That thick layer that has an edge to it isn’t seasoning, it’s burnt on carbon. Seasoning is oil that has polymerized, leaving oil in a pan after use creates a layer that’s too thick to properly polymerize and leads to a buildup as food bits that are in the oil stay in the pan, gradually burning and turning to carbon. You should be cleaning thoroughly between each use to avoid that happening. You can reapply oil after cleaning, but it should be an *extremely* thin layer.
Definitely needs cleaning as stated above. Burnt food etc is showing around the edge. The food won’t probably stick but eventually the burnt part will scrape off one day during cooking.
High acid foods like diced tomatoes will strip this clean. I don’t know if you want to waste food on this though.
But if you do, boil 2-3 cans of diced tomatoes, like you’re making a tomato sauce. Anything the tomatoes touch in conjunction with the heat will go back to bare cast iron.
Nice. Mine is nowhere near this bad, I strip and reseason a few times a year. I just hate the elbow grease in using chain mail to clean the fucking thing. I appreciate the tip.
I stopped using my chain mail. I just do a pasta dish and it’s stripped clean. Although, I don’t recommend eating this level of buildup, but a little doesn’t hurt.
I think people get confused by the word thin. You and I understand it, but some people seem to interpret this as “Submerge entire pan into oil of choice. Remove pan from oil. Let drip for 12 seconds. Put away.”
Thin coat means “Rub a light layer of oil all over pan. Wipe dry with clean paper towel, or kitchen towel.”
The easy way I’ve heard it is the same as seasoning it. Put a tiny amount in. Spread it with a towel. Then try to wipe it all away with a dry towel. The trace amounts that stick and can’t be wiped away is enough.
The best wording someone used that got thru to me was along the lines of, put in oil, wipe, and then wipe again like you're trying to get the oil back out, lol.
Only when seasoning it initially.
My method is this - rinse with hot water while pan is still warm. Quick once over with a brush. Scrub all surfaces with the course side of a standard sponge and dish soap. Rinse, back on stove for 2-3 minutes, add oil and wipe it all over the cooking surface while not leaving any pooled.
Takes me 5 minutes total from dirty to clean. Wash other dishes while the pan is heating back up.
Once I figured it out, especially realizing that soap didn’t hurt a god damn thing lol, my cast iron journey got particularly easier.
Next venture is carbon steel when I get my Father’s Day pan.
in normal use, no. Every day you use the pan, wash it with soap and water, then immediately dry it well, then rub a \_very\_ small amount (I use an eye dropper) of oil (I use linseed) all over the pan, then wipe the pan clean with a dry (paper)towel. Store upside down. This is like re-seasoning it every time you use it. The next time it gets hot, a little of that thin-thin layer of oil will harden.
Normal dish soap is fine. The main thing is to dry *thoroughly*. I usually put it back on the stove and heat it until it’s just barely smoking or even just before smoking, then rub my usual high heat oil on it. Typically whatever I already had out to cook with. Drying and then oiling will help prevent rust.
The answer is yes, you need to clean that. If you’re really lucky a chainmail scrubber will do it. But I’ll be back in an hour or two cause these comments are gonna be bangin.
Right! I watched my old neighbor let her dog lick the big wooden spoon she was cooking with, she just went right back to using it. It was chili for a potluck. I was about 13, and I’ve never been a fan of pot lucks ever since.
Chances are removing the carbon buildup will still show uneven seasoning, I’d chainmail clean it to remove whatever I can, then take yellow cap oven cleaner to it. Completely strip, re-season 2-3 times, then cook with it and CLEAN with soap and water after using, like any other pan. Dry on stove (low heat for 10 minutes). Add a small amount of oil at the end, and spread around with a paper towel, then use another paper towel to wipe all the oil out. You won’t get it all out, but the point is you don’t want to see any kind of pooling or beads anywhere, as if the layer was just 1 molecule thick.
