roommates of tumblr, stop using metal utensils on your roommates nonstick pans and stop soaking their cast iron pans in soap thank you and god bless
roommates of the world: it doesn’t actually matter if you use metal on nonstick every once in a while
their pans:
for those wondering, those scratches are where the non-stick coating has been scraped off (usually by metal utensils or cleaning utilities like steel wool), which means that food will stick more in those spots. plus, there runs the risk of more bits of that coating coming off into your food as you cook.
Non-stick pans and skillets are best for medium heat as they don't conduct heat as well, and for wetter foods like eggs and fish and pancakes.
On the other hand, cast iron pans and skillets don't have a built in protective coating. The metal will absorb grease and fats as they cook, building up an equally efficient non-stick coating of its own. And without the chemical coating that non-stick pans come with, there's no risk of any of it flaking off or melting into your food. They can handle higher temperatures without damage, and they get hot faster on the burner. Beef, pork, and chicken are best cooked on cast iron.
You don't want to let them soak in soap because it will remove that grease coating that makes the cast iron pan's non-stickiness, plus absorb soap that might melt back off into your food. A soap and sponge rub down is all it needs.
@marraphy
proper cleaning of your cast iron:
Scrape off food remnants with a cast iron scraper
Scrub any remaining bits off with a stiff brush and hot water
Put the wet pan on the stove and turn the burner on to heat up the pan and evaporate the water
Pour a small amount (about a teaspoon, depending on pan size) of high-temp oil (i prefer avocado oil for this) into the pan and coat the inside of the pan by rubbing it in with a paper towel
The pan should be a bit shiny but have no obvious pooling oil
Heat the pan until just a little bit of smoke is rising off it
Turn off the stove and let your pan cool there
(I store my frequent use cast iron on the stove because it's basically all I cook with so i don't have to worry about putting it away but if you put yours away make sure that the pan is completely cooled before you put it in a cabinet)
What happens when you soap and soak cast iron vs. proper cleaning and seasoning.
Bonus: cooking in cast iron WILL add small amounts of iron to your diet, especially when preparing moist or acidic foods. Most people could frankly use a bit more iron, and scrambled eggs or stew or steak is a MUCH pleasanter way to get it than pills.
If you don't want to season your cast iron on the stove, you can do it in the oven and rub the entire thing, inside and out, with oil. That'll also help protect the outside from rust.
A rusty cast iron skillet is NOT ruined btw, it just takes some work to restore it. Mostly, disposing of the body of whomever let it get to that rusty state.
Additionally, if you are like me and handwash the fucker anyway (and reseason, I have never ruined a cast iron) do not EVER put a hot cast iron skillet under cold water. My dad did that and THUNK!! It broke. He was not a smart man.
If you have the strength to handle cast iron, they are some of the absolute best things out there. They WILL last over a hundred years if cared for.
Can confirm! Some of the most commonly used cookware in my kitchen is heirloom cast iron that I rescued and (with help from some wonderful friends) restored after they'd been shoved into a storage unit for years after a relative's death.
I've also found that salt + a little water is an incredible cleaning method for cast iron. Scrub it around with a paper towel (be mindful of tearing of yoy scrub too hard) and it will basically lift all but the most stubborn remnant bits that you were going to have trouble with anyway. Then rinse the salt out, and dry and reseason the pan as above!
