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 How do I get a century of crud out of the inside of a narrow-necked coffee pot?
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| Author | Topic: How do I get a century of crud out of the inside of a narrow-necked coffee pot? |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-29-2011 04:22 PM
  
[01-2953] Good news, everyone! I finally own a little silver coffee pot, so when you come over for a beverage, you won't have to put up with the indignity of being served from china. It's a sweet sterling Durgin tete-a-tete coffee pot (or maybe an espresso pot?) from the 1880s. However, it has a century's worth of deep brown crud inside, and it smells kind of musty. I can't get my hand inside to scrub it. I did go at it with dish washing liquid and a long-handled dish brush, but that doesn't seem to have made much difference. Advice? Thanks, silver friends! IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 09-29-2011 04:36 PM
Have you tried Ice or rice (uncooked) in a soapy/Tarnx slurry and then shake/agitate/swirl? Also you might try sand or fine grit in a soapy/Tarnx slurry and then shake/agitate/swirl. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-29-2011 05:16 PM
Thanks, Scott. By "Ice," do you mean, you know, frozen water? I assume you don't mean ice cubes. Crushed ice? Or is "Ice" the name of a product? IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 09-29-2011 05:42 PM
The frozen stuff. IP: Logged |
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taloncrest Posts: 169 |
posted 09-29-2011 08:25 PM
I love your pot, Polly! I've got a Durgin pot of the same period, but it has more of a Turkish shape, and is even harder to clean the inside. I've been watching a creamer in a store on that big auction site for quite a long time (I won't pay the price), thinking that it went with my pot. Now that I've seen yours, I realize that it matches yours instead. Have you tried denture tablets? [This message has been edited by taloncrest (edited 09-29-2011).] IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 09-29-2011 08:58 PM
the design of your pot, Polly, is very similar to Durgin's "Scroll" multi-motif flatware pattern which I think hails from 1886. perhaps Durgin designed a line of hollow silver to complement the flat silver line. examples of Durgin "Scroll" flatware: IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-29-2011 09:57 PM
Thank you for the suggestions, everyone. The coffee pot just arrived today, and I haven't tried anything yet except dish-soap and water. I think I will start with denture tablets, since those are routinely used to clean stuff that goes in the mouth, and then move on to stronger stuff. Paul, you're right. The pattern does look a lot like that master butter. It's also very similar to an 1880 Gorham cream and sugar I have. Very similar scrolling, but a quite different body shapes. I'll take some pictures in the daytime. Taloncrest, I've been watching that same creamer myself, for eons. I keep almost buying it. I know I'll kick myself if someone else buys it first. I'd love to see a photo of your coffeepot. IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 09-30-2011 07:43 AM
not sure if this is useful as I haven't tried it, but flute players have this sort of fuzzy things they use for cleaning out the inside of a flute, one of those might be useful for cleaning the spout? IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 09-30-2011 11:42 AM
I defer completely to any real smiths on the forum, but my initial impression in looking at the photos is that maybe there are two things going on. The first, of course, is the crud that builds up over the years from whatever is poured through the spout and not immediately cleaned as rarely happens in such a tight place. And you really do want to get all of that out of there before you actually use it since you have no idea what the former owners used it for or what nastiness may be built up in there. But my other thought is there could be firescale in there as well. Forming the spout and attaching it is done with a fair amount of heat involved which can result in firescale (heavy oxidation from the copper in the silver alloy being heated up). Did the Durgin factory's smiths polish the insides of the spouts before they sold them to the public? Is it supposed to be bright and shiney in there? I don't know the answers, I am just wondering. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-30-2011 01:18 PM
Interesting. I suspect it was once shiny in there, because the high spots still are (or are again, after my soap-and-dish-brush escapade). In any case, I don't need it to be shiny inside, I just need it to produce fresh-smelling coffee/tea and not poison my guests. When Mr. Husband got home and I showed him the coffeepot, he burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" I said. "Look at that thing!" he gasped. "It's all covered with squiggles!" Here's the Gorham cream and sugar set that I think goes pretty well with it (Mr. Husband, naturally, disagrees): Okay, off to buy denture tablets and Tarnx... IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 09-30-2011 07:15 PM
Google "coffee pot cleaner" - there is a myriad of commercial products or simple hints like vinegar, lemon juice, or you could try my personal favorite silver pre-polishing cleaner, lemon liquid soap (Sunlight) in hot water. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-30-2011 09:27 PM
The denture tablets worked like a charm. After four tablets and a few hours, I poured out what looked like a pot of strong coffee to find the inside of the pot dull gray and minty fresh. Many thanks, everyone! Come on over for coffee. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-01-2011 11:02 AM
Congrats! I like the thought that if it is good enough for dentures then it should have no effects on people. How about a pot of yummy chaud chocolat? I've always thought of the smaller pots in the big sets as being for hot chocolate. The big tall ones for coffee, the smaller squat ones for tea, and the smaller tall ones for hot chocolate. But you can use any pot for any pleasant hot beverage these days. In any event I will be right over. In looking at the sugar and creamer set I think I am unfortunately have to throw in with Mr. Hubby. I do see the similarity of the squiggles, but the ones on the sugar and creamer have squiggles within the squiggles while the pot does not. I am seeing the sugar and creamer squiggles as the tips of ferns as they uncurl as they grow, while I am seeing your pot's squiggles to be more like acanthus leaves which is another standard decorative motif of the era. You may be right, but this is what my eyes are seeing. Anyway, I am looking forward to my cup of chaud chocolat! IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 10-01-2011 01:04 PM
Oh dear! You seem to be encouraging me to buy that matching pitcher. Must...resist...must...resist... But you're absolutely right about the hot chocolate. I like it better than coffee anyway. C'mon over for chocolat chaud! IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 10-01-2011 01:24 PM
Chaud chocolat? Chocolat chaud? Did I get it backward? IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-01-2011 08:02 PM
I think you can say it either way and be correct. Every time I am in Paris I see it on menus as chaud chocolat and that is what I say when asking for it and I don't get any second looks. Perhaps chocolat chaud may be the more formal but as I am not a native speaker I don't know. Either way it is yummy and I prefer it to coffee in the morning. IP: Logged |
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taloncrest Posts: 169 |
posted 10-02-2011 11:50 AM
Polly, It has taken me a while, but here is my pot. I didn't realize it needed polishing so badly, but here it is in its tarnished glory: I really like the tendrils at the bottom of the handle. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 10-02-2011 01:56 PM
Taloncrest, that is beyond wonderful! Those tendrils are to die for! IP: Logged |
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