Current Events > Whats the best way to clean a cast iron skillet?

(+) Yeah! (+)

My friend gave me his because his gf cooked bbq chicken and the sauce is all stuck to the skillet.

How do I get all that old sauce off without ruining it?

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Scrub it off with a paper towel and some warm water. If it's really stuck on, boil some water in it then scrub it off. Do not use any soaps or cleaners or steel wool.

I wouldnt even use water. Get it hot and see if it can be scraped off at all

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let it soak in hot soapy water for like an hour or so and clean it after

ROOTFayth posted...

let it soak in hot soapy water for like an hour or so and clean it after

pls dont

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Deglaze it.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-deglazing-995769#:~:text=Deglazing%20a%20pan%20involves%20adding,used%20to%20make%20a%20sauce.
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Soap isn't bad for cast iron, as long as you don't use it all the time; however, if you do use soap, oil it lightly once it is dry.

As for getting that stuff off, add a bit of water and bring it to a boil.

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lww99 posted...

pls dont

pardon me?

Use a dishwasher.

I use a scrub brush and hot water

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trappedunderice posted...

Use a dishwasher.

Are you a monster?
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Chain link cast iron scrubber.

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"Ew it's dirty, here you can have it" - TC's friend

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spungemunky posted...

Scrub it off with a paper towel and some warm water. If it's really stuck on, boil some water in it then scrub it off. Do not use any soaps or cleaners or steel wool.

This.

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spungemunky posted...

Scrub it off with a paper towel and some warm water. If it's really stuck on, boil some water in it then scrub it off. Do not use any soaps or cleaners or steel wool.

Kosher salt can be used with the water too to help scrub stuff off.

Eat More Beef posted...

Soap isn't bad for cast iron, as long as you don't use it all the time; however, if you do use soap, oil it lightly once it is dry.

Not saying your wrong (idk one way or the other), but I do know its seen as a cardinal sin by many cast iron skillet owners to use soap.

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I've read that you actually can use soap, just don't soak it.

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Shablagoo posted...

Kosher salt can be used with the water too to help scrub stuff off.

Not saying your wrong (idk one way or the other), but I do know its seen as a cardinal sin by many cast iron skillet owners to use soap.

Oh. I get it. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but it's what I was told and what I've done. I've had my skillet for around ten years and it's still in great condition, so I'll keep doing it if it works (I use soap like once every two weeks or so).

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eston posted...

"Ew it's dirty, here you can have it" - TC's friend

Yeah what a dip

eston posted...

"Ew it's dirty, here you can have it" - TC's friend

my fianc has thrown out 2 Pyrex dishes she didnt feel like soaking/cleaning lol

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We just got a cast iron skillet at Christmas, and the instructions that came with it said you can scrub it down with soap but to oil it afterwards. Not an expert, just what it said.

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the trick is to not let shit dry on it. I start cleaning mine up while its still hot. got a squirt bottle with water in it for tough spots, hit it with a bit of water while still hot and wipe it out with a paper towel. I got those blue shop towels, they don't leave any fuzz behind.

then hit it lightly with a bit of oil if its looking a real dry.

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Every time you clean it with soap, or water, you are going to have to re season it with oil, which can be a pain in the ass.

should just wipe it down often IMO

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ROOTFayth posted...

let it soak in hot soapy water for like an hour or so and clean it after

this should be moddable. you're telling tc to ruin his gear. im marking it.

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mattymad posted...

Anyone saying "never use soap" is just parroting the 'usual' advice without having any experience, pretending to be an expert.

You glaze a cast iron, often by coating it in an even layer of oil and then baking it. You repeat this a few times to build up a nice non-stick layer basically.

Heavy scrubbing and soap can remove this layer, which is why it's often said, "Don't use soap or scrub too hard!" This is the general advice, as usually warm water and a damp cloth/towel is enough to clean it (always clean your pan straight after using it) - so why ruin your glaze for no reason.

However... If a pan is ****ed through misuse or just sometimes a certain recipe sticks more than you thought. There is nothing wrong using soap or scrubbing, it just means you'll have reglaze it, which you can do over the course of a day pretty idlily.

huh? have you ever done it? i scraped mine down to the shiny iron under and it took months for it to naturally come back via just cooking.

