Cleaning and caring for cast iron?

[rdstoll]

So I got some cast iron for Christmas and immediately seasoned it using a flaxseed oil method from Sheryl Canter that many said worked great. The end-game was to get a very nicely seasoned skillet that was non-stick.

It hasn't worked out for me and I'm just wondering what to do. I followed the entire process to a T (took two weekends to get through the whole thing). Seasoning, heating and cooling six times.

The issue is that whenever I cook something whether it's bacon or something else there is always a need to clean it. I always see people say "oh I just wipe it down with a towel" but I've seen zero evidence thus-far that you can actually do that as stuff sticks and needs a little more effort than just a towel. So I've ended up having to scrub a couple times with a sponge and now the skillet looks like crap.

Looking for advice on what to do from here. :mmph::mmph:

 

[Seefyre]

I like to get the pan smoking hot and add water, it lifts the stuck on stuff right off. While it's bubbling use the spatula to do the "scrubbing". At that point you show be very close to a hot water rinse/wipe, then while still warm, coat with the oil of your choice.

 

[Bludawg]

I season mine with canola oil 350 for 1 hr upside down on the center rack. When new everyday for 1 week then every week for one month and once a month forever. To clean if you have a few clingons in the bottom let the pan cool down then put it in the sink under hot running water & scrub it out with a nylon brush. dry with a paper towel

 

[jwtseng]

I just use my cast iron skillets as much as possible. I clean with mild dish soap and a chain mail mesh scrubber and hot water. Then I wipe dry and heat and oil. Sure it may not be the purist method, and it may indeed shock the real aficionados. But even over a short period of time, I've noticed that my cast iron is becoming more nonstick. I don't treat my cast iron like fine china...I treat it like a tool, and I use it for everything -- searing, frying, baking, in the oven, on the smoker, directly sitting on coals. I also use it all the time for crushing nuts and flattening meats. It does seem to get better the more I use it...and with the minimum time and effort to keep it clean.

 

[Junksie]

If I have a problem getting anything out of mine, I throw some coarse kosher salt in the pan with the nylon brush and a few drops of water...

 

[Sopchoppy]

I use the "Culinary Fanatic" method on Youtube. I've used 'em all and this one is the best for me. As for after use cleaning, put under HOT running water and use a stiff bristle brush, no soap, and anything stuck will turn loose.

 

[nmeyer414]

to the OP,

yes following the seasoning inst that you stated above will GREATLY HELP with making your cast iron non stick. just remember that it takes time to get it perfect.

here are a couple things to remember:

- if you are having to do general cooking with a burner anywhere above MED, you are doing it wrong and that is what is causing food to stick to your pan.

- give a little splash of oil, saved bacon grease, butter to the pan before cooking. not only will it help improve the flavor but it will also add just a little more nonstick to help you along the way.

- you are using cast iron! it is not that fancy foo foo coated crap that you will have to replace in a year or 2, it is something that you can use for many different applications and still be able to pass it along years down the road.

just relax and keep doing what your doing and I promise it will all work out for you.

 

[nmeyer414]

heck, I just put an older 10" into an electrolysis bath this morning because the previous moron (sorry owner) just about ruined a 60 something year old piece.

 

[mjpmap]

I use mine every morning at least. I keep a spray can of olive oil and/or canola oil on the counter. I heat the pan, then a light spray before cooking. Nothing sticks.

 

[medic92]

heck, I just put an older 10" into an electrolysis bath this morning because the previous moron (sorry owner) just about ruined a 60 something year old piece.

I feel your pain. I bought an old 10 1/2 inch skillet from a woman this morning. She had scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed but was only able to get a small part in the center shiny "again". She says she has more but she has to clean them up first. I begged her to let me see them while they were still "dirty". Should hear from her this evening.

 

[dcimike125]

I clean mine by heating it up on the stove adding a generous amount of regular table salt and scrubbing it with some paper towels. Until I got married and had kids, my cast iron never saw any water that wasn't in the recipe

 

[insaneh]

Soap has never touched my cast iron.
These are the cat's a**

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5x6Kh9goHU"]How To Clean A Cast Iron Skillet with the CM SCrubber - YouTube[/ame]

 

[rdstoll]

Thanks for all the tips. Guess I just have to be a bit more patient. I feel like I may have scrubbed off some of the flaxseed oil I had seasoned with. Every time I clean the thing and dry it with paper towels I'm getting some brown-ish residue on the towel. I don't want to get anything funky in my food the next time I use it so I'm not sure if that's just the way it is and to roll with it or what.

