Is it Bad to Wash My Cast Iron Pan with Soap?

Watch to see Hannah explain why it's not that bad to use soap on your cast iron pan. She also explains the best way to clean and care for cast iron as well as how to season your cast iron pan. Comment below with your "Is It Bad?" questions!
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[@marcosvidal2797]

Thanks, I wash it with soap every time, and scrub with the green abrasive side of the sponge with total lack of care until it's perfectly clean. I actually treat it way worse than the teflon ones, and the seasoning keeps building up. I only watch out for 2 things: 1) Never use cold water to wash it (to avoid cracking) 2) Always heat on the stove right after washing until moisture evaporates (otherwise it would rust in 20 minutes) I might be wrong but I believe the seasoning keeps building up just from cooking, and not so much from those reseasonings after washing, which I do sometimes but not that often

[@farhorizons3901]

So pleased you dispelled the "don't wash cast iron" myth and explained that the seasoning is a layer of polymerised oil. Should also add that a dishwasher is much harsher than hand-washing and may strip away the seasoning.

[@Rembrandt133]

Want to know the crazy thing? Martha Stewart herself as a KZbin video saying NOT to use soap. Someone should clue her in. Even cooking pros like Martha don't know it all. ;)

[@HifiCentret]

That could be great if you want to reseason it. However in that case you really don't want to put it in the dishwasher anyway. You'll get fly rust all over the machine and difficult to get rid of.

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Thank you! Grew up using castiron cookware. Washed everyday with soap and water. WELL SEASONED cookware doesn't need re-oiling after every use either. Periodically frying, as in pan frying (vs deep-fryer) French fries, cooking sausage patties, frying fish and such keep the pan well seasoned. If it has been a long time since the pan was used, it is good to oil it before and after initial use to reinforce the aged seasoning. Thank you, too, for information on what not to do/use on castiron cookware. Added to that is a note to remove, as quickly as possible, acid based foods such as tomato sauces. For 2 reasons. (1) Acid is one of the ways to remove seasoning. (Boiling in a vinegar /water solution, for example. ) (2) If the acid breaks through the seasoning and reacts with the iron, the food can develop a metallic favor. A sure sign the pan needs to be re-seasoned, ASAP.

[@mendonesiac]

Thanks for helping to educate folks on what seasoning means, and how tough cast-iron truly is. I've used soap on my pans my entire life, and people often ask what I do to create that mirror finish. I use a regular sponge and soap, and if something is stuck on it gets a soaking first. Just be gentle, the abrasive side of the sponge is going to smooth the bottom of the pan, not take it down to bare metal. No need to oil after every use, just wipe with your dish towel and finish with a few seconds on the burner.

[@keetrandling4530]

Finally! Been washing my cast iron pans for decades. My Mom washed hers, Gran washed hers, great-gran washed hers! Over 100 years of cast iron washing with soap, and guess what? No problems.

[@jekciso]

Same here!

[@abradbury78]

Same!

[@somerandomperson8282]

The seasoning is never damaged when you wash it with soap?

[@semco72057]

I recently decided to go back to cast iron this year after having to throw out the non stick cookware after the Teflon began flaking off into the food being cooked. I already had a skillet which was used by my grandmother for many decades, and recently purchased two new 10.5" skillets, and two dutch ovens and love them. You are so gorgeous and your husband must love that you are a chef and can make great food.

[@carolineandtigger]

Really great. Thank you for sharing. I learned a lot today.

[@Im49th]

I would also mention that you should not let the pan drip dry and instead lightly dry it with a paper towel or use a burner. My pan ended up developing some weird mottling and rust at the front of it and I realised it was due to water running down the pan when it was standing upright and settling in that spot. I had to scrape off lots of flakes and reseason it a few times but it's gone back to a nice smooth surface.

