Cast Iron Skillet FACTS and MYTHS Everyone Should Know!
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- Опубликовано: 15 авг 2024
- Cast Iron Skillet FACTS and MYTHS Everyone Should Know!
Are these statements FACT or MYTH?
1:08 Cast iron is difficult to maintain
2:02 It is recommended to oil after each use
3:06 You can't use metal utensils on cast iron
4:44 Cooking on cast iron can lead to iron toxicity
6:55 Cast iron is great because it heats evenly
8:20 Never wash with water and especially don't use soap
9:59 Never use a scrub brush on a cast iron pan
10:51 A new skillet doesn't need to be seasoned
When it comes to learning how to care for a cast iron skillet there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings mixed in with facts. In this video I review common cast iron skillet statements to let you know if they are true, partially true, or not true at all. Хобби
Anyone who cooks with cast iron should know these facts! It is good to review! I always cook with cast iron!
Totes!
What about if you have ceramic cast iron?
@@Phylonyous No. I don't want to tote it around. But if you are trying to say you agree with the video, then the word is "completely." As in, "I agree completely agree..."
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Lost my house in 2011 to the fires in Bastrop Texas. My cast iron skillets are the only things to survive. I am 70 and have used cast iron all my cooking days.
Wow that’s crazy, glad you’re ok. I live in TX and remember hearing about those fires
So sorry about your loss. Hope you're staying safe now.
Outstanding 👍🏽
Then your husband dropped your pan and broke it in half...
My grandparents live there! Sorry to hear this
I love finding cast iron pans that are inexpensive at second hand stores and yard sales. They're typically rusted out or look terrible. It's a fun project to pick them up, take them home, restore, and season them. I've gotten some great pans for under $10
I've got my great grandma's cast iron skillets. I use them all the time. I never met her. She had passed before I was even born. But whenever l use them l think about her and sometimes even speak a few words to her. Maybe that seems crazy to some, but hey, in today's world to me that's probably the least crazy thing I'll see today... So in a way l owe my cast iron for keeping my family history living. I'll be cooking up a triple batch of cornbread for dressing in her 12inch Griswold this Thanksgiving. Hope you'll be proud greatgrandma...
FoulOwl Awesome! But, the question is, did great grandma wash them, did grandma wash them, did mom wash them?
@@dwightdawson3578 not really. Just always use very hot water. But very occasionally if its VERY dirty l might just use a very very minimal amount of soap, like just what might be lingering in the dishrag to give it a quick once over. I might use a little more on the handle and outside of the skillet. But rarely and very sparingly the inside. I'll usually set it on a warm eye and give it a wipe down with a paper towel and a few drops of oil after each use. I give them all a full seasoning treatment in the oven once or twice a year.
I too use cast iron pans that belonged to my great-grandmother.
@@jn1mrgn thats awesome!
I inherited my grandma's Erie PA cast iron skillet and lid, which I guess are collector's items, and will hand them down to my girls. I rarely use my other skillets anymore, cast iron is the best. And so easy to clean. I bought a chain mail type scrubber and it works great. Add a little water, rub the chain mail all over, all done. Well, and dry it and oil it.
I only use cast iron. I cook acidic foods all the time, simply clean and oil when your done cooking. That's it.
The key is not to let acidic foods sit in the cast iron for no longer than the time it takes to transfer into Serving Dishes/Bowls, the wash right away.
I was wondering because I'm actually vegan and tend to sauté veggies and make other dishes like pasta sauce and curries, etc in the pan. This video had me concerned but what you said makes sense ... simply wash it right away.
@@2tallB that's the 🔑.....wash the CI right away, do not leave pasta sauce sitting in it. Try cooking pasta sauce with at least 2-3 Carrots sliced into sticks....naturally neutralizes the acidity.
You really don't need to use a cast iron skillet for that. A lot of things are cooked just fine in a regular pan
@@MonsterSandwich99 That was actually my conclusion as well. Thanks
Thank you for actually recognizing Hemochromatosis!!! I grew up in the south and I still cook with cast iron though not for myself. I was diagnosed at 12 with juvenile onset Hemochromatosis which is an extremely rare form of the genetic blood disorder. I have spent nearly 30 years now having 400-450ml of blood removed on a weekly to monthly basis to control my iron levels. Yet even with treatment you still have no means to naturally waste iron so your body hoards it in such places as your liver, kidneys, heart, and even your brain. I became extremely epileptic at 32 and lost my ability to drive. I struggle with multiple chronic organ issues. The disease is rare especially in young women and not well researched. Not many people understand what it means to not be able to waste something your body also needs and the damage too much can cause. It's a problem that almost no one will ever have to think about, but for us rare few... It's a problem we can't avoid in everything we do.
I was at a garage sale years ago and saw a rusted out 12" Griswold. I asked how much and she said 3 dollars. I couldn't get my money out fast enough. I took it home
refinished it and re-seasoned it and have been using for almost 10 years. I would never sell it. It will be handed down to my kids.
There's no better feeling in the world than buying something old and rusty, fixing it and suddenly realizing you've just increased its value by 2000%.
It's like the only time when you take advantage of someone and still get to feel good about yourself.
As a noobie, what’s the best way to refinish a cast iron pan?
@@da2357 Personally, I don't worry too much about the "best" way. I just get the pan warm. Then I put a very tiny amount of high-ish smoke point oil, wiping off the exit. Then I heat the pan till I see faint wisps of smoke, and let it cool down.
Really, you will eventually build up a nice finish as long as you A) never put the pan away damp and B) don't wait too long between uses.
With this method you may or may not build up a best in class finish that people will be envious of, but it builds up to the point that anything you cook will release easily as long as the pan is hot when you put the food in.
I doubt my great grandmother ever worried about finishing a pan, she would have probably just cooked bacon for a week's worth of breakfasts and wiped the pan out between uses.
Yeah, if someone offers you a Griswold for three dollars, don't even think of dickering with them and make them mad enough to not sell it.
David, that depends on it's condition. If it's only slightly/lightly rusted use your most aggressive scrubbing pad and
scrub till the rust is gone. Then lightly coat it inside and out with cooking oil, lard, or bacon grease. Follow the instructions in this video to bake it. If you want, repeat that 2 or 3 or 4 times.
If the scrubbing pad isn't doing in then upgrade your weaponry. 180, 240, 360 grit wet-sanding paper. If it's still pitted go for the nuclear option like a flapper-wheel
or cup brushes on angle grinder followed by the 240 or 360 grit wet paper. Then you're ready for the oiling/baking for the final seasoning.
Speaking about pre-seasoning of the cast iron pans. Not long ago, I bought a Ukrainian made cast iron pan. It came with an instruction. Manufacturer recommended the following steps :
1) Heat it for 15 to 20 minutes or until there is no smoke coming from it and the surface is uniformly gray.
