Found this today for 6 bucks!

There are conflicting opinions on this, to put it mildly. Placing it in an oven on the self-clean cycle has been suggested, but I don't trust that method since after picking up a GS roaster yesterday, I noticed that the bottom of it was rather thin and warped. I had to flatten out the bottom of the roaster so it wouldn't wobble, and that was enough to convince me that the SCO method wasn't going to be viable. To wit: one member mentioned using the self-clean cycle for aluminum waffle irons and they warped.

Brillo or SOS pads were another suggestion. I don't have any of those on hand, so can't yet report on their effectiveness. The exterior of my roaster is in about the same shape as on your piece. I tested some areas with Bar Keeper's Friend and Totally Awesome spray cleaner and results were less than optimal.

When you search on line you'll find repeated appearances of the old tried and true boiling water and cream of tartar method. That may work fine for the interior surfaces, but logistics for the exterior aren't workable. I don't think there's anything to fix the pitting. Apparently the aluminum cookware scares of the past that claimed pitting was particularly dangerous were unfounded, so I wouldn't worry much about them.

I'll be interested in what you try and how it performed. My roaster is still a work in progress.

By the way, $6 was a real steal for that piece. I paid $20 for my roaster and found the same type on line for a lot more -- one super grimy one was going for $75.


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Post# 1081726 7/20/2020 at 12:36 (1,374 days old) by Vintage1963 (Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Hello everyone! It has been quite awhile since I've visited this site and I hope all is well. Today I found this Guardian Service at one of the thrift stores in my area. At 6 bucks I couldn't pass it up. I need recommendations on how to clean the pitted areas. I tried using a paste of Cameo aluminum cleaner but it didn't seem to work that well. Maybe I didn't scrub long enough, who knows? In any case, can anyone offer up some hints on how to make this shine again? Many thanks! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 1081730 , Reply# 1 7/20/2020 at 13:04 (1,374 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)
Checkrate/Likes 1 There are conflicting opinions on this, to put it mildly. Placing it in an oven on the self-clean cycle has been suggested, but I don't trust that method since after picking up a GS roaster yesterday, I noticed that the bottom of it was rather thin and warped. I had to flatten out the bottom of the roaster so it wouldn't wobble, and that was enough to convince me that the SCO method wasn't going to be viable. To wit: one member mentioned using the self-clean cycle for aluminum waffle irons and they warped. Brillo or SOS pads were another suggestion. I don't have any of those on hand, so can't yet report on their effectiveness. The exterior of my roaster is in about the same shape as on your piece. I tested some areas with Bar Keeper's Friend and Totally Awesome spray cleaner and results were less than optimal. When you search on line you'll find repeated appearances of the old tried and true boiling water and cream of tartar method. That may work fine for the interior surfaces, but logistics for the exterior aren't workable. I don't think there's anything to fix the pitting. Apparently the aluminum cookware scares of the past that claimed pitting was particularly dangerous were unfounded, so I wouldn't worry much about them. I'll be interested in what you try and how it performed. My roaster is still a work in progress. By the way, $6 was a real steal for that piece. I paid $20 for my roaster and found the same type on line for a lot more -- one super grimy one was going for $75.

Post# 1081849 , Reply# 2 7/21/2020 at 10:05 (1,373 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN)
Checkrate/Likes I wouldn't place any aluminum I cared about in an electric self cleaning oven! Aluminum suffers from hot shortness which means it loses a lot of it's structural strength at temps over 700F or so. A self cleaning oven can easily get to 900F which really isn't that far from the actual molten temp of aluminum. If it were mine I'd start with a couple runs through the Dishwasher, that will etch it a little and remove a lot of the baked on grease. As for the pitting I'd sand the surface smooth starting at about 320 grit and working finer. The pits are just porosity in the surface, sand them out and it will be like new. Finish with polish for a mirror shine.