[@lockergr]

49th What should I turn my burner to to dry the pan if I don't want to use paper towel? I have a ceramic flat top stove. Thank

[@KristiChan1]

I suspect the anti soap thing used to hold true back when the majority of soaps were made with lye, which is super caustic; I could definitely see that cutting through the seasoning of the pan quite easily. I imagine the plant based dish soaps we have today would be gentle enough to use.

[@doriaddiss8403]

FINALLY! The answers to my questions on how to take care of my everyday cast iron cookware. I've heard the soap/no-soap arguments for far too long. Nice to know that I can use a bit of dish soap to clean the schmutz off my pan with my chain mail scrubber. The other question you answered is: yes, you need to lightly re-season (re-oil) the pan after each use, but don't have to go as far as baking it for 60 mins. at 500 degrees. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@farstrider79]

A cheap bamboo spatula is the best thing I've found to scrape mine clean with. Works great!

[@susanst.82]

I’ve been using cast iron for thirty years. I’ve wash my with soap, and dry it out in a warm oven, and let cool. In this way, I know my pan is fully dry. It’s then, while the pan is warm that I may add some oil to season it if it needs it. Leave it overnight in the warm but turned off oven and I have a pan ready for use. By the way, 75% of my stovetop and oven ware is cast iron.

[@amyarmstrong5397]

Thank you for this video.

[@raedwulf61]

My mom always used cast iron pans- the same ones for fifty years. Washed them with soapy water. Never had a problem. No sticking ever. I need to go back to that as modern pans are awful and don't last.

[@josephboisvert2030]

That was great.....thanks for the heads up, thought soap was a no no!!!!!!!keep up the tips.

[@stevieann2491]

I always wash my cast iron with dish soap. I have not seasoned my 2 Lodge skillets in years with no problems.

[@JogBird]

you dont need to season it after every use, esp if its already well seasoned... just put it over the burner to dry off the water after washing

[@chrisz.9974]

Warming up some oil isn’t quite “seasoning” either.

[@madthumbs1564]

This was full of misinformation: Soap (lye based) will destroy the seasoning. - Detergent is ok. Cast Iron can easily crack; imo triple clad pans are more durable. CI's heat retention is due soley to them being brittle so they have to be made thick; you can get thick pans made from other metals. You can season stainless steel or 3 ply clad pans which have much better heat distribution. Cast Iron is only making a come back because of misinformation that they continue to spew, and what she said it wasn't making a comeback for.

[@Gadgetmaster101]

@@madthumbs1564 typical dish soap isn't lye based now a days so while maybe worth a mention it's not misinformation to say you can clean it with soap. Also it's heating properties comes from the fact it is iron and it's durability comes from the thickness, I have never used triple clad steel before and I'm sure it's great but it will never have the heat retention/conduction of iron.

[@DParkerInTheWoods]

@@madthumbs1564 "Soap (lye based) will destroy the seasoning." Actually, that's bordering on misinformation as well. Yes, in your grandma's day some soaps were made in a way that often (even usually) resulted in them containing residual lye (especially if homemade). Modern commercially made soaps don't suffer from that problem. And while I'm not advocating anyone use a bar of Irish Spring for doing their dishes (which would be dumb just because liquid dish soap is easier and works much better), it wouldn't hurt.

[@joseorjuela6897]

Thank you! I just rescued a lodge and I needed to know this.

[@LemuelCantos]

I use a lot of detergent on my cast iron and it's still fine. Doesn't remove any of the coating.

[@marcusfenix2620]

Same. Ppl are trippin

[@unclerat2131]

I would add that you should season the outside of the pan too. It will help keep away that gunk that builds up on cast iron. It will also prevent that rust that can form on the burner side of the bottom of the pan. Just be sure you are spreading the oil while the pan is hot.

[@rebekahbryantinman1060]

Came here from another popular food channel & I'll just say that I'm very thankful I did! Haha

[@briantan3931]

I've started using a bit of soap with no noticeable ill effects. I find also that wiping it dry immediately after cleaning is essential to prevent rust

[@Dawhoop]

No need to wipe it just put it on the stove and it'll evaporate

[@yearginclarke]

@@Dawhoop I wipe it out first then put it back on stove, so as to not be wasting as much gas/electricity.

