Anybody out there grossed out with cast iron cookware?

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superocd

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Apologies in advance to fans of cast iron cookware - it is my understanding that there are fervent believers out there. No offense and I will not take offense if you call me a crazy germaphobe, lol.

I went to a fundraiser raffle/dinner with my wife last night at the hospital where she works as a CCU RN and noticed that one of the prizes was a cast iron cookware set. IIRC in this set there was a Dutch oven, three sizes of frying pans, a griddle and two sizes of pots.

If any of you are not aware, I have OCD. I have a hard time getting over the fact that water and a damp rag is all it takes and is all you should use to wash cast iron cookware. I get that the heat from cooking kills germs but a porous surface which cannot be cleaned by a soap or detergent bothers me. I couldn't, in good conscience, fry a steak and merely wipe the pan with a dishcloth under hot running water and then put it away in the cupboard
in its oily state. Needless to say, I don't own any cast iron cookware.

My wife is the same way. When they were showcasing the prizes, she was the one to remark her distrust of cookware not cleanable by conventional measures. One of my wife's coworkers was sitting at our table and said she swore by cast iron.

Does anybody get grossed out by cast iron cookware?
 
You *CAN* wash cast iron cookware to your heart content.

Just needs to be seasoned again afterwards or it will rust and or loose non-stick properties.

That being said properly and well seasoned cast iron cookware easily survives a good washing in hot soapy water. Do so with mine all the time and they are none worse for the process.

Once cast iron cookware is well and properly seasoned not much should be sticking to it anyway. Well not unless you've burnt something very badly.
 
My Grandmother

Washed hers every time She used it, She had 2 Griswold skillets that I now have and use, I wash them and dry them and wipe a film of oil on them, BUT I have a 8 inch cast iron skillet that is ONLY used for corn bread and it NEVER has water touch it, I only wipe it out and put it away.
 
I too wash my cast iron skillet all the time, its at least 50 years old and very well seasoned. After I dry it, I put a drop of salad oil into it and wipe it all over the inside with a paper towel, tryin to remove as much as possible, just leaving a slight film. This pan is one of my favorites.

Eddie
 
I was not aware that cast iron was washable. I've heard all along that it wasn't, especially from my grandma.

I remember when I was about eight or nine years old and I helping my grandma with kitchen cleanup and I loaded my grandma's big cast iron pan into her dishwasher. My grandma never got mad at me (even after I accidentally broke some of her fine china or the time I dismantled her hair dryer) until she discovered what I did. She valued that pan!

Fortunately she did not start the DW. She took it out of the DW and told me to rinse it at the sink. I went for the sponge and dish soap. That was TWICE in my whole life my grandma got mad at me (and it was the same day for the same reason -- washing her cast iron pan, lol). I got quite the education from her on the care and upkeep on cast iron pans, so even to this day it has been ingrained in my head that a cast iron pan was not to see anything but water.

The fact that you can reseason a washed pan makes it a little better-- "washed" meaning some Dawn on a dishcloth and not in the dishwasher, I'm assuming.
 
NEVER the dishwasher!!! But in a sink of hot water with some dishwashing detergent is OK. Just rinse and dry it thoroughly, and coat it lightly with oil before putting it away.
Eddie
 
Cast iron

I am a bit of a germaphobe and OCD diagnosed. The fact that the cast iron does not go into the dishwasher does not bother me because I always heat it up to allow it to dry quickly before rusting. I never use soap. For tough cases I will use olive oil and sea salt to scrub.
 
Lakewebsterkid, I agree. The only time I have ever used a de-greaser or detergent such as Dawn on my cast iron is when I completely removed the seasoning and then re-seasoned the item.

I place the piece in a self cleaning oven and let the high heat remove all of the seasoning. Wash the piece to remove the remainder of the dust.

Then I use Crisco to season the item. I have pieces that have never stripped. The seasoning and they are as non-stick as any Teflon pan.

I understand the feeling of wanting to "wash" the cast iron item in detergent however, the pan if properly sealed (seasoned) will not be harboring bacteria in the pores.

I am a bit more afraid of Teflon and the other non-stick surfaces than, I am about germs from cast iron.
 
If cast iron is properly seasoned, you can use hot water and Dawn to your heart's content, and scouring pads if needed. The seasoning isn't coming off with soap and water. Just make sure to wipe it (inside and out) with a bit of oil after, then I heat it until it starts to smoke, turn it off and let it cool. Wipe excess oil off if needed and store. Nope, don't ever put it in the dishwasher, but there's no reason not to clean it. I don't use soap every time, but if it needs soap I do. If something sticks I'll even soak it (inside only though, not in the sink) and it never rusts.
 
