How to Love Cast Iron Without Being a Nerd About It

[@sillybearhours]

the “without being a nerd about it” is my favorite series

[@devinda_me]

fuck it up is my favorite to watch. I'd love to see more of it

[@maxsmith8196]

SuperResistant wait, that’s kind of Adam’s thing as well, though he gets pretty nerdy with the scientific videos

[@JungleScene]

100%, its strong fucking content.

[@tomisaacson2762]

@@superresistant0 At least Ragusea isn't all "YOU MUST DO IT LIKE THIS!!!" and is instead like "here's what I like and how it works. feel free to adjust to your needs." Chefs that are super insistently prescriptive just dissuaded me from cooking. Most of the time idgaf about making the "authentic" dish and feeling like exotic/expensive ingredients and tools are absolutely necessary otherwise the dish is ruined just makes cooking edible food look a lot harder than it actually is.

[@GZQ9]

Kinda seems like he’s throwing shade at Adam ragusea lmao

[@anicesubject]

Discovering Facebook groups where old southern dudes sell restored cast iron has been a game changer for me. Highly recommend getting a pan from one of those sellers rather than buying a new one.

[@jaminwaite3867]

I got my 12 inch pan from an old man on Facebook Marketplace.

[@g33dav3y]

Or you could pay $3 at your local thrift store, but what do I know.

[@anicesubject]

@@g33dav3y also a solid option if you're good at restoring cast iron! I've, honestly, had a hard time getting a good initial seasoning on my pans, so I like the help of an expert.

[@g33dav3y]

@@anicesubject I also have had bad luck seasoning pans, but I've had great luck just cooking with them. I know that my dad and grandfather never seasoned a pan in their lives. They scorched them a few times by accident, which probably accomplished the same thing.

[@bustabass9025]

@@anicesubject Nothing magical about it, nor are there any absolutes or indisputable Internet secrets of KZbin alchemists, as some would have the rest of the free world believe. Buy a $5 skillet at your local thrift store; they're all over the place. If it's rusty soak it in a bath of 50/50 vinegar and water for about an hour or so. Scrub vigorously with an SOS pad and rinse thoroughly. All of the rust should disappear. If it still has old carbonized seasoning you will want to remove that before reseasoning. The easiest and most convenient way to do that is with Heavy Duty Easy Off oven cleaner. Be very careful to follow the safety precautions when handling this product. Otherwise, go ahead and apply a light coating of Crisco, and heat it at 400 F an hour minimum. There are many detailed videos on KZbin illustrating this technique for restoring used cast iron to its bare metal condition, applying, and curing the seasoning medium of your choice. Careful though. Cast iron hunting, collecting,, cleaning, seasoning, and cooking is highly addictive. 👌

[@theelk801]

important note about soap: the myth that soap is bad for cast iron is based on the fact that old soap used lye, which can remove seasoning, so you’re fine unless you buy your cleaning products from tyler durden

[@movingforwardLDTH]

Thanks - you’ve just given me a response to share w/my partner when he sees me using a drop of Dawn to wash out the heavily-curried remains from our pan since I don’t want everything we cook in the pan to taste the same!

[@dave011679]

I only wash my pans with fat that's been sucked out of people at a plastic surgeon's office.

[@zero1zerozero11zero]

Soaps still use lye as the saponifying agent so idk it's probably over scrubbing and not drying the pan well. Cause if there was leftover lye after soapmaking then your hands would also be damaged lmao they're not... cast iron. Plus soap and detergent are different.

[@southernscythe2494]

Lodge even says it's okay to use a little bit of soap. The important thing is to make sure it gets dry.

[@Chrisbajs]

All soap IS lye and fat. By definition, that is what soap is.

[@Zachary-Daiquiri]

Way to just drone strike Pyrex without even skipping a fucking beat. Well done.

[@seymourglass26]

One trick to tell the difference is that the older stuff has a capital PYREX and the new stuff is all lower-case. My 1C and 8C measuring cups are the old style which I got from estate sales.

[@seymourglass26]

@@largeandscary8662 Nice find.

[@icanwatchthevideos]

@@seymourglass26 What's the main difference between the old stuff and the new stuff?

[@g33dav3y]

@@icanwatchthevideos the old stuff is borosilicate glass which is temperature shock resistant, the new stuff is just tempered glass, which will shatter is subjected to extremes in temperature for instance if you take a hot Pyrex dish and put it on a cold stone countertop.

[@icanwatchthevideos]

@@g33dav3y thanks!

[@walkermullen7670]

“How to take care of knives without being a nerd about it”

[@stonecat676]

impossible, some things just require you to be a nerd if u wanna do it properly

[@bee5150]

Don't put it in the dishwasher, dont buy $300 in whetstones right away, use a honing rod often, make sure its clean and dry before storing.