[@OldCootProductReviews]

Curious, if you are doing the stove-top seasoning method, once you get the oil up to the point that it is smoking, do you shut off the gas right away? Or do you continue to leave the pan on the burner until all the smoke has disappeared, and then shut off the gas?

[@cristrivera]

Great video!! Thanks for clarifying this CI myth. I have a doubt: Is it bad to re-use frying oil?? Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

[@constanceweinberger3078]

Progressive use of the same oil causes it to break down and become more unstable on a molecular level. So it is recommended that while it is safe to reuse oil it progressively becomes more and more unhealthily. It is suggested to limit it to a few uses, best healthwise to use once.

[@lockergr]

Maybe I'm just too particular but I struggle because I hate drying them with paper towel because you get the paper flakes all over in the pan and you can get pieces of fiber from your kitchen towel as well. I kind of gave up on cast iron because I never felt like I was really getting it clean. I have a ridged pan and it was impossible to clean after cooking lamb chops on it. I tried salt and that chain mail and none of it worked. I heard that you just cannot use soap and so I just stuck the pan in an unused area of the house and left it. I guess if I can use soap on it then I would use it regularly but I'm wondering if it will ever get a seasoning. I plan to wash mine with soap after each use and then reoil it.

[@gtenhave]

I like how you explain this. i need to know the details. why would i just take your word on it.

[@avatarnemo1]

Thanks for clarifying! My friend almost murdered me because I accidentally put a drop of soap in his cast iron skillet and now I can link him to this video!

[@Gadgetmaster101]

Beware some people hold on to the no soap thing anyways, my step dad is a firm believer in it despite the fact I use soap in my cast iron and it's fine, not to mention the chemistry of how soap works and what happens when oil polymerizes shows that dish soap doesn't hurt seasoning.

[@xr94st3qj71]

I am confused, I have to season after each use? Or doesn't cooking in them season them ??

[@hollym5873]

These Video's are so informative. Thanks

[@AmericasTestKitchen]

We're glad you're enjoying them!

[@ckost2308]

Back in the day, all soaps contained Lye, Lye consumes every organic material, so seasoning on old Griswold etc. had the seasoning stripped if cleaned with that soap. Modern soaps are great at cutting thru grime and grease, your seasoning on cast iron cookware is safe from soaps now days.

[@pax84111]

Hey Chef Hanna's I use soap n water but I always dry then hit it with pam

[@hkyt21]

Using an oil spray is so convenient to oil a cast iron pan thinly after washing

[@trishcomey6322]

I inherited my grandmother’s cast iron frying pans. I can’t get the inside and outside of the sides smooth. Doesn’t effect the cooking. Maybe a Dremel tool?

[@Boyetto-san]

This myth must really die hard if ATK needed to make TWO videos now debunking it. I've been saying this since forever, but if you cooked something that leaves really sticky or tough residue, using soap to wash you cast iron is actually BETTER for it because it allows you to scrub a lot more gently than w/o it. It's scrubbing too hard or using a scrubber or cleaner that's too abbraisive that's going to scrape your seasoning away. Seasoning is already polymerized, it's not grease anymore, so soap can't wash it off unless you're already scraping it off from being too heavy-handed. It's also possible that the seasoning had simply weakened or burned off because of being on a high enough heat for too long while you were cooking, but its pretty much never the soap's fault.

[@asiburger]

BoyBalastog thanks, this is partially new to me and I have to admit it makes total sense.

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Well said, BoyBalastog. Agree with you. Have collected castiron for a number of years. To strip for re-seasoning takes more than dish washing amounts of soap / detergent and water. I have both a lye batch and electrolysis system set up to remove crud, old seasoning and rust, as applicable. Dish detergent, used as generally directed, just won't do it. !! BTW, dish detergent can remove some of the oil from a poorly applied/processed attempt at seasoning a piece of CI. If fact, it's a pretty good test of the quality of seasoning. If soap and water can remove it, the seasoning task was not successful, IMO.

