That’s just a dirty pan. Actual cast iron seasoning isn’t sticky or dirty because it has no impurities from the food, it’s actually polymerized with the cast iron and it should look make the pan look black and glassy. I wash mine with Dawn soap and hand dry it, and it makes Teflon look like a joke. I can heat it without any butter or oil, drop in a glob of egg yolk, and it’ll slide like it’s skating on Astroglide. You’re having a skill issue and you need to get good.
Yeah, I think the big hangup for a lot of people is that detergents used to contain lye which would react with the steel. No longer the case. Folks will seriously refuse to clean their pans which is gross AF.
Cast iron and steel are largely similar materials, cast iron just has the carbon precipitated out of solution instead of trapped in a crystalline structure
But we’re talking specifically about cast iron. We’re not talking about carbon steel at all, hence my confusion on why it was brought up in this comment chain
cast iron is basically steel, but has it’s own name because it’s brittle. roughly between half a percent to 3 percent carbon (among other things) is the base of many steels. “cast iron” is about 4 percent carbon and pretty much no ductility
What exactly is your argument here? I use Dawn; it doesn’t appear to affect my cast iron pan. Many people online use it to clean their cast iron with no ill effects.
I mean, they use the stuff to clean off ducks after oil spills. I suspect whatever concentration it has is not high enough to have any caustic effects.
Oh wait, we aren’t doing “no lye in it” now? Huh. THE REASON THEY USE IT ON THE DUCKS IS BECAUSE OF THE LYE THAT MAKES IT EFFECTIVE AGAINST OIL TO THAT DEGREE. Now consider what your seasoning is made of.
So if lye is what does the cleaning, why is it listed among like twenty ingredients, many of which are “cleaning agents” and “solvents,” but it’s function is listed as “pH adjuster?”
All Recipes
“Decades ago, soaps were made with lye and vinegar, and they were too harsh for use on cast iron pans. They would indeed strip away oil and could remove seasoning. But today’s soaps, especially ones that are made with eco-friendly solutions, are often too mild to remove seasoning.”
Lodge
“Fact: Soap isn’t necessary, but you can use mild dish soap to clean cast iron. The seasoning on Lodge cast iron is fairly resilient and can withstand a little bit of soap, water, and a good scrub with a brush.”
Wikipedia
Experts advise against placing a seasoned pan in a conventional dishwasher.[17][18] While some food writers advise against all use of detergent for seasoned pans, tests by America’s Test Kitchen found that small amounts of soap do not damage the seasoning.[19]
So in short: Yes there is lye in soap, no it isn’t enough to affect cast iron, yes it’s okay to use some soap to clean a cast iron pan.
You have problems with cast iron sticking but you like stainless steel? Stainless steel is probably the most non stick material you can use. I can’t stand the stuff.
It is a myth that you can’t use dish detergent on cast iron. If it feels greasy and filthy, it is greasy and filfthy.
The truth behind the “no soap” myth is that we used to use lye-based soap for dishwashing. Lye does, indeed, break down seasoning. But we use surfactant-based detergents now, rather than actual soap. Detergents break down oils which are necessary for rust prevention, but they don’t damage seasoning. Just wipe them down with the thinnest layer of high temp oil before storing them, and you’re good to go.
Your boomer parents/grandparents couldn’t wash their cast iron with dish “soap”. You can.
Interesting. Mine doesn’t and I only have problems with sticking if I walk away too long. I gave a stainless pan away. To each their own! Thanks for the answer.
It feels super greasy and filthy, and everything you cook sticks to it. Give me stainless steel any day.
That’s just a dirty pan. Actual cast iron seasoning isn’t sticky or dirty because it has no impurities from the food, it’s actually polymerized with the cast iron and it should look make the pan look black and glassy. I wash mine with Dawn soap and hand dry it, and it makes Teflon look like a joke. I can heat it without any butter or oil, drop in a glob of egg yolk, and it’ll slide like it’s skating on Astroglide. You’re having a skill issue and you need to get good.