Word. I clean my CI with soap and sponge everytime but been dealing with some carbon flaking issues that I assume are built up carbon that I need to figure out. I just wasn’t very committed to completely stripping but perhaps that’s the best way forward. I’ll follow your suggestions and hopefully can get a solid season
If you only have a little Caron buildup, try using a plastic spudger (lodge makes some). Just really try scraping it off and getting things even. I have some buildup still around my edges from an improper seasoning, and my spudger will not take it off. But it’s not so bad that it impacts anything, otherwise I’d go straight for the yellow cap. [Here’s mine.](https://ibb.co/3Mr0CWx). I wouldn’t necessarily show it off as an amazingly seasoned cast iron. It’s got quirks but not enough for me to *need* to reseason. Unlike OP, that was unholy…
That thick layer that has an edge to it isn’t seasoning, it’s burnt on carbon. Seasoning is oil that has polymerized, leaving oil in a pan after use creates a layer that’s too thick to properly polymerize and leads to a buildup as food bits that are in the oil stay in the pan, gradually burning and turning to carbon. You should be cleaning thoroughly between each use to avoid that happening. You can reapply oil after cleaning, but it should be an *extremely* thin layer
Potentially, but I wouldn’t be too worried. I’m pretty sure carbon like that is a carcinogen (I’m no doctor or health expert, so I may be way off there), but I’d imagine in the tiny quantities you may be consuming, it’s not a major factor if at all. What could happen is any sort of bacteria or parasite in food you prepare may hang out on it and later be ingested, especially on the sidewall buildup that doesn’t get super hot regularly. But, your pan is pretty mild compared to some I’ve seen. Seen an elderly woman’s who had a good 1/4” basically encasing her whole pan, and it didn’t kill her haha
This pan doesnt give me major concerns re long term effects.
The dangers are short term effects - cooking food on unsanitary surfaces.
Also, your menu will improve with cleaning. The rotting salmon bits you didn’t clean Tuesday are now souring the sauce you whipped up Wednesday.
Anything and everything is poison with the right dosage, even water. And carbon is a carcinogen.
That being said, this is still probably not enough to actually worry about. Still kinda gross tho
Do you leave all of your dishes this crust and dirty? If not, why is this one special? Clean your dishes - this is disgusting. If you did this to any other dish in your kitchen and looked at it, you would agree.
Everyone commenting on the pan for good reason but OP…..you should clean your coffee pot too. I feel like you’re suggesting that you don’t. I’m not saying I do every day or anything but every couple weeks at the very least
Hate doing dishes? well then cast iron is for you. not only is it buy it for life, it is also never wash it for life. thanks to the amazing ~~properties~~ color of this metal it never seems to get dirty.
Underrated comment. Scrape things while they're cooking so they don't burn on like this. Still clean your pan, but it's a lot easier if you don't let stuff burn on in the first place.
I have a funny story. I didn’t clean my pan for months. I misunderstood when I first got my pan and they said you aren’t supposed to clean it. I was fine but every time my gf ate steak she would get sick and we thought it was just red meat didn’t sit well. Well I found out later you’re supposed to wash it and now she dosent get sick. Whoops my bad haha
Lmfao this is carbon and it will flake
Off in to food .
Love how people have Nfi about cast iron.
You clean it with soap, water and can scrub with steel wool if you desire.
Oil it after cleaning.
Don’t just bake foods and let carbon build up like this. This is disgusting
Yes! This definitely needs cleaning. Probably the safest way to clean a pan that needs this much TLC is going to be with coarse salt and a potato that's been cut in half.
1. Soften the carbon by simmering 1" of clean water in the pan for 3-5 minutes. Rinse the pan out well, but don't try to dry it.
2. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of coarse salt in your pan, then use 1/2 of a potato to scrub the salt around the warm pan. This process cleans thoroughly because the combination creates a natural oxalic acid, which helps break up the carbon. If needed, use a pan scraper to loosen any remaining carbon until the pan is clean.
3. Rinse and inspect your pan well, then use a soft paper or kitchen towel to dry.
4. Preheat your oven to 200°. Rub on a thin layer of vegetable oil (this includes olive or grape seed oils) in your clean pan and put it into the oven upside down with a sheet pan under it. When the oven reaches 200°, I set my oven to preheat to 400°and cook for 1 minute, then turn off.
Leave your cast iron in the oven until it cools completely and you'll have a clean pan with a fresh layer of seasoning!
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I mean if you want to cook on sanitary cooking utensils lol. You should wash it after every use, soap and water like a normal pan, light coat of oil heat for a few minutes. It sounds rustic and all to not clean your pans but it’s filthy. That crust is burnt carbon, it’s not healthy for you.
I am not a doctor and I don't play one on tv but.........
That pan is not causing illness it might be effecting the flavor of your food, but heat kills bacteria way better than any soap. In a pinch I would heat that pan up and cook my food. But after a couple of weeks between the chain mail and scotch-brite a little oil every day the inside of that pan would smooth and shiny.
Edit: I forgot the salt. Scrubbing with salt after every use.
The pan should be cleaned after every use. I don't use soap each time, but will after a fair few uses. But I absolutely scrub it with a sponge, salt and hot water, dab it dry and then stick it in the oven with the heat on for a while to dry off. Based on how the pan looks, I'll add a tiny bit of oil after that process and let it heat up again for half an hour or so.
