Cast Iron Pan | Cast iron heats...

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Oct 19, 2017

Cast iron heats rather poorly, but holds heat rather remarkably. Use it like any pan, heating oil/fat of choice in it and giving it ample time to heat up. Once finished, clean to remove excess bits of food, but do not wash in soap and water. I rinse with water and have a chain mail scrubber (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Ringer-Original-Stainless-Cleaner-Patented/dp/B00FKBR1ZG) to help remove residue if need be. Once cleaned, dry with a paper towel. Add a bit of oil and wipe around the pan. This will keep it from not rusting and encourage the seasoning process.

Oct 31, 2017

jkiemeleDitch the chain mail scrubber, it is scraping a lot of your seasoning off as well. If you insist on using metal be very very gentle when cleaning.
IMO the best way to clean cast iron is to get it hot after removing the food you just cooked, then run your water until it is screaming hot in the sink, pop the pan under the sink and it will sizzle and pop away anything that isn't seasoning. Rub with a wooden spatula if you have tricky spots. Put the pan back on the stove and heat it until ALL of the water has evaporated. Now wipe down lightly with oil and continue heating until the oil starts to smoke a little. Kill the heat, wipe out excess oil, don't forget to wipe the handle and the bottom of the pan with the excess oil.
Not only have you maintained your season, you have built it up some.
Cast iron is love, it is difficult and finicky. But worth it.

HATCHMATIK

Nov 3, 2017

namhod100 this method

Peacey

Nov 3, 2017

namhodAgree, 100+.

g3m1n1

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleThis is outdated information. The folks over at Serious Eats have finally (about 3 years ago) put all these rumors about cast iron to rest.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html

idoc72

1181

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleYes - no soap, dry promptly, oil of choice!

Nov 3, 2017

g3m1n1Yes, I read that article a couple years ago. I don't care. That's how I care for my cast iron and carbon steel. It is easy and works just fine for me. Care also depends on the age/established seasoning of your pan.

Nov 3, 2017

namhodI've never experienced seasoning removal with a chain mail scrubber unless I scrub very aggressively. Under normal circumstances, it works fine for me.

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleIf it works for you that is the important part! Cooking should be enjoyable.

Peacey

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleThrow the cast iron directly into a nice campfire to adequately strip all seasoning. Do not use an abrasive.

Vote

Nov 3, 2017

PeaceyI'm not looking to strip my pans and I am fairly certain throwing them into a campfire would not strip any seasoning, but further bake on any residual oils. By nature I would not consider a cast iron pan chain mail scrubber abrasive. It is duller than a butter knife.

g3m1n1

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleYou know there isn't anything wrong with accepting new and more accurate information, right? It doesn't reflect poorly on you, quite the opposite in fact.

Vote

Nov 3, 2017

g3m1n1I never disputed the Serious Eats information. Go ahead and wash yours with soap. I choose not to. They are my pans.

abstractdenial

Nov 3, 2017

namhodWouldn't this be asking for the pan to crack? Deglazing with a cup of water is a solid idea, but running it under water at a different temp than the pan is running the risk of thermal issues.

Nov 3, 2017

abstractdenialMy 15" Lodge pan gets that treatment at least 5 out of 7 nights a week, after cooking in it. Hot pan, water as hot as it comes (out of my tap) deglaze and dump the water. Repeat if necessary. Reseason. After most uses this is my process for "cleaning" haven't had any thermal issues.

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleWhy is Serious Eats the end all authority on this anyway? Some of the information they presented as being some sort of non mainstream secret was common knowledge.
I thought it was a good read and a GREAT starting place for someone without any cast iron experience.

Peacey

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleA camp fire will indeed strip everything from the cast iron, the pan will even turn red. I do not know of another way as the molecular structure of the metal needs to change to get rid of all residue. You can neither get it that hot on the stove/oven or scrub it that hard and get the same results. Just FYI

Vote

Nov 3, 2017

namhodI never claimed Serious Eats was the end all authority on this, or anything for that matter. I was not the one that initially posted the link. It is good information, however, and especially to those looking for a quick primer. Note, however, that a well-seasoned cast iron pan used for a decade will be drastically different than a pre-seasoned pan you buy off the shelf today. A well-seasoned pan will handle acidic ingredients differently, for example.

Chrizzly

Nov 3, 2017

jkiemeleDon’t use paper towels which can leave lint wich will actually join the oil and stick to your seasoning. Use lint free cotton bandana or those blue lint free shop towels rolls that you can use at Home Depot.

Chrizzly

Nov 3, 2017

namhodI also find the lodge brand plastic scraper and good ole scotch bright pad useful for removing stubborn stuck on stuff. stic

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