2) Let it cool down a bit and then rinse with running cold water. Wipe it dry.
3) Put five or so table spoons of salt into it. Heat it for 20 or so minutes stirring the salt from time to time. Once the pan is cool, remove the salt.
4) Wipe the inner surface and the exterior of the walls with a vegetable oil.
I have never heard anything against using metal on cast iron pans, the use of metal implements is one of the benefits relative to teflon coated pans.
And the fact your body needs iron...
@Numinous123 It requires power tools to remove that finish.
Great video. I learned a Lot. **Also, I have to say that people who are anemic should Definitely look into cooking on an iron skillet. A friend of mine Was anemic and she’s gone to one doctor after another. She was prescribed all these pills that made her sick. Her skin was the color of Milk even though her ethnicity would prompt her to be slightly darker of a complexion. She took my advice and used the iron skillet I seasoned for her. I taught her how to cook in it, what Not to cook in it and how to keep it maintained. After just a month she came back, gave me my skillet and told me she had bought her own and thanked me. Her skin actually had some color and she said she felt great and her doctor is amazed that she’s feeling and looking so good now. They did a blood test and she’s not anemic any longer. Long ago, before the advent of nonstick cookware, there was very little amounts of people who were anemic. They cooked in iron. Iron pots, pans and even muffin pans. It would seem that the “Convenience” of cooking on Teflon isn’t all it’s supposed to be and we created our own problems from being Lazy and Uninformed. I cook on iron each and every day. I’m 56 years old, a former smoker and my O2 blood saturation is 99%. When the nurses put that little thing on my finger to check my O2, I always hear a Wow! Nice! I don’t have ANY Teflon ANYthing in my house. Like margarine; It doesn’t make it past my front door. But that’s for another video. Thanks for making this video. It clears up a lot of misconceptions people have about cast iron cooking. 😁
Teflon should be banned. Bad stuff!
My mom cooked in cast iron skillets and when I married I started doing that also . I’ve never been anemic but once in my life . That was when I was pregnant with my first daughter because I had morning sickness and couldn’t keep food down . The pills the dr had me take made me sick also .. so I started making sure EVERYTHING I ate was cooked in cast iron . No more anemia !
Mark Strouthes .. I agree. I have a love bird and Teflon is very toxic to birds also !
I'm borderline anemic and my wife is hyperchromatic and does phlebotemy regularly for the excess iron. No happy middleground there unlike Jack Spratt.
LOL.....BUTTER,,,BUTTER,,,,,BUTTER. & HEAVY CREAM....BOO YAH! 👍
Got my first ever Lodge 8” fry pan this afternoon, washed it off in hand hot soapy water toweled it dry, heated on gas ring wiped it over with groundnut oil and am now waiting for it to come out of the oven set to gas mk4 350f. Cooking starts tomorrow! Regards Clive from deepest Dorset UK. Thanks for taking the time to post.
Clive. Question for you. Is "groundnut oil" peanut oil? I was watching a video by Gordon Ramsey on how to cook a steak, and he recommended groundnut oil. I did a google search and came up with 500 different opinions on what it is. Thanks.
So very sorry for the late response, didn’t realise anyone had commented on my post! Yes Groundnut oil is the same as Peanut oil, it’s just called that at my local supermarket! The reason I chose it was because that’s what was in the cupboard but more importantly it’s smoke point is around 446F. ! Since I bought the pan it got moved to the back of the cupboard and I’ve just rediscovered it, complete with rust! It’s taken me 3 days to clean it and give it 5 new coats of seasoning using Rapeseed oil, cooked in the oven for an hour an a quarter at 450F. It looks and feels right all I need to do now is get cooking!
We inherited my grandmas castiron skillets and I LOVE them!
Yeah same here, I agree the absolute BEST way to season a good cast iron pan is with decades of love!
My mom had always refused to use cast iron pans bc she said everything stuck to them and they were too heavy to lift. Here I am, a boomer, using cast iron for the first time in my life and I am sad to say I've missed out on using this wonderful cookware for so many years. I've seasoned my entire collection, which was only used decoratively, and I've started cooking with each piece and loving every result! Teflon? Tossed it. Green pans? Donated them! Copper Chef cookware? Gave them all away. Aside from a few stainless steel pots and pans I'll use for those acidic foods or boiling large quantities of water, my cast iron cookware is my kitchen pride and joy (along with my vintage KitchenAid mixers!) Thank you for separating all the fact from fantasy about their care and use! I feel like a chef now!
Awesome video. I got into cast iron about 3 months ago and used the advice from Cowboy Kent Rollins channel. I use hot water on a hot pan to clean. I always reheat pan to expand the metal pores and then layer oil. My pan is now so reliable I can cook with tomato sauce and it doesn't effect my oil layer. Everything slides off better than Teflon.
CKR is my favorite cooking channel and his book is worth it’s weight in gold!
Stick with what Cowboy Kent says. Best Cast Iron channel on YT.
@@OldJoe212 im new to cast iron..and have some food debris caked on..gonna try that cowboys guy info -- hot water/hot pan method..wish me luck lol
@@zumbagirly72 the great thing about cast iron is it's nearly indestructible. I'm 72. When my grandmother 's skillet would get caked with whatever, she would toss in the woodburning stove overnight, then just reseason in the morning. BTE, I now have her skillet.
Thank you for explaining about washing a properly seasoned cast iron pan! I don’t even dry my skillets after cooking with them when I put them away! But I only use Griswold and Wagner. Griswold and Wagner are the best ever made! Everything from French creamed scrambled eggs to Beef Bourguignon...no problem with either or anything in between. Spend the extra money...you’ll be glad yo did if your serious about the food you serve.
Cast iron is cast iron. Iron is iron.
Well done. I recently posted a video on some cast iron myths and still get the people stuck on the mind frame that soap is going to ruin your seasoning. I wash mine with soap 75% of the time, and my seasoning has never had any issues from that.
I bought my cast iron pan secondhand from a thrift shop. It was encrusted with all manner of grime and had patches of rust. I superheated it over an outdoor propane burner (cajun cooker) and got it red hot. After cooling, I thoroughly scrubbed off the ash under running water with steel wool (mostly, it just rinsed off). I heated it back up on my stove top to dry it off and then went through repeated seasonings (maybe three or four) to put a super slick finish on it. It is slicker than teflon!
Since then, I do the following after each cooking session. I scrub it with hot water and a green scrubby pad. Rarely do I even use dish soap. I then heat it to smoking on the stove to dry. If needed, I sometimes reapply a few drops of oil on the pan during the heating process and allow it to get fairly smoky. I then wipe out the excess oil with a paper towel after the pan cools.
I love cast iron!
