...other cast iron cooking implements like griddles and Dutch ovens and so on.

Okey-dokey, for those who are fans of cast iron skillets (those big, black, heavy objects as opposed to aluminum or copper or stainless steel, which all have their place and usage) and how to maintain them, this should cause some commotion and the baring of strong and deeply held feelings. I've gotten into arguments with other cooks about this that have provoked more intense emotion than discussions of politics or religion or gender issues ever could.<lol>

Personally I love cooking in cast iron. Yes, it's heavy and takes a lot of TLC, but to me nothing works quite so well for heat distribution without hot spots and a well seasoned skillet is a joy and a pleasure to use. As non-stick as any Teflonskillet no matter what it's constructed of.

So, first of all I am NOT an adherent of the Water Must Never Touch Cast Iron school. Soap, detergent, etc must NEVER touch a well seasoned pan, but hot water and a soapless scrubber is okay. I use hot water from the tap to clean my skillets and griddles if they really need it, but I never, ever use soap. Never.

For me, the best way to clean a cast iron skillet that has somethng burned on, which can happen to any of us, is to first wipe out as much as you can with paper towels then pour a couple of table spoons of cooking oil in the skillet and add a nice handful of coarse salt. Kosher salt works great. Using a paper towel or a cloth towel, diligently scrub away any burned spots. It may take a bit of elbow grease. Once everything is nice and clean wipe all the oil and salt out of the skillet. You will be left with a nice clean skillet that has a nice coating of oil on it.

So, girls and guys, does anyone else have any tips about how to take care of a cast iron skillet? BTW, as you may have noticed, this doesn't mention the seasoning and breaking in of a brand new skillet or other cast iron cookware.

Hugs...Joni Mari

Thanks, Rose, that's a very good tip. Myself, I still avoid the soap part of it, but perhaps should have mentioned that once everything is scrubbed nice and clean, like you, I do add some oil to the pan and heat it up and use a papertowel to spread the oil around. The heat will kill any germs or anything that may be stuck on the pan and the oil fills the pores in the metal and keeps things from sticking. It's like a kind of spray on coating only it gets better and better as the skillet ages.

I'm glad to find there's another fan of cast iron school of cooking.

Hugs...Joni Mari

Hi Girls-

I have Teflon skillets and pans also, some I've had for ages as well as a very nice set that my sweety got me for Christmas and I do appreciate the convenience. As Becca pointed out, all you need is a swish and a wipe or just put them in the dishwasher. But I am a huge fan of cast iron cookware despite the extra TLC involved which isn't all that much really. Personally I think it has better heat distribution than anything else unless you get into high end multi-layered copper clad cookware.

Hi all,

I clean my cast iron pieces pretty much as Rose does. I never worry about putting them under the faucet as long as they are completely dried immediately after.

I don't use oil to season them, though. I apply a very thin layer of Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening over the entire cleaned cooking surface. I then place the cast iron into a preheated 200F oven till it's completely dry and the shortening has melted into the surface. After a few uses, it's as non-stick as teflon.

My favorite cookware, though, bar none, is hard anodized. Midway in weight between non-stick aluminum and cast iron, it has great heat coverage and retention. Cleanup is totally easy, just wipe clean with a damp cloth. (They have even come out with hard anodized cookware that is dishwasher safe lately.)

Interesting to see how everyone else does it (or doesn't)

Best,
Mellie

@Traci, I am with you on the dishwashing thing. It's only me and my wife, so we really don't generate that many dirty dishes. Handwashing works fine for me and as you pointed out it actually takes less energy. Of course I clean as I go when I'm cooking. There's nothing worse than a huge pile of pots and pans to wash, so I do them as I go along.

@Melody, hmm, I have never tried the Crisco trick but it totally sounds like it would work just fine. And actually a little less expensive than using cooking oil. I think, anyway.<lol> I have a can of Crisco that dates back to when King Tut was around, time to put it to use. Does that stuff ever go bad? I am not familiar with hard anodized cookware but it sounds totally cool. I'm going mall crawling later, there's a great place called The Cook's Stop...and I think I will.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to post your thoughts and ideas.

Hi Joni Mari,

I hand wash all my cooking stuff, too, but mostly because my dishwasher died a few years ago. I'm going to redo the kitchen (new range and oven and paint over the pasta sauce splatter) some day and I'll replace it then.