[@Boyetto-san]

Oldtimer Lee Gotta agree. I've been through the lye bath method myself and still ended up with several stubborn spots of seasoning that needed the wire wheel brush to get off (don't worry, it was a modern Lodge).

[@lancewalker6067]

Never used soap on cast iron and never will. Grandma was right.

[@Alf_4]

does this also apply to carbon steel pans too?

[@rickkop1566]

Do you season and treat a carbon steel pan the same way?

[@Ashadowtotheworld]

So one thing that was mentioned but not explained, the video said don't soak your cast iron pan in soapy water but didn't explain why and what would happen if you did... Also I used steel wool on my cast iron after the very first time I used it not knowing I wasn't supposed to. It was only once and there was not really any seasoning on it from before since I had only used it once. In this case have I don any irreparable damage?

[@mi13estrellas]

What about le creuset glazed cast iron pans/pots ?

[@AndrewPPrice]

Ahh. I've been scrubbing mine with steel wool, since I figured it was invincible. Didn't realize it was taking off the seasoning. No wonder it rusts quickly. Whoops.

[@nora22000]

Use copper. It's softer. Boil a little water in it, then push a wooden spatula around in it. Most stuff will come off without disturbing the seasoning.

[@stevereist1509]

No problem at all.

[@marianaa1850]

is it bad to use oil pasing the smoke point?

[@benedictylau]

i use it.

[@georgekraus9559]

No need to use soap unless you have tried salt. I just spring some salt and wipe it with a piper towell. The scrubbing action with the sale will remove any food particles.

[@conqwiztadore2213]

I like to leave my cast iron grill pan in the oven to burn as the oven cools down. Then the next time i use the pan, all the food debris are all burnt and it s very easy to scrape them off with a flexible knife and then just rinse with hot h20. Is this bad?

[@larssonsoder4824]

I have some questions, please help me :( : 1. For a carbon steel pan, can I use soybean oil for seasoning? 2. I've never seasoned a pan before, people told me that I should put the pan in the oven, heat it before putting oil on it to avoid some ugly dots on the pan? Is that correct? 3. In my place we tend to wash the pan using soap, until there is no oil stuck on the pan because we're afraid that the oil can be rancid when it's left outside, I just wonder if we just leave the oil like that, on the pan after seasoning, will the oil be rancid? 4. Can I wash the pan using soap right after seasoning? (I mean after I cook, wash it and put it on the shelf for later use) 5. When I season, should I only take a rag, dip it in my soybean oil, place it all over the pan and heat it, instead of putting a large cup of oil? Thank you.

[@SirNoobs]

Do these tips also apply to stainless steel? I'm curious because some also recommend seasoning stainless steel pans similarly.

[@2adamast]

It can but it is more demanding as black seasoning looks inappropriate on stainless.

[@mendonesiac]

The only 'seasoned' stainless pans I've seen were in a restaurant. Nobody bothers to scrub them when they're washing the same skillet 50 times every night.

[@Macros1971]

Is it bad that I own cast iron cookware, but can't seem to keep it well maintained?

[@TheOHNOESITSSCOTTY]

I'm currently in cooking school and they taught us to heat salt in the pan, dump the salt and scrub with a paper towel. Then add oil and heat for 5 minutes, then again scrubbing with paper towel. Rinse and repeat until the pan is non stick. Would you suggest not using salt as an abrasive?

[@nora22000]

You got a good method. You can also use dry oats or rice to scrub, and the cut side of a potato to get stuff to come off.

[@gtenhave]

What is seasoning exactly? Making it non stick?

[@katieriley4095]

What is the best way to remove stuck on food without soaking or a scrub brush?

