Mom used to put our Sunbeam in the center of the kitchen table on top of spread out newspapers to catch splatters from the initial browning of whatever. After the browning was completed and the food covered to finish cooking, the papers were removed and the skillet taken to the counter. That was not done with pancakes which were baked with the skillet on the counter or later, the free side of the GE's divided cooktop.
Electric Skillets
- Thread starter kevin313
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Glad to know there are so many electric skillet fans here!
Thanks for sharing your memories. Sounds like there were a lot of Sunbeam skillets in use over the years!
Thanks for sharing your memories. Sounds like there were a lot of Sunbeam skillets in use over the years!
xraytech
Well-known member
Growing up mom has a Presto Teflon electric skillet that was used almost daily, it was replaced in the late 90s with a 15” Presto with the deep sides we got mom for Christmas, it to got used heavily until we wore the Teflon coating off of it.
I have a Teflon Dominion skillet I use, as well as a Stainless Steel Hoover Tri-Pan that is fantastic.
I have a round RenaWare electric skillet too, don’t really cook in it but will use it on a buffet
I have a Teflon Dominion skillet I use, as well as a Stainless Steel Hoover Tri-Pan that is fantastic.
I have a round RenaWare electric skillet too, don’t really cook in it but will use it on a buffet
justjunque
Well-known member
I just stumbled across one that I forgot I had.
It was still in a box that hadn't been touched in probably ten years.
I'm guessing this one belonged to my grandmother.
It's a Sunbeam, but I can't find a model number. It's square, and somewhat smallish, with the control knob on the permanently attached handle. You plug an appliance cord into the end of the handle.
I don't know if it's too far gone to ever be used again. The cooking surface looks pretty badly pitted, and the outside is covered with years of baked on grease. Even the handle and the round knob on the lid are so greasy, it transferred onto my hands and required Boraxo to get it off.
When I took the lid off to see if the power cord was in there, (it was), I was surprised to find the original owner's manual in there as well.
I don't know if something like Carbon Off would work. I've never used it. But, there's still the matter of the pitted cooking surface.
Barry
Edit:
After glancing at the owner's manual, it's possible the pan is a model FP-10.[this post was last edited: 6/16/2020-20:39]
It was still in a box that hadn't been touched in probably ten years.
I'm guessing this one belonged to my grandmother.
It's a Sunbeam, but I can't find a model number. It's square, and somewhat smallish, with the control knob on the permanently attached handle. You plug an appliance cord into the end of the handle.
I don't know if it's too far gone to ever be used again. The cooking surface looks pretty badly pitted, and the outside is covered with years of baked on grease. Even the handle and the round knob on the lid are so greasy, it transferred onto my hands and required Boraxo to get it off.
When I took the lid off to see if the power cord was in there, (it was), I was surprised to find the original owner's manual in there as well.
I don't know if something like Carbon Off would work. I've never used it. But, there's still the matter of the pitted cooking surface.
Barry
Edit:
After glancing at the owner's manual, it's possible the pan is a model FP-10.[this post was last edited: 6/16/2020-20:39]
Sunbeam made their electric fry pans of this style in three sizes. The largest one used the same cord as a roaster oven.
jeb
Well-known member
defrosting with an electric skillet
My mom defrosted the freezer with an electric skillet. I remember seeing it in the freezer with the handle/control/cord sticking out the door.
My mom defrosted the freezer with an electric skillet. I remember seeing it in the freezer with the handle/control/cord sticking out the door.
I love electric skillets and use them frequently
I do, though, stay away from Teflon coatings - there is simply too much likely-hood of overheating in one.
Not to mention that that stuff scratches if you look at it funny.
The aluminium pans work, regardless of pitting. I've taken some very badly worn Sunbeam appliances from that era and found they work quite well.
First, the grease: I put them in the dishwasher with every single pots/pan load for seven or so washes. The built up grease and dirt and ick comes off in layers. Takes quite a few washes - usually, though, by seven times through, it's clean as a whistle.
I then polish everything up with an SOS or Brillo pad. Really bad scratches/surface pitting I take a brass wire wheel to (works fine in the electric drill) followed by progressively finer sanding. With power tools, we're talking just a few minutes.
As I can hear the moans from the fainting couches of several ladies, let me add: This is what I do when the sole alternative is to through the appliance away. Of course one wouldn't want to do this to gleaming or anodized aluminium.
