OT: Cast Iron Frying Pans

[RFC]

I just picked up three Lodge cast iron frying pans for my two sons and me. These pans will not be babied and will probably also see campfire use.

I've read lots of advice about caring for cast iron pans. What is myth and what is truth?

Thanks!

[8aaron8]

You wont ruin it by washing it with soap, but I would still do that sparingly.

[dogrange]

Most is myth. Feel free to use soap to wash them, they will stay seasoned. They are virtually indestructible, so you are good to go with any sort of use. I would not put them in the dishwasher, but that is about it!


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[jtbadge]

When initially seasoning, give yourself a few more coats of whatever seasoning you decide on than you might think. In my experience with new Lodge cast iron, it takes a long time to build up the cooking surface you want. Butter seems to work better than oil. Bacon grease seems even better.

Dish soap might be fine for something you've had and used a lot, but it would be a huge setback for a newish pan, as it cuts away the exact material you're trying to build up.

[RFC]

When initially seasoning, give yourself a few more coats of whatever seasoning you decide on than you might think. In my experience with new Lodge cast iron, it takes a long time to build up the cooking surface you want. Butter seems to work better than oil. Bacon grease seems even better.

Dish soap might be fine for something you've had and used a lot, but it would be a huge setback for a newish pan, as it cuts away the exact material you're trying to build up.

I always appreciate an excuse to cook bacon!

[fmradio516]

sorry OT, but if youre looking to get a good sear, Ive found that the Lodge carbon steel skillet does a better job than the regular cast iron. Just an FYI

[RFC]

sorry OT, but if youre looking to get a good sear, Ive found that the Lodge carbon steel skillet does a better job than the regular cast iron. Just an FYI

I saw that one too and may add it later.

[MaraudingWalrus]

I was in charge of cooking this week while in town visiting my significant other while she was working weird night shifts for her current rotation in medical school and there was a cast iron skilled thing involved in my foray into cooking.

I don't know much about cooking (grew up in a family that doesn't cook at all) so take the following with a huge grain of salt...

the instructions given to me, a rookie cook, by an experienced cook:

1) assume this bastard is always really hot. It'll get you.
2) you can use a metal spatula, just don't be ham handed with it
3) soapy water when it's done to clean is fine if really gunked up with stuff, but maybe not when it's a new pan that hasn't been "seasoned" yet?
4) dry it off very well to avoid rusting (maybe even re-heat it to burn off the water?)
5) re-oil it with something (canola oil I think was what I was given?) I guess to help keep it protected from elements?

[ntb1001]

I did bacon grease on my cast iron pans for initial seasoning.
I always clean with dish soap and light scrub, followed by a reheat to dry it out, then application of veg. oil





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[fmradio516]

Someone please debunk this myth, but another thing to note is any raw(non-enameled) cast iron cannot have any acidic substances in it or it will apparently leech.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/busting-cast-iron-myths

"In the end, our tasters could detect metallic flavors in the tomato sauce only after it had simmered for a full 30 minutes. So, while you can definitely cook with acidic ingredients in your cast-iron skillet, you have to be careful. First, make sure your pan is well seasoned; seasoning keeps the acid from interacting with the iron—to a point. An acidic sauce can afford a brief stay in a well-seasoned pan with no dire consequences. You should also be careful to remove acidic dishes from the skillet after they finish cooking; don’t let them sit too long in the warm skillet and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. (These rules do not apply to enameled cast-iron skillets; the enameled coating makes it safe to cook acidic ingredients for any length of time.)"

[572cv]

In the initial seasoning phase, you can “scrub” the pan with kosher salt and a paper towel or two. That gets what’s excess, and leaves the iron oiled.

[jtbadge]

Someone please debunk this myth, but another thing to note is any raw(non-enameled) cast iron cannot have any acidic substances in it or it will apparently leech.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/busting-cast-iron-myths

"In the end, our tasters could detect metallic flavors in the tomato sauce only after it had simmered for a full 30 minutes. So, while you can definitely cook with acidic ingredients in your cast-iron skillet, you have to be careful. First, make sure your pan is well seasoned; seasoning keeps the acid from interacting with the iron—to a point. An acidic sauce can afford a brief stay in a well-seasoned pan with no dire consequences. You should also be careful to remove acidic dishes from the skillet after they finish cooking; don’t let them sit too long in the warm skillet and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. (These rules do not apply to enameled cast-iron skillets; the enameled coating makes it safe to cook acidic ingredients for any length of time.)"

