6 Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Cast Iron

Skillets
Keep your cast iron pans in tip-top shape by avoiding these no-nos.
By Karla Walsh

July 18, 2020

Show it some TLC and your cast iron skillet can last a lifetime — or more. Many
families have generations-old cast iron that's been crisping up fried
chicken and caramelizing Brussels sprouts for 150 years. But unlike your standard
department store kitchen tools, cast iron requires a bit of special treatment. That
does not mean it's extremely fussy; it just has a different set of care, cleaning, and
cooking rules than something like a stainless steel or ceramic skillet. Whether
you're buying new or using mom's, steer clear of these common cast iron skillet
mistakes and you'll set your pan on a plan to be passed down for decades.

1. You don't allow time for the pan to heat up.

While cast iron is prized for its ability to get — and stay — scorching hot, it has a
tendency to get hot spots that can lead to uneven cooking and a less non-stick
sear. To prevent this, first preheat your skillet in the oven whether you're
baking, frying, or sautéing what you plan to cook in it. Place the skillet in a
room temperature oven, then turn it on to 400°F or so. Allow the oven and
skillet to heat up together, and once the oven reaches the set temp, the skillet
should be ready to move forward with the directions in your cast iron recipe.
Slip on an oven mitt, carefully remove the skillet from the oven, and go forth
on your merry menu way.

2. You use the same skillet for savory and sweet.

One of the magical qualities of cast iron is that it's just as extraordinary at searing
salmon as it is at crisping up the edges of brownies. But its semi-porous surface
means that if you cook both of those foods in the same skillet, you might end up
with fish-scented baked goods. If possible, invest in a separate pan for uber-
fragrant foods (say, garlicky sauces, seafood, anything with funky fermented
ingredients) and everything else. A quality Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet runs just
$23 at Target, if you need to add another to your kitchen arsenal.

3. You don't clean the pan quickly enough.

For best and easiest results when cleaning your cast iron, tackle the tidy-up
mission while the skillet is still warm from cooking your meal. (For a complete how-
to, check out our step-by-step guide for cleaning cast iron.) Rinse it with warm
water, shake in some baking soda and/or salt, and gently dislodge any debris with
a sponge, wash cloth, or nylon scrub brush. (Skip the steel wool.) The baking soda
will help counteract any lingering flavors while acting as an antibacterial agent; the
salt acts as a super-mild abrasive element; and the warm water helps lift up the
particles left over from your meal.

4. You let your skillet soak.

Soaking your cast iron skillet in your sink is a recipe for rust, as is washing it in the
dishwasher. Instead, clean it ASAP, even using simple soap and water if you must.
As long as you rinse off all of the suds and dry the pan thoroughly and quickly after
washing, the soap shouldn't harm your skillet's seasoned surface.

5. You don't re-season the skillet.

Speaking of seasoning, it's why so many home cooks prize grandma's cast iron
skillet. Cast iron gets better and more non-stick with age and with repeated use,
although modern cast iron skillets come handily pre-seasoned. For the uninitiated,
seasoning refers to the oil that's baked onto the cast iron's surface that makes food
not stick and helps keep the surface from staining. Still, either vintage or new
skillets are best served by a simple re-seasoning step after each use. After cooking,
washing, and drying your skillet, place it back on a medium-high burner and add a
tablespoon of neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. Use a paper towel to
evenly distribute the oil around the surface and interior sides of the skillet so each
part is shiny. Once it starts to smoke just a bit, take the skillet off the heat, wipe it
down once more with a clean paper towel, let it cool, and store until next time.

6. You store the skillet while it's still wet.

It bears repeating: Give that seasoned skillet one last wipe down before
storing, if you can, since water is essentially iron's enemy number one —
leading to rust, wear, and tear. While rust doesn't mean that you need to toss
your skillet, it is a hassle to scrub, season, and re-season, so prevent damage
before it happens by keeping your skillet dry. If you don't have a hanging pot
rack and you're worried about any scratching or scraping, layer a paper plate
or kitchen towel between pans that you stack to store efficiently.

