How does one wash cast iron skillets?
I know or at least I have heard you not to use water on cast iron skillets. I have also heard not to wash at all to preserve the flavor. But this sounds A bit absurd to me. So if not water what do you use.
I have old skillets form my dead granmother. If you dont have the answer to a question there is no need to answer.
The best cast iron skillet if you are buying it new is the Lodge Brand. They are pre-seasoned so they are ready to go when you buy them (wash the wax off first). Check out thrift stores and garage sales. Sometimes people sell them and they are ready to go because of years of use. You want it black and seasoned.
I do wash mine by hand only in dish liquid and hot water. Never let them soak and never ever for any reason put them in a dish washer.
If you buy one that is not pre-seasoned you must season it first before using it.
Every time, after I use my cast iron skillet, I do the following:
Let the pan cool. Wash it with dishwashing soap and water. Never soak or let soapy water sit in the pan for any length of time. Rinse thoroughly, then dry with paper towels.
A lot of people disagree with using dishwashing soap and water to wash cast-iron pans. A chef told me that if a health inspector ever found a pan that had not been washed with soap and water in his kitchen, he would be in trouble. Plus the grease that is left behind will eventually become rancid. You do not want rancid oil in your foods and body.
NEVER put cast-iron cookware in the dishwasher.
Place the cleaned cast iron pan on the heated burner of your stove for a minute or two to make sure that it is bone dry. While the pan is still hot and on the stove burner, lightly oil inside of pan (I mean a light coat) with a neutral cooking oil.
Neutral Oils – Use vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), shortening (like Crisco shortening) or lard for seasoning your cast iron pans. I recently experimented and found out that food-grade coconut oil/butter also works great.
Leave pan on the hot burner of stove for a few minutes. Remove from hot burner and wipe excess oil off the pan with a paper towel.
Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Be sure that you place a couple paper towels inside to make sure that any moisture that forms will be absorbed by the paper towel. Never put the utensil in the dishwasher or store it away without drying it thoroughly.
If your food gets a metallic taste, or turns "black", it means one of two things are wrong. Either your pot has not been sufficiently seasoned, or you are leaving the food in the pot after it has been cooked. Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and take on a metallic flavor.
If your old or new cast iron pans gets light rust spots, scour the rusty areas with steel wool, until all traces of rust are gone. Wash, dry, and repeat seasoning process.
If too much oil or shortening is applied to a pan in the seasoning process, it will pool and gum up when the pan is heated. In this case, the goo can be scraped off and some more grease rubbed over the spot, or the pan can be re-scrubbed and reseasoned. Heating the pan upside-down may help prevent gumming but protect your oven by using a foiled-lined baking sheet or aluminum foil to catch the grease. Seasoning at higher temperatures, approaching the smoking point, of the oil used will result in darker seasoned coatings in less time that aren’t sticky or gummy.
You can cook almost any food in cast iron.
Acidic items like tomato sauces will be darker from iron leaching out, but many people with iron deficiencies do this for extra iron in their diet.
Never store acidic products in cast iron. In fact, never ever use your cast iron pots for storing any foods.
It is not recommended that you use your cast iron as a pot for boiling water. Some people say that the hot water will remove small bits of oil from the surface which will then be found floating around. Water breaks down the seasoning and can cause your cast iron to rust.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:06 am
wash it like you do any other skillet and dry it off than spray pam or put some grease on it..if you never used it .it will need to be seasoned..what you do is spray it with pam or put a little grease all over and put it in the oven and bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes.. oh and once you put the grease on it.wipe it off again but not all the way..that way it has a light coat on it.that is how i was told to do it by a old lady that used to use them.. if you don’t put the grease on it when you dried it your food will stick..
those things are great for frying. they fry things quicker and you can get them at yard sale with rust all over them for little to nothing and all you have to do it hit them with a SOS pad to get the rust off then season as if you got it brand new
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March 2nd, 2010 at 6:17 am
you season the pan. Pour in enough oil to cover the bottom, swirl the pan to coat the entire interior. Place the pan in a 350 degree oven for about 4 hours. If there is any oil left in the pan after 4 hours, let it drain out. The pan is now seasoned and there should never be a need for soap or water. Just wipe out after each use. Also, store with a napkin or paper towel inside so you don’t mess up the surface with another pan inside.
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chef. and fussy with my pans.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:56 am
I rinse mine with water only – NEVER any soap, then dry immediately with a soft towel. I also have just one cast iron skillet for cornbread & that one just gets wiped out with a damp cloth. I’ve been using both for over 40 years!
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Southern girl
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:14 am
I’ve had mine for 30 years. The best advice I have is scrape off the chunks, rinse/scrub it out with warm water then wipe it dry with a towel. If it’s really smelly I’ve used hot water and soap and then seasoned it with oil in the oven again.
Good Luck!