I do, though, stay away from Teflon coatings - there is simply too much likely-hood of overheating in one.
Not to mention that that stuff scratches if you look at it funny.
The aluminium pans work, regardless of pitting. I've taken some very badly worn Sunbeam appliances from that era and found they work quite well.
First, the grease: I put them in the dishwasher with every single pots/pan load for seven or so washes. The built up grease and dirt and ick comes off in layers. Takes quite a few washes - usually, though, by seven times through, it's clean as a whistle.
I then polish everything up with an SOS or Brillo pad. Really bad scratches/surface pitting I take a brass wire wheel to (works fine in the electric drill) followed by progressively finer sanding. With power tools, we're talking just a few minutes.
As I can hear the moans from the fainting couches of several ladies, let me add: This is what I do when the sole alternative is to through the appliance away. Of course one wouldn't want to do this to gleaming or anodized aluminium.
I think that kind of overheating would be more likely to occur in a pan on a stove than in a thermostatically-controlled electric skillet absent some total failure.
justjunque
Well-known member
Hey Panthera,
That's somewhat encouraging.
I don't think I would trust putting this particular pan in the dishwasher though. It says it can only be immersed up to the cooking guide on the handle; not the end of the handle where the cord plugs in.
I may be limited to scouring with steel wool in the sink. I know that's not going to touch the stuff on the underside though. It's really thick, and probably older than I am.
The sorry state of this pan makes me question if it in fact belonged to my grandmother, like I originally had thought.
She was always very meticulous about taking care of all of her household appliances. Usually, they were even stored in their original boxes.
Barry
That's somewhat encouraging.
I don't think I would trust putting this particular pan in the dishwasher though. It says it can only be immersed up to the cooking guide on the handle; not the end of the handle where the cord plugs in.
I may be limited to scouring with steel wool in the sink. I know that's not going to touch the stuff on the underside though. It's really thick, and probably older than I am.
The sorry state of this pan makes me question if it in fact belonged to my grandmother, like I originally had thought.
She was always very meticulous about taking care of all of her household appliances. Usually, they were even stored in their original boxes.
Barry
Barry,
As long as you don’t submerge the end of the handle where the cord plugs or the control dial in you can soak this pan. I’d avoid ammonia or anything highly alkaline like oven cleaner as this may turn the aluminum black or otherwise discolor it.
I’d try filling a sink that is deep enough to submerge the crusted area completely with an water as hot as you can get it and add a healthy dose of detergent, preferably powdered and let that bad boy soak for several hours. To be on the safe side just submerge to the base of the handle. This will probably soften that baked on grease build up enough so you can begin to remove it with a stainless steel scouring pad, like a Chore Boy. You may have to do this a second or third time. Then use SOS or Brillo for scour it to a nice shine, both inside and outside.
If you are going to use if after this major cleaning, remember to thoroughly remove any film of oil/grease from the bottom of the pan EACH time you wash it and it will stay nice and shiny.
HTH,
Eddie
As long as you don’t submerge the end of the handle where the cord plugs or the control dial in you can soak this pan. I’d avoid ammonia or anything highly alkaline like oven cleaner as this may turn the aluminum black or otherwise discolor it.
I’d try filling a sink that is deep enough to submerge the crusted area completely with an water as hot as you can get it and add a healthy dose of detergent, preferably powdered and let that bad boy soak for several hours. To be on the safe side just submerge to the base of the handle. This will probably soften that baked on grease build up enough so you can begin to remove it with a stainless steel scouring pad, like a Chore Boy. You may have to do this a second or third time. Then use SOS or Brillo for scour it to a nice shine, both inside and outside.
If you are going to use if after this major cleaning, remember to thoroughly remove any film of oil/grease from the bottom of the pan EACH time you wash it and it will stay nice and shiny.
HTH,
Eddie
justjunque
Well-known member
Hi Eddie,
Thank you so much.
I was thinking ammonia, because...grease. But I saw right on the bottle that it will darken aluminum. So that wasn't going to be an option.
Not to sound like an airhead, but...powdered detergent. Do you mean laundry detergent?
If so, all I have is original Tide. I do have a box of 20 Mule Team Borax, if that would do anything for it.
Barry
Thank you so much.
