a good cast iron pan is worth its weight in gold and I baby mine. So much that my wife busts on me saying that I spend more time cleaning and seasoning the pan than I do cooking in it. I tell you what though, it's beautiful. Take care and thanks for sharing.
I cook exclusively with cast iron and clean and season the pans similar to your method. I never soak the pan in water, but after cooking, I place about 1/4-1/2" of water in the pan, then heat it to boiling on the stove. I use a spatula to scrape the food remains out. When the water is boiling, it softens everything in the pan and makes clean up very easy. Then I take it to the sink and run under hot water and do a final clean with a hand brush. Keep up the good work.
My wife and I collect cast iron. We probably have around 300 pieces of Griswold, Lodge, Wagner etc. It pleasures me to see you and Joe use CI for almost all your cooking. My wife is a master at CI cooking. Years ago I built a electrolysis tank for cleaning grungy cast. We also use a lye bath for cleaning old stuff. We do a lot of outdoor/cowboy cooking, our camp style dutch ovens get a workout. Just bought two cast iron bread pans. There's something about cooking with a 100+ year old pan/griddle/ whatever that I think is cool. If that stuff could talk. Keep posting....
I have cast iron skillets in every size from 7" to 14" that came from my two grandmothers. I treasure them and use them all the time, especially the 9" one! I use vegetable oil, but otherwise I do exactly the same as you do. Keep the great cooking videos coming, Melissa!
you should buy the lint free shop towels. Then you don'g get little lint from the paper towels in the pan. I learned that from Ken Rollins on his channel
Ditto Melissa! I do the very same except I use avacodo oil or even bacon grease. Wipe it out and when you think you have it all out, wipe it again. I then store upside down in my oven.
Just a year or so ago I seen a video / comment on this topic, “DO NOT WASH PAN IN SOAPY WATER”, so out came my old cast iron pan reasoned it at least three times on gas bbq and occasionally after drying on stove top I wipe out with oil if it starts sticking. Same with my cast iron pot.
Thank You SO Very Much Mellisa this is the Video I've been waiting for now I can refer to it when I need it Thank You Again :) .....................HI Joe !
Yup. Keeping it simple works. I use oil and a pastry brush because we don't use paper towels but the method is the same. It works. Victor Fortin has a good idea - the grill especially in summer! Good video.
I have a 12 inch cast iron pan that I have in storage. I used much the same thing that you do, although I didn't dry it, so I learned something! I can't wait for 2022!! Semper Fidelis
i do mine on the stove top as well but i let all the oil burn off and repeat about 5-6 times until i get it better than a non stick pan,i also use medium high heat...you have to let the oil burn off to get the non stick you are looking for....after i cook in it i rinse in hot water only.
I only have cast iron skillets. I try to remember to clean it right after using it, while it's still warm. I like lard, bacon grease, or a high temp cooking oil. After I wipe the excess oil I just leave the skillet on the burner after turning it off. I spent a couple hundred dollars on supposed non stick pans and it was a waste of money.
Yep I do the same thing. I have used foil occasionally if I really get something stuck on the bottom but usually if I let it soak for 10-15 min I can scrub it out just fine.
Great video and ya I was one that asked, going to try your technique , I've alway's been one to with which sure this passed along. Be safe and thank you for posting
Hi Melissa! I love your videos! Thank You for sharing your knowledge with us. You gave me a chuckle when you said Joe needs to see this video (lol) I am going to do this with my pans. I always used soap but I didn't see you using soap. Again, THANK YOU!
That looks nice and easy . Now how do you season a pan . I have at least 10 pans that need to be done . I see lots of ways of doing it . Sometimes people put the pan in the oven for a couple of hours . They do that 3 or 4 times . When I do it I end up stinking up the house . Was wondering if you had a better , easier way . That Joe . You can't teach him anything . LOL
Would vegetable oil work as efficiently? I inherited some (already seasoned) skillets and I'd like to learn to use them while we're stuck at home for the foreseeable future. I'd like to be able to clean and re-season them properly though, and all I've got to work with right now is butter and vegetable oil.
@@astheroostercrows6435 OMG shame shame Joe. lol He has said when your around he's not allowed to even wash dishes. Which he says he doesn't mind. You two are so cute together.
Ok I have a question; my mom has some iron skillets that aren't in good shape like yours (that's putting it mildly🙄). What would you do to get them into usable shape?? I would love to start using them but....She said to boil apple peeling/pieces in them but that would take alot of apples. She has like 4 that's pretty messed up. One even has rust around the outside. She bought them years ago but she fell on the ice and broke her hip and just never got around to it. I would like to surprise her sometime by restoring them for her or at least trying to. Tyfs God bless you
I would wash it with steel wool, get the rust off, heat your oven to 375, oil the entire piece and put it in the oven upside down for one hour....just remember to put a covered pan or something below it because the oil will drip.
@@debbiemcclure2874 There is also a method similar to that. You do nothing to the pan except put it in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle. that will get rid of all of the old crap built up on the pan. Then you season the pan in the oven similar to the way she described. If it is in really bad shape with rust and build up this is the easiest way I have found to restore them to like new. Good luck. You will be amazed at how they come out.
We have a new cast skillet, its not the best and it has bumps on the bottom. I scrubbed it with steel wool and did what you just did but it doesn't seem right. What should I do?
if it's new it will take a little while for the bottom to get smooth like this one. I have a couple like the ones you are talking about and it's just because it's new. Give it time. Just keep doing these steps each time you use it.
I don't like that texture on the new cheap pans either. I used a grinder/sander to remove that texture (just the inside) and then cleaned the pan in the oven using the self cleaning cycle. I then seasoned the pan in the oven as Melissa has pointed out in another comment. I think it turned out great. Some people would say not to do that but...I really dont like that bumpy texture at all.
@@MNcabin Yep, use a flap wheel on an angle grinder. Start with a coarse grit and finish with fine. The older pans were produced with a smooth finish to begin with, but the new ones are produced with a rough inside finish purportedly because it is easier to produce a factory pre-seasoned pan that way. I suspect it has more to do with a cost reduction by the elimination of a finishing operation.
A new pan u lightly coat the inside all over with your lard or oil. Heat oven to 400 and put pan in oven upside down for 1 hour. Cut oven off and leave pan in oven until it completely cools down.
For a brand new pan, scrub it well with hot water and soap. Then after you season it as described by @Chatta601, that pan should never see soap again! After each use, just scrub it with an abrasive scrubby then reseason again.
You dont have 2 wash and reseason after every use. U just wipe it clean and then use again. I rarely ever wash any of mine I just wipe em out and keep on using em. You dont want 2 continually wash and reseason your cast iron. Just season it like I said and then use it and when u done cooking in it wipe it out keep doing that forever and once it 2 built up with gunk then you wash and reseason
