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Cast iron is also very heavy, and hard to clean if you get anything stuck to it. You can’t really soak or wash it with soap/water without re-seasoning it or it’

Cast iron is also very heavy, and hard to clean if you get anything stuck to it. You can’t really soak or wash it with soap/water without re-seasoning it or it’ll rust. It has its upsides if you put in the work. I’ve given up and opted for mid-range non-stick (coated steel and/or copper, not anodized aluminum) or high end stainless.

jimmaswell 4y ago
I barely have to clean mine anymore. When something does get a bit stuck, I just boil a bit of water in it and it comes right out with a light swipe of some chainmail.
surfpel 4y ago
Carbon steel builds the same coating but isn’t all that heavy. > hard to clean if you get anything stuck to it Easy fix, just don’t get anything stuck to it. If you learn how to use these correctly, this becomes essentially a non issue.
germinalphrase 4y ago
I frequently soak and wash my cast iron. It retains seasoning and won’t rust so long as I dry it after. I also will typically coat them with a very thin layer of oil, but haven’t found it to be strictly necessary. That said, I have mostly transitioned to stainless.
pier25 4y ago
> if you get anything stuck to it We bought these Lodge scrappers and they remove anything stuck to it. https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/pan-scrapers?sku=SCRAPERPK https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/pan-scrapers?sku=SCRAP... Hot water and this kind of brush is all you need to clean cast iron: https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/scrub-brush?sku=SCRBRSH https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/scrub-brush?sku=SCRBRS...
- xeromal 4y ago
  Those scrapers are made of plastic. I wonder if that has some forever chemicals. lol
  - acdha 4y ago
    I bought one of these a decade ago - the price has since gone up to $4: https://www.restaurantsupply.com/tablecraft-254-stainless-steel-8-silver-scraper-with-wood-handle https://www.restaurantsupply.com/tablecraft-254-stainless-st... It’ll likely outlive me.
    - xeromal 4y ago
      I've seen those used at hibachi and waffle House which probably see a lot more traffic than our homes. Probably a great choice
      - acdha 4y ago
        Yeap, simple mature technology can be refreshing to use.
greedo 4y ago
I use water and soap every day cleaning mine. If you get something really stuck you can heat the pan up, then add hot water to it. It basically boils the stuck stuff off. You just need to be careful not to crack the pan.
dymk 4y ago
Not being able to use soap is a myth, and re-seasoning a pan hardly ever needs to be done unless you're seeing bare metal. After a hard scrubbing, put it on the stovetop, drizzle a small amount of oil in there, and high heat for a minute. Push the oil around with a paper towel. Your pan won't rust. Use a metal scrubber and you probably don't need to use soap in the first place.
- purpleblue 4y ago
  The idea of maintaining a seasoning on cast iron frying pans is too much of a pain in the ass. I wash it with soap and water and use olive oil or butter whenever I need to. The cognitive load is minimal and I don't have any usability issues.

jimmaswell 4y ago

I barely have to clean mine anymore. When something does get a bit stuck, I just boil a bit of water in it and it comes right out with a light swipe of some chainmail.

surfpel 4y ago

Carbon steel builds the same coating but isn’t all that heavy. > hard to clean if you get anything stuck to it Easy fix, just don’t get anything stuck to it. If you learn how to use these correctly, this becomes essentially a non issue.

germinalphrase 4y ago

I frequently soak and wash my cast iron. It retains seasoning and won’t rust so long as I dry it after. I also will typically coat them with a very thin layer of oil, but haven’t found it to be strictly necessary. That said, I have mostly transitioned to stainless.

pier25 4y ago

> if you get anything stuck to it We bought these Lodge scrappers and they remove anything stuck to it. https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/pan-scrapers?sku=SCRAPERPK https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/pan-scrapers?sku=SCRAP... Hot water and this kind of brush is all you need to clean cast iron: https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/scrub-brush?sku=SCRBRSH https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/scrub-brush?sku=SCRBRS...

xeromal 4y ago
Those scrapers are made of plastic. I wonder if that has some forever chemicals. lol
- acdha 4y ago
  I bought one of these a decade ago - the price has since gone up to $4: https://www.restaurantsupply.com/tablecraft-254-stainless-steel-8-silver-scraper-with-wood-handle https://www.restaurantsupply.com/tablecraft-254-stainless-st... It’ll likely outlive me.
  - xeromal 4y ago
    I've seen those used at hibachi and waffle House which probably see a lot more traffic than our homes. Probably a great choice
    - acdha 4y ago
      Yeap, simple mature technology can be refreshing to use.

greedo 4y ago

I use water and soap every day cleaning mine. If you get something really stuck you can heat the pan up, then add hot water to it. It basically boils the stuck stuff off. You just need to be careful not to crack the pan.

dymk 4y ago

Not being able to use soap is a myth, and re-seasoning a pan hardly ever needs to be done unless you're seeing bare metal. After a hard scrubbing, put it on the stovetop, drizzle a small amount of oil in there, and high heat for a minute. Push the oil around with a paper towel. Your pan won't rust. Use a metal scrubber and you probably don't need to use soap in the first place.

purpleblue 4y ago
The idea of maintaining a seasoning on cast iron frying pans is too much of a pain in the ass. I wash it with soap and water and use olive oil or butter whenever I need to. The cognitive load is minimal and I don't have any usability issues.