How to clean cast iron and maintain the pan ???

[Mike J]

My wife came in with a cast iron dutch oven someone had given her. It was very, very filthy. It had
a lot of build up on it. I lit up the grill & put it on it. Burned all the residue on it down to nothing. Then it was easy to finish cleaning up & re-season. If you ever get cast iron cookware that is rusty that is relatively easy to clean up also. You just soak it in vinegar for a day or so. Then you might have to go over it with a wire brush. Wash & season & it will be good as new. Cast iron is the original non-stick cookware.

 

[314Chevy]

I use an over 100 year old Wagner Ware skillet that an aunt gave me. I believe it may be bullet proof. I clean it with a chain mail scrubber after each use and rub down with vegetable oil. Funny story, my son and I were camping at a ocean beach when he was young and he decided to use it to dig in the sand. To say it was rusty the next day is an understatement. We scrubbed it with the chain mail and soap with a plastic scrubber. Then a coat of vegetable oil and to ensure everything worked well a pound of bacon. The bacon never tasted better!

 

[eveled]

My mother just downsized and gave me her cast iron pans. My father used to take them camping and put them in the fire to burn them off once in a while for her. He's been gone a while so I've done it for her too.

I never understood how she got so much seasoning on the outside of her pans. The insides look like teflon so I plan on wire wheeling the outsides to leave the insides alone.

I also take an angle grinder or dremel tool and clean up any flash left from the original manufacturing, especially around the handle and inside the handle hole. Just to refine them a little. They obviously skimp on the final hand work to keep costs down. Even her 100 year old wagners had imperfections.

 

[SWR]

According to what I read, you never want to put a wire wheel to cast iron. It burnishes the surface and pores, keeps the iron from accepting the seasoning process

 

[vito]

My wife has two different sized Lodge cast iron pans that she uses more than any other cooking implement in our kitchen. She says that the heat is more evenly distributed than would be the case with other pans such as the expensive stainless steel pans that we own. I do the cleaning. I use the soap made for cast iron pans, with hot water, and the chain mail scrubber (I've had this one for many years and despite it's almost nightly use looks exactly the same as when I bought it), rinse, then dry thoroughly with a paper towel. About every third or fourth use I use the Lodge product spray oil (minimally) and spread it with a paper towel, wiping out the excess. Both pans stay looking like brand new and cleaning them takes me far less time than scraping and then scrubbing out a stainless steel pan. FWIW, my wife does not like the Teflon coated non-stick pans in general.

 

[Tenbore]

No matter what I do, I cannot keep eggs from sticking.

 

[Kevin]

This is all very interesting. Thanks to everyone and I'm so glad I posted my thoughts about the pan.

Interestingly enough, I found this pan at the thrift store for $8. But after the East Coast Gathering, I went to Pigeon Forge and stopped at the Lodge factory outlet. They have a couple in that area.

I ended up buying one of their new enameled Dutch ovens that are made in the USA. It's actually the first enamel coated cast iron made in America. Very much like an ale Crueset (spelling) or Staub. Those are made in France. Otherwise it's China.

And I absolutely love cooking in enameled cast iron. Everything always turns out amazing.

 

[eveled]

No matter what I do, I cannot keep eggs from sticking.

The only time my eggs stick is if I just cooked meat in that pan. So I have a cast iron omlette pan that only sees eggs.

Make sure the pan and oil are up to temp, drop in the egg and it should sizzle right away.

I use a heavy metal spatula from The Pampered Chef.

 

[Tenbore]

The only time my eggs stick is if I just cooked meat in that pan. So I have a cast iron omlette pan that only sees eggs.

Make sure the pan and oil are up to temp, drop in the egg and it should sizzle right away.

I use a heavy metal spatula from The Pampered Chef.View attachment 38705

I like my eggs scrambled. They always stick no matter the pan.

 

[WAYNO]

I have a cast iron frying pan, with the ridges in the bottom to keep meats from laying in the grease. Because I have such a cooking hygiene phobia, I just can't bring myself to use a pan that I cannot wash.

similar...