I was thinking ammonia, because...grease. But I saw right on the bottle that it will darken aluminum. So that wasn't going to be an option.
Not to sound like an airhead, but...powdered detergent. Do you mean laundry detergent?
If so, all I have is original Tide. I do have a box of 20 Mule Team Borax, if that would do anything for it.
Barry
You’re Welcome Barry!
Tide would be great. The Twenty Mule Team Borax may not be harsh enough to get through that baked on grease, but Tide powder should be just the ticket. Good luck, and just be patient and I predict you’ll end up with a nice Sunbeam Electric Fry Pan that you can be proud to use.
Eddie
Tide would be great. The Twenty Mule Team Borax may not be harsh enough to get through that baked on grease, but Tide powder should be just the ticket. Good luck, and just be patient and I predict you’ll end up with a nice Sunbeam Electric Fry Pan that you can be proud to use.
Eddie
justjunque
Well-known member
A couple more things I'm wondering:
I'm not sure what the legs are made of; but is there any chance that the Tide soak could damage them?
With all the gunk on the underside of the pan, I don't know that I could take the legs off if I tried.
Also:
Let's say I eventually acquire a pan that's painted, as opposed to bare metal. Would the Tide be safe to use on that? Or could it damage the paint?
Thank you for your help!
Barry
I'm not sure what the legs are made of; but is there any chance that the Tide soak could damage them?
With all the gunk on the underside of the pan, I don't know that I could take the legs off if I tried.
Also:
Let's say I eventually acquire a pan that's painted, as opposed to bare metal. Would the Tide be safe to use on that? Or could it damage the paint?
Thank you for your help!
Barry
Barry, I had one of these older Sunbeam Electric Fry Pans and as I recall the legs were either bakelite or plastic, the same material that was used for the handle. Soaking the legs shouldn’t cause any damage. And I doubt that soaking a painted Electric Fry Pan in Tide and water would damage the paint either. After I posted last also thought of Spin and Span, but that’s a product I haven't seen for awhile, so maybe its not sold anymore.
I also recall reading in more than one place about using dryer fabric softener sheets in a large plastic trash bag or in the bathtub to remove the burnt on grease from oven racks. You place several fabric softener sheets either in a trash bag or on the bottom of the bathtub, add enough warm water to cover the racks, and allow them to sit in this solution overnight. According to people that wrote about this the baked on grease was supposed to come off easily after the soak. I’ve never tried this, but its an interesting idea.
Eddie
I also recall reading in more than one place about using dryer fabric softener sheets in a large plastic trash bag or in the bathtub to remove the burnt on grease from oven racks. You place several fabric softener sheets either in a trash bag or on the bottom of the bathtub, add enough warm water to cover the racks, and allow them to sit in this solution overnight. According to people that wrote about this the baked on grease was supposed to come off easily after the soak. I’ve never tried this, but its an interesting idea.
Eddie
justjunque
Well-known member
That is interesting.
For oven racks, I read something somewhere about putting the racks in a trash bag with ammonia, and sitting it out in the sun.
Thank you for the reassurance about the Tide soak.
My mom used to use Spic and Span. It was a powder. I actually have some, but mine is a liquid.
Any idea if that's safe for aluminum? I can check the bottle and see if it mentions anything about it.
Barry
For oven racks, I read something somewhere about putting the racks in a trash bag with ammonia, and sitting it out in the sun.
Thank you for the reassurance about the Tide soak.
My mom used to use Spic and Span. It was a powder. I actually have some, but mine is a liquid.
Any idea if that's safe for aluminum? I can check the bottle and see if it mentions anything about it.
Barry
Oh Yeah, oven racks in a black trash bag in the hot summer sun, sprayed with oven cleaner and closed. The grease softens to a soft brown lye soap.
Aluminium/Grease/Teflon
Given the amount of baked on ick you are dealing with, it's either going to be mechanical means or horrendously dangerous acids or some sort of grease cutting chemical.
Oven cleaner might do the trick for the first round. Yes, left in place too long it can damage aluminium. If things are this bad, I doubt you could do any harm by brushing it on to the worst areas, letting it sit for a short time and then scraping the resulting 'soap' off. Once you get down close to the metal, time to switch to other means.
Any of these cleaners can darken the aluminium. No biggy - you're going to have to polish, anyway.
