Cast iron pans are one of my favourite cooking vessels. The crust you get on a steak from cooking it in a cast iron is second to none (well, aside from stainless steel pans, but that's a topic for another journal post). 

However, they can be a little finicky to look after. And if you're anything like me, you might be terrified to even use your new cast iron pan in fear of ruining it. 

There's good news and bad news: The good news is that the modern cast iron pan is fairly sturdy, so you don't have to be overly cautious with it. The bad news is, they are more upkeep than your normal non-stick pan. 

But not to worry, below I've listed out all the info you need to know to care for your cast irons. 

First, some basic housekeeping rules:

Do not soak your cast iron in water - this will cause them to rust

You want to be keeping them in water for as short of a timespan as possible. 

Do not stack things on top of the cast iron, or store them in a damp spot

Again, if you wash another pot or pan and put it on top of your cast iron, and there's any moisture on that pot or pan, you'll get rust forming around where the water is. 

You want to be storing your cast irons completely separate in a dry, clean spot. 

Keep in mind that overly acidic foods can strip the seasonings

Tomatoes - I'm looking at you. You want to ideally avoid cooking anything with an acidic base in cast iron pots and pans. 

However, this isn't an absolute non-negotiable rule. You can cook acidic foods in them if you wish, you might just need to give them an extra seasoning to get the coating back to normal (more on this soon). 

How to clean cast iron pans

Step 01: Rinse the pot or pan right after you finish cooking

Don't let the pot or pan sit with food in it as it'll become incredibly hard to get off the longer it sits. 

Run it under hot water as soon as you're done, and use a dish brush or gentle scrubber to get the food particles off. Don't use an overly abrasive scrubber as it might damage the coating. 

If needed, use a small amount of dishwashing liquid. But don't over do it, and rinse it off ASAP. 

Step 02: Dry the cast iron down with paper towels or a clean, dry tea towel 

Dry the cast iron with a clean, dry tea towel or paper towels (our preference, you'll need them in a moment anyway) as soon as you're done washing the pot or pan. 

Step 03: Cover the cooking surface with a thin layer of oil

Pour some cooking oil onto the pot or pan, and smear it around with a paper towel until there is an even, visible coating of oil over the entire cooking surface & sides (handle & outside is okay to avoid as you don't cook there). 

Step 04: Leave the pan out to cool down 

Leave the pan to cool down with the oil. Cast irons take a while to cool down so you'll need to give it a few hours at least. 

Step 05: Put it away into a dry, clean cupboard

And finally, store your cast iron away, ready for next use. 

 

If you follow these steps, your cast iron should last forever (we're not joking). Hope this was helpful!