Is gunk a real word?
Well, I guess it is. Since Firefox didn’t put a red squiggly line under it.
This tool scares me. Honestly, I never would have used it if I didn’t take that trip to the Maytag headquarters last fall. The Queen of all Kitchen Knowledge told us to use this tool, and chastised us when we acted like chickens resisted.
And here’s the box. The official, put-out-there-by-the-pros box:
But still, I feel the need to make my own disclaimers:
- Don’t use this tool on coated surfaces.
- Don’t use this tool with wet, slippery hands.
- Keep out of the reach of children.
- Always scrape away from yourself.
- Always put blade inside safety-thingamajig when not in use.
- Test on a small, inconspicuous, non-investment-ruining spot if you’re not sure whether it’s safe to use this tool on your surface.
- Always use the flat edge at an angle. Do not use the edges or corners of the blade.
- Don’t do anything else that might cause damage to a surface or your hand, or leg, or any other body part.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m talking about a razor blade. Officially, it’s called a Cooktop Scraper. 
I’m not kidding when I say I was scared when the lady in the Maytag labs showed us how to use this tool to scrape cooked-on gunk off of the glass top stove. Honestly, I NEVER would have thought to do that out of fear of scratching the glass.
But it works. And I haven’t scratched it yet. As long as the blade is at an angle, with the handle down close to the surface . . . it seems to work okay.
And I’ve started using this tool in other ways. As we’ve moved away from pots and pans with non-stick coating . . . food seems to stick to my pots and pans.
Shocker, I know.
But cooked-on cheese sauce in my cast iron skillet was no match for my handy-dandy scraper.
I’ve also used it on some other non-coated surfaces. On coated surfaces (and my countertops and anything scratchable), though, I’m still a fan of this method I’ve shared before. THAT method won’t scratch anything.
My questions for you:
1. Have you ever used a similar tool for cleaning in the kitchen?
2. Does this tool scare you the way it scared me?
Notes:
- My Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.
- Maytag sent me this cleaning set since I am a Maytag Kitchen Mom.
- I was not required or asked to write this post.
- I just really love this new (but scary) tool.
- Thingamajig is evidently a word, too. According to Firefox, at least. Who knew?
It’s a little too razory for me to be comfortable with for anything but a cooktop, where my hands would be dry.
I received one of these pot scrapers in the box along with my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone, and use it many, many times each day. It’s good for the crusties around the edges of the sink; for melted wax on things; and for burnt on things like my cookie sheets and cake pans. It’s pretty much kid-safe, so I can pawn off…I mean, encourage my child…to help: http://www.amazon.com/Pampered-Chef-Nylon-Scrapers-Brown/dp/B001BX017W
Yes, those scrapers are great! And good point about the wet hands. (I”ll go add that to my list of disclaimers!)
Yep, we use one in our house, and it’s never been a problem.
That is way too sharp for me! (I am Ms Clumsy) I know I would hold it wrong & use the corner edge more and mess something up
I’ve misplaced my nylon scrapers from pampered chef (hopefully not thrown away by a child, but haven’t been able to find them for months) so I’ve been using a thin nylon spatula to scrape my cast iron out with, I would be afraid anything sharper might take the seasoning off with it.
I’m an accident waiting to happen when it comes to sharp or pointy things. This would probably not be found in my kitchen. My methods of gunk removal are probably much slower, but safer.
I could use this for scraping paint from glass. Looks exactly like the tool I have for that.
If you’re not in a hurry, you can let the pan sit with dishwasher detergent and hot water until the gunk is loosened.
This is FUNNY because I just saw something last week about this scrapper so I ordered one on Amazon. lol I’m so excited to try it!
Ha! it is scary looking. I believe, I’ve NOT EVER used one of those in the kitchen!
I have used one to get putty out of an old window and remove old caulk in the bathroom … so they are durable.
For the kitchen including my cast iron… I use the ever expensive COOL WHIP scraper! One size fits all! Yes…in 2 easy steps.
1. save lid from Cool Whip container.
2. cut lid into size suitable for your own hand in an arched manner, leaving 1 sharp corner near one edge. For scraping corner ‘gunk’!
Toss when the edge is no longer ridged enough to the job…start over.
So…now, I have dishpan hands…but my nails STILL LOOK GOOD! :p
Pat
I also got one of those when I purchased my Maytag Gemini with the glass top. I use that thing for
everything and have never had an issue with it. I have a question for you though, do you use your cast iron skillets on your glass top stove? I was told by the salesperson not to because of the oil seasoning on the cast iron would cook into the glass top and ruin it.
I do! We asked the experts at the lab about that and she said it was fine. She did warn us, though, to put them down directly and not drag them across the cooktop because that would scratch the surface.
But I have to admit that I’m not really a perfectionist like some who want a cooktop to always look brand new. So it’s possible that it has had an effect and I’ve not noticed!
