agree, Cro but Keith won't hear of it. Of course, he is not the one who cleans ours!
DeleteThe best solution is not to walk away and let it boil over lol...what a hard mess you had to clean but it looks like you did a great job,the cleaning of the oven is the worst job in the home i think.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! Pleased to know I'm not the only one. Recently I had a bag of mixed raw nuts that we had picked from our friends orchard and it was my intention to roast them under the gas grill then add an egg-white coating, sieve off the egg-white and roll them in herb and honey coating and then cook them off in the oven.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I didn't hear the timer alarm but I did hear the smoke alarm for stage 1 - the "roasting" bit. We not only had a kitchen full of smoke but also the bitter smell of burnt nuts hung around for days!
I like the picture of the hammer and chisel to get off the burnt stuff - was it really tht bad. But your suggestion for solving the problem with a tinfoil template is brilliant - you should market it.
ReplyDeleteNow that idea is bloke-brilliance. Tear-off covers like those on helmet visors. Men - don't clean the bathroom/kitchen/car, just stand at the doorway/driveway/edge of your armchair and pull on the tab, crumple up and dispose of, leaving a fresh pine/beeswax aroma. Etcetera. Patent that and you're in the thousand-millionaire club!
ReplyDeletemy ocd has been sated for the day!
Deletethat clean hob pleases me
What a job!! It looks terrific now though. Your a good clean up act that Lady Magnon will be very proud of! Your invention should be a requirement for every stove! Brilliant!!
ReplyDeleteIf we could get all the four-burner-hob manufacturers to agree on shape/size/etc; we might be in business!
DeleteIt is always better to clean up right away, however, we have all been guilty of not wanting to face the mess and put it off for another time. It is always worse then.
ReplyDeleteOh, my, Cro!!! You are a mess! (a southern saying) The hob (as you call it) looks great after the clean up. The chisel and hammer are a nice touch to the photo!! You should go straight-away and get a patent for your idea before someone steals it!! Great idea.
ReplyDeleteRight now, Mr. M, my gas stove top and oven, are in a state of emergency. I can,process food, cook meals and everything else daily. And I am *very* bad about cleaning the top as its gas and I have to take it all apart and clean, and then it takes most of the rest of the day to dry, the yokes on the gas parts that get wet when I soak them. If I don't let them dry totally, as they are cast iron, and will break if heated.
ReplyDeleteLesson learn...clean the top as best as you can and come back for round two in the morning. :")
The best they've been able to come up with is tinfoil burner bibs....I'd buy an oven liner for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou do lovely clean-up work, Mr Cro.
ReplyDeleteI have an electric stove and oven currently, although much prefer cooking with gas. On the plus side, the oven is a self-clean model where self does NOT have to clean it!
The stove part is ceramic and attracts dirt more easily than a two-year-old. But a bit of Bar Keeper's Friend® on a sponge with some water and i'm back in business!
megan
Your secret is safe with us. Lady M need never know.
ReplyDeleteWhat a chore though. I invariably get fed up waiting for the 'watched pot' to boil and wander off to do something more interesting. With similar results - burned pans, cakes, hobs and ovens. I've got gold medals in scrubbing and excuses.
gotta say, you've done a brilliant job Cro. Like Mountainear says Lady M will never know!
ReplyDeletenice clean-up job on the hob. "Hob" is a new term for me.
ReplyDeleteI do line the bottom of the oven with foil, and when cooking pies put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch the spills. I HATE oven cleaning.
Come on over and do mine, Cro...
ReplyDeleteA job well done! That hob looks brand spanking new! I think it's a man thing -- not being able to keep the pot company while it cooks...
ReplyDeleteAn AGE thing, methinks!
DeleteHa, this reminds me that there is a baked on crust of quince and apple in my vintage enamel pot, which has sat hopefully at the back of the sink bench for weeks now. I put it on the stove to simmer for my breakfast and came to check my blog... Well we all know what happens when you check your updates and start writing comments. And I'm a woman! Beautiful job well done Cro. Maybe I will get on with my pot.
ReplyDeletelooks like you figured out how to clean!! You and my husband!!!
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
I think the chisel and hammer is a man thing, and that is clever :-) I love my gas stove top but it is a pain to clean. I think for messy oil frying I might try the aluminium foil method!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great again!