Cleaning Your Cast Iron | Soap or No Soap?
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- Опубликовано: 14 сен 2023
- To soap or not to soap? That is the question. A polarizing topic amongst the cast iron pan crowd. What is the best way to clean cast iron pans? We wanted to put both methods to the test so we dirtied up some cast iron pans just so we could try both techniques. Whichever side of this debate you support can we all just agree they NEVER go in the dishwasher.
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Team soap! Have used cast iron for decades, I use it, wash it with soap, then oil it - no problems at all. I do think this process is a more “recent” thinking, I remember my grandparents were definitively no soap. 😊 My thought is, if I cook meat in a pan, then I want to wash it before I cook pancakes in the same pan.
I always wash mine with a little dish soap. I let it dry out on the stove on a low flame then wipe some oil in it with a paper towel. I think the "no soap" rule was probably important when soap had lye in it.
I do the same as well with mine. Also Soapmaker here and liquid castille soap is made using lye (potassium hydroxide) and there is no lye left in the soap when made correctly. It's a process called saponification. So like Dr Bronners that is a well known brand. I know people who swear by using only that for their cast iron. It is a mild and gentle soap. My Grandmother always used soap on hers but idk about further back generations. My Dad has pans that were his Grandparents and he is almost 80.
Fyi, soap is made with lye but the finished soap doesn't have lye in it. You use oil and lye, maybe add a few other things if wanted, go through a process, and the mixture goes through a chemical process called saponification.
My husband is adamant. No soap. Which means the cleaning & maintenance of the cast iron is all his 😅
He sounds just like me :) My girlfriend says since I'm so picky about it she won't touch it.
Team no soap here. My husband inherited his grandma’s cast iron pans. We put water in the pan, bring it to boiling and then dump it out. Usually just a paper towel to dry and olive oil to season. Super easy
No soap. There are so many ways to care for cast iron. Choose the one you like. I don't spend that much time on mine now, but initially, I did about 23 oven seasonings with a very, very light coating of flax seed oil each time. It looked like glass.
I use salt and damp paper towel and I do it when the pan it still hot. Works quick and easy to do then rub with oil to finish
Depends who’s cleaning. My hubby never uses soap. I always do and he has no idea lol 😂
I inherited my decades old pan from my parents. I usually simmer a bit of water in the dirty pan then attack it with a chain mail scrubber. It gets most stuck on foods off easily. Following that I may use some coarse salt (no water) and scrub with a paper towel. Then rinse, pat dry, heat up to thoroughly dry, then wipe with oil and heat one more time.
Team NO SOAP, well whatever residual soap is in my scrub brush 🤷🏼♀️ I wash her right away while she’s still hot with super hot water and if there’s tough spots I used a chainmill scrubber - it comes clean within a minute this way 💁🏼♀️ I also do the wipe a bit of season back on and dry on the stove. All in all takes maybe 2 mins to clean 👏🏼
Team no soap! They remind me of pampered chef! The more you use it, the more it is seasoned. Better to use, more iron in your diet and easier to clean!!
My cast iron pans belonged to my parents so they’re almost 70 yrs old. I wash them with soap, don’t do any fancy seasoning and use them literally every day. I’ve even been known to throw them in the dishwasher once in a while!! You can’t hurt these babies! 😄
Noooooo dishwasher!
My mom’s is over 60 years old . It is very well seasoned! She just uses soap once in a while. Mostly just wipes it out and scrubs as needed.
Team No Soap here! Hot water and a scrubber does the trick --- also.... The more you use it, the easier it is to clean! I will admit that the first few times cleaning with just water were not super fast, but it has gotten easier over time because of the seasoning that I've built up. 😊
That's how I do it as well and at this point I could clean it by just spraying with hot water. I feel like cleaning it this way builds an amazing seasoning.
@@BrodyYYC ☺️ After you clean it and oil it, do you heat the pan again? I haven't been doing that 🙈, but maybe I should start?
@@hlynn2008 I live in a pretty dry environment so I just wipe it down with paper towel and let it hang. I get those cheap brown industrial paper towels. The ones that hardly absorb anything because they also don't leave any paper behind.