[@Hena949]

Buy a knife and cheap sharpener, use the sharpener every now and then, clean and dry after use and store the knife in a place where it doesn't bang against other kitchen tools. It's that easy

[@CerpinTxt87]

@@stonecat676 The simple fact is that most people can just get a pull through and be fine. The average person does not (and should not) care about having a perfect mirror finish, and no, you're not going to "remove too much matieral" using the dang thing a couple times a year. 1)Use a sharpening technique you actually will do 2)Clean and dry it immediately 3)Don't store it loose in a drawer

[@johnseppethe2nd2]

@@stonecat676 cope!!

[@GarretWallace]

I just want to say that, as a new owner of a cast iron pan AND as someone who is diagnosed with an obsessive disorder, it's so powerful to hear you frame this as "one fewer thing to obsess over". I'm so excited to use my cast iron pan now, and this video gave me just the right amount of information and confidence/permission to go forward that I needed.

[@jimfrenkel2785]

+1 to this method as the essential. I use soap and water, dry mine over high heat, apply a very thin film, leave till smoking, and then let cool. The pan is shiny, smooth, and cooks wonderfully. No fuss needed.

[@F4Y541]

What do you do after it cools? Also where do you store the pan?

[@daveh7720]

@@F4Y541 I use the same technique. After mine cools I store it upside-down on top of my toaster oven, mainly to keep the cat from snooping around in it. If I had room I'd hang it up but that's not practical in my home.

[@xOwn3r95]

That's really frustrating and unhealthy to make the pan smoke in the kitchen all the time, and that's why I'm not so convinced about using it...

[@JorickTube]

How is that sustainable for your skin?

[@jimfrenkel2785]

@@F4Y541 after it cools I just put it away. As it happens, I also keep mine on top of my toaster oven haha. Right side up though. No cats in my house.

[@lkentonon]

It's honestly rude how well these videos are made. No wasted words at all. Such good content

[@TheDeathmail]

He doesn't need to do this for a living... as such, he can focus solely on quality and what he wants... Most KZbinrs need to create a bunch of videos a week, so having a set style you can easily just redo over and over is helpful in doing that and creating an image that comforts viewers. And because they post so much, they end up making KZbin their way of living, so they need more sponsorship and more video time... Internet Shaquille don't need to worry about his channel not making him money.... the money is a bonus, not necessity...

[@Langey_Fitness]

The fact I've watched like twenty thirty minute videos on cast iron before watching this ... I'm so glad this was made for anyone who hasn't gone through what I've already had to suffer 😭 In the meantime, the overload-overwhelm prevented me from even cooking with it. Now it has rust lmfao. Let's start again on a chill and real note. Thank you!

[@manspeej]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnW3dJquq9KGnsU&ab_channel=JoshuaWeissman here watch this vid on how to remove rust, he used flax oil but any veg oil will work

[@enriqueortiz5036]

Big same

[@Langey_Fitness]

@@manspeej I legit just did my skillet using both of these videos! Two awesome content creators 🙏

[@walterw2]

right? what helped me get over all that internet fussiness was a couple of the "cowboy cook" ones, where dude just rubs oil on the pan and sticks it in the campfire until it stops smoking and turns black, nothing else to it i have a couple good pans, a cast iron and a carbon steel, and every now and then i rub oil on the inside and stick it on the stove until it stops smoking and turns black, nothing else to it

[@DLane-vo8qo]

@@Langey_Fitness fr I love Josh

[@Loogaroo1]

Nothing beats the absolute satisfaction of watching a NetShaq video and realizing that you've been doing it right all along. Hooray, I haven't been accidentally destroying my cast iron skillet nor have I been going overboard with the maintenance! I got it right for once!

[@devyndavidson375]

If I have to argue with ONE more person about using a small amount of dish soap on my cast iron pan... I'ma just link them this video now.

[@toddosty]

@@devyndavidson375 You know what? Even a large amount of dish soap is perfectly fine, if wasteful. The concern isn't quantity but chemistry, and modern lye-free soaps just don't have the chemistry to harm a cast iron seasoning.

[@liamtaylor9806]

And its still useful because of the bandana tid bit!

[@andrew4363]

Another positive of cast iron: far less environmentally detrimental to produce than Teflon.

[@aygwm]

Also, no Teflon floating around in your organs.

[@Laughing_Chinaman]

@@aygwm but do you really want stuff sticking to your organs?