Patrick Kruger
Hello! I’ve been hearing that the old *_cast iron skillets_* are much lighter & more efficient than what’s on the market now... Do YOU see a difference? I’ve been using mine for the past 47 years & haven’t bought a new one yet..but I’m actually thinking of buying another smaller one...
Now...I’m facing the dilemma of either buying new or buying old🤔.... Have you a suggestion for me? Because I’m thinking that you probably shopped around & have seen much of these kind of skillets....
I would appreciate an answer to this...😊 I’m pushing 70 years old & I don’t think I have the patience to experiment on this issue...
I need advise...🤷♀️
@@LadyNicky007 I just happened on my skillets while perusing a thrift shop. I never used one before and I never bought a new one after. I do love the ones I have. I am now considering getting some carbon steel saute pans for their durability and similar non-stick seasoning finish. It's only natural to assume that you will always get a better deal buying old and refinishing yourself. Besides thrift stores, check out some of the online alternatives like neighborhood apps and Facebook marketplace. One last thing, an alternative to superheating the gunk off with a propane cooker is running it through the cleaning cycle of your oven (if you have that feature). Either way, just heat it up until it stops smoking for that's when everything is completely burned off and all that remains is ash.
Patrick Kruger
Thanks for responding.... I will take all this under consideration. But buying second-hand is attractive now! The bit about cleaning it in the oven seems to make an old one worthwhile... Don’t know where you got this idea...but it makes so much sense now that you brought it up...
Thanks a million.... Nicole 🙋🏼♀️ Montreal
I got my first cast iron skillet yesterday and am trying to separate the myth from reality. Thanks for clearing up some fears and misconceptions I had!
E.V Artsy Reads depending on what you picked up you may want to check out cowboy Kent’s video on lodge pans and how to smooth them out. then re-season. He dose do a great job for explaining how to.
@@ericcastillo6674 Will do. It just so happens that I do have a Lodge pan. I'll check him out. Thanks!
I used cast iron every time i cooked for a year or so. 2 things I don't like about my lodge cast iron. Heavy weight!!! and Ferretin (iron containg protien in blood) is pretty high. Check your ferretin levels if you use cast iron, Tell your doc you use cast iron.
Cast iron is a tough love relationship. Without proper care, it will turn on you remorselessly, but when properly cared for, your cast iron will provide a lifetime of incredible dishes. Good luck on your journey.
@@FrostyBud777 Lodge is heavier than some of the older brands like Griswold and Wagner.
When I was growing up, I remember my mom using cast iron all the time. I'll admit, I was the youngest, a baby boy, and had three sisters who were giving the chore of doing the dishes I never remember mom babying the cast iron like some suggest today, I know she used metal utensils for a fact, cooked whatever she wanted. I am also pretty sure the pans got the old soap and water washing just like everything else (they did dry the dishes though). Speaking of drying, I dated a woman once who, after washing/rinsing her cast iron skillet would put it on the stove and heat enough to be sure it was dry, I thought that was a pretty good Idea. Thanks for the video.
I agree 100%. Cast iron is easy and the best thing to cook many things in....even great for baking breads. Add to that, if you take care of them they last forever. I wash mine and put a little oil back in just about every time I use it...takes no time at all. I've made a big switch back to cast iron after getting tired of throwing out so many skillets that get damaged non stick surface. The only negative that I see with cast iron is they are heavier to handle. I need a workout anyway. TFS.
Carilyn, do you reheat the pan after washing and oiling it?
@@Anione111 yes. I dry it over a flame and when water evaporates i add a small amount of oil and wipe around with paper towel. I let iit heat up a bit and shut off. I started using grapeseed oil recently since i discovered some of the manufacturer's use it. Hi heat tolerance and neutral odor. But many different oils work fine.
@@carilynjurgeson6178 Thanks for replying. The finer details certainly help a cast iron newbie like me :). Can you suggest the next best alternative to grapeseed oil, which has similar properties. I am sure I cannot find grapeseed oil where I live.
@@Anione111 Vegetable oil or canola would be good options. I have even used olive oil, but the concern with that oil is it can't handle as much heat and it isn't as neutral. If you cook pancakes for example, you might get some flavoring that doesn't go well.
As a “seasoned” (see what I did there?) cast iron cooker, I’ve gotta say I’ve repeated and even preached most if not all of these myths at one time or another. But as I’ve gained more experience, I’ve learned that all of what you say here is true. Biggest warning I try to give new cast iron cookers is to be careful not to heat stress their cast iron! Don’t plunge that hot pan or Dutch oven into cold (or even warm) water. You’ll almost certainly crack it. Other than that, though, your cast iron is way more rugged than you’re probably giving it credit for. Great video!
True but the opposite is fine, you can easily pout cold water into a hot cast iron pot, it's has so much heat it in that it won't notice the difference, what you shouldn't do it submerge it in a large quantity of cold water, or leave it under a running cold tap.
more of an issue if it is enamel coated.
My mom had several cast iron skillets, and one of them had a half-moon crack, very hard to see if the pan was cold.
I grew up with a cast iron fry pan, used for pretty much everything that could fit. It got washed when it really needed it, but mostly a good rinse and maybe some oil. Don't have to worry about toxic chemicals from nonstick pans plus get an extra dose of iron in your diet. Oh, and food tastes better cooked in cast iron.
I was raised eating food which was cooked in a cast iron skillet and they didn't hurt the skillet at all and most of the time it wasn't seasoned except with the cooking oil we used which was regular lard. I purchased new skillets two years ago because I got tired of buying new so called non stick pans every two years or less due to them wearing out. I have always cleaned a skillet with regular soap and water and it was just fine. I didn't know about the rusting problem until I went back to using them regularly.
I’ve got what was probably my great grandmother’s cast iron skillet and use it every day for one thing or another. I clean mine with very hot water only and towel dry immediately. If I have anything stick to the bottom, I add hot water to the pan and boil it mess off. If the mess was too bad, I’ll add a drop or two of dish detergent while the water boils then it all gets poured down the drain. Rinse with hot water, dry well and oil lightly. Probably the worst thing that happened to this pan was when my husband was reheating pizza in it and got to talking and forgot about his pizza. Part of the seasoning burned onto my glass top. Ruined the stove so we replaced it with the old burner type. Mind you, I had used my pan on the glass top for several years without incident. Needless to say, I had to reseason the bottom of the pan but it’s recovered well.
I was thinking about the metal spatula issue last night, and this thought occurred to me. Cast iron was widely used, and well maintained (hence it's long, useful life!) long before plastic was even invented! Metal tools were used on cast iron all the time "back in the day." :o)
(Re-watching...)
Except wood has been around somewhat longer.
@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888exactly! And wood is easier to work with
Good information. I've used my cast iron pans for years and wouldn't trade them up for others.
Me too. Just got Lodge Dutch Oven. Lodge is all I use.
Raven Ahmed Lodge is all I use too .
