How To Clean Cast Iron In Oven

Cleaning a dutch oven and other enameled cast iron.

How to clean cast iron in oven. While you should clean the skillet after each use season it as often as you like by rubbing a small amount of cooking oil on the inside of the pan using a paper towel or dish cloth. On the other hand some cleaning experts like bell and dixon would not recommend this product line citing harsh fumes and poor grades from the. Pursuant the articles on caring for cast iron cookware i found that one simple way to clean years of crud off cast iron cookware is to place the item in a self cleaning oven set for two hours. It may require some additional elbow grease but it won t leave your grates with a bunch of ugly scratches. Both are made of cast iron but an enameled cast iron dutch oven is coated in a layer of enamel.

Then dry the cast iron item carefully with a dishcloth and store it in a dry place. When the cleaning cycle is over and the oven can be opened the item can be removed the ash can be removed with a damp sponge the item dried and it. After leaving the pot and cover in the self cleaning oven for three hours plus cooling time both pieces had a coating of powdery rusty stuff so i scrubbed them all over with plenty of salt and oil and then wiped the salt away with a paper towel. Depending on how deep of a clean it needs there are a number of different methods to choose from. Once it s clean taking a few extra steps in terms of maintenance and storage will help prolong its life for years to come.

Enameled cast iron dutch ovens are easier to clean do not require seasoning more on that below and come in more colors than cast iron. They restored my crusty decades old cast iron dutch oven to beautiful condition. Wash your cast iron cookware by hand. Some people swear by easy off a popular oven cleaner which can be used successfully to clean tough grime off of your cast iron stove grates when used according to the directions on the package. To be extra sure the cast iron is dry place it on a hot burner and let it warm up so any water will evaporate.

Cast iron and enameled cast iron. For stubborn stuck on food simmer a little water for 3 5 minutes then use the scraper after the pan has cooled. Heat the skillet in a 350 f oven for one hour which. Instead it s all about using oil to build up a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. You can use a small amount of soap.

If needed use a pan scraper for stuck on food. While cast iron may seem sturdy enough to scrub with steel wool you re going to want to use a non abrasive sponge to clean the grates thoroughly. You can use any scrub brush to clean cast iron pans as long as the bristles. To clean cast iron cookware use a plastic scrubber and hot water to remove food. Our thoughts on products marketed specifically for cast iron.