Do I Have To Replace All My Pans?

[mommytoE&E]

I'm new to this.

How do I really clean the gluten off all my dishes, pots, pans, etc...

My muffin pan is a non-stick. Should I get rid of it?

My bread pan is glass (pyrex I think?) Can I clean it and remove all the gluten, or do I need to replace it as well?

How about my measuring cups (stainless steel)

Thank you!

[MaryJones2]

I replaced the wood, plastic, melamine and teflon (non-stick) stuff. I kept the china, copper, porcelain, pyrex, glass and stainless stuff.

[Ursa Major]

Any scratched non-stick bake and cookware should be replaced. If it isn't scratched it should be okay after a good washing or two.

Anything you can scrub properly (like glass and steel) and that doesn't have sharp corners is fine after you give it a good scrubbing so that it shines and looks completely clean. You absolutely cannot get all the gluten out of sharp corners and crevices.

But really scrub it, not just wash it.

You have to replace your toaster (or if there is a gluten eater in your house, you need separate toasters), wooden cooking spoons, wooden cutting board and plastic colander you have drained gluten pasta with (stainless steel colanders are fine after scrubbing thoroughly).

[JNBunnie1]

Basically, scratches and ridges are your enemies. Any smooth surface can be rendered safe with enough scrubbing. So cutting boards, anything wooden, anything old that's plastic, and anything scratched is a no-no. That includes those goofy pans with the ridges on the inside.

[ruthykins]

If you have to scrub/bin all your kitchen utensils would it be beneficial to put your partner on a gluten free diet too??

My fella would get depressed without bread!!!!!!!!!!!

[glutenfreemeg]

OKay, I'm a newbie here, so I'm just trying to understand. I know we're supposed to replace these things, but how does gluten get on our food just from touching something that might have a bit of gluten hidden in it? I don't mean to be argumentative or anything, I'm just curious.

I have these beautiful cast iron pans that I got last fall for my birthday, and I LOVE them so I don't want to replace them, but how much gluten would really be on them? The only thing I used them for that had gluten was the occasional pancake and cheese sandwich.

And my toaster, I cleaned it out and shook out all the crumbs and wiped the sides, but could I still be getting gluten from it? Even just in the 1 minute that my bread is toasting?

I did buy some new wooden cutting boards, but I suppose my wooden spoons would be a problem too. My frustration with replacing everything is that I don't have an official diagnosis, and sometimes I just think that maybe I'm not super sensitive to gluten, just mildly.

So sorry to be the ignorant newbie, it's just hard to go out and replace all that until I'm really convinced I need to.

Megan

[mommytoE&E]

All- Thank you for your help.

Glutenfreemeg~ I feel your frustration. I am currently trying the diet on my daughter. We have celiac disease in the family and she has the classic symptoms, but her blood work and biopsies came back normal. I'm trying the diet anyway. She has too much diarrhea to be normal in my opinion.

Anyway, I also have some really nice pans and utensils that I recently purchased (in the past year or so), so I'm really sad to see them go. Oh, and I have a REALLY nice toaster. I can't believe I have to say goodbye to that too. (not to mention a 50 dollar awesome cutting board I bought about a year ago!) Ah well. I guess you have to do what you have to do.

I'm wondering how hard to scrub. I'm hoping an SOS or plastic scrubber on my glass and stainless stuff will be sufficient.

Good luck to you.

[MaryJones2]

Google kashering a kitchen and you might find some useful information on how to clean some of the items. I replaced my wood utinsels but have butcher block countertops so it wasn't really an option to replace those. I followed the process for kashering wood and haven't had any problems. For wood, you basically pour boiling water over the entire piece. It worked quite well. The hot water stripped all of the wax and oil off the butcher block and I had to reseal it.

[Glutenfreefamily]

For replacing your pots and pans I would have a garage sale this summer or donate to the good will and get receipts for a tax refund for next year.

Outdoor grills are another one to watch out for. My sister after going gluten free, glutened our entire family on the gas grill even though the thing had been completely cleaned. Most charcoals have gluten in them also. Thankfully we never had gluten on our grill with only hot dogs, veggies, and plain chicken breasts.

[Takala]

You have to trust the more sensitive individuals on this. (I am not, btw) It only takes a minute amount of gluten residue to cook into your non gluten foods to make you constantly feel a little bit "off." It 's only when you've been clean for a long time and then get accidently nailed with whatever your symptoms are, that you appreciate being un contaminated.

