Is it safe to clean a really dirty cast iron pan with oven cleaner? I know that it will have to be washed and seasoned before you use it again.
oven cleaner is caustic and not intended for cookware.
cast iron is porous and will retain things put on it.
soak it, simmer with water in it. wire brush it without scoring it.
I would use a stiff brush, but not a wire brush unless it is rusty.
If you have a woodburning fireplace, you can burn it in there (or a bonfire) then start over with seasoning.
I looked for an answer to this question a few years ago and followed the advice of the PanMan for reconditioning.
Worked out just great.
Has anyone done the flaxseed oil seasoning? Cook’s Illustrated had a recent issue that covered the technique, and here is the original (?) blog:
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
You can use oven cleaner if you want to strip the pan of its seasoning (e.g. if it’s rusted). Oven cleaner is made of lye which is soluble in water, so if you rinse it heavily in water when done there should be none left. For just cleaning, scrubbing well with some kosher salt removes the grime left over after cooking.
If you are trying to strip the pan, but want to avoid chemicals, you can put it in a self-cleaning oven and turn on the cleaning cycle (about 900F I thinK) which will burn off the seasoning layer, as well as just about anything else stuck on there. You can then reseason.
I did this. It worked out absolutely beautifully. I took the original seasoning off the pan with oven cleaner, although in retrospect I should have just used a lye bath. It would have been quicker and easier.
Then I used the directions as indicated in that blog post. I did a total of seven coats. The first few uses, the seasoning was a bit “sticky” but after that it’s been absolutely gorgeous. The surface is very near to that of nonstick pans I’ve used, except glossier. I highly recommend this method.
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samclem, Moderator
It is cast iron.
Good luck ruining it. You can if you try hard enough but they are sturdy pieces of metal.
We’ve used the “oven cleaner in a plastic bag” method on a number of old pans. It basically completely strips off all of the seasoning and you start over with a like-new, unseasoned pan. It works just fine, and we’ve never had any problems.
Gotta be careful with that, though, because the temperature can be unpredictable. Years ago, some friends and I went camping. One of them had borrowed a very crusty iron griddle from another friend with strict instructions to take care of it. Well, of course we forgot about it on the fire one fine day, and when we discovered it, it looked ruined, all grey and discolored. We hooked it out with a hammer and dashed to the creek to dunk it. When it came out, half of it was absolutely gleaming, the cleanest it had ever been; turned out the discoloration was just the years of baked-on crud turned to ash.
Naturally, we returned it to the fire to burn off the other half. And naturally, we ended up melting it into a puddle of slag.
This is most recent of several cast iron threads, and I wanted to report what I’ve found recently so I picked this one to add a comment to. I’ve mentioned in the past my difficulty with keeping cast iron properly cleaned and seasoned. Cleaning with water seems to harm the seasoning but I couldn’t get stubborn food debris off without it. I tried oil and salt but didn’t have good results. What I’ve discovered is that copper wool (not steel wool, not brass brushes)and oil is perfect for getting food off while being the least abrasive to the seasoning. My frying pans have never been better, and now most of the time a simple wipedown with oil or maybe a quick scrub with a nylon sponge is all they need, with the copper reserved for the occasional stubborn bit.
Thanks, lumpy. I’ve had the same issues, and had basically given up on non-enameled cast iron pans. I think I’ll give them another shot.
Daniel Day-Lewis.
That man could play ANY role.
When cooking, use a flat-faced (metal) spatula. When you’re done cooking, scrape the pan with it. This should flatten down the high spots of cooking debris, and the stuff that gets into the pores will carbonise so add to the seasoning.
I did a lye bath, and it was awesome. So much easier, and the pans came out completely clean (with a little bit of rust). Wipe them down, boil some water for black rust, and then did 8 or 9 coats of flaxseed seasoning. They’re beautiful and great to use. I can scramble eggs in them without sticking.
First make bacon in the pan. Then leave the grease in it for a week. Manually remove the grease. Then put water in the pan and simmer it for a while. Drain and examine the pan. If there’s still a lot of caked on crud consider using lye.
It’s simple. Pour boiling water into pan. Let soak. Brush while still hot but you won’t scald yourself. Place on stovetop, heat. Wipe down with paper towel before it gets real hot. Add dab of bacon grease or spray with oil. Right as oil starts to smoke use another paper towel carefully to make sure oil is spread. Turn off heat.
Flax seed oil is the only way to go. I have never had a better non-stick pan. The only thing you have to remember is to keep the flax seed oil in the refrigerator. Because it is basically food grade linseed oil, you also have to follow good disposal procedures for the paper towels you apply it with.