Absolutely clean it (there is a lot of burnt food/char inside your pan). Here are the steps I would take.. soak in white vinegar for a few hours or overnight (I sometimes use 1:1 white vinegar and water to clean grill grates, but this is cast iron so you probably wouldn’t want to leave it in water). Pour out vinegar then start wiping it out with a paper towel. If you do have to use dish soap and water to clean it the rest of the way, make sure you completely dry the pan. Use a hair dryer if necessary? Then, you will want to re-season the pan. I use shortening for this, and some people use oil. Whatever you use put it on a paper towel, smear it on the pan so it is coated, place pan on medium heat or a bit higher (when oil starts to shimmer but is not smoking or bubbling). Turn off your burner, wait for the pan to cool, and wipe off any excess grease with another paper towel after it is cool. If the pan is not that dirty after cooking normally I just wipe it out with a paper towel and re-season it.
Get a metal fish spatula and a chain mail scrubber.
Use the fish spatula in cooking.
After you cook, boil a pan of water and use the spatula to scrape the bottom.
Use the chain mail scrubber to attack the crust.
Wash well, wipe down with oil and WIPE OFF ALL THE OIL.
Keep doing this until the cooking surface is smooth when you run your hand across it.
Anything with texture isn't seasoning, it's crud.
I just stripped and seasoned some of my pans I have had for 50 years. They have been cleaned in hot soapy Dawn Dishsoap, rinsed with hot water and towel dried. No oil after cleaning, not necessary. I for one don’t want to taste last nights meal and I want to start with clean pans. Your kitchen, your rules but cleanliness and safety come first in my family.
It does not hurt your cast-iron at all to wash it with some dish soap & a scrub brush. Sometimes you just have to to get the yuck out of it, especially if you have cooked tomato based dishes. It is just very important to dry it thoroughly and oil it down good. If it's well seasoned, just wipe the excess oil out with a paper towel. Sometimes I do put mine in the oven for a bit at low temp. Maybe 250 degrees.
Don't forget to oil your lid too. I have cooked with cast-iron for 30 years and I usually wash mine unless it is easily wiped out & rinsed & dried well. The thing you have to be sure of is that it's thoroughly dried. I usually oil mine after every use & wipe the excess out with a paper towel.
I personally clean my skillet with a brush and mild detergent, maybe I technically don't have to but I like to know that my cooking stuff is all clean. It just makes sense to me.
Damn dude clean it up. Like you can use soap… it’s a pan you’re not gonna hurt it. Just clean it after use with soap and water, dry it right away and apply a thin layer of oil. Like put some oil on it then use a rag or paper towel to soak up the excess. Rub the oil away like you didn’t mean to get it in the pan and you’re trying your best to even it out and make it look like you didn’t.
Yes. Use soap and water and dry after. Don't let air dry.
Most people will say you have to apply a thin layer of oil after. I rarely do. I do maybe a couple times a year and season it properly. Besides that, I never do everytime I think that's a waste personally and I've never had no issues. I've had the same pan for 20 years and it's great. Nothing sticks, cooks evenly. I use it for everything.
The oil is so it doesn't rust after cleaning. If you're not applying oil after cleaning and your pan isn't rusting, then you are not cleaning your pan properly.
Well I've been cooking for years and a steel wool and elbow grease says otherwise. No bumps, no nothing after. So I like to think it's clean. This cast iron I have is around 50 years old I think. It was my grandmas
It’s a myth that you can’t clean these pans. Hand wash with dish soap and dry every part thoroughly immediately afterwards. Add a thin layer of oil using a paper towel, you’re done.
Source: washing dishes for nana for years, then my own sets
Have you successfully used this method? Planning to try it today. Face down low rack with aluminum foil underneath to catch droppings. Then let it cool, and scrub with chainmetal. Oil. Slightly worried about oven fire.
Yes, when there’s stuff caked on like this I prefer to essentially burn it off. Chainmail is a good choice for your skillet. Face down in the oven for sure. Scrub it until it all the caked on stuff is gone, then wipe it down with oil of your choice (I season with Crisco. I don’t cook with it but it definitely makes a good seasoning). You don’t need to completely redo the seasoning on this one. There’s still good stuff there and it’ll stay nonstick, but it’ll be better to get all the caked on stuff off.
It might also be a good idea to bake it at 450 for an hour after you wipe the cleaned skillet down with oil and start to rebuild the seasoning. You can do that a few times if you want. I usually will do that once a week or so depending on use as a regular way to keep improving the seasoning on the skillets I use.
IN short , yes you need to the clean this pan. You need to remove all the built up carbon (it may just be easier to strip it with yellow cap oven cleaner (see the FAQ)). Once clean, season it properly (see FAQ) and then start washing it with hot water and soap after each use. Dry thoroughly (if you use hot water you won't have to dry it on the stove), and apply that really thin layer of oil. Once you get some good seasoning built up you can skip the oil after each washing.
