I much prefer the small loop chainmail for everyday cleaning. It's surprisingly gentle. I use the large loop chainmail (with inner rubber sponge) for heavy duty work.
I currently use chain mail and prefer it but prior to that, I used kosher salt with a little bit of oil. The oil aided in both keeping the salt together and prevented the paper towel from falling apart.
Wow! I am new to cast-iron and carbon steel, this cleared everything up, and kind of takes the fear out of caring for carbon steel and cast-iron cookware, makes it look fun to use now! Thank you so much. Great video!
I discovered your channel a month or so ago, after my newest Teflon coated skillet was beat to death, I was searching for a replacement (again). Fast forward a month, I’m totally into my new carbon steel cookware…and chain mail scrubbers. Thanks Jed!
I have been using chainmail on my cast iron for years now. I even use it on my glass casserole pans. Game changer. I have not tried the salt method but after watching you scrub than I know I would not have good results either. My hands do not work as well these days and I find the chain mail does not take as much elbow grease.
The salt method works well with a mildly dirty cast iron or carbon steel pan. Any kind of serious sticking and chain m is better. I think the salt method has its place for regular cleaning. I like to use the most gentle method necessary to clean a pan so each method has a place.
I don’t often comment, but I enjoy your content. 1.) I watch one of your videos around repairing seasonings, which you 100% used salt. 2.) I found it easy to do vs drying out chain mail vs tossing salt in trash. 3.) have seen you use..Dawn, with sponge, chain mail and salt to clean/repair pans (iron or carbon). That is why I used salt to clean and repair stuck goo on my pan.
I use avocado oil for all seasoning and cleaning. I use salt with the oil. I do this after every cook that leaves any residue. First, I let the pan sit with warm water for several minutes. That will soften most things and will just wipe out. My pans perform great and don't have any carbon build-up.
I used to use kosher salt for stuck on bits. I watched your video some months back about chainmail. I purchased the small loop chainmail and love it! I haven't bought the large loop but don't feel I need it for my pans. I am gentle with my carbon steel with the small loop and it does everything I need it to do. My pans work great, no carbon build up and it doesn't take off my seasoning at all, just the carbon. Smooth surface no texture is the key I think. Used it in my oven with the burnt on stuff and it took it right off with no scratching to my oven surface. Work horse in my kitchen now.
My 12" Stargazer is my most used skillet. I had a build up of textured carbon in the corners,1 inch up the sidewall and about half an inch on the cooking surface. I knew I needed to get that off before the seasoning just started to flake. The kosher salt wasn't even taking it down at all. I even had it on low heat and added a little oil. As soon as I switched to the Chainmail Scrubber I was able to get that build up off. 2 weeks later the patina is back to an almost uniform color.
hmm. the chainmail definitely strips the seasoning, and as he mentioned goes into bare metal. not good for everyday cleaning. the trick is boil a small amount of water, then let it cool a little bit and use a plastic scrubber. usually removes the now softened carbon and leaving the seasoning, oil and dry. Use the chainmail if you plan to reseason or the carbon cannot be removed by the above. in a general sense, rinse your cookware after using it. dont let it dry out in the heat setting the carbon hard, cleaning is always easier when its wet.
I agree, the chainmail is more of a nuclear option in my opinion. I'm not looking to see bare metal every time I clean my pan. The whole point of seasoning every day is to build up dozens on dozens of layers of seasoning. This is like starting over every time
I've seen a few of your videos now and I am impressed with your knowledge and enthusiasm. Particularly in the no smoke point video! So much that I am now a subscriber. One thing though, when comparing eg, A to B, it's "A versus B", not "A verse B". You are a communicator, words are your tools; don't abuse them or spread such misuse to others. Best wishes.
I’m firmly in the chain-mail camp - in no small part thanks to your recommendations. It would take salt being significantly better for me to switch. Salt represents a consumable, while chain mail just needs water and elbow grease - which you’re going to use anyway. I typically use my larger 10mil chain-mail with silicone pad for typical/quick scrubs. If I’m trying to get something recalcitrant off I’ll use my smaller/finer chain mail. Neither one seems to damage seasoning. Speaking of undamaged seasoning. I have a decade old cast iron dutch oven that has acquired such a hard seasoning that I have simmered tomato based stews over a campfire for several hours without issue. I think it would take nuclear weapons to break through it’s seasoning. Finally, grape seed oil seems to be the secret sauce. When I started with carbon steel I had been using a Canola for seasoning, and I struggled some. Switched to grape seed, and buzzy wax (bees wax and grape seed oil) and it was a game changer - turned the corner for me. This video did remind me I need to give my main pan’s sides a little attention. There is some build up on there. Off to the kitchen!
I noticed the dark spots on the rag when you put the wax. Should one wipe the pan until very little dark spots on the wipe before seasoning? It has always been a point of concern at home when cleaning and seasoning cast iron and carbon steel pans. Thanks for the videos, btw.
u did a video about cleaning carbon. u put white vinegar in the pan, heated it and after cooling, there was a minimum effort in cleaning the pan. that is the best and easiest way in my opinion. i am looking for some uncoated pans, and came across your channel. very good tips on what is affordable, what u consider the best. Thanx for the info.