[@wernerbeinhart2320]

@@aygwm Afaik teflon is not harmful to your organism, because it doesn't react with the gut and can't be absorbed by the body. Only way teflon is harmful is if you heat it up too much until it starts releasing fumes (you will see and smell this). The fumes can give you flu like synptomes for a short time, but there are no known long-term complications

[@shurnbrendt7581]

@@Laughing_Chinaman teflon aka super-fiber

[@DrunkGeko]

@@wernerbeinhart2320 Although it's worth noting that teflon kills some types of birds extreamly quickly. Doesn't even need to fume, just using it in the same room where your birds are and you'll kill them

[@vincentlevinger]

A good point to note is where the "don't use soap myth" comes from. Back in the day most dish soaps used lye, which is a caustic material and _would_ cause damage to your seasoning. Modern dish soaps don't use this, so they're a-ok to use on seasoned cast iron

[@igiveupfine]

i wonder if it would be actually good then to use a good soapy scrubbing to get down and find out i DON'T have a good base coat on my pan. i think i did cook too many acidic things and ruined whatever base coat i had in there. i tasted metal in too many dishes and i think it stripped it off. i'm pretty sure i do need to get a good new base coat going.

[@saschaschneider6355]

Incidentally that's similar to the origin of that "don't wash your teapot!" myth. It dates back to times when a) soaps were more aggressive and b) most teapots were unglazed and you used the tea to season the inside, similar to using fat on a pan. Over time the tea/tannins gave it a nice coating which led to having a smoother surface that bacteria (et. al) could not stick to easily and it became easier to clean. Today that's a complete non-issue.

[@vincentlevinger]

@random user When you season your pan the oil is going through a process called polymerization. Without getting too technical this basically turns the fat into a polymer that bonded to the iron. While yes soaps are designed to bond to fat molecules, the polymerization is changing the structure of the fat molecules and it makes them much less reactive, which is why modern dish soaps won't harm the coating. That being said I only use a small amount of soap when I'm washing my pan, and only if absolutely necessary. In general if you clean your pan while it's still hot after cooking and you have a good base seasoning you won't really need to scrub too hard or use soap to get everything off.

[@lawabidingcitizen5153]

More specifically an excess of lye, which causes the seasoning to saponify and become the soap and thus dissolve

[@devyndavidson375]

You are the only man I will watch an ad for.

[@internetshaquille]

I get paid whether or not you watch it :) I give you permission to avert your eyes

[@liquicitizendirk2147]

@@internetshaquille *angry advertiser noises*

[@boberson83]

@@internetshaquille I just zone out

[@ChiniBaba096]

@@internetshaquille that just makes me wanna watch it even more! 😂

[@Dotmw]

I actually do respect Shaq for giving us the heads up

[@kevinchen4599]

The APC-raw denim reference made me feel seen for the first time in 22 years.

[@internetshaquille]

ask me about my whiskers

[@klazienanalenveehouderkweker]

@@internetshaquille I'm more of a honeycombs man

[@kenwho]

NO ROOM IN THE FREEZER BECAUSE MY PANTS ARE IN THERE

[@drawingablankesq]

I am totally lost. What?

[@ListenToStatic]

People buy “raw denim” pants because they last for a long time and become aesthetically pleasing after enough consecutive wears. They aren’t supposed to be washed in the laundry, according to some. People will get rid of odors by freezing out the bacteria. I personally just do tub soaks once in a while.

[@drawingablankesq]

Dude, this is how my dad takes care of his pan and has done so for over a decade. Thank you for showing soap isn't the enemy of cast iron.

[@null-00000]

It used to be, bit modern soaps are extremely gentle, so they don't do shit to anything but regular oil now, does nothing to polymer

[@TheDeathmail]

Certain things just change over time... but it's not like the internet was big years ago... so when soap changed and became safe for cast iron, most people couldn't get the info...

[@pubcollize]

This is the first time cast iron sounds like a practical tool for a home gamer.

[@TheDeathmail]

Honestly, I used my parents cast iron for years, so I knew how to just use it and take care of it.... but after watching so many cast iron videos, it feels wrong to not go overboard... I logically realize I don't need to... but so many videos saying otherwise just got to me..

[@pubcollize]

@@TheDeathmail That's the problem these days you can't get good sources and good tips by reasonable people with good experience who have a grasp of the idea of diminishing returns. Pretty much no matter what field you're interested in, everyone focuses on things that have at best 5% impact, while neglect the things that have at least 95% impact.

[@tomisaacson2762]

@@pubcollize I feel like that comes from professionals who have been in their fields for so long that they lose touch with what the general public knows and can do. Like professional chefs' have totally different concept of what's "easy to cook" than most people (sorry Gordon Ramsay I ain't ever taking that long to cook scrambled eggs). I work at a teaching hospital and I feel like I see an analogous phenomenon in how old doctors who have been in their field for several decades are often much worse teachers to new residents than younger docs who are almost done with residency or have just finished residency. It's not because they know less about medicine. It's because they usually know less about what a brand-new resident knows and what rules of thumb are best to start off with. People think the best teachers are the people at the top of that particular field, but really teaching is a skill in and of itself.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

@@tomisaacson2762 Interesting. In high school I was a really quick learner. Above average class in Pre-cal (I had a life). I didnt need to go into the essentials math course because I knew it all(what a percentage is and basic geometry). Every once in a while I would help out one of the essentials math folks with their homework. They would play up how difficult the coursework was to understand and how unintuitive it was. But nearly every time, after I explained it a few different ways, the kid would leave *knowing* shit that they'd just spent a month struggling to catch. Do most adult teachers just suck? Do they just not remember what the basics actually are anymore? Do they forget to teach foundational ideas because they have forgotten just how little a child actually knows?