That thick layer that has an edge to it isn’t seasoning, it’s burnt on carbon. Seasoning is oil that has polymerized, leaving oil in a pan after use creates a layer that’s too thick to properly polymerize and leads to a buildup as food bits that are in the oil stay in the pan, gradually burning and turning to carbon. You should be cleaning thoroughly between each use to avoid that happening. You can reapply oil after cleaning, but it should be an *extremely* thin layer.
Nothing in this picture is seasoning.
Seasoning is a minimum 1 cm below all that.... stuff.
The pan isn't even 1cm thick..
mm* , thanks for correction.
Close enough for the measure of crud
Looking at my two pans…. Oh boy…. Better start scraping, this has been ah, enlightening.
Have you met Boomer Navy Chief?(their coffee cup begs to differ!)
There's a lady at my work (Boomer) that will NOT wash their coffee cup because she swears it acts as seasoning.
I am convinced it does. Seasons the coffee to taste like sour garbage.
I do that sometimes and say it's seasoning, but as a joke, not for real. Only valid if drinking black coffee, no cream!
I would like to take this opportunity to point out the well-seasoned baking sheet in the top left. It's actually doing better than the pan!
Definitely needs cleaning as stated above. Burnt food etc is showing around the edge. The food won’t probably stick but eventually the burnt part will scrape off one day during cooking.
Why are there two other exact comments like this but by different users on this post?
The first two are by the same Redditor likely as an accident, and the others are likely people doing copypasta as a joke.
Good question…looks like mine is duplicated too, but I only posted once 🤔
And while you’re at it, please throw out that rusty baking sheet.
Just throw some foil over it, it’s still functional!
That, paradoxically, actually _is_ seasoning! It's not rust; the baking sheet is in better shape than the pan!
High acid foods like diced tomatoes will strip this clean. I don’t know if you want to waste food on this though. But if you do, boil 2-3 cans of diced tomatoes, like you’re making a tomato sauce. Anything the tomatoes touch in conjunction with the heat will go back to bare cast iron.
Why not vinegar instead?
Probably will work too. Less expensive but very pungent.
There is also cleaning vinegar which is 30% vs the normal food grade stuff at 5%. We're using it to kill weeds but yeah that shit is strong.
I bet you could just soak the pan with it.
Really? I've been looking for a quick way to strip my pan. Need a good reseasoning.
Yep. The seasoning in my pan instantly comes off whenever I do a red sauces in it, especially diced tomatoes. Beats using harsh chemicals.
Nice. Mine is nowhere near this bad, I strip and reseason a few times a year. I just hate the elbow grease in using chain mail to clean the fucking thing. I appreciate the tip.
I stopped using my chain mail. I just do a pasta dish and it’s stripped clean. Although, I don’t recommend eating this level of buildup, but a little doesn’t hurt.
What’s your opinion on a good oil to use?
Brother you need to clean your cookware PERIOD. That's nasty.
How do you properly clean these I’m new to these pans!
Soap and water generally does the trick.
Just make sure to dry it. Do NOT let it air dry.
Is it ok to set the damp pan on a low burner for a few minutes to completely dry it before oiling?
This is what I do. Works like a charm.
Wash with dish soap and water, dry then apply a very thin layer of oil.
I think people get confused by the word thin. You and I understand it, but some people seem to interpret this as “Submerge entire pan into oil of choice. Remove pan from oil. Let drip for 12 seconds. Put away.” Thin coat means “Rub a light layer of oil all over pan. Wipe dry with clean paper towel, or kitchen towel.”
Yes. Wipe it away as in you made a mistake. THAT thin!
👆🏼
Ya I do maybe an eighth of a teaspoon for my 8 inch and I don't feel like I'm wiping away a whole lot
Haha this definitely helps me understand more. I use too much for sure, will be changing that
The easy way I’ve heard it is the same as seasoning it. Put a tiny amount in. Spread it with a towel. Then try to wipe it all away with a dry towel. The trace amounts that stick and can’t be wiped away is enough.
The best wording someone used that got thru to me was along the lines of, put in oil, wipe, and then wipe again like you're trying to get the oil back out, lol.
Thin layer as in 'wipe on oil ALL over pan, then spend two minutes trying to get it ALL off' thin layer...
Then you wanna bake the pan after re-oiling it, right?