[@buythedip5300]

I like to hear it up again then clean it hot but be careful

[@pastpianist]

Is the rough side of a sponge too abrasive to scrub down with? Same question for salt which I see used often enough

[@Ashadowtotheworld]

I also want to know this

[@toniacbc]

What should I do if my pan was not cleaned properly and found a week later? How do I clean that?

[@RicoSoprano_]

She said cast iron made a comeback but in my family they never left. I grew up as a kid using one and as a adult I’ve always used it

[@xalxchax6989]

Is it ok to wash all pans with soap?

[@MIXEDCHANNELSAJIRA]

hi

[@MartinParnham]

Forgive my ignorance but is that "chain mail" scrubbing thing (I've never seen it in the UK. We have Brillo or Steel Wool but that's not the same thing?) abrasive? I get why I shouldn't use abrasives but surely that chain mail thing IS an abrasive?

[@karstenvonfjellheim5321]

My mom was trying to peel off decades of buildup on one of her cast iron pans. She sprayed it with oven spray and put it in a garbage bag-and forgot about it for two years. Is it salvageable, I mean, the oven cleaner, has it maybe penetrated too deep/too long and it can never recover and be used as a pan again?

[@2adamast]

Karsten Von Fjellheim even if the iron was eaten away there is probably the option to sand the surface flat and oil the pan again

[@karstenvonfjellheim5321]

I will have to try that. And if that is all it takes, that is quite amazing. When I say I am worried about the oven cleaner penetrating too deep, is that maybe not an issue; on a molecular level? Can't a cast iron pan become brittle, and suck in the oven cleaner poisons? If that is the case, is there a way to pull that out again? Wouldn't the oven cleaner "keep working", deeper and deeper? One odd way I heard of cleaning a cast iron pan, while camping, is to fill it with water and let it heat up and boil for 10mins. This is supposed to clean it, "suck out stuff", and then after you coat it with oil.

[@jameslocke5498]

In my Grandmother's house, there was nothing to cook with except cast iron. Stews, fried chicken, sauces, steaks, egg, biscuits loaves of bread soups everything under the Sun. The pots and pans were always washed and dried on the burner then cooled and put away. I think from all that use they didn't need reseasoning the surface was like stainless steel. I think if you told her you didn't need to wash the pan she hit you with it.

[@hellohangfire]

Now I need to apologize to my mom for yelling at her for washing my cast iron skillet... sometimes you just have to suck it up and admit fault.

[@donutnarwhal135]

that's a skill that I'm still kinda working on, I admire you

[@MIXEDCHANNELSAJIRA]

frans.

[@coalhollister420]

Thank you I never wash mine just wipe it out because every time you use it is seasoned again unless you make bread

[@charlesk2850]

❤❤❤

[@BeckVMH]

Not being sarcastic, but you’ve said not to to use steel wool, etc. Is the chain link pad not “abrasive”?

[@siriusalien2977]

I remain confused about the best oil to use to season. Not all of us city folk have pork lard on hand

[@curlywolfone]

That’s just great! ...I’ve been trying to get my wife to stop scrubbing my skillet clean for 30 years and you’ve just given her full license to continue on; I’m sure she didn’t hear anything about the careful washing of it!

[@gnome2024]

OMG Hannahs eyes are gorgeous!

[@bsol510]

Didnt realize amy adams did cooking videos

[@Phlegethon]

Directly contradicts that other lady on this channel but at least finally got the correct answer

[@sashadmorris]

Not really cookware, but Is it bad to cut mold off fruit or cheese or bread and eat the "good" part? I do this all the time and my husband is disgusted. Shhh-- don't tell him about last weeks peaches

[@mikkeljepsen7425]

In general, yes. If the food is "soft", like bread, soft cheeses, and fruit, just cutting the moldy area off is not good enough. The mold have microscopic threads that can spread very easily through the fooditem, without you being able to see it, possibly infecting everything and not just the moldy part. Now for hard fooditems, like hard cheeses, most would say it's fine to cut the mold away, as the small spores have a hard time growing through the item. But be generous when cutting it off. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXi8datugdyjiMk for more info on mold.

