How To Clean Cast Iron Skillet
How To Clean a Cast Iron Skillet
What You Need
Materials
Sponge or stiff brush
Clean, dry cloth or paper towels
Vegetable oil or shortening
Kosher salt (optional)
Equipment
Stove (optional)
Instructions
Get right to it: Clean the skillet immediately after use, while it is still hot or warm. Don't soak the pan or leave it in the sink because it may rust.
Clean the skillet: Wash the skillet by hand using hot water and a sponge or stiff brush. Avoid using the dishwasher, soap, or steel wool, as these may strip the pan's seasoning.
Scrub off stuck-on bits: To remove stuck-on food, scrub the pan with a paste of coarse kosher salt and water. Stubborn food residue may also be loosened by boiling water in the pan.
Dry the skillet: Thoroughly towel dry the skillet or dry it on the stove over low heat.
Oil it: Using a cloth or paper towel, apply a light coat of vegetable oil or melted shortening to the inside of the skillet. Some people also like to oil the outside of the skillet. Buff to remove any excess.
Put it away: Store the skillet in a dry place.
Additional Notes
Using soap, steel wool, or other abrasives is not the end of the world, but you may need to re-season the skillet. If the skillet is well-seasoned from years of use, a small amount of mild soap may be used without doing much damage — just be sure to rinse it well and oil it after drying.
Remove rust from cast iron by using steel wool or by rubbing it with half a raw potato and a sprinkle of baking soda (seriously, it works!). Again, it may be necessary to re-season the pan after cleaning.
Seasoning The Cast Iron Pan
Seasoning is simply oil baked onto the iron that prevents rust and provides a natural, easy-release finish that continues to improve with use. Seasoning can refer to both the initial finish of the cookware as well as the ongoing process of maintaining that finish.
About the Oil
Lodge uses soybean oil to season our traditional cast iron and carbon steel cookware. There are no synthetic chemicals added at all.
The oil is highly refined, and all proteins that cause soy-related allergies are eliminated. The oil contains no animal fat, peanut oil, or paints.
Tips and Tricks
Where to buy Lodge is Bed, Bath & Beyond, Williams Sonoma, Macy's
If the seasoning on your pan is sticky, this is a sign of excess oil building up and not fully converting to seasoning. To remedy this, place the cookware in the oven, upside down on the top rack and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Allow to cool and repeat if necessary.
Occasionally when your seasoning works a little too hard with acidic foods or really high heat, you may notice some dark residue on your towel when cleaning. This is perfectly safe and normal, and will go away with regular use and care.
Some new Lodge cookware can have a small 'bubble' on the tip of the handle or on the assist handle, that can chip away and reveal a brownish color underneath. This is not rust. It is a result of our cookware being seasoned on a hanging conveyor, causing a small drip to form at the bottom. If the bubble makes it through our ovens, it is baked on, and the brown underneath is simply oil that has not fully carbonized. It is perfectly safe, and will disappear with regular use and care.
Some cookware may have slight variations in the seasoning finish. These variations do not affect cooking performance, and typically even out with use.
All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil like our Seasoning Spray.
Traditionally lard was used to season cast iron, and while that is still okay, we do not recommend it unless you frequently use your cookware. If the cookware is stored for too long, lard and other animal based fats can go rancid.
It is very important to maintain the seasoning of your cast iron and seasoned steel cookware by applying a very thin layer of oil after each cleaning. This will help keep you cooking for decades. Our Care Kit includes all the basics for routine maintenance.