[@saschaschneider6355]

@@thekingoffailure9967 sometimes they simply can't relate, they can't see things from the perspective of a "noob", because they're far too removed from that state. Like, as an advanced beginner at guitar playing I've watched people's "complete beginner courses" that were so high above my level that I didn't even understand what they were talking about. Like Rick Beato's "How I would re-learn guitar today" - where he proceeds to explain how he'd start stuff that I had never heard of and couldn't remotely grasp. Or do. They simply have no idea what a beginner can do and understands. Because it's that simple for them and because they are used to truly complex thinking that they can't dumb down enough. And that's the secret to teaching: Being able to simplify things enough. An intermediate often is more suited to explaining things they understand than a master is because they still remember what it's like to be a beginner

[@MartinDe123]

The cast iron fat jar in the thumbnail had me fuming, I couldn't believe you were about to recommend such a thing and I was very relieved when you didn't. Thank you Mr. Shaquille

[@TheNunakun]

You are the most straightforward, thorough, nerdy yet simple, polite yet unapologetic, humorous yet dark, moderately rambunctious, sassy & groovy individual I've never met. And I haven't met most of the humans on planet Earth. Keep on truckin' brotha. One of the best channels on this double hemisphere we reside in.

[@bubblegumplastic]

When you lifted up your tiny cast iron pan i smiled so wide. I didn't even know they existed in such a small size, now i want one!! We own one cast iron pan and i can only lift it using both hands

[@Laughing_Chinaman]

brought a chap pan off amazon and it came with a 'free' mini one about the size of a fried egg

[@bubblegumplastic]

@@Laughing_Chinaman lucky! :D

[@drunkenmasterii3250]

Cast iron is heavy, might be impractical for many, find yourself a carbon pan, pretty much the same as cast iron, just less heat retention, but on the flip side it heat up faster and is more responsive. It need the same amount of care and it's pretty much as cheap.

[@jimfrenkel2785]

Very nice size for a skillet-cookie-for-two which let's be honest I'm gonna eat all by myself right

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

I have a cute little cast iron the same size. It's my go-to for a small single serving of scrambled eggs, or just one fried egg to put on some toast. It's always fun to lift up the pan and watch the egg slide all around without a hint of friction, allowing you to feel content and smug in your successful seasoning having yielded well-earned non-stick glory.

[@supmotto]

this actually answered so many questions i had about cast iron pans that other videos just made it more complex and confusing. I seriously thought you needed to oven heat a cast iron pan after you use it every time.

[@enricocillario9375]

This is just what I needed, I was gifted a Le Creuset pan for Christmas and I've used it just a few times just because I could not get a clear guide on how to maintain it, I'm busting it out asap

[@angiek207]

Do they even sell raw cast iron at all? Your pan is probably enameled. It doesn't need seasoning, but in exchange you need to be a bit precious with the enamel, because it can crack. I love my LC dutch oven for soups and slow cooking meat, especially in wine/tomato sauces (which raw cast iron can't really do without making your marinara taste like blood), but for things like searing steak or baking giant choc chip cookies you're probably better off with raw cast iron. Either way, cast iron is a wonderful piece of kitchen equipment and I hope you have a lot of fun with your pan

[@enricocillario9375]

@@angiek207 It's a round cast iron grill pan, not enameled I do have an enameled dutch oven, although I am not as careful since it's not a LC (60-something € off of Amazon) and I use it almost exclusively for bread making

[@LaggyKikee]

Every single Le Creuset product is enameled, that's why they're expensive. Even the grill pans, Woks, and Tajines, have *black* enamel inner coating. This means you won't really get much benefit from seasoning, as it doesn't really stick to the enamel. On the plus side, you don't have to stove dry the pan as the enamel prevents the iron from rusting. Also, dont scrape too hard with metal tools as the enamel can slowly degrade.

[@enricocillario9375]

@@LaggyKikee Aight, I checked their user manual, and while it IS enameled cast iron the manual says "Satin Black enamel will keep its good looks and allow a patina to build on its surface with continued use. A patina is the result of the natural oils and fats from foods baking on to the hot surface. The patina should not be cleaned off, as it enhances the cooking performance and the release of foods. It also reduces the need for surface oiling." which sounds an awful lot like seasoning

[@LaggyKikee]

@@enricocillario9375 Oh yep it definitely seasons, but its much much harder to build up than on regular iron. Trust me, I've tried, and I've never really managed to get the patina they speak of. Good luck to you though, you might get it. The fact that you don't have to stove dry still applies though, so that's a plus.