I think there's a more effective way to use salt Specifically I was told to add just a little water to turn the salt into a paste Then I scrub with a nylon brush It seems to lift off a lot more carbon than dry salt with a paper towel
On the advice I buy chainmail, annnnnd don't do it... Since I scrubbed (gently) my carbon pan with it, it stick like hell. Can't cook an egg without detach it with a spoon anymore. My bet the little tiny barely visible scratch are the problem, even if I make a quick seasonnig. Any idea to solve it ?
I don;t know about Canada, but Diamond Crystal salt prices here in the US has more than doubled in price. 3 lbs used to cost around 5 USD, now it's going for 13+ USD
I quite like the large-loop chainmail for regular cleaning, but find the small-loop chainmail rather rough on the seasoning. I recommend saving that for heavy-duty needs.
You may find that chainmail works away at carbon build-up and not actually the seasoning. If your light chainmail is leaving marks on your surface, you may have a softer layer of carbon build-up.
I learned a lot from you, about the two different Chain Mills. I will try it on two ten inch Cast Iron pans that have a lot of Carbon on them. And I will do the Pans while cool. Also how do I fix a Cast iron Pie plate, was put in the Refrigerator and covered. When I cut the pie, some of the seasoning came off on the pie. I threw the pie out. Pieces of the steal and bear Iron is showing. How can I fix my pie pan? Hope you can help me?
I did your seasoning process on a new Matfer pan using Crisbee Rub. On my 2nd cook after five days of seasoning I used chainmail to help clean the pan. I saw scratches that went through to the shiny metal like when it was new. I continued to use the pan for a number of cooks, seasoning after many of those, and today I had a crusted bottom and used the chain mail again. I was able to get the whole bottom mostly back to the shiny metal. No soap, only water was used. Do you think my seasoning is gone? I just coated the pan and I'll put it in the oven for an hour. What do you think? Thanks for any info...Oh, and I just ordered some Buzzzy Wax.
Howdy, without seeing the pan I can't be certain but it sounds like you have taken off come carbon build up, which is not an issue. This video may help: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-By5_xL-BPwY.html
Both have their uses. I think the kosher salt is less abrasive. It looked like you put severa scratches in you seasoning on the first demo with chainmail! Btw chainmail has been around for hundreds of years!
Chain mail is better than salt. It's better to get it wet and warmed up to facilitate the removal of carbonized matter. A good alternative to chainmail scrubbers (might even outperform chainmail) is stainless steel scrubbers (stainless scouring pads/stainless steel wool).
Why can’t you use both kosher salt and chain mail? That’s what I do, and with clean hands, and a clean chain mail you can actually make a solid stock using the pan drippings with some warm water and kosher salt scrubbed using a clean chain mail scrubber.
hmm i wonder about copper chainmail. not really commercially available since it usually has to be handmade and probably brazed which is a lost art now days. It would give you the geometry of steel chainmail, but less aggressive due to its softness. The more you used it though the harder it would get from work hardening and carbon adsorption. It would also leave behind an invisible layer of copper particles which I bet would be really beneficial to varnishing/enamel formation or "seasoning" as cast iron people call it. copper is catalytically active (well significantly more than cast iron is) and would bridge the gap between an organic based varnish and a metallic based surface. I bet someone could just buy a pure copper chain necklace and weave it into a circle with some cheap kevlar thread or something (one of the most abrasion resistant polymers, i get mine on ali exrpes)
Very interesting thoughts. I stumbled across this video while looking at chain-mail-making videos, so I'm approaching this from the point of view of someone who makes chain mail. Copper is definitely softer than steel, but that also means it isn't as robust. It would still need to be made of thicker wire than a steel one would be, or the rings would deform, even if they were welded together. That's okay, it just would be a coarse scrubber rather than a fine scrubber. In regard to improvising a scrubber from a "pure copper chain necklace", one problem is that sourcing a "pure copper" necklace that is actually pure copper rather than something copper-plated, because unlike, say, electrical wire, the makers of necklaces only care whether it looks like copper, not whether it is actually copper. But then, I know exactly where I can purchase pure copper rings, and I know how to make chain mail sheet, so of course I would find that easier to do.
So should I be chainmailing my cast iron after every use? People always say just wipe it with a towel and it’s good but that would just leave carbon build up every time right?
Thanks for this, Jed! I use the fine chainmail on my carbon steel pans if I get a lot of buildup. Works great. I'm afraid to use on my stainless steel pans, though. I'm afraid of scratches. I suppose if I do it right, it will probably be fine.
For any pan, you can clean it by heating water in it (just enough to submerge the crusty bits), then scraping it with a wood or bamboo spatula. It requires very little effort, and it will never scratch your pans.
I've been using Kosher salt for years on cast iron with excellent results. when i purchased a carbon steel pan, everyone said chain mail. i'm here to say, chain mail does not do the job. Now, I only use kosher salt and it works best. If there is burned on stuff, hot water + salt and oil. You need to use salt and oil, not just salt.
