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Cast iron skillet is the first choice for all who love cooking. Nowadays people use cast iron skillet more than before. Cast iron skillets and pans are mostly used because of its not sticking quality and high heat retention properties. But to preserve the cast iron skillet for a long time the main secret is to know how to clean the cast iron skillet and pan. You clean it in the wrong way and boom! You destroy your fine cast iron skillet, pan, and griddle.
HOW TO CLEAN A CAST-IRON PAN
You can not clean the cast iron skillets and pans like the other cookware. Scouring or washing in a dishwasher can damage the seasoning on a bare cast iron pan. Some chefs advise not to scrub cast iron skillets at all, simply washing them with hot water with a brush after use.
Some chefs prefer to use mild soap with water or scrubbing with coarse salt and a paper towel. If you want you can use cast iron cleaner too.
CLEAN CAST-IRON SKILLET AFTER EVERY USE
To make the cast iron skillet last for a long time you have to clean it immediately after every use. Some people just cook in it and keep it for hours or even for days without cleaning it. Obviously, you cannot expect your utensils to last long if you use it this way. So it’s not only necessary but also a must doing a thing to clean the cast iron skillet and pan after every use and that should be obvious in the proper way. The best way is to wash it with water immediately after cooking when the skillet is still hot.
HOW TO CLEAN CAST IRON PAN USING PAPER TOWEL
The best way to clean a cast iron skillet and the pan are to wipe its interior surface with a paper towel immediately after use to eject the still remained food and wash it with light hot water. This process can protect the non-sticking surface of the frying pan and skillet. You can scrub the skillet lightly with a soft brush so that it does not damage the surface. But do not use steel wool or metal brush, because it will damage the non-sticking surface of the skillet. But if there is any still any excess food stuck with the pan it will definitely affect your skillet in the long run. In this case, don’t scrub your skillet forcefully, simply pour some water in it and keep it like this for some time. Then just follow the simple way I described earlier and wipe it with a paper towel. It will help to preserve your skillet for a long time. So be careful while cleaning your skillets.
HOW TO DRY A CAST IRON SKILLET
Water is the enemy of cast iron. So you have to dry your cast iron skillet or pan or griddle. Avoid using any kind of steel wool or metal brush. Use a sponge or soft brush to wash your skillet and then carefully wipe it with a towel. If you want you can heat your skillet on the oven lightly so that the heat soaks the still remained water. But in any case, do not let there be any water in the skillet.
HOW TO SEASON A CAST IRON SKILLET
To make a skillet last long seasoning is important and that comes with coating the skillet with cooking oil and baking it in a 350 degree F oven for an hour. You will reinforce the nonstick coating every time you heat oil in the skillet and you can hasten the process as often as you like. Now, why talking about seasoning? Because seasoning can preserve your skillet for a long time if you use and clean it properly. If your skillet has a grey spot that means your skillet needs to re-season. I hope now you know how to re-season your skillet right? Just follow the simple process.
AVOID WASHING CLEANER
Most people don’t understand how to clean a cast iron skillet and pans. They scrub it with washing cleaner which damages the surface of the pan. It’s not mandatory to use washing cleaner to clean your skillet. In fact, it’s better to avoid it. If the food is burned you don’t need to scrub it. Just pour it in water and keep it like that for some time. Then it will itself be wiped away. But as modern people, as usual, we don’t have any patience. On one hand, we are too lazy to clean the utensils or too impatience to do it in the proper way.
CLEANING CAST IRON PANS WITH SALT
Now, what about cast iron griddle? To clean the cast iron griddle you have to avoid the soap or steel wool because they will remove the seasoning of the griddle. Don’t complicate everything. Do it in a simple way. To clean the cast iron griddle just use the coarse salt. Scrub the griddle with coarse salt and then wash it. After that just wipe the griddle with a paper towel. It’s that simple.
LIGHTLY OIL AFTER EACH CLEANING
As oil helps to season the cast iron skillet and pans, you need to use the proper oil in the proper way. Some prefer safflower oil (75% polyunsaturated fatty acids), grapeseed oil (68%), flaxseed oil (68%), corn oil (59%), sunflower seed oil (59%), soybean oil (58%). If you can use properly these oils can help your skillet to pre-season and make it last longer.
PRESERVING IN A DRY PLACE
As I have already mentioned before water is the enemy of cast iron, I guess you already know you have to keep your skillet in a dry place. After cleaning and drying your skillet and pan, if you want you can add a bit of oil on the surface of the skillet or pan and then you must keep it in a dry place so that you can use it in the long run.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope now you have already understood thoroughly how to clean your skillet, pan, and griddle in the best way. Avoid overusing, clean immediately after every use when the skillet is still hot, wipe it carefully with a paper towel, try re-seasoning, always keep the skillet dry and keep it in a dry place. This will help you preserve your cast iron skillet and pan and griddle for a long time. Take proper care of your cast iron skillet and clean it regularly and properly.