[@Korozzz]

What about the carcinogen effect of burnt cooking oil ? Basically it sounds that leaving a thin layer of oil on the skillet ,and not scraping it off in the end of use - will make my family ill ,and cancer endangered . Isn't it ? As you said -"polymerization" and "plastic layer" of fatty acids - are free radicals which harms your health. What you suggest ?

[@garydannenbaum3452]

No matter how bad I may have burned food onto any of my cast iron vessels I have never used even one drop of soap to clean them. Hot water and a nylon scrubber, yes, but NEVER soap.

[@Curse_of_the_moon]

Polymerization is from yugioh

[@ExaltedDuck]

The way I like ke to clean cast iron is to douse it under running water as soon as possible while still hot to soften any stuck on debris, pour out the water, then pour in a tablespoon or two of coarse dalt and scrub with a paper towel. Then rinse the salt and debris out and repeat the salt scrub if any stucstuff remain or the rinse water has a sheen. Salt is a very mild abrasive, only strong enough to grab the stuff you want out but not so hard that it would damage the seasoning. Finally, I just wipe the pan dry then heat it briefly to drive off any residual water. I find oiling the pan after leaves a sticky film that ctches a lot of dust and has a chance of contributing off flavors.

[@vZuijlen]

I do the same thing! But I let my pan cool down a bit. When the pan is hot I use a paper towel. After it had some time to cool I scrub it with some salt and clean it out with hot water. Repeat if necessary. And dry it on the stove. I do not put a hot pan under the water because the shock can damage the pan

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Simply add warm water and return it to the heat, if you have stuck on debris. Let it simmer a few minutes. "Douse it under running water as soon as possible while still hot" has the potential to warp or crack your pan, due rapid change of heat and/or uneven change in heating. If your water is too cool and your pan too hot, at the time of dousing, your pan can destroy itself. Agree with your closing comments concerning oiling the pan afterwards. A well seasoned pan doesn't need it. And, if stored, for any length of time the "raw" oil can turn rancid. Especially if it's a Dutch oven stored with the lid on top.

[@ExaltedDuck]

I'm not dropping a cherry red pan into a sink full of water. it's more like a 250-300 °F pan under a running tap. It's not going to warp (and having done it hundreds, if not thousands of times in my life, I've never had that happen)

[@lockergr]

What should you do if you have a ridged pan and this method along with a chainmail scrubber still doesn't get the burnt on meat off? That's why I used my cast-iron pan trice and then never again. The food tasted better than any other me I had ever cooked and I would love to be able to keep using it. Thank you.

[@Mrcaptainmorgan93]

I activate polymerization

[@Henry-yo9qf]

make a video about if washing chicken is bad

[@JawsofFreedom]

Why on earth would you wash chicken?

[@Boyetto-san]

Conventional wisdom is that you rinse chicken because poultry is particularly prone to being contaminated with certain bacteria that cause food poisoning. However, that reasoning's been reversed in recent years by most health authorities because getting your chicken wet is more likely to spread the bacteria further because of all the now-contaminated water that drips off the meat. Basically, just make sure not to eat raw chicken and don't cross-contaminate.

[@Henry-yo9qf]

David I commented as a suggestion so they could make a video about this topic which people have different opinions about.Of course washing your chicken isn't good and that's what I want them to explain to others.

[@Paelorian]

It's bad. Cooking will kill any questionable organisms. Washing will put raw chicken juice, potentially containing pathogens, all over your sink. A store-bought chicken isn't covered in dirt and doesn't need to be washed.

[@Google.Is.Skynet]

AS LONG AS YOU SEASON THE PAN IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU WASH IT ITS GONNA BE FINE

[@cuisined]

Well, I'm Hungry. Why did you have to show *A tutorial* to cleaning Cast-Iron with steak sizziling on top of it. Do you even get what you did now? :-) Please saying hi to all wonderful ATK Kitchen Staff. You are amazing }{.

