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How to Wash Aluminum Pots and Pans

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How to Wash and Season Cast Iron Pans

Cast iron requires special treatment—if cleaned incorrectly, it’ll rust and also give any food cooked in it a metallic taste. If treated well, though, cast iron develops a nonstick surface that actually improves over time. Proper care of cast iron pots and pans include, seasoning and proper washing.

How to Season Cast Iron

Seasoning a cast iron pan refers to a process in which you use oil to create a sealed surface on the cast iron. With proper care, this seasoning will only become better over time, meaning that 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 from the oven and let it cool for 1–2 hours.
Use a clean cloth to wipe away any excess oil.

If you’re stacking a cast iron pan with other pans, you may want to lay a paper towel over the pan’s cooking surface to keep its seasoned surface from getting chipped.

How to Wash Cast Iron Pans

There are two hard-and-fast rules to washing cast iron pans:

Never wash cast iron in the dishwasher.
Never wash cast iron with soap or detergent, as that will break down the pan’s seasoning.

It’s best to wash a seasoned cast iron pan while the pan is still warm. To wash cast iron:

Wipe the pan with hot water and a clean cloth.
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 (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 again for a long time, use food-grade mineral oil rather than vegetable oil, because vegetable oil can eventually go rancid.

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