Finex, a newer company, machines their cast irons. Fairly expensive but everything is handmade and they look like heirloom quality. I’m saving up to buy one to add to my collection. All I have are made by Lodge and I love them!
Thanks for your videos! I hated the first Lodge pan I bought, and gave it away. I watched your video and bought another. I took the sticker off, washed with water, fried an egg in some butter and Damn!!! it worked!! My pan is perfectly nonstick and all I've done is put a tiny amount of Caron & Bouchet Cast Iron Oil (that I bought on Amazon) on it after each use and rub it off. That's all. That stuff is awesome! I almost bought a $100 Stargazer but watched your video and tried again! You saved me a lot of money!
i use a natural dish soap on my cast iron. i couldn't stand not using soap and hot water after grilling chicken breast! the thought of bacteria just drives me nuts. thanks good video
i cook bacon in my new cast iron pans after i wash and dry them. Then i ripe them out with a paper towel and put them in the oven at 375 for 2 hours they come out perfect.
Thank you for your video. I absolutely love your oven (I know), never have seen one so beautiful 😍
I wash my cast iron with Dawn detergent and water. After I rinse it, I put it on the burner and heat it back up to evaporate all of the water off, then I rub it down with some oil. I put it away once it's completely cooled. Never had an issue.
I bet your food taste like dawn too.yuck.
I’ve eaten off dishes washed with dish soap and that’s all I taste is dish soap.
If you can’t taste the soap get your ass to a dr ASAP.your olfactory nerve is shot which means your in poor fucking health.
@@jasonmgavitt2357 If you can taste soap, learn to rinse with cold water. Lol, this world is full of lies/myths, learn by doin, not hearing/reading. You'll be way ahead in the game of life!
mike notta I can taste the soap because I don’t use soaps at all.i don’t wash my cloths with soap I don’t wash anything with soap.its fucking nasty and plain hot water gets rid of up to 95% of germs on a surface.science has proven this already.the five % left over are in such a small amount they are harmless to a healthy adult.
If you can’t taste the soap on it it’s because your olfactory nerve is shot.seriously you should be able to detect smells and taste regardless of wether you washed it with cold water.if you can’t something is not working right.go to a dr!
It is your bodies canary in the coal mine.pay attention to it.
As someone that has been using cast iron for a long time I would say that this video is better than most with the quality of its information. The one thing that I would change is the fact that I would never preheat a skillet on high, cast iron is prone to warping when subject to rapid temperature change. This can make a skillet wobble, spin or otherwise not sit flat on a flat surface. I always preheat on medium, you can always turn the temperature up to high once the pan is heated or food has been added.
I used water to rinse the large loose stuff off, the scrub with a coarse salt. I'll use a steal wool on the more stuck on bits. I cook it on the oven after to sanitize. Sometimes I'll wipe it with oil before I cook it on the oven if I had to scrub really hard or cooked something acidic in it like tomato sauce.
I love my pan!
Steal
Steel
Google
The owners manual for my glass top stove says not to use cast iron.
Just a note on the using soap or not to clean your cast iron. It doesn't hurt to do that from time to time, as long as you rinse and dry it well, as you said. But you do not want to use soap too often. It's not that it will damage the pan; it's that cast iron tends to soak up the flavors from the foods you cook on it. It's another reason you don't want to cook food high in acid, because those flavors are very over powering and it will strip the pan of all the previous flavoring you've built up. If you clean your cast iron with soap all the time, it will slowly start causing your food to have a faint soapy taste. It's not hard to correct this issue, if it happens. But, this is the main reason you don't want to use soap too often. =)
Exactly
I've got a couple of Wagners that my grandmother got as a wedding present in 1922. Stuck them in the oven and turned on to clean, then coated them with flaxseed oil and seasoned them seven years ago. I use the pans 3 or 4 times a week and just wash them out with soap and water and hang them up to dry. Flaxseed oil beats all other oils for seasoning hands down and I only used two coats. After cleaning I don't dry them and I don't oil them, they don't rust, they don't stick.
I skip the soap and just use hot water and a bristle brush.
Dude, you’re pretty darn cool. Easy to listen to, easy to understand, and not a bit of “oh this is too difficult to do” vibe I get with some others I’ve seen.
Yeah, call me a delicate l’il flower, but I like my instructions fun, with a dash of “you can do it!” attitude.
I have several cast iron skillets, ranging from a 12 " to a 6". I use them almost exclusively. They are even seasoned well enough to cook and egg that won't stick.
I've been cooking in cast iron 40+ years (oh [bleep], am I that old???), and I agree with all the points you made here, as long as we're talking about modern cast iron - the pebbly-textured, pre-seasoned stuff. I will add that cast iron is pretty forgiving, so it will accommodate a variety of "styles" for using and caring for it. There is no one exact "right way" to work with it, as long as you don't strip the seasoning or warp it, but there are better practices and worse ones, and it all really comes down to what gives *you* the results you like.
PS: I still consider it a preference on whether to use soap to clean your cast iron. I still prefer not to - I like the results better when I don't.
CitizenKate We understand that you started at the age of 1. 😺
I dont use soap. I use salt and water. You heat it up like a bbq it kills all germs
What a great video!! Been a longtime cast-iron user and collector, both modern and antique, but only just recently became interested in the "why" behind some of the facts I thought I knew...and turns out, most of them were myths! Very informative! Will recommend this video to anyone who wants some good solid cast-iron truth. :D
I rented a cabin up north one year and we had nothing to scrub the cast iron pan with. My wife suggested to just make a ball of aluminum and scrub with that. I thought "won't that ruin the pan?" No, it actually worked quite well!
Good advice on maintenance.
I have used carbon steel and cast iron skillets on electric stoves and induction. My pans started to warp after a while. After a while I stopped using them. Even gifting my pans. Recently, I cam across Uncle Scotts Kitchen channel and saw how he demonstrated gas vs. electric.
Now I am going to switch my cook top back to gas. Gas was more fun but the cleanup was a chore.
In india we normally clean our cast iron things.. like chapati tawa or frying pan or sicklet with raw brick, and hard iron srcubs.. and we use it for years... And years and years.. my moms marriage iron utensils r still there after more the 40 years.. :)
Great video! I have been guilty of a couple of these myths, mostly the soap one, but overall I feel better about my cast iron pan use. P.S. I am one of the 1% with hemochromatosis and I don't worry about cooking in cast iron; I just avoid acidic foods like you said. It's just not that big of a deal in a well seasoned pan.
Well with the soap one you can tell by looking at it if it's a problem or not, if the coat is still there then it does not matter. If it's gone for whatever reason reoil it.
I use soap and I scrub the hell out of my pans. I listened to people for awhile and didn't do that. My pans got cruddy and I had to strip and re-season them. Better to buff the crud off. Every time you use a pan it gets a little more seasoned anyway and any little bit of seasoning you knock off gets filled in.
