Removing Calcium Deposits From HB Egg Cooking

[Porthos]

Each spring for several weeks I have reason to boil 15 dozen eggs. I use a 12-qt S/S pasta pot and do them in 3 batches. This allows easy removal of the eggs from the water and I then dunk the eggs in room temperature water to halt the cooking process (yes, I'm finicky about my eggs). At the end of the season I have a nice "crust" of calcium deposits to the upper edge of the main pot and the upper portion, inside and out, of the pasta insert.

 

In the past I have scrubbed the pot and insert with a brillo pad with only ok results. Can I safely use something like CLR to remove the calcium or is there another way that would work?

 

 

[Anna N]

Have you tried soaking in plain white vinegar?

[Smithy]

Have you tried scrubbing with a good (safe) acid, like white vinegar, or lemon juice? I'd expect a low-pH cleaner would help the process. A nice, acidy carbonated soft drink (cola or lemon-lime come to mind) also might do it, though you'd then have to get the residual sugar off. A restaurant co-worker used to use a rinse of whatever our lemon-lime soft drink base was to rinse and finish cleaning the taps in the evening. I don't know what the boss would have thought of it if he'd known, but he liked the results.

CLR claims it should work without damaging your pot. I haven't looked at the MSDS, but it's available for download from their web site: http://www.jelmar.com/CLRbasic.htm. Note they offer a money-back guarantee. Note also that they say not to use it on aluminum, not to get it on your clothes or countertops, etc. Given its corrosive nature, you'd have to find something to rest the pot and strainer in upside down, to get the rims.

Cheapskate that I am, I'd probably try some readily-available culinary acids first. :-)

Edit: sorry, AnnaN, I didn't see your answer while I was typing.

[mkayahara]

You could also use a stainless steel cleaner like Bar Keeper's Friend, but I would try vinegar to start.

[Porthos]

Going to give the vinegar a try. We by the 5 qt bottles of white vinegar at Costco for use in the laundry so I have some at the ready right now. After soaking I will probably finish with BKF. I'll report back.

[andiesenji]

I agree that vinegar is the way to go - no effort.  

 

A cup of vinegar in 4 quarts of water  should do the trick - bring to a boil for 5 minutes then turn it off and let it cool.  If you have a dish mop, swish it around the inside of the vessels - if you feel any "snags" heat it up again for five minutes. 

 

You can also use a heaping tablespoon of Cream of Tartar - I buy it in the "industrial-sized" bags from Amazon because I use it a lot to removed discoloration from old aluminum cookware, and to remove calcium deposits on tin-lined tea kettles - not as eye-watering as boiling vinegar. 

[Porthos]

25 minutes later I am amazed. Two 12 qt pasta pots, their inserts and the 20 qt "cool off" pot - all clean. Thank you all.

 

When I unpack the SS tea kettle that needs de-scaling I know what I will be using.

[Porthos]

Andie - the tea kettle will be done on the side burner of my BBQ. That will help with the fumes.

[Smithy]

If your kettle is heavily scaled, be patient and make sure you get all the scale out.  I grew up in a household with very hard water, and over the years the tea kettle got so much scale that it was noticeably heavier.  My mother heard about the vinegar trick and tried it, whether with cider vinegar or white vinegar I can no longer say. Well, the scale layer was so thick that the vinegar layer permeated it without removing it. We drank vinegar-flavored tea for a week or three before she finally admitted defeat and replaced the kettle.  We had some peculiar-tasting rice pilaf during that time, as well.  

 

I'm glad to hear the vinegar worked so well on the pots and strainers.

[Anna N]

25 minutes later I am amazed. Two 12 qt pasta pots, their inserts and the 20 qt "cool off" pot - all clean. Thank you all.

 

When I unpack the SS tea kettle that needs de-scaling I know what I will be using.

Thanks for being someone who asked for advice from a knowledgeable group, took that advice, offered not a single yabbut and quickly reported back with the results. So damn refreshing. Hope the kettle comes clean.