Cast Iron Pan Care

Notes

Basic cleaning after cooking

  • For the easiest cleaning, rinse with hot water immediately after cooking
  • Scrub with dish soap and water and a stiff nylon brush or a green scrubbing pad
    • Some people say to use salt as an abrasive and never use soap, but in my experience, soap works perfectly. They’re worried about the soap washing the seasoning off, but if the seasoning is properly polymerized, this is not an issue.
  • Dry thoroughly with a towel

Seasoning

  • I use canola oil because it’s what I have, but flax seed oil is considered the best
  • Rub oil all over the pan using a paper towel
  • With a fresh paper towel, try to wipe off all the oil you just put on
  • Place the pan upside down onto a rack in the middle of your cold oven
  • Bake at 500°F for 1 hour (start timing when the oven comes to temperature)
  • Leave the pan in the oven while cooling until room temperature
  • Repeat 1–4 times for the best seasoning

Derusting & Deep Cleaning

  • Soak in a 50–50 mix of 5% distilled vinegar and water for 1 hour
  • Remove the pan from the liquid and sprinkle with baking soda to neutralize the acid
  • Aggressively scrub with a metal scouring pad
  • Finish scrubbing with steel wool, rinsing as you go
  • Once clean, dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel
  • Heat for a minute or so to ensure complete dryness
  • Season