I think using shortening was from the directions on my first cast iron pot from Lodge (the largest manufacturer of cast iron in America). I bought a small container of it then (must have been during the Carter presidency) and I'm still using the same one today, still about 2/3 left, but then I don't bake.

Best,
Mellie

Hi Bobbi,

I agree with you about Teflon burning and and flaking can be a potential health hazard. Cheap teflon pans are easy to burn or scratch with metal utensils. The better quality ones, much less so.

I am very rough on my pots and pans and I've yet to scratch any of my hard anodized. They even pass the "dog test". My dogs get to lick out most of my pans after the food is removed and they've cooled. (I know some of you are going "eeouh, yuck!" but they are my family, they enjoy it and everything is cleaned afterward in hot soapy water before using again.) They are not gentle and while I never let them at teflon coated pans, they've never phased the hard anodized.

Along the same lines, I doubt if you could really get much aluminum from them, the anodizing process hardens the alloy to at least twice the strength of steel, the whole point.

The layer of Crisco is so thin and baked into the cast iron, I doubt that a lifetime of cooking would allow any saturated fat into your system.

Not to argue with you, just my take.

Best,
Mellie

I found and OCRed the Lodge instructions that came with one of my cast iron skillets:

LODGE CAST IRON COOKWARE CARE & SEASONING TIPS:

Season Cookware For Great American Flavor
(Seasoning prevents rust and keeps food from sticking.)

1. Warm cookware and peel off label.

2. Wash, rinse and dry thoroughly. Use mild, soapy water
(NEVER an abrasive detergent) and a stiff brush.

3. Grease cookware with a thin coating of solid vegetable shortening.
Do not use salted fat (margarine or butter). Warm utensil and then
spread shortening over entire surface with cloth or paper towel. Be certain
that the entire surface of the utensil, including all corners, has been
coated thoroughly.

4. Place utensil in oven and heat to 300-350 for 30-60 minutes. Remove
from oven while warm, pour out excess grease 'and wipe with paper towel.
This completes the seasoning process.

5. Each time the utensil is used, coat the entire cooking surface with a thin
coat of solid vegetable shortening, wipe with paper towel and store.

6. Care For Your Cast Iron Cookware

Wash with mild dishwashing liquid. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Never scour or
use a dishwasher. You may wish to use a plastic bun to remove stubborn food
particles.

We suggest you cook food with little water content the first few times you use
your cast iron. Avoid cooking acidic foods, e.g. tomatoes, unless combined with
other foods. Uncover hot foods when you remove
from heat (steam may remove protective coating).
Cast iron cookware will turn black with use. The pores
of the iron will be sealed, providing a durable coating that
helps to prevent sticking.

Rust, metallic taste or discolored foods are signs of improper
or inadequate seasoning or may result from cooking acidic foods. If
this occurs, wash thoroughly and reseason.

Since cast iron heats evenly, you will not need to use extremely high
cooking temperatures. Best results are obtained with medium to
medium-high setting on range or in oven. Do not overheat or leave empty
utensil on burner or in heated oven. Never place utensil on an already heated
burner.

CAUTION-When using any utensil larger than the burner on your stove, we
recommend that you preheat the utensil in your oven, then slowly bring the utensil
up to cooking temperature. Intense or uneven heating may cause utensil to
warp or crack.
When storing, always store with tops or lids off. Store in warm, dry place. You
may want to place a paper towel inside utensil to absorb any moisture.

With proper care and seasoning your Lodge Cast Iron Cookware will cook the
Great American Flavors best. We can certainly claim, "The older it gets, the better
it is."

Best,
Mellie

A basic comparison of the common cooking materials with pros and cons:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/best-and-worst-metal-cookware_n_1447206.html?icid=maing-grid10|htmlws-main-nb|dl15|sec3_lnk3%26pLid%3D154753

Hopefully useful to someone...

I have lots of Lodge cast iron cookware and I always season them when new as the instructions I posted suggest.
I'll reseason them when they start having food stick to them. Some never need it, others, depending on what I've cooked and what utensils I've used, seem to need it occasionally.
Of course, any hint of rust needs a good cleaning and reseasoning.