Cleaning a Cast Iron Skillet


 
I was happy with the Larbee I just wanted to try it out. I came home one day and my wife had used about 50 uses worth of the Larbee puck on 2 or 3 pans. I clean all the cast iron now.
 
C Lewis said:
Flaxseed oil is about the worst thing that you can put on cast. It looks good at first, but eventually will chip off. Many collectors these days don't want to purchase cast that has been flaxed. Grapeseed oil and canola are great choices though. Plain old Crisco works well. I personally use a product called Crisbee and Larbee for my seasoning.
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I plan to continue making my own CI seasoning. What proportion for Grapeseed, canola oil and beeswax would you recommend?

And here's an article that would contradict what you state concerning flaxseed oil.
 
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Warm water in a warm pan with coarse kosher salt and a shark tank scrub daddy. Will get crud without damaging seasoning and little Crisbee and it’s perfect again. Lots of cast iron cooking here.
 
Flax seed, grape seed, canola oil, lard and beeswax, any combination of those seem to be the thing to use. Although I haven't tried it yet, I'd recommend adding the bit of beeswax to any of the other substances named as long as the latter have been well preheated.
 
We have a fleet of CI pans and Dutch ovens along with a couple of carbon steel pans that are our daily drivers. I've tried all the "perfect ways to season your CI pans" from flaxseed to Crisco. About two years ago I went from trying everything I read as the best to just using canola oil with a light coat after cleaning. We clean them with hot water and a little Dawn if needed.
Haven't had to redo one pan since then and they are all stick free.
Like Greg said "don't overthink it"
 
Greg in Utah said:
Weight is best but don’t overthink it.

You’re making goop to rub on a skillet.
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I've just now made some seasoning consisting of equal parts Canola Oil, Grape Seed Oil, and Beeswax, by volume. We'll see how it works and thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And like yours 30% beeswax.
 
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Thanks all, sounds like I'll just keep doing what I've been doing, whatever it takes to get it clean.
 
For tough crud I use a stainless chainmail scrubber. I put some hot water and let it sit for a minute or two, than scrub. It does take a bit of the seasoning off, a light coat of olive oil (that's my go-to oil) takes care of that.
What I like about the chainmail is that it lasts a lifetime, like the CI itself, and no soap is needed.
They are pretty cheap, like this one:

Candure Cast Iron Cleaner Stainless Steel 7x7 Inch Chainmail Scrubber for All Types of Griddles, Cast Iron Pans, Grills & Dutch Ovens : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care

Candure Cast Iron Cleaner Stainless Steel 7x7 Inch Chainmail Scrubber for All Types of Griddles, Cast Iron Pans, Grills & Dutch Ovens : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca
 
Usually super hot water and a light scrub with the dish cloth will take everything off easily. I will use a little coarse salt too when an extra boost is needed.
 
BobJ said:
For those who use a cast iron skillet how do you clean it? I know you are not supposed to use water, soap, or a scrubby, but after a hard use those are the only things that work. And yes, I oil it a bit after.

So how do you get off the really crisped on crud?
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I deglaze mine after use if there's any crud baked on. Just put ~1/4" water in it and bring it to a boil. Scrape the bottom with a flat end wooden stirrer until the crud breaks loose. After that, I use hot water and a plastic scrubber to clean up any remaining bits. Once clean, it goes onto the stove with a little heat until dry. I do avoid soap, but water and scrubbers are OK.
 
I think the best tip I got on seasoning a CI was to use a dry paper towel to buff off as much oil (which ever is the favored) as you possibly can. As it heats, buff off any that comes out of the pores. Then bake it as per your standard. Repeat as necessary. It forms the best hard thin film I've seen.
 
Bruce said:
I got rid of all my CI pans. My wife watched an old movie where a wife chased her husband around the kitchen with one. I couldn't risk it.
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You need to look up an old cult movie, "Eating Raoul". And watch it.

My wife, many many years ago (40?), sick with a bad cold, I was being nice and brought her home a few VHS tapes to watch. One she'd like, one she should watch for it's quality, and one that would just be fun.

The fun one was Eating Raoul. Little did I know that she'd dose herself with some Robitussin or something of the same later that night before bed.

She woke up later that night sitting on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, crying, realizing she did not want to hit me with a CI frying pan.

Fun days, fun days.

And living dangerously, I counted just a few days ago in my basement over 35+ pieces of cast iron. Call me crazy.

Delicatessen is another great cult movie. Highly recommended.

Eating Raoul: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083869/

Delicatessen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101700/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

And to keep this thread on track, I've used everything from motor oil and emery cloth (yes, motor oil) to beach sand, pine cones, other interesting abrasives to clean up my CI. I've burned off heavy residual crust in campfires, soaked things with Easy-Off inside of a black plastic bag under the hot sun. I never go through the ritual of seasoning save for an initial onion/potato mixture with lard. I just use the pans. They all eventually season up beautifully just like they would do for my grandmother.
 
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