Master Cast Iron Skillet Thread

[Vishenka69]

I need help with my La Creuset cast iron grill. I've only had it for a few months but recently it has started to smoke and I can't figure out why. My mom said it's probably not completely clean and there are still particles stuck to it. It does get harder and harder to scrub it down completely clean. I'm afraid to use SOS pads because I don't want to scratch the surface. Right now I'm using the sponges that have the green scrubbing layer on the other side of the yellow sponge. I love the grill but afraid it will set off my fire alarm one of these days. Please help.

[ce_Kathleen]

I dont' own any cast iron so I don't know if this will help or not.

But I do have quite a few stoneware pieces from pampered chef and they came with these little brown scraper things that are really good for cleaning off the stones.

I know with the stones you can't use soap or anything on them (I think its the same with cast iron) so maybe this will help?

[dana b]

yes, i'm having the same problem! i use the grill pan at least 3 times a week and it always sets off the fire alarm. i read the cleaning instructions a while back and can't find them now. i was under the impression that you're not supposed to really scrub the cast iron clean, so i'm afraid to really clean it the way i'd want. i also have brown stains on the outside that i don't know how to get rid of, maybe some barkeepers friend?

[Vishenka69]

little brown scraper things
Kathleen, I have no idea what these things are. Do they have a name?

I also found this online. I wonder if it's worth $15.
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/large/1687.jpg

[gayle]

I have the same grill. It's perfectly OK to use SOS or other abraisive scrubbers. Be sure to season it again after you scrub it.

I use mine at least 3 to 4 times a week, scrub it, rinse thoroughly and dry. Then I rub it down with crisco and put it in the oven on 250 for at least an hour.

This essentially gives it a non stick finish.

Cast iron is tough stuff, and about the only thing you want to make sure of is that you always dry it completely after washing. Rust is the kiss of death to cast iron.

[Vishenka69]

I also found this bit of advice in an online review. I didn't season it prior to use. Can that be leading to the smoking problem?
Before using your Le Creuset grill, you need to season it. That's easily done, in the usual way: spray it with oil and put it in a 225* oven for about half an hour. Let it cool in the oven. Do that for the first ten or so times you use it, and you'll never have to worry about it again.
Wash the grill by pouring hot water into it while it's hot. That will make all the gunk between the ribs boil up. Then rinse and wash in warm soapy water with a sponge. Stubborn bits can be scrubbed out with a dish brush.

[Kimberland30]

Found on the web:

Even though cast iron is durable and can be brought back to life after suffering considerable abuse the best thing you can do for your cast iron cookware is take good care of it.

Seasoned cast iron utensils can be very easily cleaned with nothing more than boiling water and a stiff-bristled brush. DO NOT use soap or detergent. DO NOT use a scouring pad. To do so will break down the seasoned coating. You can also use foil to clean your seasoned pan. The aluminum foil gets rid of any cooked on food and does no damage to the pan’s finish. If you frequently use foil in your culinary endeavors you may appreciate a second use for it before it is discarded.

It’s important to ensure that your cast iron utensils dry completely after use or else they will be subject to oxidization and rust.

A thin coat of oil, wiped on with a paper towel (be very sparing here) will help preserve the metal while being stored. Be sure to store your cookware in a dry area.

Expect your cast iron utensils to darken with use. Cast iron cookware comes to life in a medium gray suit but over time begins to show its true colors. It gets darker and darker until it wears its signature black. This is normal and means that in your capable hands your cast iron cookware has found a place to call home!

My DH is usually the one cooking with and cleaning our cast iron, so I had to look it up. I know he does coat it with oil before putting it away though.

[ce_Kathleen]

http://www.pamperedchef.com/graphics/products_200/2610_200.jpg

these are the scrapers I was talking about from pampered chef. you can buy them on the pampered chef website for like $1.75

[dana b]

guess i'll have to stop using it then, that's too much work :p

[bookworm]

I agree with Kimberland's advice. If you use really hot water (with gloves, of course!) and a scrub brush, you should be able to get off the old yuck.

I spray mine with the misto when it's dry--I figure it's been seasoned already, and as long as I don't use soap I should be ok.

I set off the smoke alarm (in an apartment, so much fun) b/c I was grilling something that had a sugar-filled marinade. The meat wasn't burning, but the sugars were causing quite the smoke-fest.

[Vishenka69]

Crap, I didn't realize I wasn't suppose to use soap. Is the whole thing ruined now or can I salvage it? I'll try aluminum foil and hot water techniques and see what happens. The whole season and stick in the oven is too much work as I'll have to empty the oven first (doing this a few times a week is a bit much). I'll come back with the results of my testing later this week.