As to the Teflon, I just don't trust thermostatic control to prevent hot spots warm enough to do damage. I admit to disliking the stuff, though, anyway.
Given the amount of baked on ick you are dealing with, it's either going to be mechanical means or horrendously dangerous acids or some sort of grease cutting chemical.
Oven cleaner might do the trick for the first round. Yes, left in place too long it can damage aluminium. If things are this bad, I doubt you could do any harm by brushing it on to the worst areas, letting it sit for a short time and then scraping the resulting 'soap' off. Once you get down close to the metal, time to switch to other means.
Any of these cleaners can darken the aluminium. No biggy - you're going to have to polish, anyway.
As to the Teflon, I just don't trust thermostatic control to prevent hot spots warm enough to do damage. I admit to disliking the stuff, though, anyway.
justjunque
Well-known member
Surprise
Well, I wanted to experiment with the Tide soak, so I started with the lid, which was nowhere near as bad as the pan itself. The worst parts were the knob on top, and the little vent, which was frozen solid with petrified grease.
I left it soaking for a couple/few hours. When I went to check how it was going; Lo and behold...the Tide turned the previously brightish aluminum lid dark! I don't know why, but for some reason, I didn't expect that to happen.
The formerly black knob is now brown, and the metal is a greyish brown.
Based on what you said, panthera, I'm assuming and hoping that polish will bring it back to normal.
It didn't really free up the vent. At least not in one round. I forced it to move by using a screwdriver. So, at least now a different part of it is exposed.
I heard a line from a comedian once; "That boy's got a lot of quit in him".
I'm not proud of it, but that's pretty much me. I might just see what I can accomplish with steel wool on the outside surfaces, polish it as best I can, and sit it somewhere for display.
Barry
Well, I wanted to experiment with the Tide soak, so I started with the lid, which was nowhere near as bad as the pan itself. The worst parts were the knob on top, and the little vent, which was frozen solid with petrified grease.
I left it soaking for a couple/few hours. When I went to check how it was going; Lo and behold...the Tide turned the previously brightish aluminum lid dark! I don't know why, but for some reason, I didn't expect that to happen.
The formerly black knob is now brown, and the metal is a greyish brown.
Based on what you said, panthera, I'm assuming and hoping that polish will bring it back to normal.
It didn't really free up the vent. At least not in one round. I forced it to move by using a screwdriver. So, at least now a different part of it is exposed.
I heard a line from a comedian once; "That boy's got a lot of quit in him".
I'm not proud of it, but that's pretty much me. I might just see what I can accomplish with steel wool on the outside surfaces, polish it as best I can, and sit it somewhere for display.
Barry
Barry, even plain tap water can turn aluminum black if left soaking. You need to use cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice to remove the discoloration.
If you really want to get it clean of all the burned on grease, you will need to get the Carbon-Off. You will need heavy duty rubber gloves, and goggles are recommended. It is best to use this product outside. Directions need to be followed for it to work successfully, especially leaving it on long enough. The product is used in commercial kitchens to restore pans and equipment that get heavy use. There is a good video online that can be found by a Google search of the name.
If you really want to get it clean of all the burned on grease, you will need to get the Carbon-Off. You will need heavy duty rubber gloves, and goggles are recommended. It is best to use this product outside. Directions need to be followed for it to work successfully, especially leaving it on long enough. The product is used in commercial kitchens to restore pans and equipment that get heavy use. There is a good video online that can be found by a Google search of the name.
Hi Barry,
Yes, the dark surface will clean off easily when the rest is done. You can test this by rubbing it with bit of Mother's Aluminium/Moly polish or non-gritty toothpaste.
Before you switch to Carbon Off, which is, as you have been warned scary (it works, boy does it work and sometimes you have no other option), try using oven cleaner for very short periods of time on the worst of the worst.
It will give way, I promise. The first few layers just seem the most awful.
Yes, the dark surface will clean off easily when the rest is done. You can test this by rubbing it with bit of Mother's Aluminium/Moly polish or non-gritty toothpaste.
Before you switch to Carbon Off, which is, as you have been warned scary (it works, boy does it work and sometimes you have no other option), try using oven cleaner for very short periods of time on the worst of the worst.
It will give way, I promise. The first few layers just seem the most awful.