TC unless you wanna sit there and bake your skillet in the oven for 3-5 hours at 400 degrees, dont listen to this dude.

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Yeah, the most important thing is making sure you oil it again afterwards.

Although I've never had to soap mine because I always clean it right after use, so I'm not sure how much you lose after using soap.

Edit: But definitely don't scrub at it with a brush.

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My cast iron skillet routine:

• wash it normally
• get it completely dry, rub oil in and then rub it off

If it ever gets bad, boiling water and baking soda fixes it. But by lightly reseasoning each time like the above it never gets bad. Everything pretty much just slides off.

P.s. I really think the "don't ever use soap on a cast iron skillet" thing is a bit of a meme. Seasonings are built over time, they're not magical fragile things.

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mattymad posted...

I've had the same cast iron for 10 years. If you got to "shiny iron" you haven't got cast iron lmao.

well not shiny, it just wasn't black.

whatever. its obvious you're just a troll

TC go ahead and ruin your stuff. i guess people like this dude are just rich and can afford to buy new shit every time they ruin it and just lie on the internet.

blocked
reported


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Here's how I clean my cast iron:

1. While cooking, I also boil some water
2. Immediately after taking my food out of the pan, I pour some of the boiling water in it, and using a brush scrub it clean
3. Pour out the water
4. Dry with cloth
5. Put back on stove (electric with element off, but still hot)
6. Put a small amount of neutral oil (small amount meaning like the size of a dime) and using a microfiber cloth spread it around the pan. Not necessary, but I like doing it to keep building up the seasoning. The residual heat from the element will bake in the oil.

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TheBlueMonk_ posted...

well not shiny, it just wasn't black.

whatever. its obvious you're just a troll

TC go ahead and ruin your stuff. i guess people like this dude are just rich and can afford to buy new shit every time they ruin it and just lie on the internet.

blocked
reported

dude what the fuck are you talking about, nobody is irreperably ruining a cast iron skillet by getting it soapy lmao

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Cast iron convos are the best.
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pinky0926 posted...

My cast iron skillet routine:

* wash it normally
* get it completely dry, rub oil in and then rub it off
If it ever gets bad, boiling water and baking soda fixes it. But by lightly reseasoning each time like the above it never gets bad. Everything pretty much just slides off.

P.s. I really think the "don't ever use soap on a cast iron skillet" thing is a bit of a meme. Seasonings are built over time, they're not magical fragile things.

The soap becomes the new seasoning if you use soap. Don't do it.

TC get a plain non-soapy steel wool pad for scrubbing stuck bits or rust off. Warm water and paper towels are fine otherwise.

never use a dishwasher or let it soak. When not actively being used it should be perfectly dry.

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mattymad posted...

Lmao, he actually blocked me. I literally said I had the same pan for 10 years in the post and he accuses me of buying new ones?

"well not shiny, it just wasn't black"

Refer to my earlier post. He did not have a genuine 100% cast iron pan. That **** is solid black all the way through as it's an ALLOY.

ive seen cast iron shit that isn't black all the way thru...

I've actually sanded down a real abused one and it was grey when I finished it.

my blackstone griddle was grey when I got it too. black as shit now tho.

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mattymad posted...

Lmao, he actually blocked me. I literally said I had the same pan for 10 years in the post and he accuses me of buying new ones?

"well not shiny, it just wasn't black"

Refer to my earlier post. He did not have a genuine 100% cast iron pan. That **** is solid black all the way through as it's an ALLOY.

He might have a genuine cast iron pan but he's probably just bought into the popular internet meme that cast iron is a delicate, difficult material that you need to baby and take great care of, and if soap ever touches it you're done for.

Let's put this to bed. From Kenji Lopez Alt:

Seasoning is actually not a thin layer of oil, it's a thin layer of polymerized oil, a key distinction. In a properly seasoned cast iron pan, one that has been rubbed with oil and heated repeatedly, the oil has already broken down into a plastic-like substance that has bonded to the surface of the metal. This is what gives well-seasoned cast iron its non-stick properties, and as the material is no longer actually an oil, the surfactants in dish soap should not affect it. Go ahead and soap it up and scrub it out.
The one thing you shouldn't do? Let it soak in the sink. Try to minimize the time it takes from when you start cleaning to when you dry and re-season your pan. If that means letting it sit on the stovetop until dinner is done, so be it.