I’ve used just a plain razor blade ever since I got my glass cooktop years ago. I’m careful and have never scratched it. Makes it so easy to keep clean! I like this, though, because it has a handle. I’m going to have to get myself one.
I don’t have a glass cooktop but I’ve used a razor scraper in the kitchen for years. They are awesome to clean the burnt stuff that dripped in the bottom of the oven and for getting the last bit of a sticky label off a jar. I’ve used one on occasion for pots and pans but I have another method I usually try first. I take whatever pan has the mess and add a little water to it. Then I put it back on the cooktop and turn on the heat like I was planning to deglaze that pan and make gravy. Usually, well before the water comes to a boil I can easily loosen most of the mess with a spatula and if you add a shot of white vinegar it loosens even quicker.
I use a razor blade all the time for my cooktop and also completely agree with M.Good about the Pampered Chef scrapers. I use those EVERYWHERE else. Dishes, floors, tables, pots/pans, etc.
I use a larger one, not quite as sharp, that almost resembles a spackling tool. When I clean houses (Oh, pick your jaws up off the floor – they are other people’s houses). I use it to remove toothpaste hunks on the bathroom sinks, stuck on pancake batter on a counter…there is no end to this. I do feel safer with the larger scraper for cleaning jobs. I’m sure your tool is specific to your special oven surface. For anyone who fears using a razor blade, you can use a metal putty knife at a low angle and achieve great results. Just spray with a cleaner first (Fantastic, etc…) to lube up your swipe. You’ll wonder what you ever did without it.
LOVE the idea of a spackling tool!
Actually I am intrigued. I always use one of my good knives to scrape the “gunk” off my glass top and it kills me that I am ruining a good knife to get my glass top clean. I think I might like to try this scary thing-a-ma-jig!! (If the word is good enough for Dr. Suess it’s good enough for me 😉 )
o BTW that looks like a common (standard) widget to me…can buy those in hardware stores??
I would assume so . . .
Umm. ok, maybe I don’t understand because the stove in my apt. is older than I am but why are you bothering to scrape all the dried crud? I peel off a half-sheet or a corner of paper towel (done it with dish towels/ dish cloths too!), super-soak it in hot tap water and lay it right on the dried blob making sure there is total contact and coverage, sometimes a little water puddle can I manage it. I walk away for 5 or ten minutes, just long enough to clear a counter or tidy something back into a cabinet. I get back and whoosh! Swipe away the gloop and follow up by giving the rest of the stove top a fast wipe down. Off to other chores (yanno, the Internets!) OR spray/ wipe the stove, etc. with vinegar & water or cleaner of choice. Scraping = work in my book and I would avoid it as hard as I could if I had a snazzy new cooker like yours. I’d rather let a puddle of hot water do the hard graft for me any day! Easier, faster, cheaper (use less cleaner less often)! Your Mileage May Vary, Happy Cooking! ;^p
I love the soak method for sure! The glass stoves get majorly icky stuff that doesn’t come off with a soak, though. I had one before, and there was gunk that I just assumed I would never be able to get off.
I use a scraper on my cooktop, and have use it some time on the fake marble counters when there’s some really hard gunk I can’t manage to get out any other way. I was sceptic at first, but I figured that if the cooktop came with instructions to use it… well, it might work, right? And it worked!
I’ve never thought about this for my stove top, but it does great getting the soap scum off the non textured sides of the bathtub. DRY hands are key, though. Same instructions as the stove top so you don’t scratch the tub. No need for chemicals, and it uses less elbow grease than scrubby things.
I’ve used this tool at home and it truly works wonders in getting cooked “gunk” off the stove when not much else will. I also like to use a stove top cleaning product to follow it up with. Yes, the blade’s a bit vicious!
This is not a job to put on the kids’ chore chart.
You can buy them at Home Depot as part of cooktop cleaning kit and it comes with a product that is safe for glass cooktops , and it makes all that scraping more worthwhile cause you get a beautiful shine that will completely confuse all the other beings in the house, and that will make it all the more worth it. Gotta keep your sense of humor about this stuff.
I use one to clean my glass top stove. For everything else, I’ve found that the little plastic scraper that came with my Pampered Chef stoneware is perfect for scraping all kinds of gunk off pots and pans. They aren’t sharp so I don’t worry about using them when my hands are wet. I don’t keep any kind of scrubby sponges around my sink anymore because those handy dandy tools work just as well or better. They take up less space too.
Bed, Bath & Beyond sells a $2 nylon scraper that works just as well. It’s maybe a 3×3 square but it works great on pizza stones (gets off all that burnt cheese!), pans, etc. I don’t have a flat cooktop but I imagine it’s the same.
Nope, not gonna do it! I’m too clutsy for an open razor blade.
I use a magic eraser on my glass cooktop — it’s cleans beautifully with just soap and water and never scratched. (I’d use a net scrubbie on that cheese in the cast iron; just sayin’.)