Easiest way to remove paint and varnish?

Citristrip paint remover.

R.A.P. stripper. This has no water in its formula, so is safe for antiques. There are two formulations -- thick and thin. I have used thick first for the main stripping, then thin for fine details. This stuff is FAST! It also strips more than one layer at a time. I have bookcases that were a dark stain and varnish originally. I primed and painted them with several coats of different colors (all of which I grew tired of), so I decided to start over. I tried all kinds of strippers from the Big Box stores and all of them were unsatisfactory. An antique refinisher told me about RAP (made in Bay City, MI) and I was in love. I won't use anything else now.

The only safe non toxic product is citrastrip