@@BrodyYYC Oh wow! Interesting -- so you don't oil it? Maybe since your seasoning is so built up you don't need to. I'm still in the building phase. Haha
@@hlynn2008 I'm really only cooking fatty stuff in it so without the soap a thin layer of oil or fat stays and I think that's what makes the seasoning better.
Lose that scrub brush and get a chainmail cast iron cleaner. It cleans a lot faster and more effective. And I do use soap with mine.
That chain mail is the ish!
My mom cooked in cast iron my whole life, so our kitchen had many pans. I always used soap and dried the pan on the gas stove (turn on burner and place pan on it straight from the sink). Grosses me out to think of not using soap. I seldom use cast iron now- takes too long to clean. There are many easier options…. like the dishwasher!
I'm team dishwasher too! The cost of water in the desert where I live is very expensive, and the dishwasher uses a lot less water.
I always use soap on mine but my favorite trick is to simmer water in the pan until the really stuck on pieces come off. There is nothing like a perfectly seasoned skillet!
I always use soap and it's fine and well seasoned.
I don't use soap and I don't have any trouble cleaning my cast iron. I think you just need the right tools. I use a metal chain like scrubber. Cleans up in less than a minute.
Team no soap. I cook eggs in mine almost daily. After cooking, when pan is still hot, run a little hot water into pan and scrub with natural bristle brush, rinsing and repeating 3-4 times until water is clear. Then wipe dry with paper towel, place back onto still-warm element, add about a quarter-sized spot of grapeseed oil, and rub into inside of pan only.
I only use grapeseed oil to season - it's the best choice. I originally seasoned them with 8 or 9 thin coats of grapeseed oil (425° for 40 minutes each time, allowing to cool between coats). I prefer high-quality olive oil or avocado oil for cooking.
I have used both carbon steel and cast iron pans for many many years now. I will use soap, if I have cooked on something really bad but thats rare as my pans are well seasoned. I use a oil infused beeswax for the pans to ensure a very thin seasoning and for cleaning I have a couple of chain mail scrubbers. Usually I just scrub, dry on an warm element and then season with the beeswax oil blend when its dried and still hot. Soap isnt an issue as mentioned in the video if the pans are properly seasoned. Great videos ladies, love them.
Team Soap! 🧼🫧 I wash it with dish soap and warm water, then wipe it dry and use a little bit of oil with a paper towel.
I’m a no soap - hot water and a scrub brush and they always come super clean!
I am definitely TEAM SOAP. I have had mine for years and alway use soap and then I do season it after but I don't always heat it. I will start to do that now! Thanks for the tips.
We’re team no soap! But I also don’t cook a whole lot in them because I struggle with the cleanliness part lol
I boil water in the pan on the stove and everything comes right off. Once cooled, I apply a thin layer of olive
oil and put it away for next time. I don’t use soap unless I think it’s really nasty.
Team no soap but as soon as we are done using it we put it in the sink and put water in it and use a scrub brush made for cast iron to clean it I will say they get a lot easier to clean as the seasoning gets better no matter the method.
I like how she said if put raw chicken in the pan, I’m using soap, but you ate the chicken which is cooked but you’re scared of the pan 🤷, plus you can always put the pan in the oven and kill all the bacteria if you think there’s some
TEAM SOAP! Thanks for the video!
The pan is supposed to be very hot and you need to use hot water. The steam is what helps clean and sanitize the cast iron. Using warm water does very little.
I spray my pans w vinegar to clean them, let it sit for a few, then scrub w a scrubber.
If there are stubborn stuff, sprinkle w baking soda and scrub...works like a charm!
You can also make any pan non-stick by putting the pan on med high heat w olive oil, stir around for a minute or so, wipe clean then melt butter on same heat, wipe out.
I have my grandma’s skillet and it’s almost 100 years old , I have some Grislwold and Wagner pans and love them .
Great video Sarah 😉
Mostly no soap. Occasionally I use a bit of Dawn. My husband is a soaper, and I have to say that over time it will destroy the seasoning. However, it's nothing that can't be fixed, it's fairly easy to reseason - just takes time and effort.
