Best Mate (Lakeland Oven Mate)

Member Name: Chouchin

Product:	Lakeland Oven Mate
Date:	15/11/06 (340 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effective

Disadvantages: Can burn your skin

This is the sort of mate to have around the house. Tough but friendly, providing great cleaning power without the need for high pressure hoses and head-to-toe protective clothing.

It works a treat. For £7.95 you get a box containing a 500ml plastic bottle, a nylon brush and a pair of thin plastic gloves. Shake the bottle, pull on the gloves, and use the brush to apply the contents of the bottle to the accumulated gunge in your oven. The stuff that comes out of the bottle is clear and gel-like in consistency. The instructions say to apply it "to the same thickness as the material to be removed" which I've always found a bit of a puzzle. I am far from being an everything-must-always-be-clean householder, but even I have trouble building up anything other than a very thin layer of brown stains in my oven. Anyway, when the oven is cold, paint the gel on the brown stains you want to be rid of, and leave it. Go away and do something else, preferably more life-enhancing. Come back in 30 minutes and you should see that all the gel you have applied has turned brown. Wipe it off, and your oven is back to its original colour. If it isn't, go back to writing your novel, and check again in another 30 minutes, up to 3 hours in total. Personally, I would say if it hasn't worked in an hour, wipe it off and reapply.

Some words of warning. Do use the rubber gloves. I am a bit gung-ho about rubber gloves and cleaning fluids, although I did wear these as they were actually included in the pack. I splashed some of the gel on an exposed part of my wrist, and it left a weal like a burn mark which was painful for a day or two. It was, of course, a burn. This stuff is corrosive and can cause severe burns according to the packet. Being a gel, though, it doesn't splash, so you are only in danger if you are careless and slipshod like me. It contains potassium hydroxide, whatever that is, but it is written in large letters so not something to mess around with. Fortunately there is a child-proof cap. The instructions say that it can be used on every part of the oven, including glass doors, except self cleaning panels and door seals. Not to be used either on aluminium, brass, copper, anodised, teflon-coated or painted materials.

It does, of course, help if you wipe out your oven every time you use it, as soon as you’ve finished cooking. If you do this, I salute you, and no doubt if you’re still reading at this point you’re thinking “what an idle so-and-so”. This product is for the rest of us.

When your oven is sparkling you can turn your attention to the barbecue and clean it up before sticking it at the back of the garage for winter. Then have a go at the bases of pots and pans which always get scorched.

When applying this stuff to grill racks and pans, there is the issue of where to put them while it works its magic. You don’t want to run the risk of damaging other surfaces, as this is quite powerful stuff. Lakeland, gadget conscious as ever, has come up with a plastic soaking tray which you can stash your racks and pots in while the chemicals go to work. These cost £9.99 and Lakeland says check your oven rack sizes before ordering.

Over the years I have used a variety of oven cleaners and this beats the lot. It has two specific advantages. The first is it works. The second is that using a brush means you can apply the gel directly to the area you want to clean, which is much more efficient than aerosols and sprays. I have always found the cross pieces of oven and grill racks particularly difficult but this stuff does the trick. There are no fumes, and no after-smell.

It's no use saying "use elbow grease". I've tried that too and it doesn't work for me at all. Sub standard elbows, or something. In any case, elbow grease needs to be applied with a scourer, and modern ovens have such delicate insides that scouring is a no-no. The instructions for my Bosch oven say "clean only with soap and water, do not use scourers or abrasives". Well, I'm sorry, but have they tried using soap and water on fat that has been baked on at 200ºC? A chemical, not physical, solution is required.

Although this stuff is expensive a little goes a long way, and there's no wastage as there can be with liquids, which flow away, or sprays, which cover a wider area than you need. If there isn't a Lakeland shop near you, you can use mail order or their on-line store.

So no need for excuses, no need for Kim and Aggie and no need to keep your oven door closed when your mother-in-law's around!

Summary: Rediscover the colour of your oven!