Will try a canola oil spray to see if that helps next time I use it.

 

[insaneh]

That's not unusual. It will come with time.
I scrub mine, rinse thoroughly, wipe dry with a paper towel, set it on a burner for a couple of minutes to complete the dry, and a light coating of your preferred oil.

 

[alecksjaycubs]

Soap has never touched my cast iron.
These are the cat's a**
How To Clean A Cast Iron Skillet with the CM SCrubber

I agree. I have a pan I just reasoned and I use this type of scrubber with hot water after every cook. Then I go through the seasoning process again. I figure it will take quite a few times but eventually I'll have a really good skillet.

As an aside the cast iron made now is really rough because of the casting techniques. The old pans are really smooth and I think they have a better chance of being non stick than mine ever will. There was a Kickstarter campaign recently that was using older casting techniques to create a smooth pan. I'll be watching to see if they ever get to retail.

 

[Jrogers84]

The more you use them the more it becomes seasoned. It will never be as non stick as teflon but if used properly is just fine. Their are many tips to follow for cooking in cast iron. One of the big ones is to ALWAYS make sure the pan is up to temp before cooking in it. You can ask 10 different people how to season or clean a cast iron pan and get 11 answers. Keep plugging away, find your method. The payoff is worth it.

 

[hammb]

Soap has never touched my cast iron.
These are the cat's a**
How To Clean A Cast Iron Skillet with the CM SCrubber

I agree. I have a pan I just reasoned and I use this type of scrubber with hot water after every cook. Then I go through the seasoning process again. I figure it will take quite a few times but eventually I'll have a really good skillet.

As an aside the cast iron made now is really rough because of the casting techniques. The old pans are really smooth and I think they have a better chance of being non stick than mine ever will. There was a Kickstarter campaign recently that was using older casting techniques to create a smooth pan. I'll be watching to see if they ever get to retail.

It's taken a VERY long time but I have eventually gotten my newer Lodge CI Skillet (rough when new) to be almost as smooth as the VERY old smooth cast piece that my wife found (completely orange) at a garage sale a few years back. The Lodge has a nice helper handle, but the old one is STILL more non-stick/smooth even though I had to completely strip/re-season it when we purchased it. It's a heavy beast though and no helper handle makes it a PITA, so I grab the lodge more often unless I need the nonstick (or the fact that it's a bit larger).

As for care I use the hot water and kosher salt method to get it scrubbed clean, then dried with a paper towel. I then give it a light coat of crisco and then into the oven for a bit. I find, no matter what, a clean towel will likely still show some brown residue if you wipe the skillets. I don't think it's anything to worry about...if you scrub all that off you'll likely be taking your season with it.

I also won't ever let cooking "spray" touch my good cookware, and that especially includes my cast iron. That crap seems to have weird additives in it that leaves odd sticky spots on there. No thanks...real fats only for my good stainless or my cast iron. I don't really care what goes into the cheap baking dishes, etc, so spray is fine there....

 

[Stoke&Smoke]

insaneh, very cool product! might have to get one of those!

 

[insaneh]

This is the original I bought.
[ame="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FKBR1ZG/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp"]Amazon.com: The Ringer Stainless Steel Chainmail Cast Iron Cleaner, XL 8x6-Inch: Cast Iron Griddle: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]
The one in the picture I posted appears to be a knock off.
I can't vouch for it's effectiveness. I can't see how it would be less effective but I
wouldn't want to lead anyone astray :doh:
[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Beeasy-Stainless-Chainmail-Scrubber-Cleaning/dp/B01C1NPU6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465507351&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=cast+iron+scrubber&psc=1"]Amazon.com: Beeasy Cast Iron Cleaner Large 8x6 inch Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber Brush for Kitchen Cleaning: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]

 

[wayne77]

I wash mine with soap every time I use it. You won't wash the seasoning off. Then I hand dry, place it on the stovetop on high with about 2 tablespoons of oil in it, wipe that all over and just when the pan barely starts to smoke I turn off the burner and let it cool overnight. Works great.