Well Bob, not to tell you what to do, BUT, for a plastic container and a little lye, it is very very easy, and does an excellent job. Me, I'd stay plumb away from the self cleaning oven method. I'd say those that like it do so because they have not tried other methods and are satisfied with the results, so why change. Me, why heat up the house, tax your stove, risk of cracking your cast iron, waste energy, both for your stove and the airconditioning system, just to clean a pan, when you can do it for nye as nothing. AND, the lye water is good for lots more than one time. So its all positive to me as to why you should use lye instead of the oven. The only hitch to what I am saying is if you got rust. If you got rust, thats a whole nuther arena, but you didn't say you had any, and I assumed you didn't. So for what its worth, there's my nickels worth.