CAST IRON Pans 101 | How to season, wash & restore

I love cooking with cast iron and this is how I take care of my pans and how I restored one I found in a junk shop. Welcome to Cast Iron 101. 🍳 New videos every Thursday and Saturday!

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This video not sponsored. Just wanted to show you how to take care of your pans. 😁

[lauracookies]

It's 4:15 am, I'm 17 and don't own a cast iron pan... What am I doing

[johndenicola]

My wife and I had 4 rusty, dirty, lumpy cast iron pans sitting in our basement for about 20 years. They were "salvaged" from her grandparents' home when they passed on. We "procrastinated" and finally restored them about 4 weeks ago. Took some elbow grease, but they cleaned up with less effort than we thought! They look fantastic and work very well too! We love using them for most things we cook these days. you can even bake in them! Anyway, they were manufactured by Griswold. That company stopped making them back in 1959!

[susancarr]

Cook. Wash while hot. Dry on stovetop. Rub with oil. Done. Best. Pans. Ever!

[tallboyyyy]

I love cast iron. I have one pan that was made between 1905 and 1907, an ERIE pan made by the predecessor of Griswold. It's over 100 years old and my favorite and largest pan. They are great as long as you don't drop them on a glass top stove. I specifically bought a coil top stove because I use cast iron a lot.

The reason new cast iron has a heavy texture on the inside and not a smooth surface is because years ago cast iron pans were sold in unseasoned condition and had smooth cooking surfaces. Now they are sold preseasoned and the textured surface is done intentionally to allow the seasoning spray applied at the factory to better stick to the surface and not run off. I inherited an old unused "new" cast iron skillet when my grandmother passed away. She had never used or seasoned it. It had a thin layer of surface rust. I scoured it with an SOS to remove the rust and seasoned it and use it now all the time but it never had a textured cooking surface, it was smooth from the beginning.

[tracyherwig]

I've cooked in cast iron all my life and I was actually surprised that the grinding revealed a silver surface...guess I figured they were black all the way thru, LOL! Now that I think of it, it makes sense but thanks for teaching me something new, Emmy!

[LegacyXJudah]

I love cooking in cast iron too. I have several things passed down to me when my grandmother passed away and not only are they durable and last forever, they’re also family heirlooms that are priceless to me.

[kima]

I love cooking with cast iron. My favorites are all very old Wagner, Griswold and Lodge pans. 50+ years ago, they used to mill the insides of the pans at the factory so they came smooth even when they were new. Lodge skips that step now. I always tell people to hunt for oldies at flea markets and yard sales.

[NAMULTISS]

I just finally cleaned mine after decades of use. Was pleasantly surprised after I ran my oven on self cleaning mode. I didn’t even know it had a rid on the edge. Was my fathers he got it in 1960. It had so many layers that it looked like Molten metal had melted on the outside from years of boil overs. I tried many time to clean the out side of it with everything even to the point I tried oven cleaner on the out side but nothing worked. So glad I ran across a video of someone on YouTube using the self cleaning mode on one. It work like a charm. Have seasoned it a about 3 times since I cleaned it. I wish I did a before and after of it. Will be passing it on to my youngest that loves to cook.
I found one one day as I was cutting and elderly person yard and she told me to just toss it. I really wish I kept it. Cause she was in her late 80’s and has since past away about 10 years ago. But I didn’t know they were such great items. It wasn’t even that rusty but was under the garden about 4 inches and all I seen was a dirty fry pan.

[TSS]

I don't use soap on my cast iron, but I think I read somewhere that it isn't actually as bad as people make it sound. The rule was formed back when people commonly used lye based soap, that's a big no no. But if you have a really good patina, and for your peace of mind a little dishsoap (sodium lauryl sulfate ) shouldn't ruin your day.

(but you still don't really need it, a little bit of salt will clear away any hard to clean bits)

[debramaggi-thomas]

The best with the most thorough recommendations of all viewed cast iron restoring/cleaning presenters as it included tips about what to use to remove rust and season, but also even the scrub brush input about stove and the importance of water temp to use(ex. cold water could crack a heated pan), head phones when using a special drill brush tool to remove rust (appreciate it as one with a degree in audiology). Bravo Emmy!

[claudiavelez]

Thank you for this video!!! Been really wanting to get a cast iron pan but was afraid of not knowing how to take care of it. Now I feel more confident so maybe I'll get one soon

[CrL]

5yrs ago I discovered cast iron, in the UK its expensive to get it but Im so glad I got into this community, it has changed my life and my health.

[adamemac]

Thanks, Emmy! Every time I see a cast iron pan I think of my Mamaw, God rest her soul. Born in the deep backwoods of TN, she would make just about anything and everything in those pans. My personal favorite was her cornbread. Give me a big ol' warm slice, a big cold glass of milk and I'm a happy guy!

[scottchaffee]

I have an 80 year old Griswold 12 inch. Black as tar and slicker than grease. I retired it to making only one thing, , , , Pineapple upside down cake. Whatever caramel that doesn't release I just heat the pan up and run it under hot hot hot water and steam does the job. A quick wipe with a wet cloth, back on heat to dry completely, as splash of oil, wiped down and cooled, hung with care ready for the next cake.

[PeaSoupDesigns]

I love cast iron. When I was trying to get pregnant, Dr did an iron test and found my iron levels VERY good, because of the cast iron. Along with great cooking, cast iron has wonderful health bennies.

[elisachief]

When my family would go camping, we'd take a cast iron. It's so good at holding heat. Anyways, my mom would scrub the inside with a scrubber but also she would put sand inside it too. I thought this was a weird quirk she did because we were in the desert but it all makes sense! I love this. It brought back so much memories :)

[roisinohagan]

I picked up an 8'' cast iron skillet in 1977 for moving away from home to go to college...I still have my black pan, love it, can even wash it and it doesn't rust (it's that old) - the handle is long lost and there's a crack in the centre but it still works, great for making deep crust pizza and French apple tart and a good fried breakfast !! Very little oil needed - eggs can be fried dry on it and turn out perfectly. My old black pan, love it !!

[NUCLEARxPHOENIX]

My mom managed to save the family cast iron from being sold and I decided to take it down to silver and re-season it! It's turning out great! Thank you for the video!

[Silversiren]

I love cast iron so much. My husband found a set of skillets at the side of the road that someone had allowed to rust, it was a tragedy! But he knew I knew how to get them pretty and usable again so brought them home! It took some serious scrubbing to get rid of all the rust but they are my babies! My mother in law bought me another set of skillets at a yard sale because she knew I raved about mine so now I have lots of them..lol I am going to get a dutch oven in just a couple weeks for camping purposes and I am going to be glad to add that to my considerable collection.
When the time comes and my son moves out on his own he will be getting a 12 inch skillet and a 6 inch. I will be sure to make sure his darling girl knows how to take care of them too.

[keeganmilcoff]

Perfect timing! My mom just sent me a 3 piece cast iron set as a house warming gift! Thank you for all the information Emmy! Can't wait to start cooking in them!