I've never gotten my cast iron or carbon steel pans in as bad shape as some of the pans in this video, so I find chainmail to be mostly unnecessary, as it can damage the seasoning if you use too much force. For me, chainmail is a last resort; I always try to use the gentlest method possible. That means either using kosher salt, or heating a small amount of water in the pan and scraping the pan with a wood or bamboo spatula. That said, I am not meticulous about removing every last bit of carbon from my pans, but again, I've never had anywhere near as much as the pans in this video.
I only use chain mail on my CS fry pan but in my experience ... little by little it removes the seasoning ... even though I touch up the seasoning with a paste after every use.
I have zero problem with sticking in my cast iron..i just use my scrubby that i clean my teflon with. No problem with scratching my coating off accidentally. Oh, this is carbon steel, my correction, different product 😂
@@Cook-Culture a massive box of kosher salt costs $2. Chainmail costs $25 for the fine stuff. Once you get the carbon off it mostly stays off and takes only a pinch of salt. To do what you did in the video with lots of carbon, use lots of salt and some oil or better yet a potato cut in half with the salt. Chainmail is fine too and works, but if you are going to compare the methods, try the way that actually works well with salt then make a comparison. If anything the waste is in the potato or paper towel you use with salt not the salt itself which would take a decade to add up to $25.
It should be noted that if carbon builds up something went wrong in the cooking process, it should not happen and it's not good healthwise. For example i see people cooking steaks at utterly ludicrous temperatures which are absolutely not needed to achieve Maillard reaction, and lot of carbon builds up in the pan. If you do it correctly the pan should become nice and clean after deglazing it with wine or whatever. I say this NOT because Jed made such mistake, i know here he did it on purpose to show how to remove it.
@David Hooper did you read my comment? Evidently not... idc about carbon.. im talking about cleaning the pans.. food.. use some common sense we all hope you have.
Great video! Anybody knews how to cook Heura / chunks in carbon steel or stainless steel? I tried different methods and temperatures but as soon as it touches the surface it sticks and mess like glue :-(
Not to be sacrilegious, but I soak my carbon steel pan in warm water. And I use stainless steel scrubbing pads if nothing works. Maintenance of seasoning is overrated. It's not worth the extra work.
I wonder if air blasting with dry ice or baking soda would get the carbon build up off fast but still leave behind the non-stick properties of the pan? Anyone ever try that?
I don’t get the point of people scrubbing a pan…. Degalze it.. sure on cast it tends to have texture which is less than fun but it’s only that final glaze that’s in it..n
@@kaspervendler1726 Oh, yes. For sure. For me to be 100% satisfied I would take it all the way down with vinegar but that was not the purpose of this video. I'm trying to show that chain mail will not kill a pan, as some think it will.
Hey Jed! Small loop chainmail is THE way to go (if necessary). I usually wash the pan with soap if chainmail is not needed. I rarely use salt because I think it is too labour intensive and a bit messy. Cheers! Mihai
why go through so much trouble, if you heated the pan it woul dbe so much easier to clean, so trying to clean cold to try and prove a position is meaningless when if heated it would clean quicker, Thansk BC
Clean with salt differently. Started on woks decades ago. Lots of Kosher salt & a little water at HIGH heat. Stir with utensil. Salt turns black, pan surface revitalized. NOTE; the salt is extremely hot and a fire hazard, also avoid pouring directly into cold water.
The chain mail: an example of how you can ruin your hundred-dollar carbon steel pan with something that costs a few dollar... friends, be careful, this thing will scratch your pan, personal experience. You don't need this (at least for carbon steel).
The Carbon is the seasoning. How do you not know that? You really don't know what you're talking about. You even scratched the seasoning with the chainmaile. You scratched the seasoning on both pans.
Hi, thanks for the comment. Seasoning is polymerized oil on a ferrous material, which is transparent. If overheated, it can carbonize, which is technically a weakness in the seasoning. To see score maeks on a seasoned pan does not imply that the seasoning is damaged, but that carbon has been removed. If a pan immediately becomes rusty after being washed, then the pan is not seasoned. Carbon is not seasoning.
No sir, you’re scrubbing off all the cooked in flavor protection and goodness. You clearly are not a CHEF. Nor do you throw down in the kitchen if you don’t know that. Cooking isn’t about this kind of science my friend. It’s about flavor science. Good enough is not acceptable. The best chefs know about leaving the old cooked stuck on black layer. I’d throw you out my kitchen for good if you ever destroyed years of my stuck on cooking shield with one wash like this. No sir! GET! 😅
Another RU-vid rando, desperate for the attention they don't get from their mommy and daddy, pops up to declare that they're right and RU-vid presenters are wrong because the rando doesn't agree with them. How do you identify these Internet randos when they pop up? Easy: they claim to know better... they just don't have the courage (and ability) to create a RU-vid channel to show their way of doing things. In other words, they talk about "throwing down" - except they don't throw down by having their own RU-vid channel. They're just the cheap voices heard squeaking from the peanut gallery.
I bought a cast iron pan. I used it a few times and it's down in the basement. I know I'm in the minority, but I refuse to eat any food cooked in something that is inherently filthy. YMMV and it's all good.