[@nursejanainholland1978]

Youngster, I just found you and I keep being boggled about how you look like my son....only a bit toasty browner! I love your videos! Love from a Colorado mama who lives in the Netherlands!

[@danielianello]

Coming from only knowing Walmart non stick pans, the patience’s required from my gen z desensitized mind to slowly season a cast iron was a learning curve itself.

[@manspeej]

cast iron isn't hard to maintain and cook with, cook with it like any other pan, clean it like any other pan then make sure you dry it reeaally reeaally well, the stove is a foolproof method then wipe a very thin layer of oil onto it, make sure you cook with it at least once a month otherwise the oil will go rancid

[@nonixus661]

Ok

[@BroccoliBrigardist]

Wow, how little is your patience xD

[@thekingoffailure9967]

Be happy you weren't like my roommate. This guys got non stick pans that have the coating scraped off of them. Then the bare whatever metal gets REALLY sticky, so he washes whats left of the pans with steel wool. Never-ending cycle of MISERY.

[@seignee]

@@thekingoffailure9967 holy shit get the man a new pan, this is sad

[@adambyrne7795]

Fit all the necessary info, a few memes AND a sponsor into less than 7 minutes. No BS. Great video as usual.

[@georgejoseph1430]

"take your apc's out of the freezer you dingus" this man has a way with words in all of his videos, i genuinely wish i was half as charismatic as this dude

[@Neilhouse5]

I use cast iron almost exclusively in the kitchen and over the years have realized that pretty much anything goes - wash with soap, scrub hard, cook acidic foods (like tomato-based sauces), don’t season in the oven regularly, etc. All you really have to do to keep it looking great and nonstick is to regularly cook in it using oil and dry it after washing (I put mine back on the burner). When you’re regularly cooking in it you’re almost always going to be good to go. There. I’ve now accomplished nothing but rehashing a video that was way better than my comment. Great vid, Shaq!

[@bathestyles6525]

I’d love if you made a similar video for knife sharpening! It’s either way too oversimplified or needlessly complex when other people present it

[@LoinclothRising]

Bro I can’t overstate how awesome this video is. I was an overwhelmed, late 20s, first time cast iron pan owner. This made it so easy and transparent. Thanks dude!

[@ep1434]

You're so right, theres way too many cast iron videos out there and I sadly watched almost all of them, but this is honestly the only one I care about now. I can always trust you to be real.

[@annnbear]

Pretty accurate. I bought mine in 1990 at the estate sale of the granddaughter of the original owner. $5. I am sharing this to a few who are too panicked to take the dive in. Even if you pay $150, it’s a value.

[@jaminwaite3867]

I got mine for like $20 I think off of FB Marketplace

[@Kat-uq7dx]

I appreciate your making this since a) you’re the only cooking channel I’m subscribed to and b) I wouldn’t’ve really sought this out on my own but now have a sustainable alternative to recommend to my non-stick-addicted mother

[@once.upon.a.time.]

I wish I had this video a year ago! I bought a cast iron pan when I moved into my new apartment right at the beginning of quarantine and then didn't use it for a year because I was so confused and overwhelmed by everything. This is such a relief to watch

[@bettyand42]

honestly this is so refreshing, i've been using cast iron all my life and they're by far the easiest pans to use and care for no matter what hipsters say. i make everything from eggs in my 6" to lazy spanakopita in my 14" (ping for recipe) and rarely do more than oil-dry them like shaq suggests. btw frying eggs in cast iron is a great way to both season them and test how good your coating is, with just oil and eggs a lot of fat seeps into the metal plus having an egg not stick is the mark of a great pan.

[@seanwoodyoneill8348]

I have multiple cast iron pans that I have had for years and I appreciate this video because it lets people know how simple their care is. Too many times I have heard someone go into some long and complicated process that seems so unnecessary to me. I bought a Lodge many years ago which I use often. I came across a free rusty as hell Lodge soon after. I ground off the rust, seasoned and put into rotation. I can now no longer tell which one is which. Cast Iron is great, I have a crush on a cast iron cauldron from a local company which I may own soon.

[@chrisa4627]

Shaq this video is gold. I'm moving out for grad school and won't have dining hall meal plans to crutch on. I needed this. Thanks man

[@Sirzacharia]

I really really appreciate that your info is ACTUALLY beginner friendly. You actually explain how a normal user should use it.

[@BS-by3rf]

Fantastic video. Having the XKCD acknowledging the prevalence of multiple standards made it even better. Thanks for making cast iron a little bit less mysterious to the everyday person! Always love this content.

