Comments on: How to Season, Clean and Care for a Cast Iron Pan

By: joseph capra

joseph capra — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Lodge pans suck, They hava a rough, sand-cast cooking surface. Vintage pans ( available at any antique store) are smoooth! Buy those!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:10:39 +0000

I never knew that cast iron pan should be seasoned first before using not until i read your article. Thank you Denise for letting me know.

By: Lenore

Lenore — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:41:54 +0000

Thank you Denise~I don’t know how to tell if the rust has gone more than an 1/8-inch deep. However, I did email the Panman for some suggestions. I also had a skillet that was my mothers, she use to cook steaks in the broiler when I was a kid. I have used over the years to cook pancakes; however, food does stick to the middle of the pan. I’ve stopped using it. It’s time to bring it out of retirement, re-season it and put it to use. I love reading all the comments on this site.
Thanks you
Lenore

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:48:32 +0000

Hi Lenore — Do you think the rust goes more than an 1/8-inch deep into the pan? If so, then I’ve never had a pan that rusty before; I think, however, that you should email the Pan Man who seems to be an expert in all things cast iron. Here’s the page: http://www.panman.com/cleaning.html. Good luck!

By: Lenore McGriff

Lenore McGriff — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:34:41 +0000

Question: I recently went to a flea market and purchased a extremely rusted cast iron pan cake skillet. I read somewhere, that if the rust is more than 1/8 deep, that the pan is ruined. This pan is rusted on both sides, and the handle. I need to know, should I try to clean it or trash it??

Please help,
Lenore McGriff

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:36:23 +0000

Hi Marc — I’ve had that same problem a couple of times. I *think* it occurs when the oil doesn’t get hot enough during cooking (but am not sure about this). In the past, I have just scrubbed it off using kosher salt and the scouring side of my regular kitchen sponge (which isn’t very harsh) and then oiled the area afterward. As your pans are well seasoned already, this should work. Good luck.

By: Marc

Marc — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:57:18 +0000

I have two cast iron items that I love, a double-burner griddle and a 10″ skillet (both Lodge branded, purchased from a woman at the Ashby flea market who seems to specialize in cast iron). They are well seasoned, but now and then will have a sticky residue in places (especially the griddle). What’s going on to make these sticky residues? What is the best way to get rid of the residue without damaging the seasoning?

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:29:21 +0000

Hi MB — for eggs, I usually use between 1/2 and 1 tsp butter. For an onion, I just drizzle the pan with olive oil (probably close to 2 tsp). If using a seasoned pan, you shouldn’t have any problems, but let me know if you do. Good luck.

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:32:07 +0000

Hi Greg — all of these are great points. Thanks for mentioning the long handles on other stove-to-oven pans as this has always been an issue for me with my large Calphalon pan (and my oven is not necessarily small). Concerning cooking acidic foods, however, I have to say that I regularly make tomato-based sauces (such as marinara) in my cast iron and the seasoning has never worn off. That said, I don’t simmer tomatoes in them for hours and I don’t use the pans exclusively for tomato dishes. As for the lead concern, I think this has mostly been an issue with cast iron made in other countries. From what I can tell, Lodge (the only US manufacturer of cast iron pans) makes cookware that is very safe to use so I would recommend sticking with that brand.

By: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Denise Santoro Lincoln — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:48:23 +0000

Hi Rebecca — I doubt the skillet needs to be thrown out, but it sounds like you need to perform a little work on it. If the rust is minimal (i.e., a thin coating) you should be able to just scrub it with steel wool (or even something like an SOS pad or Brill-o), wash and season. If the rust is deeper, you should take a look at the site weegee recommends above (http://www.panman.com/cleaning.html) as it has great tips for cleaning a rusted cast iron pan. As I’m a bit sentimental, I think taking the steps to remove the rust and re-season is worth your time. How wonderful to get to cook on the pan your mom used when you were a kid.