Iron cooking utensils page

[Skydiver]

Right, from the pan into fire so to speak: last year my sweet Gf gave me a iron pan to cook so we would use our non stick pan less. After reading the instructions carefully and treating it according with oil, washing it with only water I ended up with this...


What did I do wrong and how can I rectify it? Can it have anything to do with the fact that our apartment can get rather damp unless we use the dehumidifier 24/7?

Cheers!

[magicmerl]

You need to scrape the rust off and oil it again.

And oil it every time after you wash it.

[keithpowers]

Right, from the pan into fire so to speak: last year my sweet Gf gave me a iron pan to cook so we would use our non stick pan less. After reading the instructions carefully and treating it according with oil, washing it with only water I ended up with this...


What did I do wrong and how can I rectify it? Can it have anything to do with the fact that our apartment can get rather damp unless we use the dehumidifier 24/7?

Cheers!

Lodge - Seasoned Cast Iron

Everything you want or need to know about treatment of cast iron...

[ryanmercer]

When you wash it, wipe any visible water off then put it on the stove and heat it up for a minute or two to make sure you get it ALL. one drop of water will pop rust up on one in a couple of days.

Go take some time and read How To: Cast Iron Skillet Non-Stick and Lasts a Lifetime all you need to know about cast iron!

[JEL62]

A well-seasoned iron pan will treat you better than any non-stick cooking pan will... and without the cancer risk. In fact, you'll get quite some benefit from it. You just need to treat it right. I only cook with iron now, and I love it.

Cast Iron Pans, Iron and Carcinogens in Cast Iron, Techniques for Restoring an old Cast-Iron Skillet

[magicmerl]

The only downsides I can see are the fact that it's so heavy, plus you need oven mitts to carry it over to the table to serve.

[JEL62]

The only downsides I can see are the fact that it's so heavy, plus you need oven mitts to carry it over to the table to serve.

Yeah as a bachelor I can tell you that naked cooking with an iron pan can be more hazardous, and I've almost burned my dick several times now. But... I probably shouldn't have been cooking naked to begin with.

[Blackcatbone]

This is an excellent post on seasoning cast iron. Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To You want a drying oil. I've used this method, using boiled linseed oil on non cooking pieces of iron, and it does amazingly well.

[ryanmercer]

The only downsides I can see are the fact that it's so heavy, plus you need oven mitts to carry it over to the table to serve.

Heavy?! Man, I hold that thing for 5-10 minutes sometimes getting egg off of it when I don't get the sides coated in butter good. It's free strength training, especially if it's heavy to you.

[Him]

Pans like that are a PITA. Not the fact that they are cast iron, but the grill ridges. Hard to clean because all those grooves collect stuff you want to scrub and all those edges get the seasoning rubbed off when you scrub.

My advice:
Scrub it down, removing visible rust
Re-season
Don't wash with water! If you can't wipe everything off with a paper towel, scrub with a dry brush. If a dry brush gets gets gunked up, pour cheap table salt in the pan and scrub that with a dry brush. Asian markets sometimes have bamboo brushes that are great for cast iron by the way.
Oil the pan after every use, every cleaning.
Try to cook mostly fatty meats that will hold together for awhile.

After a lot of use (100+ uses) with lots of oil before, during, and after cooking, the coating will be thick enough for occasional washing with water...but you may not feel it's needed by then.