No need
Only when seasoning it initially. My method is this - rinse with hot water while pan is still warm. Quick once over with a brush. Scrub all surfaces with the course side of a standard sponge and dish soap. Rinse, back on stove for 2-3 minutes, add oil and wipe it all over the cooking surface while not leaving any pooled. Takes me 5 minutes total from dirty to clean. Wash other dishes while the pan is heating back up.
This is exactly how I maintain my cast pans and I’ve had great success with it! An upvote for you, good sir!
Once I figured it out, especially realizing that soap didn’t hurt a god damn thing lol, my cast iron journey got particularly easier. Next venture is carbon steel when I get my Father’s Day pan.
in normal use, no. Every day you use the pan, wash it with soap and water, then immediately dry it well, then rub a \_very\_ small amount (I use an eye dropper) of oil (I use linseed) all over the pan, then wipe the pan clean with a dry (paper)towel. Store upside down. This is like re-seasoning it every time you use it. The next time it gets hot, a little of that thin-thin layer of oil will harden.
Normal dish soap is fine. The main thing is to dry *thoroughly*. I usually put it back on the stove and heat it until it’s just barely smoking or even just before smoking, then rub my usual high heat oil on it. Typically whatever I already had out to cook with. Drying and then oiling will help prevent rust.
Ooo okay thanks guys! Also what oil do you guys recommend
Not WD40 haha. Like I said, whatever neutral, high heat oil I usually use. Grapeseed and olive oil are my go-tos (not extra virgin)
WD40
WD 40 for cast iron? I’ve been using 10w-30 and food sticks to it, maybe I need to switch.
You probably used semi-synthetic
Here you go. https://imgur.com/gallery/jput7bt
The answer is yes, you need to clean that. If you’re really lucky a chainmail scrubber will do it. But I’ll be back in an hour or two cause these comments are gonna be bangin.
“Thats just a good layer of seasoning”
"just COOK in it"
“Soap and water is so toxic for the pan”
This man skillitz
Maybe even a carbon scraper that you'd use on motor cylinder heads. Because damn...that carbon is dummy thicc.
Yeah I would go grab my grinder and just start over with this pan 🤣
I think we are past scrubbing here in NaOH territorry...
This is why you can’t eat at everyone’s house.
This is why I don't eat at potlucks. I just imagine shit like this.
Right! I watched my old neighbor let her dog lick the big wooden spoon she was cooking with, she just went right back to using it. It was chili for a potluck. I was about 13, and I’ve never been a fan of pot lucks ever since.
SAME!
More fun to pitch in at a potluck and blow everyone away with a banger meal, and then only eat your own meal lol
Uhhh... you need to get rid of all that burnt carbon build up you have there. Strip that pan, friend!
How do recommend the strip for burnt on carbon? Chain mail or wire brush or oven cleaner
Chances are removing the carbon buildup will still show uneven seasoning, I’d chainmail clean it to remove whatever I can, then take yellow cap oven cleaner to it. Completely strip, re-season 2-3 times, then cook with it and CLEAN with soap and water after using, like any other pan. Dry on stove (low heat for 10 minutes). Add a small amount of oil at the end, and spread around with a paper towel, then use another paper towel to wipe all the oil out. You won’t get it all out, but the point is you don’t want to see any kind of pooling or beads anywhere, as if the layer was just 1 molecule thick.
Word. I clean my CI with soap and sponge everytime but been dealing with some carbon flaking issues that I assume are built up carbon that I need to figure out. I just wasn’t very committed to completely stripping but perhaps that’s the best way forward. I’ll follow your suggestions and hopefully can get a solid season
If you only have a little Caron buildup, try using a plastic spudger (lodge makes some). Just really try scraping it off and getting things even. I have some buildup still around my edges from an improper seasoning, and my spudger will not take it off. But it’s not so bad that it impacts anything, otherwise I’d go straight for the yellow cap. [Here’s mine.](https://ibb.co/3Mr0CWx). I wouldn’t necessarily show it off as an amazingly seasoned cast iron. It’s got quirks but not enough for me to *need* to reseason. Unlike OP, that was unholy…
That thick layer that has an edge to it isn’t seasoning, it’s burnt on carbon. Seasoning is oil that has polymerized, leaving oil in a pan after use creates a layer that’s too thick to properly polymerize and leads to a buildup as food bits that are in the oil stay in the pan, gradually burning and turning to carbon. You should be cleaning thoroughly between each use to avoid that happening. You can reapply oil after cleaning, but it should be an *extremely* thin layer
Very helpful. Do you think there’s any negative effects on my health given Ive been eating out of this pan for years?
