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I have a pot that is really nice, and I was silly enough to use a metallic spatula. It is not Teflon but looked ceramic, and it has scratches now. Can any repair be done?

Edit: I am including an image below

my scratched pot

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Vass
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    Any chance you can post a picture? Or, if not, add some clarifying details: are they just cosmetic scratches? Are they more like chips where you can see the underlying metal of the pan exposed? Is there any way you can find out for sure what the coating is? – Laura Jan 31 '12 at 18:55
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    @Laura: Thanks, so I have now an image included for you to see and tell me your opinions on any salvaging which can be done. – Vass Feb 02 '12 at 00:22
  • Hm...that looks like it's maybe enamel-coated cast iron, but since it seems that the scratches are cosmetic (just marks on the surface), I don't think any "repair" is necessary. Those scratches don't look like they'll affect the performance of the pan. – Laura Feb 02 '12 at 21:44
  • @Laura, but the scratches do not look very aesthetically appealing. I would like to do any repairs . Care to post it as an answer to give you credit? – Vass Feb 02 '12 at 23:35

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I realize that this is an older post, but from the photo posted, these don't look like scratches at all. Instead, the marks look very much like the marks you would see on a ceramic sharpening rod.

Because ceramic is usually much harder than the mild steel used in your average metal spatula, your ceramic coating is actually putting scratches in your spatula instead of the reverse. So those marks that you see are probably microscopic bits of mild steel that were scraped out of the spatula and deposited into the tiny pores in your ceramic coating.

Since that mild steel was probably very quickly converted to iron oxide (rust), I would suggest using something acidic, but food-safe to dissolve out the particles. Oxalic acid should be perfect for the job, making a product like "Bar Keeper's Friend" a good choice.

pbarrette
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Laura is spot on on this one. Those scratches seem entirely superficial, and if they don't affect your ability to cook with this pot, you are best off doing nothing.

Enameled cast iron is a great material to cook with, but once it becomes seriously chipped or deeply scratched, you're pretty much SOL. There isn't a food-safe high-heat enamel paint or coating that would perform the same as the original coating, as far as I know. Luckily for you, your pot still seems completely usable.

I understand that the scratches may be "unsightly", but the best advice I can offer is to keep using it. If there's food in the bottom of the pot, you can't see the scratches! Problem solved!

heathenJesus
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    You'll want to be careful with cooking "staining" foods like beets though, since the colour will take up residence in the scratches and resurface the next few times you cook with the pot. – Eclipse Mar 02 '12 at 17:19
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A 'patch' for teflon pans would be to heat salt in it, throw away the salt, swipe and use. That would give you a one-time anti-adherent coating for the hassle.

You could try that on your ceramic (?) pot, but even so, if you can afford it, buy another pot. Look at this question for some advise.

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BaffledCook
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