If the scrub with hot water doesn't clean everything, I typically use the boil water on the stove method which works most of the time. Occasionally I heat oil in the pan and then scrape with a wooden spatula because new oil disolves old oil. It works really well, but is very dangerous and you have to use extreme caution. I pour the hot oil out into a bowl, let it cool, and then toss it in the garbage. Then just wipe it out with paper towels. It comes out very clean that way.
As long as you get the crud off and it feels smooth to the touch, it's all good. No bacteria will survive the heat from cooking in a cast iron pan. I do think the effort is worth it. I have a collection of really old and newer cast iron. It is really the best for roasting potatoes for getting that really nice brown roasty crust. You can't beat cast iron for browning.
I will say that for eggs I use a stainless steel lined copper omelet pan. I don't get the egg sliding around the cast iron skillet thing. Copper heats up fast and cools down when you turn down the heat. It's much more nimble than cast iron. Plus, eggs just don't stick in copper pans, provided you use butter or coconut oil.
Interesting to see both, done both methods here probably would not use a lot of soapy when I used it
You're funny 😂 I like your sense of humor 😊 My husband washed his cast iron with soap before I met him. I could tell because I used it and it tasted like dish soap 🤢 One of these days I'll try to fix it. Been sitting in garage for years. I'm afraid to use it on my new glass top stove 😬
Obviously, a pan is easier to clean using soap. I think the main question is how it affects the seasoning for future uses. I was hoping you'd discuss that
I always do the simmer water method. So much quicker and easier.
If you have dogs....make gravy scraping up the bits and pour over dog's food. A light scrub with a brush and heated on the stove to dry. I have been using cast iron pans for decades and they do have a good season so in the long run a little does hurt. My one pan is over a 100 years old. Came from Nana and she used it alot
Team soap over here! Never had any issues with using soap.
No soap! But cleaning that beast is a husband job 🫣
No soap! And have instructed my children also. I do have heirloom cast iron, and I have set some aside for my children when they have their own homes. But I live in Mississippi and we take cooking pretty seriously.😂
I am team soap. I always season after. Over had mine for 10 years and no issues. All that to be said, I don’t use it often. It is a lot of work. But I do like it for certain dishes.
My husband won't let me use dish soap on them, only salt. But I also use a chain link scrubber 👍
I do use soap. I feel like it’s not sanitary to not use soap. I do not use cast iron very often because of this issue though
I'm team soap, husband is NO soap- the never ending battle.
Team soap! I just rub oil on it after a wash because it is always in use more often than the oil with turn. I use a scraper to get it Clean too. When it starts to look dull or stick we reseason by baking.
I dump out the grease, wipe out the loose stuff, heat it up, add boiling water, let it boil for a minute or 20... And the stuff lifts up with a wooden spatula or scrub brush.
I use s metal scrubby. The silver ones. Works amazing. No soap needed and minimum scrubbing.
My pan is very old. I mostly clean with no soap and a chainmail scrubber. Once every 15 washes or so, I might use soap. Just make sure you never soak it and make sure it's dried, heated and oiled before you pit it away.
I use a cast iron skillet almost daily. Team soap for sure. But the seasoning that comes straight from Lodge isn't the best, IMO. The more you use it, the easier it gets to clean. I have a small skillet that belonged to my great-grandmorher, and I could wipe literally anything out of it with just a paper towel! It's completely smooth. I still wash it, of course, but absolutely nothing sticks to it.
Team Soap here: I've been using a recipe consisting of distilled water, Castile soap and oil of oregano in a spray bottle. I spray that on my cast iron pans and scrub. I also season my pans every now and then when they've dried.
My grandmother always used soap on her cast iron. My mother used soap on her cast iron. I use soap on my cast iron. My cast iron was the same cast iron that my mother and grandmother used and had. If it was good enough for them, it's good enough for me. After washing with soap and hot water, I put it on the stove and turn the burner on until they are dry. Then I coat it with oil.
Also, if you don't use soap, you aren't cleaning it.
Use a plastic scraper like you get from Pampered Chef, use kosher salt and vege oil to clean (1 tbs. salt and 1/4 tsp oil) to scrub. The salt is abrasive. Rinse, wipe with paper towel. Spray just a touch of oil and wipe it out again. let it dry.