People baby their pans too much.
I live on Lodge here at the house; I have a wall of it that I picked up at the Lodge Factory Outlets throughout the South, and the stuff is INCREDIBLE! Whether I use the grill, stove top or oven, one pan does it all!
R Rad Lodge was my first cast iron purchase. I cook with it almost daily.
Me too!!! I love lodge also!!!!!!!
I've had cast iron pans on my boat for years, keep'em seasoned, oiled and dry never had rust issues.
Love your video..... I always wash my pan with soap, put on hot burner for 1 minute to dry, and quick spray or drop of oil... And mine is still seasoned and non stick.
U don't need to hit the smoke point for polymerization to happen , it just needs to be near the smoke point because the smoke point burns the oil off.
Excellent practical information. My mom used cast iron skillets when I was growing up. I always wondered why she didn't use fancy colored pots and pan sets like my friends' moms did. About 20 years ago I bought an 8" lodge pan from an outlet store; I was bored and killing time as my wife shopped. I have never gone back. We have a number of cast iron pieces, but the one that gets used the most is a 12" Lodge frypan. It is fantastic and just gets better and better with each use.
All I use is cast iron now.
Seasoning method: ANY oil. Oven at 450. Wipe oil on, then wipe it all right off. This is the key part. Do not leave puddles of oil. Place in oven 1 hour. Cool pan to room temp. Repeat 4-5 times. At some point around the 4th time the oil will even bead up on the pan. That's when you know it's done.
Washing: Hot water and a scrub brush. I've NEVER had to soak my pan or do anything. Full it with hot water. Let it sit For 30 secs or so and Scrub it with a brush. Boom done. Wipe it dry. Thin layer of whatever oil again.. Couldn't be easier.
YES! I started using cast iron 3 months ago and use this method. I now have a a very nice surface on my pan. I usually lightly reheat my pan after cleaning to open up the pores and I'll layer it with oil. My pan is now very easy to cook with.
You dont have to take it to 450.
Just 5 degrees higher that the burn point of the oil.
@@SFXD24 It's more than just the burn point of the oil. It's also getting that iron to expand because of the heat. That lets the oil seep deep into iron pores. The hotter the more expansion you get from the iron. Of course you need to use an oil that can take this kind of heat. I used Flax oil and it worked great.
I cook everything in cast iron. Spaghetti sauce or even chili in a Dutch oven. Cooking a marinara sauce in a cast iron skillet or pot 5 or 6 times a year will not destroy your carbon finish. I promise. This was a great video. I just disagree with the acidic thing. Have you ever had chicken cacciatore? Try it in your cast iron like they did 150 years ago. it will be amazing. O and Oil, animal fat, bacon grease, Crisco, non of it matters. when it burns or bakes on to a pan it does not become a polymer or plastic. it becomes Carbon.
I repair hot dog roller grills in my job and I can tell you carbonized hot dog grease has to be removed with a chisel. That shit is harder than aluminum. I can cut aluminum with my knife, I have to hack at the carbon
We have a few cast irons in different shapes and sizes. Deep fry Navajo Frybread. Fry corn tortillas nachos chips and enchilada setups. Make the best southwestern skillet recipes. Roast salted pinons and pumkin seeds. Also use the shallow flat skillet for flour tortillas, pancakes, eggs. All homemade.
Good video! One other myth is that it is beneficial to grind the skillet to a smooth finish. Truth: Grinding is one of the best ways to turn a CI pan from bulletproof to high-maintenance.
Tip on cleaning: Wipe, scrape, and brush as much as possible without using water. Reason, you will leave behind a thin film of oil that will cook in the next time you use the pan. If you use hot water and/or detergent, you will be removing that thin film and that will lead you to wanting to apply more oil after you wash the pan. Why wash it off, then add more?
Tip on cooking, regarding eveness of heat: Preheat the iron before you cook. The best way is to start off with low heat, and gradually make the pan hotter.
Great video and glad to see someone that has finally said it all as it is.
My experience of a few years with cast iron skillets is 100% similar to what is described in this video, especially the bit about scraping with metal utensils as well as washing with water and soap, which I do after every single use. In fact, despite living in a very humid region, not only I use water and soap, but I also let the skillets dip dry over night and season them the following day, applying a thin coat of oil after warming the skillets up and let them on high flame until the oil starts smoking ....never head rust on my skillets or lost the non stick patina.
I appreciate your effort to be completely honest. 🙏😆
Basically, everything this gentleman says is spot on. The Term “seasoning” that most people think of, usually and generally relates to the coating. Actual “seasoning” is A repetitive cycle of heating and cooling to allow the molecules of the cast-iron to become more malleable and less brittle. Every time you use the pan, you temper it. A season pan will not crack is easily as a brand new unseasoned pan. The coating which protects the skillet or cast-iron pan, is generally oil it has been broken down into a varnish. Some manufacturers use a wax to coat their pans. This is not necessarily toxic but it does not add to a pleasant flavor upon initial use. Some newer pans are extremely thin and not as durable They might possibly warp. Generally, A good cast iron pan is bulletproof and will last generations.
Totally agree with your comments. I use mostly cook using cast iron to cook with 15", 12" and 2 10.5 in skillets. Love them all. I scrape them clean while washing with plastic putty knife then clean with soap, dry and oil them. The only down side is that I think I'm the only one (in my family) that can lift the 15 inch pan as it get pretty heavy with food in it.
I cook everything in cast iron. Great for stove top to oven. I wash and even scrub with scotch pads when necessary without damage but I always dry, put on heat and oil each time. It’s well worth the little effort. To oil I bought a pump sprayer, a couple second spray and wipe that’s it.
When doing a stove top 'mini-seasoning' I leave the burner at Medium, never High. It will reach a smoke point as well, but in doing so at a medium setting, I've been told I'm helping the skillet or griddle accept the seasoning instead of forcing it into/onto the piece of cast iron cookware.
On a gas stove, I never need to go much higher then medium heat. I also try to let the pan heat evenly.
Most of what you say here I agree with...What I don’t agree with is washing with soap for no good reason...
Now...if I have to wear *rubber gloves* while washing dishes because the soap water dries out my hands & nails, it’s only logical that soapy water does the same to my beautiful skillet... I scrape out leftover bits with my metal spatula & wipe off excess grease with a paper towel... Meat fats are the perfect seasoning for *_cast iron skillets..._* If need be, I’ll do a fast rinse out with hot water & scrub if there’s too much debris & put it on the stove for drying. I’m OK with this... but I also spread a thin coating of bacon lard while it’s drying on the heated burner...