Eh, I don't know about that. I've cooked chili and shakshuka in mine, both slow cooking with lots of tomatoes. Totally fine. But then again I definitely make sure my seasoning is well maintained.

[monkeybanana86]

I like a metal spatula too. The fish ones work well as I can scrape while cooking and keep the pan clean. I use soap when necessary and always reheat to dry as my pan used to have a rust odor which has been completely gone since doing the reheat.

[Pinned]

I've never had a need to use soap on my cast iron - use one of these for any scrubbing duty, much more effective and no worries about messing up your seasoning: http://a.co/d/dJThQIk

[hollowgram5]

I always appreciate an excuse to cook bacon!When initially seasoning, give yourself a few more coats of whatever seasoning you decide on than you might think. In my experience with new Lodge cast iron, it takes a long time to build up the cooking surface you want. Butter seems to work better than oil. Bacon grease seems even better.

Dish soap might be fine for something you've had and used a lot, but it would be a huge setback for a newish pan, as it cuts away the exact material you're trying to build up.My go-to after I clean a pan is a good batch of bacon as the best way to get a nonstick surface.

And I'd agree. Butter typically works better than oil. But I'm no expert.

[54ny77]

there's endless opinions on the topic. what i did: if new, coat the interior of the pan with vegetable oil, stick it in the oven for about an hour or so at 500. open your windows, there will be smoke. turn oven off, then leave it in the oven to cool down slowly. that'll take awhile.

i use cast iron skillet largely all the time for main ingredient cooking. on stove, in oven, etc. getting it crazy hot makes for an awesome sear for scallops, a steak, etc.

cleaning: rinse with hot water, occasionally boil water inside to loosen residue and use a soft scrub brush with dish soap if it's particularly nasty & crusty. especially if the gunk is from a fish-based dish. otherwise, i rinse off, wipe with soft sponge, stick back on stove to dry and then apply a light coating of vegetable oil on the surface. i prefer to not use olive oil to do that. flash point is a lot shorter and it tends to (or can) smell funky.

[Ozz]

Someone please debunk this myth, but another thing to note is any raw(non-enameled) cast iron cannot have any acidic substances in it or it will apparently leech.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/busting-cast-iron-myths

"In the end, our tasters could detect metallic flavors in the tomato sauce only after it had simmered for a full 30 minutes. So, while you can definitely cook with acidic ingredients in your cast-iron skillet, you have to be careful. First, make sure your pan is well seasoned; seasoning keeps the acid from interacting with the iron—to a point. An acidic sauce can afford a brief stay in a well-seasoned pan with no dire consequences. You should also be careful to remove acidic dishes from the skillet after they finish cooking; don’t let them sit too long in the warm skillet and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. (These rules do not apply to enameled cast-iron skillets; the enameled coating makes it safe to cook acidic ingredients for any length of time.)"

Which myth?

Don't cook acidic food in them or your food will taste metallic?

You should not cook acidic food in cast iron....mostly because it will remove the seasoning if you let it simmer....note the "brief stay" comment. If I want to get my stainless pans nice and shiny, I cook tomato sauce in them. ;)


I have found that the spatula you use is important to. Make sure it has a perfectly flat tip. A lot of spatulas are slightly curved and this can "dig" into the seasoning.

I wash mine in mostly hot water...occasionally with dish soap. Dry well and give a wipe with some vegetable oil.

[gdw]

Lodge provides basic instructions on their website and you can find numerous threads on seasoning, reseasoning, cleaning, etc from people who use their cast iron cookware outdoors at Bushcraft USA. This thread might be useful:
https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/new-cast-iron-skillet-now-what.187300/#post-3182951

[11.4]

I have a hoard of cast iron and steel pans that rivals my bike collection. In other words, pretty bad. Here are a couple comments.

1. First, learn how to cook with a pan like this. Here's a good review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB-SCA1reqE

If you don't do it properly it'll never work the way you'd really like. Note the physics involved and how you can actually heat a pan higher to stop sticking of a steak on a cast iron or steel pan. It's pretty cool.