[@xervoo6419]

I just skip the last heating up after drying off and it has never been a problem, I dry thorougly and let them stand on the stove to air dry before going in a cabinet. The only seasoning my pans get is from frying in them and I get a pretty nice smooth finish within a year of daily use starting from the roughness of a modern lodge. Once you have *any* seasoning on the outside you don't need to season that anymore. There is no culinary reason for having more than a couple layers of seasoning on the outside, all it does there is prevent rust. Last bit of advice: start with a pan, once you have that figured out go to a pot. In my experience pots are more complicated to care for, since the edges are higher and will actually get some wear. At the same time, it's more difficult to maintain a layer of seasoning since they don't get hot enough to actually polymerize oil on the stovetop.

[@ComeAllYouWeary]

Shaquille where were you two months ago when I bought a pan and watched 40 minute pan tutorials for two whole months

[@loungelizard3922]

I've tried using flax seed oil and kremelta, a hydrogenated coconut oil. According to the science, these should produce the toughest seasoning, but I found that the seasoning would begin to flake off after 6 or 12 months. I just use strained bacon fat now, it works fine and I've always got some lying around.

[@miles920]

Love it. I would love to see a video on chopping/preparing garlic.... I hate it so much because its so sticky and manual and messy but I have a feeling I might just be doing it wrong. Keep up the great content!

[@dearandy9211]

I'm a new cast iron user and yes- I have watched a bunch of videos online to understand how to care and maintain cast iron. watching yours do make me feel like i did not put myself in a commitment to continuously care for them. So, Thank you!

[@CrimsonScrewdriver]

This video is exactly what I was looking for, something that just explains the bare minimum and essentials.

[@ryankennedy6990]

Thank you for debunking the soap thing! I always suspected that soap wouldn't harm a properly bonded layer, but never felt like wagering one of my pans on it

[@gs427]

I do my tikka masala in it hahaa, it was yellow for a while thanks to the tumeric

[@thetheodora2371]

I just got an new 8-inch Lodge a couple weks ago. I know it's not like they used to make them, but I thought I'd make my way towards getting some more expensive and better (and larger) pieces eventually. It doesn't have an amazing non-stick surface yet of course, but I love using it. Cast irons are something I only learned about through youtube vidoes and online recipes, it's not really a part of my culture's cuisine or of my family's repertoir, but I already know I want to keep this for life. It can be intimidating from what you can find about it, but this video motivates me to keep going. Hoping to achieve a smooth layer of seasoning eventually!

[@t.miranda176]

I can't get enough of this man. Jesus.

[@xringarcher1440]

I absolutely love my cast iron collection, they’re pretty much the only type of pans I use anymore. You’re pretty spot on here, it’s really not that hard to keep them well maintained. There are so many well made brands out there these days, but it’s always so satisfying having an old reliable classic with one of those glass-smooth finishes on the surface. My favorite pan is my #8 griswold for that fact alone. A lot of modern makers do offer that smooth cooking surface, but they aren’t cheap. I have a modern made #10 size from Lancaster Cast Iron that I think at the time I purchased it, it was $225. A lot of the cheap Lodges or other brands of Chinese decent have that rough surface texture that just grinds my gears

[@thisuniquechica]

“I’ve seen Andy Baraghani’s medicine cabinet” hahaha nice reference, keeping it all in the kitchen!

[@dsweezzy]

I’ve been trying to season my cast iron for like 2 weeks now...you don’t know how much I needed this video. Thank you

[@adlanhaziq]

Thank you for inspiring my cooking Shaq. I wish I had a cast iron in my current electric-only setup. Agree on the cast iron hipsters, definitely weird to obsess over a product like that (love the selvedge denim comparison lol)

[@crackpotfox]

I don't go to 500 degrees, but every week when i bake a whole chicken, i throw my soap-cleaned and reoiled cast iron pans. 350f for an hour is plenty. Plus it adds thermal mass to the oven.

[@NoxionDesign]

The whole "no soap" thing is the one that has bugged me the most over the years, because it is a simple misconception that has been repeated so often it has become gospel. The truth is that when that advice started, you COULD damage your seasoning by washing with soap. But that is only because they were washing with REAL LYE SOAP. Your dish washing liquid is NOT soap, it is DETERGENT, and doesn't have the same chemical properties or interactions with lipids. I've washed my cast iron just like a normal pan for years with no issues and you can, too.

[@jezebel324]

I’m not kidding when I say this is probably the best channel I follow.

[@getthefonyourdot]

So close to being the end-all-be-all video I can share with friends about cast iron! Just one mistake-flaxseed oil works really good in the beginning, but the seasoning is prone to flaking off after use

[@mattspyro]

my thoughts exactly. really good video otherwise

[@katietran97]

As a beginner who is easily overwhelmed, this was EXTREMELY helpful and informative!!! Thank you!!!