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March 2nd, 2010 at 7:44 am
I use hot water and a wire pad (if stuff is stuck on) or the scrub side of the kitchen sponge. Then I drain dry (or wipe it with a paper towel and store it in my oven.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 7:54 am
Instructions always come with the skillet when you purchase it. If you cannot find them than just do a web search for your answer.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 8:39 am
The best cast iron skillet if you are buying it new is the Lodge Brand. They are pre-seasoned so they are ready to go when you buy them (wash the wax off first). Check out thrift stores and garage sales. Sometimes people sell them and they are ready to go because of years of use. You want it black and seasoned.
I do wash mine by hand only in dish liquid and hot water. Never let them soak and never ever for any reason put them in a dish washer.
If you buy one that is not pre-seasoned you must season it first before using it.
Every time, after I use my cast iron skillet, I do the following:
Let the pan cool. Wash it with dishwashing soap and water. Never soak or let soapy water sit in the pan for any length of time. Rinse thoroughly, then dry with paper towels.
A lot of people disagree with using dishwashing soap and water to wash cast-iron pans. A chef told me that if a health inspector ever found a pan that had not been washed with soap and water in his kitchen, he would be in trouble. Plus the grease that is left behind will eventually become rancid. You do not want rancid oil in your foods and body.
NEVER put cast-iron cookware in the dishwasher.
Place the cleaned cast iron pan on the heated burner of your stove for a minute or two to make sure that it is bone dry. While the pan is still hot and on the stove burner, lightly oil inside of pan (I mean a light coat) with a neutral cooking oil.
Neutral Oils – Use vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), shortening (like Crisco shortening) or lard for seasoning your cast iron pans. I recently experimented and found out that food-grade coconut oil/butter also works great.
Leave pan on the hot burner of stove for a few minutes. Remove from hot burner and wipe excess oil off the pan with a paper towel.
Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Be sure that you place a couple paper towels inside to make sure that any moisture that forms will be absorbed by the paper towel. Never put the utensil in the dishwasher or store it away without drying it thoroughly.
If your food gets a metallic taste, or turns "black", it means one of two things are wrong. Either your pot has not been sufficiently seasoned, or you are leaving the food in the pot after it has been cooked. Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and take on a metallic flavor.
If your old or new cast iron pans gets light rust spots, scour the rusty areas with steel wool, until all traces of rust are gone. Wash, dry, and repeat seasoning process.
If too much oil or shortening is applied to a pan in the seasoning process, it will pool and gum up when the pan is heated. In this case, the goo can be scraped off and some more grease rubbed over the spot, or the pan can be re-scrubbed and reseasoned. Heating the pan upside-down may help prevent gumming but protect your oven by using a foiled-lined baking sheet or aluminum foil to catch the grease. Seasoning at higher temperatures, approaching the smoking point, of the oil used will result in darker seasoned coatings in less time that aren’t sticky or gummy.
You can cook almost any food in cast iron.
Acidic items like tomato sauces will be darker from iron leaching out, but many people with iron deficiencies do this for extra iron in their diet.
Never store acidic products in cast iron. In fact, never ever use your cast iron pots for storing any foods.
It is not recommended that you use your cast iron as a pot for boiling water. Some people say that the hot water will remove small bits of oil from the surface which will then be found floating around. Water breaks down the seasoning and can cause your cast iron to rust.
References :
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:21 am
Oh, you can use water; you just can’t use soap.
Here are some FAQs from Lodge Cast Iron http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-care-help.asp
Addendum: never, ever use Pam or any spray release agent. They leave a gummy nasty residue.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 9:50 am
Never use soap. Always use hot water and a brush or rag. Sometimes it is neccessary to use soap like when it smells bad or if youve left it unwashed for a few days. Then use soap, BUT, it will have to be seasoned again. I usually just cook bacon in mine a couple times and its great again. But every time you cook in it just wash it as soon as you are done with hot water.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 10:34 am
Scrub it out with water and salt, dry it thoroughly, and a light oiling should just about do it for regular maintenance. If you have a pan or pot that are extremely crusty, like an old one you picked up at a garage sale with 1/4" of burned on grease on the outside, you can put them into a self cleaning oven when the oven needs cleaning, and turn it on. The pans will come out looking brand new. Re-season at that time.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 10:56 am
Don’t wash them. Wipe them out with a paper towel when its hot and then put a light coat of vegt oil on it and rub it in..Then store it for next time..
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March 2nd, 2010 at 11:17 am
i just wash with really hot water and then dry it immediately.the old skillets are really great I have had mine for almost 10 years and I use them all the time.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 11:33 am
I’m using 3 skillets & a dutch oven. None are less than 50 years old. One of the skillets is at least 80. Never use soap unless you plan to re-season the skillet. I use hot water & a 3M Scrubbie if something is stuck. Doesn’t happen often with a well seasoned skillet. Don’t EVER put them in a dishwasher. The harsh soap & hot water make a rusty mess. Don’t ask how I know this
I like the idea of putting them in a self cleaning oven. I’m gonna steal that idea. Beats my way of putting them in a super hot BBQ grill or using a propane torch to clean them up.
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