Soap is not damaging your cast iron. Water left to soak on it is. Acid sauces probably might be too. Either way though, it's not difficult or time consuming to fix it.

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Modern soaps are gentle enough to be used on cast iron from time to time. The rule about not using it is from a time when the dish soap was a lot harsher and would damage the seasoning. That said, still try to avoid using it, but it's not a killer if you do.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

The soap becomes the new seasoning if you use soap. Don't do it.

How does that even work, though

Like what chemistry is taking place for soap to become part of the polymerised surface

The whole point of soap is that it ain't sticking around

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TheBlueMonk_ posted...

this should be moddable. you're telling tc to ruin his gear. im marking it.

huh I think you should just get off the internet

BuckVanHammer posted...

I've actually sanded down a real abused one and it was grey when I finished it.

It's probably more like scratches in the iron looked grey. I've seen the same thing and after washing and cooking food on it for a while to smooth out the scratches it looks black again.


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pinky0926 posted...

How does that even work, though

Like what chemistry is taking place for soap to become part of the polymerised surface

The whole point of soap is that it ain't sticking around

I mean more like remaining residue will be left over in the pan unless you scrub it with water thoroughly enough that you would have cleaned it anyway if you hadn't used soap in the first place. It's extremely easy to clean cast iron with just warm water and paper towels. There's no need to add additional work by using soap.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

I mean more like remaining residue will be left over in the pan unless you scrub it with water thoroughly enough that you would have cleaned it anyway if you hadn't used soap in the first place. It's extremely easy to clean cast iron with just warm water and paper towels. There's no need to add additional work by using soap.

I've never in my life felt that soap has made things harder to clean, only that it's useful for breaking down oils in the food stuck to the pan surface. Naturally you rinse all that off anyway. The one thing water won't do is break down oil, so how are you removing that leftover food oil from the surface of the pan?

I can only speak to the information I've posted and my personal experience, but I think water (left on for too long) is the key mischief maker with cast iron, not soap.

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Cast iron cultism is just cringe to me. I just dont get it

Tyranthraxus posted...

It's probably more like scratches in the iron looked grey. I've seen the same thing and after washing and cooking food on it for a while to smooth out the scratches it looks black again.

ya, once I reasoned a few times it got dark again.

my blackstone griddle tho was a light grey brand new out of the box. they don't come seasoned and you have to do that yourself.

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pinky0926 posted...

I've never in my life felt that soap has made things harder to clean, only that it's useful for breaking down oils in the food stuck to the pan surface. Naturally you rinse all that off anyway. The one thing water won't do is break down oil, so how are you removing that leftover food oil from the surface of the pan?

I can only speak to the information I've posted and my personal experience, but I think water (left on for too long) is the key mischief maker with cast iron, not soap.

I dump all the oil into a paper cup for disposal in the trash. Anything left on the pan I swipe up with a paper towel and throw out, then I rinse the pan for a minute or so and dry it off.

If I use soap I end up having to rinse several times to make sure it's all gone.

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Cleo_II posted...

Cast iron cultism is just cringe to me. I just dont get it

It does get a bit weird. I think it's because with the explosion of gastro hobbyism that seems to have overtaken nearly all millennials and younger, there was a desire to have really good quality kitchen equipment on a tight budget.

Couple this with the millennial preoccupation with the past, with vintage, with practical minimalism and so on - and you see that cast iron pans are the perfect cultural fit. It's a cheap, one-size-fits-all tool that your grandma used and you can too. And on top of that - it's probably the best pan most people own. It's the same price as a teflon non-stick and you don't feel like you're carelessly destroying the environment by using it, somehow...if you squint.

Sure, you can buy better pans, but who has a $400 copper tri-clad pan when they're a millennial? Absolutely no one. So the cast iron meme is born.

(I'm not dragging millennials here, I am one anyway. I just think the cast iron thing totally fits. It's why everyone is going back to turkish percolators and glamping and drinking out of converted mason jars.)

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Cleo_II posted...

Cast iron cultism is just cringe to me. I just dont get it

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Tyranthraxus posted...

lol

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Cleo_II posted...

Cast iron cultism is just cringe to me. I just dont get it

Right!!
I actually really like using cast iron for a number of reasons.
But damn do people overthink it.
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