That being said ... Back in the day, I used to cook fish in my cast iron which required soapy washing because of lingering smell + I had to re-season my skillet in the oven... Damned waste of time in my opinion🤨... I found with time that fish in cast iron is a _overkill..._ because “fish” doesn’t require that much heat. Since that realization I’ve been cooking fish in good stainless steel pans which gave adequate searing. (presently using Copper Steel pan that’s just perfect for delicate fish👌)
To this day, I’ll only wash my skillet in light soapy water if, for example, I make a saucy hamburger steak or if my roasted sweet potatoes gets stuck to the pan for lack of oil...then back in the oven for re-seasoning.
Otherwise...it’s just wipe off excess grease, back on stove top for 5 to 10 minutes to get rid of bacteria & back to its place till next day...
I’ve been using this technique for 47 years now.
Soap washing a cast iron skillet at every use is another overkill in MY opinion...especially if it’s after frying! Why get rid of what benefits the skillet? 🤷♀️
I’m turning 70 this year & my 47 year old skillet as already been spoken for by my 3 step-daughters... At some point, I will have to stop cooking for myself in the next 10 to 15 years, & only then will I let my baby go 😏... Knowing those ladies as I do...I expect it’s going to be hilarious to see them argue over a pan that they really want right now! 😊 But then, if they treat their skillet like I showed them, theirs will be just as desirable as mine at that time...
If so, my pan will go to one of the grandkids...hopefully my grandson who at 11 years old is showing interest in preparing leftovers for his younger siblings for lunch...he loves adding his personal touches & the girls love it... Shows a lot of promise... I was 13 when my granny showed me tricks of the trade that I still use... (what we call hacks nowadays)...
So there it is...my skillet looks great, performs great because I avoid using soap on it as much as possible... whereas, my young *_clean freak_* neighbor puts her 2 year old pan in the dishwasher😱...against my advise, rebuking that hers is the newer kind that doesn’t need seasoning & also that she fears bacteria infestation... And all the while, I have to put up with her complaints about her food that keeps sticking onto the pan.🙄 Told her that I’ll adopt her skillet anytime she wants to be rid of it...😁 She paid $50+ for it
& I like that smaller size... Of course, I’ll treat it as it should be...🥰
Some people are just oblivious to good reason...🤷♀️ Of course I expect her to suffer iron intoxication at some point if she keeps this habit... her skillet not being sealed with proper seasoned coating... Even my granny👵🏻 knew this & that’s why the old folks of that time used *_LARD_* for the seasoning... They must all be snickering up there at the present day use of light oils for sealing cast iron..☺️
Not many people know the real purpose for seasoning (sealing) *_cast iron skillets_*
Btw, my granny also used lard that she melted with paraffin.... She poured the liquid in little square molds to make little bars that she would later use to rub on her warm wood stove. She would let it melt on the stove for an hour or till it soaked into the hot iron. Then she would diligently rub it off with newspaper...This, to protect it against pockmarks...It also gave the stove a nice clean sheen... “”This is a cold-cream treatment for the stove”” she said... “”It prevents the salty cooking waters from eating at the iron””
Since they were farmers & had a lot of metallic hardware (No tractor) she always put a dozen+ of those bars in a wooden box for the barn... To be used on my granddads farming tools & for the horse buggy’s tack equipment... In those olden days *_Lard_* was a precious commodity for meals & for hardware when mixed with paraffin... Well... I don’t know how or why I veered off the subject of
*_cast iron_* & no one here interested in history lessons...I do apologize😧
So bottom line...I liked your show👍...but as far as regular soapy washes goes my 47 year experience with *_cast iron_* takes over...😉 And I’m pretty sure that those of my generation would agree with me...
*_If dish soap is not good for my hands...it’s not good for my iron pans_*
I have that same 12 inch lodge cast iron skillet that started my addiction with cast iron over 12 years ago👍🏼. I don’t see it in these cast iron videos. I do have to say all your information is absolutely correct.
My cast iron pan is 378 years old. It was passed down from Abraham Lincoln. It's never been washed. You can smell it as soon as you get off the elevator. I spend at least 4 hours a day fondling it.
I have two cast iron pans that my grandmother used. I would estimate they are about 90 years old. When I first inherited them, I put them in the oven on the oven cleaning setting. Cleaned the oven and the pans. The pans had a coating of char on them that needed to be cleaned off. After cleaning they were like new. I have always cleaned with soap and water and sometimes steel wool. After drying, it goes on the burner when it gets hot I season it with a little oil. I think we can get another 90 years out of them.
I would go so far as to say that you should use a metal spatula with a cast iron pan, as it will better scrape off any food residue that sticks to the seasoning. As you demonstrated, metal utensils will not damage the seasoning, unless you really bear down and scrape repeatedly. If you allow cooked or burned on food to build up, it will make the pan sticky. Besides, unlike a teflon non-stick coating, damage to the seasoning can be fixed.
I'm highly allergic to nickle, so I was told to use cast iron pans instead of stainless steel - especially for acidic foods. Stainless steel has nickle in it that can leech out and make me sick. I'm also anemic, so switching was a win-win. Since I already had cast iron pans for camping, so didn'thave to go buy new pans, it was a triple win. Also, my family has always cured ours in the oven at 350F, not on the stove top.
Don't bring your weak genes into the gene pool
Great info. Thanks for reminding us of the do’s and don’ts and teaching us new things. You always hit it out of the park. Blessings.
I polish all my skillets, I use very little oil when cooking, they require a bit more maintenance but they work awesome!
Just came upon your channel tonight- have been an avid user of cast iron for decades and your advice rings true. Have subscribed!
I cooked chili over looow heat for hours on my grill using charcoal and wood chips. It was cooked in my large cast iron dutch oven. The chili came out amazing. For clean up, i just scrubbed it with water and dish detergent. I dried it and reasoned the pot and lid. Even though the ingredients were corrosive to iron, proper cleanup and seasoning make corrosive ingredients a nonissue. Thanks for the great video!
I ground down the horribly bumpy surface on a new pan and got it mirror smooth. I then re seasoned it to a smooth black finish that resembles the pans of a hundred years ago. Much better and slicker than anything new.
tradersato The rough factory seasoning is junk. I did the same as you, sanded it, seasoned multiple times with grapeseed oil. Came out great.
I did the same, worked great! I highly recommend doing it.
I ground/smoothed mine down but I’m having a heck of a hard time getting the seasoning to stick. (Flaxseed oil).
@@Custerd1 1)Clean the pan again with steel wool and/or emery cloth making sure you get a very smooth and clean surface. 2) wash well and wipe with a paper towel or something white so you can be sure all the grit came off. 3) put a thin layer of melted lard or bacon grease on in and smoke it off in a hot oven. 4) let cool and repeat step 3 a half dozen times. Should have a mirror black finish when done. I did this to my Lodge (junk) griddle and it went from chewing apart pancakes to letting eggs slide around with ease.
