For so long, I loved my cast iron skillets but wasn’t sure how to keep them clean and nonstick. We got some pans for our wedding and they are a staple in our kitchen. Cast iron is great for a number of reasons – it lasts decades (ours are hand-me-downs and have outlasted our other wedding gift cookware), is affordable, fortifies your food with iron, has no carcinogens, and holds heat well and heats to a really high temperature (great for crispy potatoes!). Plus, you can take it from the stovetop to the oven, which is awesome for things like pot pie. I just cook my veggies in it, throw a pie crust on top, and toss it in the oven. (Speaking of pie, you can cook those in a cast iron skillet, too!)
When I was staying at the farm last summer, I learned how to clean my cast iron skillets in a way that leaves them easier to cook on instead of ruining the seasoning with soap. And it was way easier than I would have guessed.
It’s such a quick life hack that I wanted to share.
Here’s how:
1) Scrap off all dirty bits in water with scraper (these ones are super cheap and work well). You can use a scrub brush to be sure it’s clean.
2) Put on low heat on stovetop.
3) Once water is cooked off, drizzle a bit of oil and use a pastry brush to coat the pan (super lightly), and keep on stovetop for a few more minutes.
All done!
What a helpful tip! Thank you :)
I wish I could use one on my stove, but it is one of those flat top ones. Maybe someday we can replace it and use cast iron.
Also, another good use, home protection (see Tangled.) ;)
I love cast iron! We found several skillets of difference sizes in the basement of our house (I bought it as is, contents included), which we put in our camper. My husband does all the cooking (yes, I’m lucky!) and has found the cast iron invaluable for cooking over an open fire. To clean them over the fire he just adds water and scrapes. Works great!
Ahhh, thank you for sharing! I purchased one last winter, and I love it. Recently it started to accumulate dirt that I have a hard time getting off. It makes me avoid using it, which makes me sad! I will do this over the weekend to revive it. :)
I also clean mine like this, and I found that the best way to keep it seasoned and in good condition is to, duh, use it all the time. Took me a few years to figure that out :-) Sometimes, if it’s pretty well oiled and not too much stick on food, I just scrape it under running water (when it’s still hot) and stick it back on the stove. Super easy, actually the easiest to clean of all my pots and pans!
Love your blog.
Thank you! I was just noticing our skillet was getting a little…not non-stick. Stick? I tried this yesterday and now it’s good as new :)
YAY! So glad it worked for you! :)
This is exactly how I clean mine and it is awesome! When I first got a cast iron pan, I was skeptical at first, but my husband was adament about at least trying it. Now I wouldn’t use anything else! And so easy to clean!
Thanks for the tip Ashley. I have never owned a cast iron pan. Your post makes me want to buy one! How big is the one you use? We are a family of 3 too, so it would be useful to know. May be you should do a post on your kitchen utensils – when you get the time :-)
Instead of a scrub bush, I use the empty onion bag.
My mother gave me one cast iron skillet last summer (there are plenty of them in my granny’s house) – it’s a great coockware, indeed. Although I’ve tried few different ways to clean it, it doesn’t lookclean enough. I’ll definitely try your tip, thank you for sharing!