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For those of you with cast iron skillets...how do you clean them? I recently got one, seasoned it per instructions (coated with oil, set upside down in oven on high temp for a period of time). I have used it twice since them, both times cooking some skirt steak for carne asada....I can't really get it clean though. I heard you shouldn't use soap to clean it. So I use a sponge (both soft and rough side) rubbing aggressively with water and just pat it dry with a paper towel. Its not really "clean" thoroughly though, maybe that's ok.... are you supposed to let it cool before you clean it? Or is hot ok? Any tips??

 

boil wate

Boil water in it and scrape with a metal spatula then dump, repeat if necessary, hit with non soapy sponge if necessary or scrub with coarse salt. Wipe out with a paper towel, re-oil and wipe some more while pan is hot/warm put away. I clean the outside with soap and water if it gets real greasy or something. Some foods are easier to clean than others. As the seasoning builds over time they get easier to clean. I haven't tried it but they sell this product made specifically for cleaning cast iron that looks like chain mail, I'm curious about it. Its not gonna be spic and span like your other pans, that's kind of the beauty of it. On a side note, once broken in these handle covers are sweet!

$16 Hide & Drink, Hot Handle, Cast Iron Protector, Panhandle Potholder, Double Layered, Double Stitched, Slides On/Off Easily onto Metal Skillet Grips, Full Grain Leather, Handmade, Bourbon Brown

https://www.amazon.com/Panhandle-Potholder-Stitched-Hide-Drink/dp/B017M7VG5G/ref=sr_1_8?crid=8H9E57PL3CCM&keywords=cast+iron+handle+cover&qid=1557638331&s=gateway&sprefix=cast+iron+%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-8

 

There are a lot of ways to clean it. My favorites are:
Wipe with a paper towel.
While hot rinse with hot water and a brush. (I usually do this at home).

Do not ever use soap or acid based dishes, unless you want to season it again.

I only heat the oven to 350° and keep it in there an hour, upside-down, on the heat, then let it cool enough to do it again. 3 times at least. Flax oil.

I caramelize onions or fry potatoes to season more.

Iron is very porous, so it will take much time to fill those little holes.

How clean do you want it? Enough to remove the seasoning?
Wipe with paper towel, and use again, soon. Or wash with hot water if you are not going to use it soon.

 

Start over. Take a flap disc on an angle grinder and clear out all the shit they put on them from the factory. Once your at silver and smooth, do the seasoning method about five times. Takes about a day. Then the next day cook a pack of bacon. Then you'll be ready to go, just wipe out whatever you cooked with a paper towel.

 

and the lid makes awesome pizza

 

A few weeks ago, we were at my fiancee's brother's farm for something or other and they had this stack of cast iron pans rusting outside. I offered to clean and season them and in return I'd get a pick of the litter. I'm wishing I looked at the rest of them to know what they were, but the top one was a large logo griswold and that's enough to get anyone excited for a free skillet in exchange for manual labor.

In the darkness trying to get home, I completely forgot the pans, and they forgot them when they came down to our place for mother's day. I'll share pictures once the pans make it down here. I'm debating what method to use for removing rust, drill & wire brush or angle grinder with a flap disc, or the oven cleaner in a paper bag.

 

wow sad and great at the same time!

 

I've never done it, but it looks easy. electrolysis rust removal
https://www.google.com/search?newwi....gws-wiz.......0i71j0i67j0i131i67.fUB1aMA6G4U

 

doesnt vinegar work also?

 

I think it might? I live in an apartment, so the electrolysis method is one that requires a bit more equipment than I have at home.

 

So I bought "The Ringer" and cleaned the pan well with hot water, and it is smooth all around...there are these burnt spots though (see picture). I have only used this pan twice and I think I used it the wrong way (too hot?), then let it sit and didn't clean it well initially. Do you suggest I try and get that burnt stuff off somehow? Or is it ok to just leave it as is? I scrubbed pretty aggressively with The Ringer and that got most everything off except that caked on stuff. I re-oiled the pan afterwards

Thanks!

 

It's fine. Unless food is getting hung up on it I wouldn't worry too much about it. Cast Iron evolves, ages and seasons over time. Its like a baseball glove once broken in It'll probably look uglier but perform better.

 

@Shwaa here's a link to a good tutorial on seasoning, cleaning and care of cast iron. Should answer most any questions you have. Welcome to the world of cast iron!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLGSLCaksdY

 

Also like @la0d0g said if you want to get the lodge pans super slick, taking a grinder to it may be necessary. It'll get rid of all that speckled shit. Wear a mask and glasses if you go this route.

 

Good video, thank you for sending that along!

 

So my fiancée's bother brought over the cast iron, I collected the two Griswold pans for now for restoration. A third was unmarked and I might do this one at a later date, but it's a low walled skillet which is a little odd.

But they've certainly become more rusty since I remembered them and I'm wondering if I'm in over my head. I'm thinking to go the vinegar bath route and working on these two over memorial day weekend.

 

If you have a battery charger, look up electrolysis on YouTube.

 

It might be older looking at it. It has the slant logo and is marked without the EPU. It might put it into the 1880-1907 period.

 

I don't unfortunately. Though there is ample parking at the apartment i'm in, unfortunately, I don't really have a storage/workshop space to keep extra stuff.

 

Just out of curiosity are you supposed to get rid of all that speckled shit? I figured the pan was made that way for a reason, but I do see lots of "smooth" cast iron pans in this thread as well. Maybe it's just a preference thing. As you can tell I am totally new to this stuff. Actually my GF got this pan 3 years ago as a gift and it has never been used until a cpl weeks ago, sad to say. I finally broke it out. I think I am going to like it, other than being heavy as shit (i.e. i cant lift it and scoop food out as easily as a non-stick pan)