Whether you are an experienced chef or just starting to cook, cleaning your cast iron pan can sometimes be a challenge. It is important to maintain your pan properly. We give you 5 handy tips and tricks for cleaning your cast iron pan. So you enjoy delicious dishes time after time.
Common mistakes: the wrong way to clean your cast iron
First, read these 3 mistakes on what not to do when cleaning your cast iron pan. We have already listed them for you below. Kind of easy.
Mistake 1. Not washing by hand
Mistake 2. Using detergent
Mistake 3. Rapid temperature change
Sure, let's focus on what really matters here - how to do it right. Keep reading for the good stuff.
Always wash your pan by hand. Let the pan cool well, then put the pan under the tap and run a layer of water into it. Afterwards, bring the water to the boil and then let it cool for a while. You can easily remove the residue in your pan with a washing-up brush, spoon or other things that are not sharp.
Easily remove caked-on food residues without damaging the patina layer of your pan? Our special scrub mat makes cleaning your pan even more fun! With its braided rings and stainless steel material, the scrub mat is ideal for cleaning your cast iron pan.
Home, garden and kitchen utensils also go a long way when you want to give your cast iron pan a thorough cleaning. Open your kitchen cupboards and look for a jar of table salt. In fact, salt works perfectly well as an abrasive. Throw a few generous tablespoons of salt into the still hot pan and you can get to work scrubbing your pan clean with kitchen paper.
What could be more fun than scrubbing your cast iron pan with kitchen paper? Scrubbing it with a potato. Conjure up a bag of potatoes and cut one in half. The potato now serves as the perfect sponge. This is because potato contains a kind of acid, which, among other things, easily removes rust. What are you waiting for? The polishing can begin!
Not much of a cleaning hero? Then prevent rust in your pan causing you to spend hours scrubbing in the kitchen. How to do that? After cleaning, grease your cast iron pan with a thin layer of oil (preferably not olive or nut oil). Then rub it out with and paper kitchen towel. Bet this means you will have to organise a thorough cleaning less often?
Your pan is nice and clean again. But how do you store it? It is best to store your cast iron pan in a dry place. And if you store the pan with the lid on, put a paper kitchen towel in between. Then air can circulate and your pan will stay nice longer.
With the tips above, you should be able to get your cast iron pan sparkling clean. Fancy seeing these tips in action? Check out the video below where David demonstrates cleaning a cast iron pan.