2. Cast iron pans are in these days, with basic Lodge pans and fancy $300 machine milled pans. You don't get anything more than what you get with the Lodge pans, but a few warnings on any cast iron. First, if you look at old antique cast iron pans (and I have a bunch of them), you see some cracks and pits but probably two thirds of them are warped so they'll never sit flat and heat properly on a cooktop. That comes mostly from people who dunk them to cool them, or put them in a sink while hot and fill them with water for them to soak. Always let them cool down naturally after cooking.

3. Season them with grapeseed oil (very cheap in 2 liter bottles for $15 at Costco). It has the highest burning temperature of any of the common oils (flaxseed oil burns even higher but it's expensive and people rarely cook with it). The reason people recommend bacon or butter is because you're trying to get the fats to polymerize on the surface of the pan and bacon and butter fats do so at a very low temperature. But shortly above the polymerization temperature they start to burn off so an oil like grapeseed is much more durable. Use it for the first 4-5 seasonings at least, and then you'll be fine using almost anything.

4. You should be using a scrub pad to get any food off the pan and then rinse in hot water. It should be clean enough that you can wipe it dry with a rag and not have dark gunk come off. If it's still dirty scrub and rinse well again. After that, if you need soap, use it. It won't kill your finish. It's just that your pan should rinse clean so soap is unnecessary.

5. I'd also recommend you look at carbon steel pans. The thermodynamics of a carbon steel pan are basically the same as for a cast iron pan, they're lighter, they come in more useful shapes, and they create a beautiful seasoned finish. They're the standard with most professional cooks. Check Amazon for DeBuyer pans. I only actually cook with cast iron when I need a special shape (like a chicken fryer) these days; otherwise I use steel. There are also a number of blue steel pan makers who hand-hammer their pans and have huge demand for them. Beautiful pans. And the best Chinese woks are made the same way, hand-hammered carbon steel, and put local imitation stuff to shame.

[OtayBW]

And the best Chinese woks are made the same way, hand-hammered carbon steel, and put local imitation stuff to shame.I've got a beautiful hand-hammered Chinese wok sitting in a box in my basement for some years now because I have an electric stove, and I find it more or less useless without direct high flame heat....

[tv_vt]

That stupid movie quote thread has me thinking of this one:

No, I hit him on the head with a frying pan so he wouldn't get hurt.
Makes perfect sense. ;)

[Seramount]

the only thing I use to wash my Lodge pan is hot water and a nylon brush. would never use soap on it.

if I make tomato-based sauces in it, cooking a couple strips of bacon gets it back to a proper level of seasoning.

[summilux]

I'm one of the bacon grease users. My pan (~25 years old now) is smooth like glass. No problem with using soap and a sponge to clean

[fmradio516]

I'm one of the bacon grease users. My pan (~25 years old now) is smooth like glass. No problem with using soap and a sponge to clean

Regarding bacon grease. Do you do the actual seasoning process? Or you just use bacon grease when cooking?

[jtbadge]

Regarding bacon grease. Do you do the actual seasoning process? Or you just use bacon grease when cooking?

Both: use the grease instead of oil when seasoning, then also when cooking.

[djg]

Someone please debunk this myth, but another thing to note is any raw(non-enameled) cast iron cannot have any acidic substances in it or it will apparently leech.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/busting-cast-iron-myths

"In the end, our tasters could detect metallic flavors in the tomato sauce only after it had simmered for a full 30 minutes. So, while you can definitely cook with acidic ingredients in your cast-iron skillet, you have to be careful. First, make sure your pan is well seasoned; seasoning keeps the acid from interacting with the iron—to a point. An acidic sauce can afford a brief stay in a well-seasoned pan with no dire consequences. You should also be careful to remove acidic dishes from the skillet after they finish cooking; don’t let them sit too long in the warm skillet and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. (These rules do not apply to enameled cast-iron skillets; the enameled coating makes it safe to cook acidic ingredients for any length of time.)"

I love my cast iron pans for various purposes -- for some things, they seem to me far and away the best choice. Still, if I'm slow cooking a ragu -- mostly meat, but with wine, and tomatoes, etc., as well -- I always use my enameled cast iron dutch oven; and for a quicker tomato sauce for pasta I'm more likely to use stainless steel.