[@sashadmorris]

Another one, is it bad to use liquid measuring cups for dry ingredients and vice versa? I assume, yes!

[@roberts459]

Sasha Morris they are not different, a dry cup is the same as a liquid cup. Really we should move away from using cups and use scales it's far more accurate.

[@alskndlaskndal]

I tried to season a pan once and my house filled with smoke from the burning oil... No bueno! Smelled bad for a couple of days.

[@michaelwesterland1853]

You only need a very small bit of oil. Maybe about the size of a half dollar. Not knocking ATK but if you like, search KZbin for "cowboy Kent Rollins cast iron". INHO he's the best "cast ahhrnnn" teacher up here. Funny guy, too.

[@michaelwesterland1853]

Forgot to add ... medium heat is all you need. When the *rim* of the pan is hot to the touch, add a little bit of oil & wipe bottom & sides with a lint free rag. Wipe it again after a few minutes. Keep it on medium or medium-low heat for a while, it'll polymerize just fine.

[@alskndlaskndal]

Thanks!

[@hannahcrowley2030]

yeah, it's funny how easy it all sounds when you lay out the steps but there is definitely an art to this. i'm still learning myself. the thing i really love is that you can bring a pan back even if you mess it up, it helps knowing there's second (and third, and fourth, and fifth....) chance with these pans. give it another whack!

[@electronpusher604]

Past ATC videos say not to use soap. lol

[@mmd195401]

I have no idea where this approach comes from, but I can tell you it's recent. And don't tell me that soaps "back then" had lye in them and soaps today won't harm the pans. That comes from a place of ignorance, since they didn't clean their cast iron pans back then with lye anyway. I've been using cast iron for over 50 years, never used soap, and my grandparents and their grandparents never used lye either.

[@ILoveTheAllCreator]

🧢

[@goldwinger5434]

Making a comeback? I didn't know that it had ever gone away.

[@unguidedone]

what do you mean "made a come back" ?? If im not using my alclad set im using cast iron for something... People only stopped using them or a trend was seen with newer or younger people who dont know how to cook.

[@youdoitillwatch]

That's the oddest pronunciation of 'polymerization' that I've ever heard.

[@chiara2992]

That's actually the correct pronunciation!

[@bluecadillac]

It is the British way.

[@ardentdfender4116]

To scrub clean it, wipe out with paper towel to remove food then drop coarse salt in pan and wipe & rub with the coarse salt to remove anything that’s actually stuck to the pan. The salt will also soak up any excess soil and goods stuck to the pan. Quick soap easy wash after. Then put on stove at low heat to dry out completely after quick wipe dry. Then drop some oil in pan and wipe to oil coat and bond to pan. Let cool on stove. Store however you want after.

[@asiburger]

Ardent Dfender salt is to abrasive. You scrub off the seasoning. Just use something like a wooden spatula for crusty parts, water and a sponge. It's best to soak it in water beforehand. Then drying like you said.

[@gd.lal.7735]

Why does the season flake off when heated on high?

[@stevereist1509]

What did you season with. Flaxseed oil is bad about flaking with use.

[@gd.lal.7735]

@@stevereist1509 refined peanut oil

[@gtenhave]

non abrasive sponge... but then you use an abrasive chainmail thingy! I would have used the brush with the natural bristles. and unfragranced dish soap

[@cfrost87]

The only time any abrasives should be used is when reconditioning a pan.

[@SuperLuckao]

Yes. It won't wash away seasoning but u might gst a soap taste .

[@joshanderson924]

No... Only soap while the pan is cold

[@avalon449]

I believe everything Hanna says.

[@avalon449]

More Hanna please!