[bookworm]

No, it's not ruined--just re-season it. You don't need to do it after every use (just any time you use soap). Scrub the heck out of it (it's the soap, not the abrasiveness, that makes Brillo bad for cast iron), then wipe it with a thin layer of oil or shortening and stick it in the oven for awhile. You can google "seasoning cast iron" for times/temperatures.

[Vishenka69]

Heating the grill and then holding it under running water proved to work the best. It's a pain though as I had to make sure that the oven mitts didn't get wet and the thing is heavy. Using plain water also doesn't completely take off all the oil/butter off the pan, so I think I'll be ok with not seasoning. At least it didn't smoke this weekend.

[dana b]

okay, i found a pretty good way to clean mine, it's kinda like what vishenka did. i heated the pan on the stove on high and poured water in it, then i basically deglazed the pan with a plastic spatula, poured it out and did a quick scrub in the sink, no soap. with the grill pan, i did the same thing but used a grout brush to clean it while on the stove. i need to try some sos pad for the outside though, they're all stained.

[Rancid13]

I definitely suggest seasoning the cast iron. DH and I got a bunch of cast iron skillets (different sizes) off our registry, and before I used any of them, I made sure to rub them all over with oil (I used vegetable oil on mine) and put them in the oven for about an hour, hour and a half (per the instructions).

I've never had a problem with rust or with cleaning any of them after cooking (though it's wise to wait till the iron has cooled down until you clean it-those things get HOT!). I've only seasoned them once in the 1.5 years I've had them, because I heard that after you start using the cast iron regularly you semi-season it every time you cook, if you're cooking with an oil.

[Sarah]

Kosher salt works well as an abrasive which doesn't require re-seasoning. Just spread a little in the pan with a little water and scrub. Then rinse it out. You can reseason with a little vegetable oil in a hot oven.

[nic]

Silly question- Seasoning the pan= just oil, nothing else, right?

[AttyGrl74]

Silly question- Seasoning the pan= just oil, nothing else, right?

Oil and bake it.

I have a beloved cast-iron skillet that my MIL decided was 'too dirty' - she scrubbed it with an SOS pad and lots of soap so that it lost its lovely sheen, and hence, its non-stick properties.

I was able to resurrect it by cooking a big ole batch of bacon in it - wiping it out after the grease had solidified and then wiping it with oil and baking it on 150 for about 45 minutes.

Now we try to either fry something in it or cook bacon in it once a month to keep it shiny.

[ash313]

I would like to get my DH a big cast iron pot for his birthday. He wants a rather large one that he can put on a big boiler (don't know the technical name for it) like the kind that the turkey fryers are on I assume?

I have no idea where to even begin looking for such a thing...any rec's would be well appreciated!

[Katy]

more than likely he's wanting a dutch oven (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/103-9831856-2152632?search-alias=kitchen-aps&keywords=dutch%20oven). If you want good quality and inexpensive go with Lodge (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_3/103-9831856-2152632?%5Fencoding=UTF8&keywords=Lodge&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ALodge%2Ci%3Akitchen&page=1). If you want good quality, awfully pretty, and more expensive, go with Le Crueset (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=nb_ss_k/103-9831856-2152632?url=search-alias%3Dkitchen-aps&field-keywords=le+cruset&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go) (doesn't sound like he's looking for pretty though).

FWIW, I *heart* my Lodge frying pan AND my le crueset French oven - they serve different purposes.

[heather 8^)]

If you're lucky, you could also pick one up at a thrift store already cured. Maybe I'm hypersensitive, but seasoning this darn thing stinks and burns my eyes, and I feel like we have been doing it forever and it's still not as nonstick as I would like it to be.

[ash313]

Thanks so much! katy Yes! A dutch oven! those look like they are just perfect!
Heather that is a great idea too! I hate that eye stinging feeling too!

**edited to add that of course I love pretty and those Le Cruset pots are quite lovely but he certainly could care less!

[elladee]

Lodge has a preseasoned line, so you don't have to do it yourself!

[Katy]

Yes, my Lodge frying pan came preseasoned. It's virtually non-stick (it's still new, so I'm sure in a couple months it will be totally non-stick)

[jenjunum]

I bought a Lodge grill pan not too long ago and I love it. When we were looking for one Sur la Table had the largest selection if you have one in your area. There's also a Le Crueset outlet in the Cabazon Outlets (near Palm Springs) if you happen to be in Southern CA. At the time even the outlet was out of my price range (it was just cheaper, not cheap by any means).

[xine]

I'm in love with the Lodge Logic (this is their preseasoned line) Combo Cooker:

Link to Amazon - hope it works (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JKG9M/qid=1140999030/103-4065372-8413423)

I don't know if it's big enough for what your DH wants, but I like it because you can use the lid separately as a skillet - it's two in one!