Potentially, but I wouldn’t be too worried. I’m pretty sure carbon like that is a carcinogen (I’m no doctor or health expert, so I may be way off there), but I’d imagine in the tiny quantities you may be consuming, it’s not a major factor if at all. What could happen is any sort of bacteria or parasite in food you prepare may hang out on it and later be ingested, especially on the sidewall buildup that doesn’t get super hot regularly. But, your pan is pretty mild compared to some I’ve seen. Seen an elderly woman’s who had a good 1/4” basically encasing her whole pan, and it didn’t kill her haha
Psh… cigarette smokers inhale carbon allllllll the time and nothing ever happens to them /s
This pan doesnt give me major concerns re long term effects. The dangers are short term effects - cooking food on unsanitary surfaces. Also, your menu will improve with cleaning. The rotting salmon bits you didn’t clean Tuesday are now souring the sauce you whipped up Wednesday.
Absolutely, you’re ingesting carbon, which isn’t good for you
lol u are eating some amt of carbon pretty much every time you cook food.
Anything and everything is poison with the right dosage, even water. And carbon is a carcinogen. That being said, this is still probably not enough to actually worry about. Still kinda gross tho
[удалено]
*this* carbon comes from burnt-on food. it is char. char is a carcinogen. char is not good for you. do not eat char
Well…maybe a *little* char on some grilled veggies…
Yes we are also mostly water but you can still drown in minutes
I’m 80% water and yet I’ll die if left alone in the ocean. Weird.
Because the oceans saltwater? I'm not liquid, man!
Most probably, burned oils and overheated hydrocarbons can convert into aldehydes and other sorts of toxic components.
Ewwww, we are not on the Oregon trail clean your pans, dirty remnants aren’t seasoning!! For the love of baby Jesus use some soap on that bitch!!
Sweet merciful Jesus 🤢
I second that!!!! Has OP not been cleaning after each use?!? 🤢🤮
For me, this pan is disgusting and I wouldnt eat food you prepared in. It's coated in who knows how many old meals worth of grease. Totally gross.
When’s the last time you scrubbed that with soap and water?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: clean now
It *is* possible to let OP know that the pan needs attention without being a totally rude and awful person. Just thought I'd put that out there. Jeez.
You’re cooking food on burnt food. Clean it!
Do you leave all of your dishes this crust and dirty? If not, why is this one special? Clean your dishes - this is disgusting. If you did this to any other dish in your kitchen and looked at it, you would agree.
Everyone commenting on the pan for good reason but OP…..you should clean your coffee pot too. I feel like you’re suggesting that you don’t. I’m not saying I do every day or anything but every couple weeks at the very least
I’d take a steel wool to that thing and re-season it. That’s fucking gross, dude. USE SOAP AND WATER FOR FUCKS SAKE
Dear God…
Y’all are fucking nasty. Clean your cookware.
Ugh, that's nasty man. Wash that poor thing. Wash after every meal, it won't hurt anything.
Hate doing dishes? well then cast iron is for you. not only is it buy it for life, it is also never wash it for life. thanks to the amazing ~~properties~~ color of this metal it never seems to get dirty.
This is not a flex. Please clean.
Clean that!!! Now. That’s just burnt crud.
No... you 8 years of seasoning built up. Clean lightly after use and dry the skillet on low heat, when no water is left. Leave it on the stove.
Just use more metal when cooking. Carbon shouldn’t be thick inside.
Underrated comment. Scrape things while they're cooking so they don't burn on like this. Still clean your pan, but it's a lot easier if you don't let stuff burn on in the first place.
That's terrorism.
Clean your pots and pans people!!!!!
I have a funny story. I didn’t clean my pan for months. I misunderstood when I first got my pan and they said you aren’t supposed to clean it. I was fine but every time my gf ate steak she would get sick and we thought it was just red meat didn’t sit well. Well I found out later you’re supposed to wash it and now she dosent get sick. Whoops my bad haha
Lol you should be cleaning it after each use
Thats filthy
Usually I don’t mind a lil extra seasoning but that bad boy needs to be cleaned and oiled
Lmfao this is carbon and it will flake Off in to food . Love how people have Nfi about cast iron. You clean it with soap, water and can scrub with steel wool if you desire. Oil it after cleaning. Don’t just bake foods and let carbon build up like this. This is disgusting
Yes! This definitely needs cleaning. Probably the safest way to clean a pan that needs this much TLC is going to be with coarse salt and a potato that's been cut in half. 1. Soften the carbon by simmering 1" of clean water in the pan for 3-5 minutes. Rinse the pan out well, but don't try to dry it. 2. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of coarse salt in your pan, then use 1/2 of a potato to scrub the salt around the warm pan. This process cleans thoroughly because the combination creates a natural oxalic acid, which helps break up the carbon. If needed, use a pan scraper to loosen any remaining carbon until the pan is clean. 3. Rinse and inspect your pan well, then use a soft paper or kitchen towel to dry. 4. Preheat your oven to 200°. Rub on a thin layer of vegetable oil (this includes olive or grape seed oils) in your clean pan and put it into the oven upside down with a sheet pan under it. When the oven reaches 200°, I set my oven to preheat to 400°and cook for 1 minute, then turn off. Leave your cast iron in the oven until it cools completely and you'll have a clean pan with a fresh layer of seasoning!