[@comesahorseman]

BTW, cast iron pans aren't *quite*indestructible. Please don't try putting a dirty pan directly into a fire to clean it. Yes, you'll burn off the crud but you'll also change the molecular structure of the iron, making it very brittle & prone to cracking. Properly cared for, a cast pan will outlive you!

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Not only the reddish tinge that results from over heading, uneven heating of a pan in a fire can cause it to break (crack), right there in the fire. Sad, when it is one of the treasured old ones from prior generations. Even those old no-name gate marked skillets are treasures due to the craftsmanship they display. A joy to use.

[@rickeys]

Correction: There's no reason to re-season your pan "after every use". Re-season it after every CLEANING.

[@sunchips18]

Rick Stricker But...don’t you clean it after every use? You got to get rid of all the leftover gunk after you’re finished with it.

[@clippedwings225]

"Without all the chemicals" Oil is a hydrocarbon, which is a group of chemicals, not to mention that unless your pan itself is pure iron then it too is made up of chemicals. Chemicals aren't bad, another example being lye. It's drain cleaner, you can't make authentic pretzels without it. It will also melt your flesh if you get it on your skin. Teflon, is completely benign, and is the nonstick component in nonstick pans.

[@clippedwings225]

So I may have been wrong but used correctly it’s fine, the point is that chemicals aren’t inherently terrible.

[@rickeys]

They don't use Teflon any more. The current coatings are safe.

[@asiburger]

Bo Zo, are you serious? It's toxic if it gets too hot? Like.. hm. Burned Plastic? Burned food? Burned wood? Just about anything BURNED becomes cancerogenic. This is like saying "water is lethal, if used wrong. It can literally kill you by mere inhalation." It's the same kind of stupid that SleepingInsomniac pointed out. The same! Oh the irony!

[@ExaltedDuck]

There are cases where unloaded Teflon pans have off-gassed fumes that have killed pet birds. A previous replier is correct when they say the industry has been moving away from Teflon. It has some very interesting properties that make it attractive for cookware but it is not as safe as was originally believed.

[@alskndlaskndal]

asiburger You can make your point without being rude. Some people may not be aware that you have to take extra care with these coatings so that information could be helpful to them.

[@casullarms1]

There is always someone out there that tries to improve the wheel, to show what they think know. If its not broke don't fix it.

[@Leto_0]

Idioms =/= wisdom

[@MyRebel44]

I never use soap. Never!

[@joshanderson924]

I always use soap. Always!

[@tomcatt1824]

👀 think 👀 💘 U....

[@rodolfocruz6855]

I know you are the expert and a professional about this... But if my husband says to not use soap because it ruins the seasoning then he's right and there's not arguing about it.

[@joshanderson924]

Your husband is an idiot

[@khaledzurikat7190]

To all cast iron/carbon steel pans lovers: Do we know if seasoned pans are safe for health? If Seasoning is polymerized and plasticized oil that some of it gets into the food every time we cook with it. Is ingesting those chemicals-plastics/polymers- safe? It is now known that oil heated to high temps produce cancerous and toxic compounds. (E.g aldehydes) And The seasoning seems to not be that strong as cooking acidic foods such as tomato sauce or scrubbing it hard can noticeably remove the seasoning. And ATK advises to re season every time after use. All these are indications that the seasoning most likely gets into the food every time we cook with it even if we do not notice it clearly as we do when we cook tomato sauce.

[@mistisimpson8570]

so my bf showed me this and i looked him right in the eye and said i trust my grandma more than a woman on the internet

[@nikkimelton7023]

I absolutely agree!

[@joshanderson924]

Your grandma's wrong

[@ILoveTheAllCreator]

​@@joshanderson924No, you're wrong

[@joshanderson924]

@@ILoveTheAllCreator This myth started decades ago when soap used to contain a chemical called "lye". Lye would strip the oils from a cast iron pan very easily. Nowadays soaps don't contain this ingredient anymore. You can wash a cast iron pan with dish soap once dry you add a drop of oil to maintain the seasoning. Take my advice and end the madness.