Many years ago I received a set of cast iron pots and pans. I have never really used them much. I dug them out of the cupboard this week and there is some surface rust on the outside and insides of them, and they are a little grimy on the inside.

I know there is a trick to caring for cast iron pans, but I do not know what it is. Anyone have experience with these?

By Trina~moderator on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 03:23 pm:

I don't, but my best friend cooks with them often. She never washes them with soap, only hot, hot water and I believe she has to oil them occasionally. I could be wrong, so I'm curious to see what others have to say.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 03:27 pm:

Hope this helps.

Caring For Cast Iron Cookware

By Karen~moderator on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 04:28 pm:

I've owned a few in my life, and only have one piece left - a dutch oven. I actually use Brillo pads on mine, rinse well with HOT water, dry well, and occasionally re-season it, according to what Trina posted.

By Angellew on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 04:35 pm:

I use cast iron all the time, well, mostly my DH... he LOVES them! Where there is rust on them now, and you've hardly used them, I'd wash them well now, and then follow the directions from Trina's site for seasoning, and regular care.

If you use it for something that is messy, like when my DH cooks a steak, after you're done cooking, he puts hot water into the pan and puts it back onto the burner. When the water starts to bubble, he uses a SOFT spatula to get all the stuck pieces off and then empties the water into the sick and wipes it out with paper towels.

The key to it is to not let them get rusty, so don't store them wet or inside each other. We store them in the oven, where it's nice and warm. After they are dried, they go into the oven!

Once in a while, you should cook something greasy/oily, like bacon, and that keeps the seasoning up... or oil them yourself regularly.

Also, we keep the one "sweet" pan separate from the savorys! Don't want to make a dessert in something that last cooked a steak!

Honestly, now that I use them, I can't imagine not. They are wonderful! Give them a shot. I think you'll really like them!

By Cocoabutter on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 05:41 pm:

Okay, thanks!

I had stored them inside eachother, so that must be a no-no. I will use lots of elbow grease, hot water and oil.

Thanks again!

By Tink on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 06:16 pm:

On a similar note, I was given a cast iron pan and it has a sticky, greasy residue on the handle and the outside. The inside is perfectly seasoned. Any idea how to get this residue off? Hot water and elbow grease really didn't do anything for it.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 08:08 am:

The last time I used one of my cast iron pans, I did put water in it and put it back on the stove, for a little while. It made it so easy to clean.

I usually just wipe it out with water, dry it off, and wipe some oil on, with a paper towel.

To remove rust:

Clean the inside by simmering a solution of water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice in the pan. Pour out, reseason with cooking oil and store with a piece of waxed paper inside the skillet after each use. Never wash with soap.

Natural cleaning hints

It really works! I had a pan that was rusty and it came right off!