Your Cast Iron Isn't as Delicate as You

Think It Is
Your cast iron cookware may be precious, but that doesn't mean it's fragile. In
other words, you can wash it with soap.
There's a dirty little secret that those of us who work in professional kitchens (and
your grandmothers) all know. Cast iron cookware is — contrary to popular belief
— not a delicate, fragile thing that must be handled with utmost care in order to
prevent its utter and complete destruction. But, wait... What about soap? What
about acidic ingredients? What about boasting that you've never, ever washed your
cast iron? What about the seasoning? Rest easy. I'm about to give you the real story
on cast iron, and I promise to take all of the worry out of it. First off, cast iron is…
iron. It is virtually indestructible. I have cast iron that belonged to my Mother. I
have cast iron not only from my mother-in-law, but from my GRANDMOTHER-in-
law! These are not young pans. One of them is at least 100 years old. Some of the
other cast iron I have, and use constantly, was purchased, covered in rust, from
yard sales and junk shops. I'm only telling you this to remind you you —
can't kill cast iron.

Seasoning Cast Iron

So, how to get started. There are many ways to season cast iron. And yes, I think
even the "pre-seasoned" pans need it. My favorite method is to was the cast iron in
hot soapy water, scrubbing vigorously, dry it completely (inside and out), wipe it
with a very small amount of vegetable oil (again, inside and out), and wipe out all
of the oil you can. This is the most important thing to remember in the process; you
should have wiped out the oil so completely that the pan appears not to have been
oiled in the first place. If you don't, you will encounter the dreaded "sticky" cast
iron. Once the oil is wiped away, place the cast iron in a 450-degree F oven for 30
minutes. Carefully take it out and repeat (oiling, wiping, and baking), 3 or 4 times.
Now you are done, it is seasoned. What does seasoning actually mean? In simplest
terms, that tiny bit of hot oil "polymerizes;" in other words, it forms a thin plastic-
like coating which fills in the cast iron's irregularities, sealing it as well. And each
re-seasoning adds to that coating, eventually resulting in a truly remarkable non-
stick surface.
Caring for Cast Iron

Now comes the controversial part: caring for your seasoned cast iron. And this is
where 90% of the warnings you've heard can be tossed out. Wash your pan — yes,
wash it. With soap if it needs it. Scrubbing with the rougher side of a sponge if it
needs that to remove food particles. Don't use steel wool, and do dry it completely.
Then, put another tiny bit of oil in and rub it all over, wipe it away, and put it over a
burner for a few minutes. Done. Hardly any more work than any of your other
pans. And the more often you use it and clean/dry/oil it in the way described, the
more non-stick it becomes. I put a sheet of paper towel between cast iron pans if
I'm going to stack them, but otherwise, I store them as I store all of my pans. Now,
what if something is REALLY stuck to your pan? I soak the pan in just water
(submerging it completely) for a while, and then proceed as above. The thing to
remember is that unless you scrub really hard with something truly abrasive, you
have to work awfully hard to ruin the surface you're building up. And rust will only
occur if you let it sit around wet.

What About Acidic Ingredients in Cast Iron?

Another controversial "truism" is that you shouldn't ever cook anything acidic in
cast iron. I will admit, I don't use cast iron when I'm simmering wine or tomato-
filled dishes for hours. But, if I need to quickly deglaze a pan sauce with wine… no
problem. Just keep in mind that you aren't really cooking directly on the cast iron.
You are cooking on the polymerized, plastic-like layer — so a quick exposure to
something acidic will be no problem at all.
Enjoy Your Cast Iron

All of that said, the only thing I'm really trying to say is relax, your cast iron is a
workhorse. The care really is minimal. And if something happens, such as a
helpful friend who soaks it overnight in soap and then uses steel wool on it, it's
not the end of the world. Just scour and start over. While I believe cast iron is
precious, it need not be treated so delicately. There isn't a pan in your kitchen
that can sear meat as well, or cook hash browns as well, or bake cornbread as
well — don't hesitate to use it just because you're worried about messing it up.
Believe it or not, once you attain that mirror-like non-stick surface, it will
become your go to pan for eggs, the most notoriously stuck-to-the-pan
ingredient there is. Enjoy your cast iron: use it, wash it, barely oil it. It will last
so long that your grandchildren could eventually inherit it — gratefully.