Oddly enough, we just tossed our cast iron pan this week because of the rust & years of “seasoning”. Off to buy a new one, but I wish I sent it to you!
Depends what I have cooked in my cast iron. If it didn't get real dirty I just wipe it out with a clean paper towel. If I cook something like chicken I try just water first, and if that doesn't work I'll use soap. And always dry on stove, and rub oil on it.
I do whatever I’m in the mood for 😂 but never a white scrubber. My main goal is that it’s dry so I don’t have to worry about rust.
Team soap! I just make sure to give it a good rinse of water after.
Soap! Always. No soap grosses me out. I give a little oil and..done. My pans were my mom’s and are at least 70+ years old. They get better with cooking and age.
Oh my goodness! I just realized I've had my pans for 30 years, give or take. I had to season them myself. I've stopped and reseasoned a couple of times since then. I wanted to season them just so in order to be able to use soap on them, at least occasionally. Whatever i did the last time seems to have done the trick. That, and oiling them up a bit after washing. Although yesterday, i made hubby fried eggs in one and not only did the eggs not stick at all, i wiped the pan out well after and put it away.
I have to use soap. I just can’t not! And look how long it takes to clean with no soap! No time for that 🤪
I've used both methods, depending how crusty it is after use. I feel like as long as you don't soak in water for any length of time past scrubbing, it won't ruin your pan.
No soap here. BUT get a stainless steel cast iron scrubber. It’s so much easier!
I only use soap every once in a while, not every time. My mom still has her same pans from when I was a kid and I washed them with soap every day, still doing great. As long as they’re seasoned well, it doesn’t matter much.
I boil water on my 30plus year old cast iron. I have actually started using one squirt of Dawn Powerwash and it has been fast and less disruptive to seasoning.
IMO, hot water beats soap on cast iron so if there’s seriously stuck on stuff, I go right to filling with water and heating on the stove. I’ll use soap in a pinch for a quick clean when I don’t want to run the water long enough to get hot.
What type of oil is best for seasoning a cast iron fry pan?
I have done both, I started off not using soap and after about 6 months I gave up… lol TEAM SOAP here
Curious what oil people use?
Team soap, followed by oil
Not sure if this is true or not but my partner is under the impression that back in the day soap used to have lye in it and that was the chemical that messed with the seasoning and that soap now doesn't have it so it's no longer a problem on top of the polymerized thing you mentioned he mentioned before I could remember the word
Definitely soap! I wash and re-season as soon as I’m done using them, it really doesn’t take long unless you cook something nasty in it!
So I put water in my cast-iron pan add some Dawn and boil it with the dawn inside of it then use the wooden spatula to lift anything it needs to be lifted. Then I dump it out and I rinse it and then I put it back on the stove and I put the oil on a paper towel and wipe it while it’s on the stove Heating
Cast iron is a huge deal in my Southern American family. We live in the PNW now and there are lots of friends here who also use cast iron but not pans that have been handed down like they are in my family. We use soap, my daughter was trying to help one night though and used an sos pad and did not dry it nor oil it. Now there is some rust so I have to scrub everything down to bare metal and start over but it's a good learning experience for her because she loves using my cast iron to cook. Some family and friends swear by using liquid castille soap and I am a soapmaker and have friends who make their own solid dish soap and it works well as well. No wrong way in my opinion other than soaking, don't do that 🤣
Hm, I do soak mine but only the inside (I don't submerge the pan). I probably should have specified that in my comment about soaking. Also, mine are nearly 100 years old so it's possible that they are impervious to the soaking that might damage newer pans.
Steel wool scrubby, hot water and then season it with oil then warm it up.
Soap works great. No need for the oil rub and heat. Warm it to dry that’s it. Try it you’ll see no difference. Too much needless work
You should have tested AFTER both forms of cleaning if the food gets more stuck in one or the other.
I wash mine with mild soap- no scrubbing!
Team SOAP. Do it pretty much as you did. Wash it good with Dawn and hot water. Dry it on to stove. Smear with olive oil. Flop down on couch! Thanks Sarah as ususl. This was a goodie. 😅
I’ve always used soap. I use the metal scrubbers.