[@wadball]

"SNYDER CUT, SNYDER CUT, SNYDER CUT" xDD this has notes of Eric Andre's: "NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE"

[@NekogoahIgowakay]

As a year old heavy lurker in the realm of raw denim jeans that pretty much sums things up nicely. That being said buy good jeans and support US and Canadian denim manufacturing (Japanese denim is really good too) !

[@Sagalink]

I got rid of my cast iron pan because I couldnt be assed to do the 5 billion "MANDATORY" steps to care for it. This seems much simpler... regret

[@TheDeathmail]

Still, cast iron can take a while to get great; and at least when it's new, it might be a good idea to take a lot of steps.... not only would it be a good exercise to give it a great start, but it'd make you respect it more, understand it more and frankly, care more... plus, it can be used as a meditative cycle to teach patience. But in the end, as long as you constantly use it... cast iron is quite easy to use... you would reach a point where you'd never even need to season it, with it being like any other pan... My parent's cast iron never needs to be seasoned and works great... mine, which is much newer, did need more seasoning.... but after a year of constantly seasoning it and also using it... it's starting to need less and less seasoning... Of course, you don't need to go that far... but at least a weak, try going the overboard method... One week of hard work for a life time of joy... seems worth it... And you can just use Pam spray to season it...

[@isomorphic97]

@@TheDeathmail its like leather you have to use it and take a little care and it will hold up for centuries

[@CerpinTxt87]

@@TheDeathmail ...just keep it oiled and dry lol, good Lord. It's like people have a built in resistance to keep cast iron simple.

[@rebdomine1]

Thanks for making this video, it's a good quick summary. I would caution against acidic cooks entirely myself. Even if you have super thick seasoning, long slow cooks like chilli or bolognaise will be damaging and weakening the seasoning, but more importantly, you impart a metallic taste to the dish. It is better to cook those in an enameled dutch oven, or a simple stainless steel pot. Hot recipes involving sugar should be avoided too.

[@thanks4272]

Irradiated by 7G towers. Great line

[@Tzara86]

It sent me 😆

[@daughterofgod3721]

I literally choked on the wine I'd just sipped before he said that

[@t0ad55]

I just got a very old cast iron pan from my grandad as a going away present for college and this video was a life saver

[@devinmunoz3424]

Step #1 is a must! 1:02

[@Spiritchuckpvp]

3:05 Just one comment about this, from what I can gather, the notion that soap will eat away at your seasoning layer comes from back in Grandma's day, lots of soap was based on Lye back then. Since that's no longer the case for most dish soaps, there's zero issue with using soap nowadays with your cast iron pan. Thank you for the videos, love your channel!

[@GarrettWease]

2x monthly netshaq? #blessed

[@SquirtMac17]

Literally just bought my first cast iron skillet last week and have been worrying about this since, the timing is oddly perfect. Thank you our cooking guru 💙

[@jasonlieberman4606]

If I send Curology pics of my cast iron, will they send me oils and stuff for my seasoning routine?

[@ramonanaya6236]

Lmao

[@synthguy7774]

I lucked out and found some Griswold pans at an estate sale for $40 bucks. Anything that was 3 times as much that's made nowadays can't compare.

[@Harpotos]

Why I season my cast iron, NOT my steak

[@RealPetasi]

Wrong channel bro

[@yestaday23]

I’ve been procrastinating restoring my cast iron since all the info I’d gotten previously was overwhelming. This has motivated me pull it out again, thanks

[@Donwaz]

You are the man for real dude

[@DevinLeeOstertag]

I have watched so many cast-iron videos and this is the first one that has been truly helpful

[@johnb8440]

Easy way to deal with seasoning, super easy to remember. Oil it, then 420F for 69 minutes. You will never forget it, your welcome.

[@nutmegosaurus]

it's like you specifically tailored this for me. there's so much information about the care for these pans, with a lot of it being contradictory. this video is literally perfection and I'm so glad you cleared a lot of my worries up, thank you!

[@Ronster822]

Not quite perfection. You don't want to use flaxseed oil.

[@jameswilliams7026]

I love you Shaq

[@internetshaquille]

let's stay playful together :)

[@jameswilliams7026]

@@internetshaquille Absolutely, more Videos if you don't mind please

[@carolinabeacher1558]

i have a few of my grandmothers cast iron skillets, one of which i have never had to re-season, its used daily for making eggs, when done i rinse with water, throw back on stove wipe bacon grease in it and let it slowly cool, i can cook cheese in it and no stick.

[@UATU.]

I didn’t realize I could be a nerd about cast iron, but it would explain why I screech like a demented rooster when I see someone scrubbing one with soap.

[@drunkenmasterii3250]

How do you feel now that you know most modern dish soap won't affect your pan coating?

[@UATU.]