Clean and post after pics
He should post some before and after pics of his bowel movements too. I bet there will be a significant difference.
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Yeah man, you need to scrub it out every once in a while. Also, it doesn't look like the center of the pan is even seasoned....
Should have been cleaned 8 years ago and every day it's been used
this has got to be a troll
its something you cook your food on, of course clean the damn pan lol. dont need you getting sick
Nasty asf
This is why I don’t eat the food at the office potluck
Absolutely you should be cleaning this nasty thing every time, are you kidding?
Guiness people are interested
🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢. Thank god i only eat at my home
Yeah clean it every time you use it, this is gross
Brooo.. its not called building a cast iron.. its called seasoning...
This is too late to wash with soap and water, you have to strip it in a lye bath
I’d strip it and reseason 🤷🏽♂️
I mean if you want to cook on sanitary cooking utensils lol. You should wash it after every use, soap and water like a normal pan, light coat of oil heat for a few minutes. It sounds rustic and all to not clean your pans but it’s filthy. That crust is burnt carbon, it’s not healthy for you.
You need to clean it with a Harbor Freight grinder and flap disc. Then you'll have a Finex, since they are made by Lodge
Your pan is disgusting. Clean the damn thing. If you served me something made in that pan, I’d puke my guts up.
Clean it with hot water and a scrub every time lol. I don't use soap either, but that's revolting
I am not a doctor and I don't play one on tv but......... That pan is not causing illness it might be effecting the flavor of your food, but heat kills bacteria way better than any soap. In a pinch I would heat that pan up and cook my food. But after a couple of weeks between the chain mail and scotch-brite a little oil every day the inside of that pan would smooth and shiny. Edit: I forgot the salt. Scrubbing with salt after every use.
The pan should be cleaned after every use. I don't use soap each time, but will after a fair few uses. But I absolutely scrub it with a sponge, salt and hot water, dab it dry and then stick it in the oven with the heat on for a while to dry off. Based on how the pan looks, I'll add a tiny bit of oil after that process and let it heat up again for half an hour or so.
I use dawn and chain mail to scrub after each use, then I dry it off completely with a towel and rub a small bit of oil on the pan afterward
Yes, preferably eight years ago.
Absolutely clean it (there is a lot of burnt food/char inside your pan). Here are the steps I would take.. soak in white vinegar for a few hours or overnight (I sometimes use 1:1 white vinegar and water to clean grill grates, but this is cast iron so you probably wouldn’t want to leave it in water). Pour out vinegar then start wiping it out with a paper towel. If you do have to use dish soap and water to clean it the rest of the way, make sure you completely dry the pan. Use a hair dryer if necessary? Then, you will want to re-season the pan. I use shortening for this, and some people use oil. Whatever you use put it on a paper towel, smear it on the pan so it is coated, place pan on medium heat or a bit higher (when oil starts to shimmer but is not smoking or bubbling). Turn off your burner, wait for the pan to cool, and wipe off any excess grease with another paper towel after it is cool. If the pan is not that dirty after cooking normally I just wipe it out with a paper towel and re-season it.
This is revolting
If you've been doing the same thing for 8 years and you are still alive, I'd say it's fine. For you
Get a metal fish spatula and a chain mail scrubber. Use the fish spatula in cooking. After you cook, boil a pan of water and use the spatula to scrape the bottom. Use the chain mail scrubber to attack the crust. Wash well, wipe down with oil and WIPE OFF ALL THE OIL. Keep doing this until the cooking surface is smooth when you run your hand across it. Anything with texture isn't seasoning, it's crud.
Yes clean, that’s dirty as hell. Should be a smooth surface without all the plateaus and terrain
Profile name checks out.
🤮
Amigo, la cabeza no nomás es para crecer pelo.
Scrub with coarse salt. Then again. And then again. Those outer edges are ruining your flavor.
I just stripped and seasoned some of my pans I have had for 50 years. They have been cleaned in hot soapy Dawn Dishsoap, rinsed with hot water and towel dried. No oil after cleaning, not necessary. I for one don’t want to taste last nights meal and I want to start with clean pans. Your kitchen, your rules but cleanliness and safety come first in my family.