Yeah, I think the big hangup for a lot of people is that detergents used to contain lye which would react with the steel. No longer the case. Folks will seriously refuse to clean their pans which is gross AF.
React with the steel… in the cast iron? I’m confused
Steel is like 98% iron. Sorry for the mistake.
But cast iron doesn’t contain steel, it contains iron and carbon
What do you think carbon steel is made from?
Cast iron and steel are largely similar materials, cast iron just has the carbon precipitated out of solution instead of trapped in a crystalline structure
But we’re talking specifically about cast iron. We’re not talking about carbon steel at all, hence my confusion on why it was brought up in this comment chain
Removed by mod
good lord. steel is iron and carbon, just not so much carbon it becomes brittle and called cast iron
cast iron is basically steel, but has it’s own name because it’s brittle. roughly between half a percent to 3 percent carbon (among other things) is the base of many steels. “cast iron” is about 4 percent carbon and pretty much no ductility
dawn literally has lye in it
From what I can see, it’s used to balance the pH. So I assume a small amount.
it’s fucking lye, doesn’t take much
What exactly is your argument here? I use Dawn; it doesn’t appear to affect my cast iron pan. Many people online use it to clean their cast iron with no ill effects.
I mean, they use the stuff to clean off ducks after oil spills. I suspect whatever concentration it has is not high enough to have any caustic effects.
So clearly it does take “much.”
Oh wait, we aren’t doing “no lye in it” now? Huh. THE REASON THEY USE IT ON THE DUCKS IS BECAUSE OF THE LYE THAT MAKES IT EFFECTIVE AGAINST OIL TO THAT DEGREE. Now consider what your seasoning is made of.
So if lye is what does the cleaning, why is it listed among like twenty ingredients, many of which are “cleaning agents” and “solvents,” but it’s function is listed as “pH adjuster?”
All Recipes “Decades ago, soaps were made with lye and vinegar, and they were too harsh for use on cast iron pans. They would indeed strip away oil and could remove seasoning. But today’s soaps, especially ones that are made with eco-friendly solutions, are often too mild to remove seasoning.”
Lodge “Fact: Soap isn’t necessary, but you can use mild dish soap to clean cast iron. The seasoning on Lodge cast iron is fairly resilient and can withstand a little bit of soap, water, and a good scrub with a brush.”
Wikipedia Experts advise against placing a seasoned pan in a conventional dishwasher.[17][18] While some food writers advise against all use of detergent for seasoned pans, tests by America’s Test Kitchen found that small amounts of soap do not damage the seasoning.[19]
So in short: Yes there is lye in soap, no it isn’t enough to affect cast iron, yes it’s okay to use some soap to clean a cast iron pan.
Lol so mad
Does this also apply to the caustic and corrosive ingredients in a soda?
It’s phosphoric acid, doesn’t make much, yet it’s safe to drink. See how fucking moronic that argument is you muppet?
It wasn’t an argument, it was a statement of fact. Go stick your hand in an extremely weak lye mixture for a few minutes, get back to me.
Lol so mad
You have problems with cast iron sticking but you like stainless steel? Stainless steel is probably the most non stick material you can use. I can’t stand the stuff.
It is a myth that you can’t use dish detergent on cast iron. If it feels greasy and filthy, it is greasy and filfthy.
The truth behind the “no soap” myth is that we used to use lye-based soap for dishwashing. Lye does, indeed, break down seasoning. But we use surfactant-based detergents now, rather than actual soap. Detergents break down oils which are necessary for rust prevention, but they don’t damage seasoning. Just wipe them down with the thinnest layer of high temp oil before storing them, and you’re good to go.
Your boomer parents/grandparents couldn’t wash their cast iron with dish “soap”. You can.
Interesting. Mine doesn’t and I only have problems with sticking if I walk away too long. I gave a stainless pan away. To each their own! Thanks for the answer.