But, yes, the cast iron pans that are not enameled should be seasoned. I've got a couple of Lodge pans that I like as well as anything else -- simple, inexpensive, and excellent.

[nooneline]

You have to learn how to get the desired results out of any pan - be it cast iron, stainless steel, or teflon. So the level of mystery or uncertainty around cast iron isn't justified. The guidelines are simple:
1. the flatter and smoother the surface, the more non-stick it is.
2. Seasoning isn't that mysterious. It is just a layer of built-up, hardened oil. you can see it. acid and soap remove it (as does some starchy stuff). to build it back up again, cook oil hot - going just above and then below the smoke point.
3. scraping with a hard flat metal spatula is good.
4. got stuff stuck to it? just add water. then scrape.
5. cook stuff hot and with room.

[johnniecakes]

My wife forbids me using cast iron on our glass cook top. Someone told her using cast iron on it will ruin it. Does anyone here use CI on glass cook tops?

[livesadventure]

Congrats ! Cast irons are great for cooking and last so long.

A few things I’ve learned:
-let the pan heat up enough before you throw ingredients in it. It takes 5 to 10 minutes for the pan to evenly heat, which is a lot longer than many pans
-I like the plastic lodge scraper (has a straight side, a curved side and a side with small teeth) for scraping. Other than that, just wipe away with oil, salt and paper towels.
-I’m unsure as to whether or not soap really changes the seasoning, but you don’t need to soap it, so why take the risk ?
-take advantage of the ability to sear / sauté then throw the pan in the oven with the ingredients


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[fmradio516]

My wife forbids me using cast iron on our glass cook top. Someone told her using cast iron on it will ruin it. Does anyone here use CI on glass cook tops?

I think that the rough surface of the cast iron has the potential to scratch the cook top, but idk.

[makoti]

My wife forbids me using cast iron on our glass cook top. Someone told her using cast iron on it will ruin it. Does anyone here use CI on glass cook tops?

Yes. It CAN mar the glass, but if you lift it rather than just push it around the stove top, it'll happen much less. However, if she forbids it, well, you know your wife better than we do...

[dgauthier]

(..) These pans will not be babied and will probably also see campfire use. (..)

With my utmost respect, I submit by inquiring how to care for cast iron pans on the internet, you have already "babied" them too much. :)

It's *cast iron*. Cook 'em. Wash 'em. Ferget 'em.

[glepore]

Get a chore boy stainless scrubber-or the generic ones from amazon. They're soft enough not to strip the seasoning but abrasive enough to be useful. New season is fragile, after a couple months not so. Use with lots of fat until you're at the fully seasoned point. SS is a better choice for acidic sauces-why you'd do those in cast iron if you had other options is beyond me.

[Ken Robb]

I think that the rough surface of the cast iron has the potential to scratch the cook top, but idk.

I know: it did.:)

[weaponsgrade]

I got a Lodge cast iron pan about two years ago to replace a non-stick All-Clad that kept losing its non-stick properties (to All-Clad's credit they did replace the pan). For a long time, I was also intimidated by the various cast-iron myths, but they're really simple to take care of and produce fantastic results. I use mine from everything to scrambling eggs to searing meats to roasting in the oven. I also do plenty of tomato-based sauces and use a metal spatula. I've got a gas range, but can confirm that they will scratch a glass top (don't ask).

[efixler]

I love my cast iron pans, but I can't fully agree with the prior poster who say that soap is fine for cleaning them.

You *can* use soap sometimes, but it will diminish the seasoning and it can also bring rust (which is easy to scrape away).

It's far better to clean with water + abrasive; kosher salt is great, especially when dealing with burnt fat, but a plain abrasive pad probably works in many circumstances.

Save soap for when the above really doesn't work, and, when you use it, spread a tiny bit of olive oil, or another oil, around the pan with a paper towel, and it'll stay nice and fresh.

[skiezo]

I have some that were my grandmother that are about 80 to 100 years old.
Here is a pot of sausage,chicken and oyster jambalaya in one of my dutch ovens. This one was made in Poland in 1912.My grandmother brought it over when she came over.
https://i.imgur.com/zH4s0ivl.jpg

[djg]

I have some that were my grandmother that are about 80 to 100 years old.
Here is a pot of sausage,chicken and oyster jambalaya in one of my dutch ovens. This one was made in Poland in 1912.My grandmother brought it over when she came over.