You can keep your cast iron pans, but scrub them and burn the old seasoning off by baking the pans in the oven at a high temperature (disconnect the smoke alarm first and turn on the vent fan) and then reseasoning them. Cast iron surface, seasoned, is VERY porous and will hold protein residues in the grease/oil you can never get all the way out. THOSE have to be declared a gluten free cooking utensil.

You might be able to get a toaster oven rack clean enough but a pop up toaster, no way can you dissamble one of those far enough to get it clean. If you don't make a lot of toast just toast bread under the broiler element (carefully) in the oven as you shop for a new one. If other people will be eating wheat toast, that old toaster is now "theirs" and is only for wheat toast. (I have the world's oldest toaster for wheat things on standby... I will not throw it out, it's like a family member.... just why is it that all new toasters are like Godzilla sized compared to the old one, does anyone really need something the size of a convection oven on the counter to make one slice of miniature gluten free bread from a mini loaf ? )

Wooden spoons, buh- bye, again, way too porous and definitely cannot be cleaned unless sanded down and refinished, at least they are nice and cheap.

[Juliet]

"You have to trust the more sensitive individuals on this. (I am not, btw) It only takes a minute amount of gluten residue to cook into your non gluten foods to make you constantly feel a little bit "off." It 's only when you've been clean for a long time and then get accidently nailed with whatever your symptoms are, that you appreciate being un contaminated."

One time in the toaster might not cause a problem, not even for someone who's sensitive. But since this disease reacts in an accumulative way, having toast a few times a week that was made in that toaster may cause a reaction. Also, again, because of the nature of this disease, you can get more sensitive the longer you go gluten free. My son feels the effects of gluten far more easily and severely and for a longer length of time than he did just a few months after diagnosis. I have to be much more stringent than I did a year ago or even two years ago.

We ended up replacing everything but our pyrex dishes, stainless steel pans and utensils and one non-stick pan that was only used for scrambling eggs and cooking homemade home fries. It's still all that it's used for

[larry mac]

I didn't get rid of any pots or pans. I do like to keep a separate pan to cook gluten pasta for my wife (very rarely do I do this). Also, I have my own convection toaster oven that is only for gluten-free use. My wife has a pop-up toaster for her gluten use.

I do all of the grocery shopping and cooking so I have almost total control of my kitchen. I personnaly think it is ridiculous to throw everything out and start over when you are newly diagnosed and have been until now a total gluten eater.

Having said that, I didn't have any problems after going gluten-free. If I had, or you do, I might be talking differently.

best regards, lm

[neesee]

I was diagnosed back in the dark ages. There was no internet and no local support group to go to for advice. Needless to say, I didn't think to replace anything! But something wonderful happened. I slowly got well anyhow.

My advice is to do what you feel comfortable with. I would get a new toaster and a new colander.

neesee

[mommytoE&E]

Thanks.

I got rid of my beloved cutting board, my non-stick pans (they were old and icky anyway), and my wooden and plastic spoons.

Takala~ you cracked me up about the toaster thing. I went shopping for a new one and felt the same way you do. Felt like an elf shopping in a giant world for a moment!

It's a good thing that we got a nice tax return this year. Replacing this stuff isn't cheap!

I wonder about my griddle. I love that thing. I imagine it is sort of like the cast iron stuff. I read about a commercial cleaner, that once used would require you to reseason the griddle with oil. Wonder if that would work?

[BIZABET]

Whoa--my dad was diagnosed 5 years ago and we didn't replace anything (of course, no one -- dr's --told us too either) I never even thought about wood absorbing gluten. (note to self--don't use spoons when baking for dad). Not to cause a ruckus, but I don't think I agree with the idea that cast iron is all that porous. That's sort of the point of seasoning it--it seals everything off. Mom's 50+ frying pans are as smooth as glass and I know we've baked things for Dad in them with no apparent side effects. Besides, if I scrubbed the seasoning off her skillet, she'd probably brain me with it! Now dad was 80 when he started having problems--up til then he ate bread, gravy and all other wheat with no apparent problems, so maybe he's one of the less sensitive folk. I do know he switched to Kellogg's cornflakes and was still having problems until he realized there was barley malt flavoring in them. After that he started improving quickly. i'm still going to go thru the pots and pans when I get home and check for major scratches. The nasty stuff (gluten) is so invasive you could have an episode and never be exactly sure where it was hidden.