NO WATER.
Chain mail scrubber and coarse salt.
Wipe clean with damp sponge.
Let pan preheat thoroughly before next use.
Team no soap. Also I recommend using a chain mail scrubber rather than a scrub brush. So much faster.
I wash mine and reseason I don’t like the idea of having a dirty pan in my cupboard… I live in Florida and Bugs!
Team soap. Wash and dry on the stove so the water doesn't sit on the cast iron. Season if needed, which is rarely.
I do both
SOAP! I do it all the time, then dry it and rub a little oil in it.
I am one of those crazy people who thinks using soap on cast iron is just fine 😂. Someone I knew used some metal scrubber that looked like chainmail and I have also seen using a crumpled ball of foil to scrub. I say, why use it if I have to work so hard to clean it 😊
Team Soap… I have my grandmother’s Dutch oven and my mother’s pans and scrub with soap …. if needed chain mail scrubber …. Warm to dry and apply olive oil lightly. Lodge griddle on the Viking stove only gets water after pancakes.
No soap. Salt and elbow grease if necessary, then oil to re-season.
My mom always used soap, but... She would always tell me that you were NOT supposed to do that.... Mixed messages. I don't personally own one though. So I don't have an opinion lol.
Soap is totally fine unless your cast iron is from the 1800’s. Most of the stuff people teach about cast iron is outdated. You don’t need to re-season a modern cast iron pan either. I use a scraper + a little soap and then heat it up with a little oil wipe when I’m done so it’s ready for next time.
Re-seasoning is necessary to keep rust from forming.
@@jamistoneking2030 after each use I put a little oil in the pans over a low heat. Is that considered re-seasoning or proper maintenance? I think re-seasoning is when you put it in the oven at a high temp with oil. Allegedly can help it be more nonstick but with modern cast iron seems unnecessary.
I misunderstood the re-seasoning process and I just do maintenance. Some of my pans were my grandmothers and I treat them all the same way. I guess I’ve never truly “re-seasoned.” 😂
I am definitely down to try proper re-seasoning, I don't ever go into using my cast irons thinking they will be non-stick but I guess some chefs do a lot of proper re-seasoning of their castiron to improve it's performance. All I know is brand news cast iron does not need to be seasoned, yay modern manufacturing!
@@jamistoneking2030
Sara, I love your apron. Where did you get it?
I ordered it off Amazon. They are in my Amazon store if you want one. They are a decent price too.
@@gocleanco thanks, I'll look now.
Team no soap, like my mama taught me.
You have a convert I was No soap now Team Soap🍳
No soap I coat the entire bottom with course salt and us that as a scrubber. Then oil the entire pan and place on the stove to bake
I have 2 cast iron pans made by Griswold in the 1800's that came down through my family from Pennsylvania. Who knows how they have been treated over the years, but I don't personally use soap on them. Here is the trick: LET THE WATER SIT IN THEM (inside only, do not submerge the pan). After the dirty pan has cooled completely, fill it with very hot water and let it sit at LEAST 10 minutes. Then you barely have to scrub at all, everything just floats right off. I have cooked some gnarly charred things and soaking always means I don't have to scrub. I do rub oil onto them when they dry, I just don't reheat the oil. But also: this might work for me because they are so old, who knows?
This is exactly how I do it. In the south, cast iron is passed down from many generations. We grow up knowing how to take care of them! You are one lucky girl to have two Griswolds! Hold on to those babies. 😃
Never use soap in mine. Let it soak with hot water for a few minutes and comes clean easily
Soap girly! I agree, with raw meat I feel like I need to use soap.
My cast iron pan is starting to flake off when I scrub it, any tips? Do I need a new pan?
if its flaking, it probably needs a good scrub with something like a chain mail scrubber then season again. There is a channel called cook culture which has some good info on it.
No soap. I have many cast iron pans and pots. Only used soap on new ones before first use. Heat wafer on stove top scrapthen stiff brush 8:44
Team…both. Depends on what I cooked in it. If I *can* get it clean without soap, I will. However, I’m not at all afraid of a small drop of soap to keep from having to slave away at it. I don’t have time for that nonsense.
Team no soap and am curious about using soap!