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I have an old but very useful baking sheet. It is heavy-gauge aluminum, and in reality having had it for so long it is unlikely that I would be allowed to replace it. Here is a photo to give any idea what I am facing. enter image description here enter image description here

My question is whether the remaining non-stick coating can be safely removed. At this point we are probably eating some of the coating so I think it would be better to do this if possible.

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  • Really cool "nimbus" pattern developed over the years on the top surface of that baking sheet. Nice that you have a photo of it before removing.
    – Lorel C.
    Jul 22, 2017 at 20:30
  • @LorelC. Actually it was from years (decades?) of using a pizza cutter on it. Probably not an approved usage...
    – user3169
    Jul 22, 2017 at 21:02

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Removing it mechanically (sanding with waterproof P100 and then again P200, steel sponge, sand blasting, ...) will remove the coating and expose the pure shiny Aluminium.

The advantages of Aluminium are :

  • light
  • cheap
  • conducts heat well.

The disadvantage of Aluminium is that it's a health risk if used improperly, so:

  • Let it oxidise for a few weeks after you've removed the coating so that it becomes dull again: Al2O3 is much harder than Al and has less risk of leaching into your food.
  • Use a lot of fat (oil, butter, ...) when using the baking sheet in the future
  • Clean it with soft materials (sponge, cloth, ...)
  • If it needs a thorough cleaning, you'll see the soapy water becoming grey: that's the Al2O3 being removed, so let it oxidise again for a few weeks.

If you take above precautions, you'll get another 25 years of usage out of it without it becoming a health risk!

:-)

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  • Good information. Could you suggest which sanding suggestion is best and within reason, effort and cost wise? In the case of sandpaper, any recommendation on type and grit size?
    – user3169
    Jul 22, 2017 at 20:10
  • :-) Now it's becoming more of a lifehacks question instead of a Seasoned advise one, but updated answer anyway. ;-) Don't forget to click the grey check-mark next to the question after you've tried it out... Depending on how far you want to go you could go up to P1000 or P2000... Tha's just a question of taste and as to the cost: we're talking just a few € here, but a bit of elbow grease! :D
    – Fabby
    Jul 22, 2017 at 20:19
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    If you do this, you ought to send "before" and "after" pictures to Wear-ever.
    – Lorel C.
    Jul 22, 2017 at 20:31
  • @LorelC. What would their concern be on this?
    – user3169
    Jul 22, 2017 at 21:00
  • @user3169, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you would be obligated to send them any info. I just thought it's so cool that their baking sheet has been so well used over so many years, and so highly valued that at the end of its natural life you still want to continue to use it, that they might be interested to hear from you and see pictures of their excellent product. Maybe they would want to put it in their ads or something. That's all I meant.
    – Lorel C.
    Jul 22, 2017 at 21:09
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Much simpler approach, far less work.

Purchase a Silpat® or any other "permanent parchment replacement" type product (I also have some sort of "cut to size youself" product that is not silicone, but serves the same purpose, though I don't recall the name.)

Slap it on top of the baking sheet. Cook. When your Pizza is done, slide it off the non-stick sheet and onto a cutting board before cutting.

Or you could use parchment, but that gets old fast, using a sheet every time you bake. But I guess you could leave it there while you cut the pizza.

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