Have my mothers cast iron skillets, and I'm almost 60! years old, only wipe them out with a paper towel and hot water. My 9" skillet is solely used ONLY for cornbread. All my cast iron is well seasoned. Cast iron heats evenly for fabulous tasting dishes, I don't believe its possible to make decent tasting cornbread otherwise. Love to make a skillet of bread, cut a slice out and crumble it into a large glass of cold milk....cornbread and milk....a delight in life. Love to have that before bed at night.

Barry
 
Cast iron is safer than Teflon for you

I have literally 11 Griswolds from pre 1940 on my stove right now I cook in from #4-#10 with some duplicates. I wash mine regularly with soap and put on the flame for a minute to dry but mostly just rinse under water when done and dry. Totally safe and germ free once dried over the stove. Nothing really sticks to them and if it does it washes right off. Same with my carbon steel wok. What I wont cook with is anything aluminum or Teflon coated because of the risks.
 
I've never had much luck with cast iron.  I dumped the one skillet I had when I recently moved.   I used it once or twice.

 

I did own a heavy wok once that came with a sort of whisk broom thing made of bamboo sticks for cleaning purposes.  It was supposed to be used with plain salt and that was all.  IIRC something similar was the recommended method for cleaning my clay cooker.  I no longer own either item.

 

Instead, a few years ago I purchased a set of Henkel non-stick dishwasher-safe skillets.  I like any type of cookware I can put in the dishwasher and be done with it (Corningware is another one), and the Henkel still looks like new.
 
I like my cast iron for certain things.  Tony has his dad's large cornbread skillet and that's ALL that is ever cooked in it, usually for Thanksgiving or Christmas dressing.  I have all of my grandmother's cast iron that I stripped and reseasoned simply because it was so caked on the outside.  I put it on the gas grill for a little while and it all came right off.  Works as good as it did all those years ago when they were first seasoned.  It works great on my induction cooktop or the gas range top.
 
No my Mom and Grandmother used it for cooking things-still around today!!Thinking of getting a few "Lodge" pans from the sport places here.--Yes the sport places have them-other places don't.Also call those places the "outdoor hobbies" places-you know that sell hunting,fishing,golf,camping equipment.
 
 

I do have 1 (or maybe 2?) cast iron skillets I got from my grandmothers estate 10 years ago, but I have never used it.  I'm not a germophobe, nor do I have OCD, I just haven't taken the time to clean & re-seasoned it.

 

I have a variety of cast iron cookware that I used about 75% of the time when I cook, they include a deep skillet, a few dutch ovens, a braiser, even a cast iron wok, but these are all enamel coated (Le Creuset), no seasoning required.  <span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have also discovered a number other of less expensive (cast iron dutch oven) options on Amazon.</span><strong style="font-size: 12pt;">  FYI I got the photo below off the web, though I do have one in that color.  
smiley-smile.gif
   </strong>

 

Aside from at shopping camping / outdoors / sporting goods stores for regular cast iron, it can also be found online, like Amazon.   

 

In addition to Lodge and Camp Chef, I was surprised to see Calphalon and T-fal also offer regular (pre-seasoned) cast iron skillets.

 

Lodge Cast Iron | USA Made Cookware, Bakeware, Pans & More

Shop the original home of American cast iron. Create kitchen memories with Lodge Cast Iron skillets, dutch ovens, carbon steel, pans, bakeware & more.
www.lodgemfg.com www.lodgemfg.com

Find Cooking Equipment For Outdoors & More | Camp Chef

Shop Camp Chef's award winning product line including pellet grills, smokers, fire pits, flat top grills, compact cookers, multi-use cooking systems, and more. Outdoor cooking and camp cooking have never been more enjoyable.
www.campchef.com www.campchef.com


Cookware by Material: Non-Stick, Ceramic, and Stainless Steel Options|T-fal

Explore T-fal's cookware selection by material, including traditional non-stick, ceramic non-stick, and stainless steel options. Find the perfect cookware to suit your cooking style and preferences.
www.t-falusa.com www.t-falusa.com

 

Kevin

revvinkevin-2018101011125908702_1.jpg
 
 

 

Hans, yes it is VERY expensive.  The only time I have bought is when it's on the clearance rack at one of their "factory outlet" stores.  I've been lucky, if the store was having a monthly promotion, I was able to combine that with the clearance price and get between 40% & 65% off.

 

 
 

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