Justin Kraynie, do very thin coats with flax seed oil but also make sure you start with a VERY CLEAN pot. Wash it a couple times. Rinse it well, dry it as much as possible and season again. Multiple thin coats is the key. It’s almost like you aren’t doing much for the first two or three coats. But it will get better and will go super black by the fifth or so coat. I do it in a gas bbq outside and it’s super easy that way since the wife doesn’t threaten divorce due to the stench inside.. not doing that again! Lol
Thanks for the info.....just got my 1st iron skillet
The one thing I gained from this video was that modern dish soaps are acceptable to use on a well seasoned cast iron... but your input on that does make sense. I've always used hot water and salt on mine, but now I'm going to get adventurous and use just a small amount of dish soap and see how it does. I also usually put a thin coating on after I'm done cleaning to help protect it anyways. Glad I saw this!
I’ve been cooking in cast iron for 40 years. Over the years people have told me “don’t wash it with soap!” I have always washed with soap and scrubbed when necessary, not often cause not much sticks to it! Recently I started doing Dutch oven cooking and my husband was actually paying attention and said don’t wash it with soap. I just replied that I had been washing my cast iron for years. It amazing how misinformed people are about this. Also I do not reseason after washing because my pans are extremely well seasoned. I just put them on the stove to dry on a burner. If you leave uncooked oil on them and put them away for a while, you will end up with a smelly pan when you go to use it because the oil will get racid after a while.
I've been cooking in ironware and maintaining it for over forty years in exactly the manner described here--even the getting lazy once in a while about oiling it part. A 100% accurate and useful video. About acidic foods: I generally avoid cooking them in my ironware, but I have noticed, courtesy of a roommate who often deglazes with acidic liquids, that my oldest and best-seasoned skillet is impervious to it. I've also been cooking tomato sauce in a well-seasoned iron Dutch oven for years, again without damaging the seasoning.
Did you know you can buy a new one very cheap every three years and save hours of shitty oiling for 40 years. I hate people that clean things that should of been thrown out
@@andrewgrandma2816: The oiling involves occasionally moistening a bit of paper towel with vegetable oil and wiping the bottom of the skillet before putting it away. It's not what I'd call shitty work, unless one is congenitally lazy. Treated properly, ironware gets better with time. It would be very wrong to throw out seven pounds/three kilograms of cast iron whose value will last into the next generation and beyond.
Andrew Grandma I’m proud to use the cast iron skillet that my great grandmother used. It’s a “soulful” thing. You either get it or you don’t. If I have to explain, you’ll never understand.
@@peterschaffter826 it's cause my parents were geniuses n they thought the black build up under the skillet was bad and a fire hazard so they forced me to scrape that off with a knife thus totally leaving it grey color for noooooooooooooo reason. If the skillet is so bad freaking buy a new one at 13$. Dont make anyone scrape it ever. Fucccccck u my parents, a holes. Thanks for reading this.
@@andrewgrandma2816: I feel your pain.
One aspect of cast iron that is overlooked is the lid
I love a fried egg with a cooked top and no caramelised underside.
So what I do is heat up the cast iron lid.... Le creuset and then on the lowest level of my gas cooker gently heat the pan with a little olive oil and then put the eggs in with the hot lid on for 70 seconds and I get a fabulous almost poached egg with a runny yolk that will slide around like a marble on a frozen lake
The lower heat is not degrading the cold pressed olive oil aspect either
9:08 Back when everybody made their own soap, they would make 2 different kinds of soap. There was a version nearly identical to today's "old fashioned lye soap" where the appropriate amount of lye was added, causing all the lye to be consumed and a safe level (about 5%) of fat left over in the final product. This soap was used for bathing. Then there was the stout version of soap where they doubled the lye in the recipe, causing lye to be left over in the final product. This is the soap being warned about. Its extra potency was very useful for washing the dishes and laundry, but was too harsh to be used for bathing and on seasoned cast iron.
We have had the same cast iron frying pan for about 30 years. The outside bottom (burner side) is pitted now but no problem. I have lost count of how many so called non stick pans that have gone into the garbage in that time. The no stick Teflon, porcelain or what ever only seem to last about a year. The Old Wagner cast iron pan? Well it’s still in use but like you said, we use it for certain things. One use is baking boneless chicken breasts in the oven, it’s a great shallow pan for that use too as there’s no worry about plastic handles.
Making homemade French fries are unmatched in a cast iron pan!
Very good info and presentation. I'm less intimidated by my wife's pans! Thank you.👍
To be honest I trust only myself. So, just right the time I buy a new skillet I wash it with soap and hot water, I put it on fire with some water to boil for two or three times, dry it properly and then oil it with a little amount of olive oil. This process helps removing the residuals from the manufacturer (if there is any). Finally I season it in the oven as described. Greetings from Athens, Greece.
This was enlightening. I absolutely LOVE my cast iron cookware, and am a devout ironite. Admittedly, I don't care for my cast iron as dilligently as I should, but I believe at least a few of these tips will help me cook more productively and efficiently. Thanks. I'm definitely a subscriber.
Great informational video! Lots of questions answered. Thank you so much Dave. Loved it , also loved your hair ! Haha
Chainmil scrubbers are great for cast iron!
Just got one, and liking it so far!
I use what everybody used when I was growing up and still do (see link below). A dollar's worth lasts me way over a year. I don't have that layer of seasoning on my skillets (over a dozen) and I bet I have way less food that sticks than most people that use cast iron. It does take some time to learn how to break the rules and get away with it on cast iron. www.dollartree.com/scotch-brite-stainless-steel-scrubbing-pads-2ct-packs/25915
Thank you for helping me understanding the facts to fiction of cast iron.. yours truly. A 53 yr.old newbie to cast iron
To clean or cast iron pans we put olive oil and a tablespoon coarse salt and lightly scrub it with a folded paper towel rinse it with some hot water then dry it seems to work fine for us
I recommend and use coffee filters myself because they are lint-free. However a lint free rag is better because you can reuse it many times and is less wasteful and better for the environment.
Great vid, now I know how to clean and season a cast iron skillet. Thank you!
In my early 20's I went camping with a cast iron pan and no cast iron knowledge. 😃 👀 My memories of that weekend are pretty much limited to wrestling with that poor misunderstood pan, trying to get burnt bacon and grease off of it in a cold lake with a lame sponge and various makeshift tools and basically hating my life. I decided that pan was from the pits of hell. Needless to say, the pan won. I gave up shamefully fast and never looked back til now, 3 decades later.
I will seduce this new cast iron if it's the last thing I do! ☝️
Arlene Hill
I can relate to your story.
And fear.
I recently bought 2 new Lodge and took a sander to a 50yr old Lodge pan.
With all 3 I just oiled them up and cooked some eggs. Done deal.
No preseason, just use them.
