I this worth $20?  The lid  doubles as a serving platter.  The size (width) is 12" I.D.

Also, is this the stuff  I've read about here that doesn't require liquid for roasting -- or something like that?

It seems I either lost my barely used Magnalite Professional roaster when we moved a couple of years ago, or I may have sold it at the moving sale, or gave it away.  If it's even around here somewhere, there's no telling where or when it might reveal itself.

Any suggestions for cleaning up the lid?

Thanks Pete.  Yes, definitely aluminum.  I have the Guardian Service version of a 10-quart National Presto pressure cooker, which is also aluminum.

The Magnalite Professional is not machine washable either, and since I use something like this so seldom, hand washing isn't a deal-breaker, but I hear you loud and clear.  I'm all about cookware that I can run through the dishwasher.   In this case though, I'm willing to compromise.

I just run it through a good self-cleaning oven cycle then hand wash, polish the smooth parts with a soap-filled steel wool pad and rinse.

John L.

Thanks John.  How do you accomplish this with oven racks removed?

I'm still debating on whether it's worth $20 to me.

Tom, thanks for your input.  I've decided it's worth 20 of today's dollars.  It's easier to justify when you consider you're getting a platter out of the deal too

Thanks George!  I'll see if I can go after it tomorrow.  I was wondering about how it might fare through the 900+ degree self-cleaning process.  If it's ever safe to socialize again and I don't get to it first, we can have a Brillo party and then make pot roast!

Better a tale than a tail!

I do like that the lid on this one doesn't have a handle on top, not only because it allows for use as a platter but also because it's better if vertical space is limited in the oven

Looks like I'll be picking this up on Sunday, providing the seller follows through.  Only if I come across the Magnalite Professional around here somewhere in the meantime would I pass up this Guardian.

I have had a SC oven once or twice that was running too hot slightly melt or distort an aluminum, if you are unsure of your SCO test it with a piece of aluminum you don't care about, mind you this has happened twice out of cleaning over 100 hundred cleaning cycles in over 100 different SCOs.

As to leaving the racks in the SCO why won't you, I have never had a SCO that I did not leave the racks in, almost every manufacturer says it is OK.

John L.

I think if that was on The Antiques Roadshow they'd say don't clean the lid...that's called a "patina". I like it!

John, the 2008 Electrolux ICON professional range we left behind when we moved wouldn't even allow the cleaning cycle to start unless the racks were removed.  How it knew they were still in place, I don't know, but it actually had a "Racks" jewel light that flashed red if they were still in there when the selector was set for self-cleaning. 

Back when we had a 1990 JennAir dual fuel range, the racks turned a dull charcoal shade and didn't slide as easily after the first time we used the SC cycle.  The owner's manual instructed to remove the racks to avoid this, so it was our fault.  I have been removing racks prior to SC ever since.  I have my doubts about whether the solitary rack that Gaggenau provided with the current POS oven that came with the new house would even survive the SC process.

Joe, if only this was some kind of family heirloom that I was scoring for a measly $20.  Then I'd surely not even attempt to clean it up, and apply for the next AR show that came to the Bay Area!  I guess nothing like that will be happening anywhere anytime soon.  Just what we need.  Even more of the cheaply produced reruns and re-visiting of AR shows we've already seen.  I don't even tune in anymore.

Hi Jon, The coating came off the racks and coated the temperature probe [ sensor ]

That is total BS, the temperature sensor is sealed in a SS tube, the chrome coating does not vaporize at 900F and recoat the sensor or anything else for that matter.

You simply got a bad sensor that couldn't take the heat, as a Whirlpool tech for over 45 years I have never heard such a ridiculous story, oven sensors are very rugged they take all kinds of food soils, oven cleaners and we very seldom ever replace them.

Yes oven racks will discolor the first time they are cleaned, to make them slide easily the range instructions suggest rubbing a little cooking oil on the two outer rails after cleaning.

Some [ silly ] high end ranges that have racks with ball bearing glides built into the racks require you to remove them prior to running a SCC, there is a micro-switch that keeps you from starting a clean cycle if the racks are in place. [ just more work for the owner and more service calls for us, LOL ]

John L.

Our Electrolux ICON dual fuel was a kick-ass range in every respect and was a joy to use, never giving us a single problem.  The ball-bearing racks were a huge selling point (along with its deeply discounted floor model price tag) and by comparison, traditional racks seem downright primitive.  I really miss that range, but bringing it to the new house wasn't feasible.

The term "silly" is arrogant and insults the intelligence of both me and my partner of 35 years who have always made mutual decisions on major purchases, and implicates those who find an allegedly "silly" feature appealing.  I will continue to remove racks prior to running a self-clean cycle.  No oiling required.

SMH over this demonstration of authoritarian entitlement and the knowledge that it will simply be laughed off. 

Re the suggestion to place this cookware into a self-cleaning oven, where it might be too hot and damage it.  This past weekend in San Diego, the Navy ship Bonhomme Richard caught on fire.  It took the weekend to put it out.  In some places, maybe some parts of the ship became hotter than a SC oven.  The ship is now heavily damaged, it may even be "totalled".  

It turns out that many parts of the BR, like some other military ships, are made of aluminum.  The aluminum not only melted, it caught on fire!  These parts collapsed and so must have been exposed to a lot of heat.

Knowing this, I would not take a chance with the Guardian Service cookware.  I would try using a plumbers propane torch if the crusting bothers you, but use it sparingly just enough to burn it off (if it does) and go on to the next area.  Perhaps polishing it will de-emphasize the grime.

Can a SC oven be inaccurate on its self clean mode the way a regular oven can be inaccurate when baking?  There's another thread about an oven 28 degrees hotter than the dial shows.  Just turn it down when baking but self clean it could be the difference between 900 and 1000 degrees F. 

Its the rare SCO that is running too hot, If in dough try your SCO cycle with a piece you can afford to lose, I would never try taking a plumbers touch to aluminum.

There is a separate adjustment  [ most are not adjustable ]for the temperature regulation on a SCO, changing the oven temperature does not affect cleaning temperature.

John L.

There are a number of excellent aluminum polishes that can work on this item.

Brasso or Mother's Mag polish spring to mind.

Ralph, if you're in San Jose, the Road Rider motorcycle accessory store is in your town and probably has a good selection of aluminum-safe cleaners and polishes.

This is not rocket science. I would not stick a collectible item like this into a self-cleaning oven.

Oh, and I routinely leave the oven racks in my GE P*7 wall oven when running the self cleaning cycle. Otherwise I would not be able to bake off the grunge that accumulates on the cast iron cooking grates and porcelain coated drop drip trays on the Frigidaire Gas-On-Glass cook top. The oven grates are slightly discolored, but who cares?

Some assembly required.

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