Cast Iron Cookware

Question: What is the best way to clean and restore cast iron cookware?

(Posted by: Jeanie on 2010-06-06 21:51:43)

I have some cast iron pieces, 13 all together. They have been treated rough and been let get wet while in storage and rusted over, but before they were put in storage they were used and used and not properly cleaned and have a lot of build up underneath the rust and such. They've been passed down from generations and now I have them after all this. I would like to get all that off and clean and restore them so I can use them. What is the best way to clean and restore them then season them. Thank you to all answers in advance.

Posted by: me on 2010-06-06, 22:09:16

You want to spray them with heavy duty Easy off Oven cleaner.. Then put them in black garbage bags tied securly in the sun..you can leave them out 1/ 2 a day. (Wear gloves when doing this and do it out doors but not near the deck or plants.) This will get of the rust and the carbon. You may need to do it more then one time. Don't be afraid to use a wire brush or Chore Girl even stainless soap pads on them when rinsing them off. After they are clean you need to dry thourghly then season them..You would rub them all over with salt and olive or cooking oil and put them in the oven for 20 minutes @ 250F. Keep checking them in this time and adding oil until the pans are glossy it may take more then 20 minutes for them to get a gloss surface. As you use them.. Wash with a mild detergent and brush off any stuck on food. Reoil and spread it with a paper towel and reheat till they are bone dry. You can do this in the oven or on the stove top. The more you use the pans the more non stick they will become.

Posted by: tarielle_au on 2010-06-06, 22:05:57

You need to get all the muck and the rust off first. Try a good BBQ plate cleaning product or oven cleaner. Leave for an hour approx and try to clean it. Rinse well and dry thoroughly. I presume you would treat the cast iron cookware the same as a cast iron bbq plate so what you can try is rubbing oil all around the the cookware once it's been cleaned (on the inside) and then putting it on the stove up high. Let the oil start to smoke and then turn it off. Let it cool down on the stove. This is supposed to re-season the cast iron. This is what you do with a bbq plate so should work with your pieces too.

Posted by: Hot mama on 2010-06-07, 00:29:34

I found this really good website that is easy and answered my same question... panman.com/ cleaning.html. It's short and seems to be doing the trick for my cast iron pans.