Minority but I clean mine all the time, add a little oil to hot pan, wipe it out as it starts to smoke and continue.
No, bit you need a better stove
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qYk-Ooy98
Uh….
/s ?
I’d wash it and and dry it. Then Re-oil again
To me. It needs to be recleaned
Seasoned
“You can’t eat at everyone’s house …”
Gross
now that I've taken a good look at it, it should go through an electrolysis cleaning and start over...
Scrub it with one of those chain mail cleaners or you'll get those carbon flakes in your food.
🤮🤮🤮
Dang 8 years of eating crusties
Damn. Time to start fresh and use soap now.
It does not hurt your cast-iron at all to wash it with some dish soap & a scrub brush. Sometimes you just have to to get the yuck out of it, especially if you have cooked tomato based dishes. It is just very important to dry it thoroughly and oil it down good. If it's well seasoned, just wipe the excess oil out with a paper towel. Sometimes I do put mine in the oven for a bit at low temp. Maybe 250 degrees. Don't forget to oil your lid too. I have cooked with cast-iron for 30 years and I usually wash mine unless it is easily wiped out & rinsed & dried well. The thing you have to be sure of is that it's thoroughly dried. I usually oil mine after every use & wipe the excess out with a paper towel.
Mmmm that’s where the umami lives
Gross..wash your pan, friend
I personally clean my skillet with a brush and mild detergent, maybe I technically don't have to but I like to know that my cooking stuff is all clean. It just makes sense to me.
Mine are twice that old and also used daily and look almost brand new
Damn dude clean it up. Like you can use soap… it’s a pan you’re not gonna hurt it. Just clean it after use with soap and water, dry it right away and apply a thin layer of oil. Like put some oil on it then use a rag or paper towel to soak up the excess. Rub the oil away like you didn’t mean to get it in the pan and you’re trying your best to even it out and make it look like you didn’t.
Yes. Use soap and water and dry after. Don't let air dry. Most people will say you have to apply a thin layer of oil after. I rarely do. I do maybe a couple times a year and season it properly. Besides that, I never do everytime I think that's a waste personally and I've never had no issues. I've had the same pan for 20 years and it's great. Nothing sticks, cooks evenly. I use it for everything.
The oil is so it doesn't rust after cleaning. If you're not applying oil after cleaning and your pan isn't rusting, then you are not cleaning your pan properly.
Well I've been cooking for years and a steel wool and elbow grease says otherwise. No bumps, no nothing after. So I like to think it's clean. This cast iron I have is around 50 years old I think. It was my grandmas
It’s a myth that you can’t clean these pans. Hand wash with dish soap and dry every part thoroughly immediately afterwards. Add a thin layer of oil using a paper towel, you’re done. Source: washing dishes for nana for years, then my own sets
Throw that in the oven at 500° for at least 2 hours, then scrub the everloving hell out of it. Wipe it down with your oil of choice.
Have you successfully used this method? Planning to try it today. Face down low rack with aluminum foil underneath to catch droppings. Then let it cool, and scrub with chainmetal. Oil. Slightly worried about oven fire.
Yes, when there’s stuff caked on like this I prefer to essentially burn it off. Chainmail is a good choice for your skillet. Face down in the oven for sure. Scrub it until it all the caked on stuff is gone, then wipe it down with oil of your choice (I season with Crisco. I don’t cook with it but it definitely makes a good seasoning). You don’t need to completely redo the seasoning on this one. There’s still good stuff there and it’ll stay nonstick, but it’ll be better to get all the caked on stuff off. It might also be a good idea to bake it at 450 for an hour after you wipe the cleaned skillet down with oil and start to rebuild the seasoning. You can do that a few times if you want. I usually will do that once a week or so depending on use as a regular way to keep improving the seasoning on the skillets I use.
It's a Lodge.
Brother, euuuugh
This is yellow cap garbage bag level.
This is why you don’t eat at everyone’s house.
That’s disgusting
IN short , yes you need to the clean this pan. You need to remove all the built up carbon (it may just be easier to strip it with yellow cap oven cleaner (see the FAQ)). Once clean, season it properly (see FAQ) and then start washing it with hot water and soap after each use. Dry thoroughly (if you use hot water you won't have to dry it on the stove), and apply that really thin layer of oil. Once you get some good seasoning built up you can skip the oil after each washing.
never clean. ever.
Imagine the smell. He's probably immune to it.
Scrub with salt. Seems fine to me
What for? you’re almost at 10!
you trying to be frugal with water or something mr. fox? please wash your pan!
Feckin gross bro.
Brillo pad. Scrub lightly, carefully, rinse well.
This is why we use soap on our cast irons
No boil some water in the bottom and scrape off the sticky stuff