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calling cast iron cookware experts. . .

episodic

episodic

Lifer
Ok, I bought me a big ole preseasoned lodge skillet. I love how it cooks. What bothers me is it says do not use soap on it. So I've been scrubbing it with a chore boy steel mesh and recoating with oil like it says.

I find it a little gross though? Am I just being weird? The more I cook with it and the more that I reoil it the more nonstick it seems to get though. I've read that after you coat it with oil to heat it up till you can place a drop of water and it sizzles then let it cool, so I've been doing that. I guess it helps the oil get in the pores, etc.


No soap = gross or not?
 
This skillet gets to temperatures that will sizzle any bacteria, as long as gross particulate mass doesn't exist, why would it be disgusting? Savor the oils of the foods you cook, that's where the flavor lies.
 
You're being weird. All you need to clean it is a little bit of water and salt and a paper towel. Scrub a bit then dry. Done.

Soap is death for your skillet as it removes all the flavor and grease.

You should never really need to reoil your skillet, just keep cooking with it. Using steel wool is also a no-no and your chore-boy most likely contains lye, stripping all flavor and grease from it. bad.
 
No no, the chore boy I have is just 'non rusting steel wool' no soap at all. It is just rough tangle steel wires.

Ok cool. I just ignore the gross factor 😛
 
Originally posted by: episodic
No no, the chore boy I have is just 'non rusting steel wool' no soap at all. It is just rough tangle steel wires.

Ok cool. I just ignore the gross factor 😛
Click to expand...

*whew*

Little bit of water or oil and salt and off you go. I normally just use salt as an abrasive, then some oil and salt. Make sure it's dry, NEVER let water sit on it.

I've got one I use for camping and abused it beyond belief, rust, everything. Some oil/salt and it's back in business. But it doesn't have the non-stick coating my cooking ones do from years of fat.
 
Echo what everyone else said. But go easy on the heavy duty scouring pad action (same with excesive salt scrubbing). Even if you dont use soap, overly abrasive scrubbing will also remove the seasoning from the pan. Wha I do is as soon as I am done cooking, I clean the pan with hot water and scrub with a sponge. When the water runs clear from the pan, place it back on the stove and turn on the gas to dry it off. Rub some oil on the surface and keep on the stove until it starts to smoke. Put it away and you are done.
 
I don't know about you, but my cast iron hits 500 degrees before steak touches it. Whatever bacteria lives through that will certainly laugh at soap.
 
I wash my Lodge cast iron skillets in soap and water every single day using a Dobie pad. No problems with the seasoning at all. Don't let cast iron sit wet though, dry it thoroughly immediately after washing.
 
It's not NEVER use soap on cast iron. You SHOULD use soapy water to wash the cast iron pan if it really needs it, at which point, it should be time to reseason it anyway.
 
Just rinse off the pan and dry immediately. If there's any stuck-on crap, remove it with some sort of scraper (I prefer a scotchbrite pad myself). I don't bother with reoiling it after every use because that makes it messy.
 
Originally posted by: Mday
It's not NEVER use soap on cast iron. You SHOULD use soapy water to wash the cast iron pan if it really needs it, at which point, it should be time to reseason it anyway.
Click to expand...

true.


but if you take care of it correctly after each use you shouldnt have to ever wash it.
 
I understand that if you are new to cast iron you just don't know what to do with it. I've had and cooked with cast iron skillets of all sizes for many years and I'm used to it. I don't do some of the things I used to. Used to be, once in a while I'd put a skillet on a gas burner and burn the shit out of it, just put it on high heat for 15-20 minutes or something and burn everything off it. Then let it cool and wipe off any ash with a paper towel and add maybe a half teaspoon or so of oil, wipe it even with a paper towel and put in the oven at 350 for an hour or two, maybe repeat the oil treatment to "season" it. I don't bother doing that anymore. I don't even always wash it after use. Often I just put some water in it, maybe heat it to the boiling point and let it cool and then swish a nylon brush around in the pan to loosen everything up and rinse, drain and let air dry. That gets it as clean as is necessary.

The best thing about cast iron is the way heat gets distributed. I always cook with gas, and that helps. I often use a pan cover with my cast iron. I also have a cast iron griddle, which is very handy. All in all I have 3 skillets and a griddle.
 
The burnt bits of past meals are part of the benefit of cast iron. That and it makes it non-stick.

Incidentally, when done to a lesser degree, this works really well on anodized cookware too. I have a few commercial pieces I bought when Chefs.com was clearing out their branded anodized line. I usually cook with them and wash them out with soap and water on a sponge, non-abrasive. It keeps a little bit of grease and oil in the grain of the metal, and keeps it more stick-resistant.

Every once in a while, though, I have to hit 'em with some comet or Dormond. Gotta start all over again after that.
 
come on.

do you ever wash your grill down with soap?

it's the same principle. heating it up will kill off any contaminants. just scrub the particulate off, and you're good to go.
 
i'm not familiar with this cast iron pan thing, i don't really get it, and yes i've watched alton brown.

someone want to make some sense out of this thread for me?
 
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i'm not familiar with this cast iron pan thing, i don't really get it, and yes i've watched alton brown.

someone want to make some sense out of this thread for me?
Click to expand...

They heat evenly, hold the heat, and you only have to buy one. They last a lifetime if taken care of.
 
I usually just rinse out the pan with hot water and scrub it down with a nylon brush. Sometimes I'll also toss in some salt at the end and wipe it down with a paper towel but either way I dry it and coat it with a bit of oil while it's still warm. I definitely would not use something as harsh as steel wool as that would be liable to take off the seasoning. Man, nothing beats the slick as ice touch of a freshly seasoned skillet.
 
Originally posted by: Sasiki
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i'm not familiar with this cast iron pan thing, i don't really get it, and yes i've watched alton brown.

someone want to make some sense out of this thread for me?
Click to expand...

They heat evenly, hold the heat, and you only have to buy one. They last a lifetime if taken care of.
Click to expand...

this i understand, its this how to clean it business that has me lost.

salt and oil and water? what the hell?
 
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
Originally posted by: Sasiki
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i'm not familiar with this cast iron pan thing, i don't really get it, and yes i've watched alton brown.

someone want to make some sense out of this thread for me?
Click to expand...

They heat evenly, hold the heat, and you only have to buy one. They last a lifetime if taken care of.
Click to expand...

this i understand, its this how to clean it business that has me lost.

salt and oil and water? what the hell?
Click to expand...

the salt and oil gets rid of any buildup. the heat kills the bacteria. done deal
 
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
Originally posted by: Sasiki
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i'm not familiar with this cast iron pan thing, i don't really get it, and yes i've watched alton brown.

someone want to make some sense out of this thread for me?
Click to expand...

They heat evenly, hold the heat, and you only have to buy one. They last a lifetime if taken care of.
Click to expand...

this i understand, its this how to clean it business that has me lost.

salt and oil and water? what the hell?
Click to expand...

The salt is abrasive. One could use sand, too, I suppose, but I just soak mine for a few minutes in hot water (if something is stuck on) and scrub it down with a scratchy nylon sponge, then rinse with more hot water, dry it well (usually over heat) and lightly oil it. If I cook something particularly greasy, sometimes I'll use a little dish soap. As long as the pan is well seasoned, it can take a bit of soap once in awhile. You treat clay bakeware similarly, though they don't rust so you don't need to fret about them being wet, and you don't need to oil them.
 
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