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How to Care for Cast-Iron Furnishings

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How to Care for Ceramic Cookware

How to Care for Cast-Iron Cookware

How to Clean Cast-Iron Cookware

After most cooking jobs, wipe with a paper towel or rinse with very hot water and dry thoroughly. Don’t wash cast iron in the dishwasher, and also avoid washing cast iron with any soaps, as this may harm the pan’s seasoning. To wash cast iron:

Wipe the pan with hot water and a clean cloth. (It’s best to wash seasoned cast iron while it’s still warm.)
If you need a little more scrubbing power, scrub with a stiff fiber brush.
Dry thoroughly with a cloth or paper towel.
Pour a few drops of vegetable oil into the pan (equal to about the diameter of a dime) and use a paper towel to rub the oil into the pan’s cooking surface. If you think that you may not use the pan for a long time, use food-grade mineral oil rather than vegetable oil, as vegetable oil can eventually go rancid.

How to Remove Stains from Cast-Iron Cookware

Unless carefully seasoned, cast-iron is susceptible to oxidation, or rust. Remove rust from cast-iron cookware with fine-grit sandpaper, or scrub it with steel wool or bleach-free scouring powder. Reseason cookware using the instructions below to prevent further oxidation.

How to Maintain Cast Iron Cookware

Seasoning a cast-iron pan refers to a process in which you use oil to create a sealed, nonstick surface on the cast iron. With proper care, the seasoning will only become better over time, so your cast-iron pans will become more nonstick the more you use them. To season a cast-iron pan:

Preheat your oven to 300°F.
Rub a thin coating of vegetable oil onto all the cooking surfaces of the pan.
Put the pan into the oven and leave it there for 1 hour.
Remove the pan and let it cool for 1–2 hours.
Use a clean cloth to wipe away excess oil.

If you’re stacking a cast-iron pan with other pans, lay a paper towel over the pan’s seasoned surface to protect it from chipping.

How to Repair Cast-Iron Cookware

To restore neglected cast-iron cookware, first remove the carbonized coating. Cover the piece with water and soak for several days in a plastic container filled with a mixture of 1 can of lye to 3 gallons of water. (Lye is poisonous and caustic, so always wear gloves and safety goggles when working with it.) Scrub away remaining carbon, remove the rust with sandpaper or steel wool, and reseason the skillet.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer

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How to Care for Cast-Iron Furnishings

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How to Care for Ceramic Cookware

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