[Katy]

I bought a Lodge grill pan not too long ago and I love it. When we were looking for one Sur la Table had the largest selection if you have one in your area. There's also a Le Crueset outlet in the Cabazon Outlets (near Palm Springs) if you happen to be in Southern CA. At the time even the outlet was out of my price range (it was just cheaper, not cheap by any means).They've also opened a Le Crueset outlet at the Citadel outlets on the 5! This was great news for me, as I've found my next purchase (I just need to start saving for it!)

[ash313]

FYI - Tuesday Morning has a Le Crueset at pretty good prices!

Thanks for all your rec's - I ended up finding one at Tuesday Morning a 20 QT dutch oven for $50!! DH was REALLY excited. He wanted a BIG one and the biggest one I could find was much smaller than that. So I was excited to find it there for such a bargain.

[Deorah]

We just moved to TN and the friend we stayed with briefly till we got settled in our house got us addicted to them! I've got my 12 and a half inch one seasoned quite well but my 9 inch skillet is being persnickety and still sticking when I attempt to cook with it!

[Hello Kitty]

patience, patience, patience

Keep re-seasoning it, keep cooking on it, and don't use soap.

I have a lovely antique dutch oven, which is great. I have a new griddle/grill pan, which I love, but it's taken a lot of persistence, and after about 6 mos, it's still not quite there.

[Deorah]

Ok good I thought maybe I was doing something wrong! Phew! I love hot evenly they cook and how they heat up!

[pride&prejudice]

patience, patience, patience

Keep re-seasoning it, keep cooking on it, and don't use soap.

I have a lovely antique dutch oven, which is great. I have a new griddle/grill pan, which I love, but it's taken a lot of persistence, and after about 6 mos, it's still not quite there.

I was going to say the same thing. I almost had one of my skillets to where it was perfect and DH used soap on it. It was sort of like starting over again. :o

[Deorah]

Yeah my friend said soap is a no no with them! I love the skillet cornbread we've been making it's delish!

[rene']

How do you clean it? Just hot water? I washed ours with soap last night.:o

[Deorah]

Wash them with the hottest water you can stand and a scrub brush and dry them off really well and rub them down with vegetable oil or crisco lard, or better yet bacon grease! Lemme get a linkie I got! brb

[Deorah]

Here you go!
This has been a huge lifesaver for me!

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CastIronPans.htm

[AmandaLeigh]

When I firdt got my cast iron skillets, after washing them, I would put them over low heat. Once it was completely dry, I would rub in some crisco and let it sit on the heat for maybe 5-10 minutes to let the crisco soak in. Now, they are just about perfect and I just do this if I had to scrub extra hard to get them clean.

[janders6]

I do the same thing as AmandaLeigh. You can also use salt to wash them. I pour some salt directly into my dirty pan and scrub. It helps remove any sticky particles of food. Then I just rinse with water.

[Pine Tree]

Does anyone know of a cast iron skillet that can be used on a glass top stove? I really miss cooking in mine, but it will scratch the surface.

Side note - you can also coat the skillet with oil and then bake it for an hour to help season it. I always dry it either on the stove top or stick it in the oven for a bit so it doesn't rust.

[Hello Kitty]

Pine Tree, what about Le Creuset? It's enameled so you should have less issues with scratching.

[lil_geek]

Pine Tree... my mom has been using her cast iron (no fancy emnamled one) on her glass top for about 4 years. She has had no issues with scratching, so I have been using mine. The only thing I can think of is to ensure you clean the bottom of your pan.... and to make sure you don't 'shake' the pan on the glass.

Seasoning... I always keep mine in the oven. I put a bit of oil on int everytime I clean it, then it just sits with it in. Inevitably I foget it's in the oven and turn it on to preheat sometyhing.... I figure the pan get's a little extra 'season' then!

[Deorah]

GGGAAAHHHH speaking of rust!!! My hubby cooked in it yesterday morning and didn't clean it out and NOW I have rust *sigh* gonna have to get some sandpaper at the store today!!

[Pine Tree]

I love the look of the enameled ones, but I really want to be able to increase the amount of iron in my diet, and I think the enameled ones prevent that, don't they? Are there any that are enameled on the outside but not on the inside?

Although maybe I'm just being paranoid if the PP says there haven't been any problems!

[Deorah]

Pine tree let me give you the link to lodge logic they come enamed on the outside but are still cast iron on the inside..;)

[Deorah]

http://lodge-logic-seasoned.pans.com/categories/cast-iron-cookware.html

There ya go!