It’s insane to me that people don’t wash them and call it seasoning.
It’s apparently a different story when someone seasons their underwear.
this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2024
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Just FYI, you do wash cast iron, you just don't use detergents on it. One common method is to dump a handful of salt and a tiny splash of water into the pan and start scrubbing. You can use a gentle dish soap, but I'd avoid using the dishwasher, because those detergents will be a lot stronger and will actually ruin the seasoning (as well as linger on the surface and end up in your food, which is also bad).
I use a little dawn on mine now and then and it’s still basically like glass. Just put a little oil on it afterwards. Never the dishwasher though omg
Ice in the hot pan also works. Paper towel to wipe out, voila!
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Whatsa matter? You don’t like your pancakes to taste like last nights steak?
I just wash it as normal, you just need to re-fry/season it once in in 3-5 months or so. People that don't wash it usually let it become rusted and dirty as well.
Shouldn't need to reseason it if you are just using dish detergent like Dawn.
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I wash my cast iron with normal dish soap and steel wool, and if I'm too lazy, I put it in the dishwasher. I've been doing this for 20 years. I don't "season" it. It's a pan, no more, no less. The main advantage is that you don't need to worry about scratching the shit out of it.
Needs a tiny little bit more fat than a non-stick if you want to make an omelette.
Same here, though i don't use steel wool and i do season it every now and then
The pan handles it like a champ
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it's just a pan
You can take care of your pans anyway you want. But it's telling when people treat neglect like it's an ethic.
Also throw in the metal fork you used to scrape your expensive non-stick pan.
You would probably like cast iron more if you stopped committing war crimes against it.
Why do you hate cast iron?
It feels super greasy and filthy, and everything you cook sticks to it. Give me stainless steel any day.
You have problems with cast iron sticking but you like stainless steel? Stainless steel is probably the most non stick material you can use. I can't stand the stuff.
That's just a dirty pan. Actual cast iron seasoning isn't sticky or dirty because it has no impurities from the food, it's actually polymerized with the cast iron and it should look make the pan look black and glassy. I wash mine with Dawn soap and hand dry it, and it makes Teflon look like a joke. I can heat it without any butter or oil, drop in a glob of egg yolk, and it'll slide like it's skating on Astroglide. You're having a skill issue and you need to get good.
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It is a myth that you can't use dish detergent on cast iron. If it feels greasy and filthy, it is greasy and filfthy.
The truth behind the "no soap" myth is that we used to use lye-based soap for dishwashing. Lye does, indeed, break down seasoning. But we use surfactant-based detergents now, rather than actual soap. Detergents break down oils which are necessary for rust prevention, but they don't damage seasoning. Just wipe them down with the thinnest layer of high temp oil before storing them, and you're good to go.
Your boomer parents/grandparents couldn't wash their cast iron with dish "soap". You can.
Interesting. Mine doesn't and I only have problems with sticking if I walk away too long. I gave a stainless pan away. To each their own! Thanks for the answer.
I used to love cast iron but carbon steel has stolen my heart
I bought my first carbon steel pan (a wok specifically) last week and I did a bad job at seasoning it for the first time. I had to scrub the shit out of it with steel wool and vinegar to reset. My second season was a little better but it’s still not fully non stick. I hope it will just naturally get better as I keep using it.
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Wash it all you want, should be fine as long as you hand dry it after.
I put mine in the clothes dryer with a load of socks. Is that wrong?
I'm imagining the sound
Depends on how much you like buying dryers.
For your clothes dryer most definitely. Probably not great for the sheets either.
I love cast iron for cooking. It's also very forgiving. Depending what I am cooking it gets treated carefully for the seasoning, or scrubbed with dish soap. The beautiful thing is I can take it camping, come home and scrub all the 'seasoning' off, then re-season with 30 min in the oven an a bit of olive oil.
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I just reseasoned my 12” Lodge today! A lot of nasty smells coming out as I took off layers and layers of old seasoning with barkeeper’s friend. But now it has a non sticky, glassy smooth new sunflower oil seasoning. Very slick!
Does anyone know how to avoid having bacon foul up the seasoning? Seems like it always reacts chemically and incorporates proteins into the seasoning which make it nasty and dry and flaky rather than smooth and glassy.
Try washing it.
So long as you're not using the lye-based soaps your grandparents used to wash their dishes, you're fine. Dishwashing detergent does not damage seasoning.
That’s what led me to redoing the seasoning today. I washed up the grease with a few drops of Dawn and the pan came out with large areas of brown/white and dry/powdery rather than black and shiny.
I definitely have had the pan have a really strong seasoning that maintains a hard, glossy black finish even after washing with soap before. I’m hoping the current seasoning holds up a bit better.
I think maybe sometimes I burn the seasoning from cooking with too high heat? I really love to put a good sear on a burger or a steak and I love how cast iron is like a deep cycle battery that can store and release a large amount of heat into a piece of food.
I think maybe sometimes I burn the seasoning from cooking with too high heat?
That will happen around 450-500F. One method of stripping seasoning is to run it through an oven self-cleaning cycle.
Ahhh I probably get it over 500 for a big sear. Kinda crazy that my stove’s burner can get there even on medium.
If you want it that high, I would suggest using wok seasoning methods instead of cast iron. Basically, you "blue" the pan (develop a black iron oxide layer) by holding it at 550F for an hour or so. You'll burn off the oil every time you use it, but the black oxide layer is relatively non-stick. This will work better with carbon steel than cast iron.
Alternatively, you might consider an even heavier pan, to hold a 400-450F temperature even longer.
The burner will get well over a thousand. Without something cooling it off, a pan can overheat even on low.
Scrub it clean with soap, then put the pan on a burner to heat dry it. At the end, rub a very thin layer of fat on it. I use clarified butter. It's a cumulative process, you won't see all the benefits of nonstick all at once.
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In all fairness by the looks of the carbon buildup on the outside this skillet is due to be reseasoned. I doubt the dishwasher will do much to help; this thing needs a lye bath or electrolysis at this point.
I just stripped my 20+ year-old 10" lodge because the carbon buildup was flaking on the inside. The pan is better than new now as the rough finish has worn considerably (though it isn't glass smooth). I have a lot of fond memories of meals made in this skillet and plan on using it for the rest of my life even though I can afford and own arguably better quality cookware these days.