So, the pan lives in my shed, rusted and unused.

 

[eveled]

I like my eggs scrambled. They always stick no matter the pan.

Gotcha. I've been there.

Seems as I scramble them in the pan the oil ends up in the eggs instead of on the pan. Then they stick. If I want scrambled eggs, I tend to make more of an omlette waiting till its almost cooked before I do any scrambling in the pan. Of course I end up with more of a course dense scramble than a light and fluffy result. But no sticking.

Running joke at my house If my wife tries to make an omlette she ends up with scrambled eggs.

If I try to make scrambled eggs I end up with an omlette.

 

[eveled]

When I was dating my wife I asked her if she was a good cook. She said yes, but she only cooked eggs.

When she was going to make me dinner I remembered what she said. She asked what I wanted I said eggs. She was visibly relieved, until I said Sunny side up, she said Oh I don't make those. So I said overeasy? She said not those either. Then said I only can make scrambled eggs!

My 100% Italian wife is a great cook as long as you only want scrambled eggs! Lol.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I have several types of cast iron griddles, pans, dishes, molds, etc....When brand new I do as many do which is heavily oil them, stick in oven upside down in high heat for an hour or so. Let cool a bit, when able to be handled but still warm they are wiped out, more oil applied and let cool. Wipe out and then lightly coat with oil.

To clean most of the time I only need to rinse in hot water, dry and coat with oil. However, sometimes something will stick a bit and leave residue....like meats or especially blueberries from hot cakes. In that case, I rinse off as much as I can in hot water, then dry, add some oil, and sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the residue and scrub with a paper towel. Works like a charm every time.

 

[warren5421]

My grandma taught me to put in the dish water and wash. Put in the stove till the next meal. She never put oil on them. She used lard to cook with and I never seen any of her pans rust. I have a 6" skillet that I use to make omelets no rust and have treated this way for 40 years, it came from grandma.

 

[vito]

I have a cast iron frying pan, with the ridges in the bottom to keep meats from laying in the grease. Because I have such a cooking hygiene phobia, I just can't bring myself to use a pan that I cannot wash.

similar...
View attachment 38719

So, the pan lives in my shed, rusted and unused.

Its just not true that you cannot wash a cast iron pan. You just don't use regular dish soap. I've used "cast iron soap" for years with no negative effects and my cast iron pans look clean as new all the time. My wife would not want to be without them.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I have several cast iron pots and skillets but most of the time I use high quality teflon coated aluminum cookware. Nothing sticks and you can just wipe them clean with a paper towel if you prefer. Not so easy with CI.
When I got out of the USAF I sold High quality 3 ply 18 & 8 Stainless Cookware which is pots and pans to you uninformed
Yes the CI will hold the heat better than THIN single ply stainless and thin alum but not any better than QUALITY COOKWARE.
Aso to use stainless without sticking you have to change your way of cooking. Single Ply Stainless does not transfer heat so the cookware needs to be at least 3 ply with a steel middle core preflabry all the way to the top/lip of the item.
Check and see what the Restraint Chefs use very few have CI in use

Some have asked what is the stuff on the outside of your CI pan/pot. Well it is the grease from the inside going thru the open CI pours from the inside to the outside.

This is my BIG steel skillet that is cleaned and treated about the same as CI. Which is scrape off food partials if any, wipe off old grease and re-oil. At next cook let the grill get hot enough to smoke the oil then set temp and apply new oil or fry bacon. DO NOT depend on bacon grease to season, it will turn rancid if left on the grill/CI pan. I use Avocado Oil since it will allow a higher temp. For a deep clean apply water on the hot griddle and the steam will clean the grunge.

HAPPY COOKING

 

[gnappi]

After many years, and they get REALLY crusty I think they border on disgusting. To completely "unseason" one we used to hang it from the damper handle in the fireplace and take the time to re-season it. Cleaning with dish soap, but NOT Dawn.

 

[Johnnu2]

HOLY CRAP........... here I thought rocket science was difficult...>!!!!!

J.