@@drunkenmasterii3250 I’m too old to change, and so are my ancient pans. Salt works better than soap anyway. 😛

[@drunkenmasterii3250]

@@UATU. I've got old griswold pans and soap work just fine, it's degreasing unlike salt so I don't share your opinion that salt works better and it's way less expensive than using salt. Also salt water is much more damageable to your pans so you need to make sure to rinse it and dry it really well. The only advantage it has over soap is a little bit of abrasiveness, that dilutes quickly in the water and is ultimately useless to clean a pan if you use heat to detach food that could be stuck to it. But you do what you feel like, it doesn't really matter. I've washed mines with salt too until I figured out it didn't serve much purpose.

[@gungfoomon7729]

I tend to add a small amount of water or stock to the pan after the meat is done and make a sauce with the awesome residue. That saves me scrubbing later and also tastes amazing.

[@aaronthegold]

"Made without chemicals like those in teflon" Carbon: am I a joke to you?

[@lauratiso]

Seeing a Tramontina cast iron in this video makes me proud, this company was stabilished in 1911 in my homeland. I never thought that it's products were exported.

[@bmxjeffdood]

I will never use soap OR water to clean my cast iron. I just stare at it intensively for 20-30min at a medium to high heat. Then I soak it in goat seed oil immediately after. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise YOULL RUIN YOUR CAST IRON

[@envysmith6832]

I love seasoning the pan. It's so satisfying to give it a layer of oil every single time.

[@yousmokemid]

I will never forgive our neighbor we let borrow a cast iron skillet. She took a metal brillo pad to years' worth of seasoning...

[@RamenNoodle1985]

So they chose death!

[@4nd4s]

this dude's way of speaking is unmatched. love the videos

[@crabedcoin2081]

Too bad if you watch videos about cast iron you are already a nerd

[@The6426]

You've managed to answer every single question I have or should have had about cast iron pans with this video. Very good man!

[@alehut]

Damn this video's longer than the Snyder Cut

[@P3N1SLUVR]

I think this is the first video I’ve ever watched that has said a little soap won’t kill your cast iron. Scrubbing with salt is not practical for everyday use, it just doesn’t make sense, especially when you’ve cooked something greasy like bacon that you leaves residue. Great video.

[@cmbaz1140]

Minimum Level Effort Sounds nice...

[@andrewkrahn2629]

I'd add: - maybe avoid boiling stuff like tomatoes if you haven't cooked fatty stuff in your pan/seasoned it yet. It won't hurt the pan but you might need to re-season it. - the seasoning may actually burn off at high temperatures over around 800F, so be careful on the grill - cooking in iron shouldn't change the taste of your food but it does add a small amount of dietary iron. This can be good for some and bad for others with certain heart conditions (not a doctor, just what I remember)

[@tmbre]

preroll advertising shoutout? smh april fools changed you,,, disliked unsubscribed

[@uthmanhamid5052]

Great video as always but I wouldn't recommend flaxseed. It looks nice but flakes really easily. One of the best oils to use is grapeseed. I know this was only meant to be a basics video but I feel like it might be important to note

[@ptys.]

What a great discovery this was! Been using cast iron for 10+, been fluffing around with all sorts of nonsense to keep it from rushing. Thx

[@luca7009]

this video actually got me to start using my cast iron regularly after basically being afraid of it for years. no regrets!!

[@grimlok3487]

As a cast-iron enthusiast, I love this. Thanks so much!

[@marleee.2174]

I’ve been wanting a cast iron skillet but was afraid to get one because I wasn’t really sure how to take care of it until this video! Thanks!

[@deemjeffrey]

Who would have thought the wacky guy I had a crush on from Vine would turn out to be both hilarious and informative? You make awesome content and it’s very easy to understand.

[@mefobills279]

Not bragging but I'm pleased with my setup. Double ring power burner 20K BTU by GE, and vent hood. 15 inch Lodge with a long handle. Yes, 15 inch. FOUND at Academy in Texas. Use avocado Oil for seasoning, and now have maybe 50 layers. The pan was so pebbley when new, it is taking awhile. Wiping off excess oil helps make the thin seasoning layers during the stovetop seasonin process.

[@christineb8148]

I treat all my cast iron pretty much exactly like I treat all my pots and pans, maybe with slightly less intense scrubbing; i've been doing this since I was a child, it's so not as hard as people make it. One old school tip- a bristle brush is the modern version of a traditional broomstraw pot scrubber and gets any bits up without being tough on the seasoning.

[@citizenatlrge]

No idea if you'll see this Shaq, but the absolute easiest way to get stuck-on things unstuck from cast iron or carbon steel pans is to deglaze them exactly as with stainless.. With water and a flat edge, wooden spoontula or metal is fine too if your season isn't chipping off. Just be gentle and let the boiling water do the work and keep stirring and scraping until there's no more resistance (stuck ons) in the pan. Then just wash with or w/out soap, dry it well, and add a bit of oil. I've never had to scrub any of my iron/ss pans using them this way. I feel like I should add that if you're making a pan sauce from the fond then you didn't need to know this already.