My old Lodge went from looking silver to patina in 15 uses. Thanks for the story
O
remember temp. control is your friend. long low&slow preheats and cooking at lower temps will work wonders. I would get used to it at home then you'll be able to adapt to openfire.
I use 2 items cook food in cast iron. Either bacon grease or Crisco shortning. other oils will work but not as well. When seasoning I use bacon grease only.. You dont get polymers when seasoning you get carbon.
Mostly agree. I do keep my pans oiled, but it's humid where I live.
As far as heating evenly, that varies from pan to pan. Butter Pat is rated the highest for even heating. That's because their bottoms are a perfectly uniform thickness. A lot of people like to get inexpensive rough-textured pans like Lodge and grind them smooth. But that makes the iron sightly uneven and can result in some noticeable hot spots.
I love them have a decent collection most vintage a few from 1800-1890. Use all of them easy to clean and take care of.
The more I use them the better they get.
Only thing I WONT use them on is long cooking of high acidic foods such as tomato sauces or sauerkraut. Yes sauerkraut will strip the seasoning with a long cooking times done it learnt the lesson lol.
But for those I got enameled cast iron lol.
One thing cool about cast iron is most if what I have is at least 80 years old and I get a certain satisfaction of cooking with something so old that is still so good and only improving with each use.
Most of the time I just wash them with water and a scrub brush or wash rag. If not a simple wipe with a paper towel will do.
NEVER use a scouring pad it can take the seasoning off. Unless its one of those plastic ones. You can even get a scouring like
pad made out of chain mail designed specifically for cast iron.
I always dry them on the stove top or oven (with the door cracked open) on low heat.
Then put a little cooking spray in them and wipe the entire surface with a paper towel to spread it out more or less evenly ain't got to be perfect.
If you get new the best is Lodge all though there are a few American forges turning out some really good and better products you will pay for it.
But new lodges are great the only complaint is they don't have as smooth of a cooking surface as the vintage and the new higher end models.
But if you take the time you can sand down the new ones plenty of videos on you tube showing you how. Just weed out the idiots.
Its relatively easy and if you're into cooking it's worth it.
But even if you dont. Straight up brand new cast iron still rocks.
But I stress again unless your willing to spend the money on some of the high end American made stuff stick with lodge its relatively cheap and you can find it everywhere. Wallmart, hardware stores places like academy basspro shops etc.
Well good luck and good cooking
What about the myths pertaining to what oils to use to season?
If you cook in your cast iron often then I never put a coat of oil after washing, but if I'm going to store it away for a while then I will. Great job on the video.
I have always used metal utensils on my cast iron skillets and I have used cast iron for53 years so did my mother I'm using some of her skillets my opinion is cast iron is the best skillets you can invest in
Our ancestors didn't have plastic or rubber utensils when they cooked in iron skillets or pots.
They didn't even have iron. They would just juggle hot stone skillets straight out of the fire. Before they had fire - they would just throw a stone skillet at something and consider it cooked ...
@@whynottalklikeapirat I'm not talking that far back. In the 1700s, they had iron.
@@joegibson4946 How old do you have to be, to be an ancestor? Is 1 generation removed enough or can I just die and become one?
But they did use a ton of wooden utensils.
@@Freakyfish42 Correct. But they also had utensils made from tin, copper and pewter.
I searched your channel and didn't see a "how to season" cast iron. Are you planning on covering that? You did touch on most of the detail in this video clip.
No one in my family ever season a cast iron pan, they just used it. I'd give it a good coating of oil and let it soak in. Sorry, I'm using my grandmother's cast iron fry pan, but oil it good and cook fatty foods.
I buy only Lodge cast iron products. After sifting through all the tips about seasoning and cleaning, I boiled it down to this and it works for me. After the initial purchase I wash it with soap and water. That is recommended by Lodge. Dry thoroughly and then I use the Lodge cast-iron spray. Rub the spray in well (I use a dedicated dish towel) everywhere on the pan, this includes the handle and put it away. Depending on what I’m cooking, if there are bits of food in the bottom of the pan, I wipe out the excess with a paper towel, sprinkle it with coarse kosher salt (it acts as a scrubbing agent) and scrub with a dedicated Lodge brush. Do not rinse the pan before you sprinkle in the salt. The pan must be dry.. After the scrubbing, I rinse it with water, towel dry and then reapply the spray and rub it in. That’s all I do and I’ve never had a problem. The biggest tip I’ve received is not to wash the pan with soap and water again. You will remove the seasoning . Hope this helps
Check out Cowboy Kent Rollins on how to season a cast iron skillet.
@@072381Mack Thanks
I know it's not the newest video, but here's a favorite from my mother who somehow, even though she grew up watching her mother use cast iron, completely misunderstood how it was used and cared for:
Seasoning is charred-on left-over food. She would literally burn meals, insisting it would make the skillet non-stick after a while.
Combine this with the misconception to not use soap, and the thing was a complete mess in a couple days of trying. It was great as a kid, listening to her screaming at the skillet for sticking lol
who ever said no metal in cast iron?! I use metal regularly and so did my great-grandmother and grandmother who I have the pan from. I use my electric mixer in my cast iron and nothing happens that is bad. I was the healthiest kid around and my mother fed me liver and onions between those ages. It is on the instructions of every Lodge piece of cast iron do not wash with soap. Most of the time if you don't have stuck on food you can just wipe it out with a paper towel. most pieces of Lodge cast-iron come with a brush. I still have mine but my home care people decided to use it to clean everything except the toilet! Now I have no home care so I am sitting in the same chair all day everyday and I just took a very bad fall tonight.
Never heard that, I mean it's about the only pan they were made for.
My Lodge Skillet instructions said you can use mild detergents when washing.
Lodge says you can use soap on it also they don't come with brushes to clean. The no metal on cast iron I believe started about the time we had internet. I know there are quite a few videos on RUclips that spread the myth that you can't use metal.
This is the greatest video I've seen on the subject of cast iron cooking. Liked, subscribed and rang the bell.
I use soap! Never had an issue! Good vid!
on the topic of water: cold water is better. i've never hurt a well seasoned pan with warm water. if it's got food/carbon stuck on there bad sometime's i'll simmer some water in the pan to help loosen it first. never had a problem with dish soap, but i scrub very gently, and only for a few seconds. if it requires more than few seconds of scrubbing, just use hte water simmer method first
it's especially important to use cold water when refurbishing/reseasoning a cast iron pan that has little to no seasoning. if you use warm water, it will flash rust before you even have a chance to dry it off. just use cold water, and don't ever forget to dry it off.
I grew up with Grandmother and mother using cast iron, in MS, we would dry, then place in the gas oven. The bit of heat from the pilot light would dry out any moisture that was left. We oiled on occasion, but not every time. Bakers were simply wiped clean. ❤️😁 I still use those skittles and Dutch ovens!