Dude, it looks fine, but there's no way that jambalaya is still good after 106 years.

[Louis]

All of my "cooking" is done in a microwave.

What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet for use in one of those? ;)

[jtbadge]

All of my "cooking" is done in a microwave.

What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet for use in one of those? ;)

The ensuing house fire will probably leave a nice patina.

[clyde the point]

I have taken an angle grinder loaded with sandpaper to mine to get that smooth finish. Makes seasoning a little easier sometimes, and several of mine had a rough finish to start with. Just cooked breakfast 'taters in my fav this am. Once they are seasoned they are wonderful. Sometimes that takes some doing.

[fmradio516]

I have taken an angle grinder loaded with sandpaper to mine to get that smooth finish. Makes seasoning a little easier sometimes, and several of mine had a rough finish to start with. Just cooked breakfast 'taters in my fav this am. Once they are seasoned they are wonderful. Sometimes that takes some doing.

Interesting. Did you use a flap disc? if so, what grit? I kinda like the idea of getting it smoother

[skiezo]

I have taken an angle grinder loaded with sandpaper to mine to get that smooth finish. Makes seasoning a little easier sometimes, and several of mine had a rough finish to start with. Just cooked breakfast 'taters in my fav this am. Once they are seasoned they are wonderful. Sometimes that takes some doing.

I have taken a green than brown scotch bright on one that was really rusted and some very minor pitting. It cleaned it up really nice.
At work we have different grit scotch bright that adheres to a vari-speed angle grinder the we use to clean up SS welds.
I do not think I would take sand paper to one unless the grit was very fine.

[clyde the point]

The grit was 80 or 100 I don't remember. It is iron, and whatever the surface imperfections were that caused the roughness quickly went away. I think I have used green scotchbrite to further smooth...point is it's really hard to hurt one of those things.

[Ken Robb]

The OLD skillet Mom had was so smooth on the bottom I think it must have been ground that way when it was made because I can't imagine it ever getting that way through use. I never cooked in it so I can only wonder if a smooth pan is better than the rough surfaces in my Lodge pans. I know smooth is easier to clean.

[Spinner]

... like fried eggs.

I have multiple skillets of various sizes and a griddle too.

No soap on mine ever; water and a brass brush (with a plastic scrapper edge) handle all issues. Paper towels will break down and leave small fragments on the surface; use small pieces of disposable cloth (like t-shirt rags) instead.

Duck fat is my favorite for seasoning. It leaves a finish unlike anything else. A very light coating of duck fat also makes the best sliced potatoes (cut #3 reds in 1/2 inch slices, lay in a single layer, turn once when crispy). I only use enough fat to give the skillet or griddle a sheen.

I also use a lot of ghee, which has a mush higher flash point than butter.

[fmradio516]

The OLD skillet Mom had was so smooth on the bottom I think it must have been ground that way when it was made because I can't imagine it ever getting that way through use. I never cooked in it so I can only wonder if a smooth pan is better than the rough surfaces in my Lodge pans. I know smooth is easier to clean.

I saw an internet video from a company who makes expensive cast irons. They say that back in the day before things were mass produced like they are today, cast iron pans were actually smooth.

[Ozz]

I saw an internet video from a company who makes expensive cast irons. They say that back in the day before things were mass produced like they are today, cast iron pans were actually smooth.

http://www.castironcollector.com/finishing.php

Cheers.

[Ken Robb]

Ozz, thanks for that info. I have looked at quite a few old skillets in antique shops but every one had a warped bottom.

[redir]

What is myth? The myth that you can ever season one of these damn things to be nonstick, you can't :D

[djg]

Ozz, thanks for that info. I have looked at quite a few old skillets in antique shops but every one had a warped bottom.

And, in addition, you can develop a nice surface on an inexpensive Lodge skillet — my older one is very nice and the newer one is good and ... I mean, it performed well at a recent holiday party for about 75-80 guests and I think it was 15 bucks at Marshall’s.

[CDollarsign]

After getting a set of all clad d5 as a wedding gift my cast iron pans have been relegated to bacon, sausage, eggs, and cornbread duty...