If you take the time to properly care for your beloved cast-iron cookware, it will reward you and your family with generations of loyal service. Follow these tips to treat your heirlooms with tender, loving care.

cast iron cleaning

Respect Your Cookware

Taking care of your cast iron means understanding its likes and dislikes.

Likes

Cooking with oil
Dry cupboards
Gentle cleaning

Dislikes

Water
Acidic foods
Soaps and harsh abrasives

cast iron cleaning

Cast-Iron Revitalization

If your heirlooms fall victim to rust, don’t despair. Follow these steps to get them back in action.

1. Scrub with a stiff-bristle brush and hot soapy water to remove any rust or buildup. Rinse well, and dry completely.
2. Brush a light coating of oil on inside and outside of pan.
3. Place a sheet of foil or a rimmed baking sheet on lower rack of oven to catch drips. Place oiled pan upside down on middle rack of oven.
4. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour. Turn off oven, and let pan cool in oven. Repeat as necessary. Store in a cool, dry place.

Seasoning Tip

Be conservative when applying oil to your pans for seasoning. Using too much can result in a sticky residue.

No Heirloom? No Problem

If you haven’t been blessed with the gift of your grandma’s beloved skillet, don’t worry—pre-seasoned cast-iron pans are widely available. Before using your pre-seasoned cast-iron pan for the first time, rinse with water, and dry completely. Before cooking, brush cookware lightly with oil, and heat slowly.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I have a lodge dutch oven / 8 quart pot. I cannot seem to get the smell out of it and it makes everything I cook in in it taste like metal. I have tried re-seasoning, salt scrubs, elbow grease, etc. Nothing seems to help!

    I bought the pot to do gumbo’s but have abandoned it because of the issues above. Any ideas one what i can do to use the pan?

    • Hi! We’re thinking that it probably just doesn’t have enough seasoning on it. Also try not to scrub too hard while cleaning because that’s an easy way to strip your seasoning. Try seasoning it according to Jeff Rogers method (200, oil, 300, oil, 400). Do that twice, with canola oil. We also recommend that you don’t cook anything too acidic (including gumbo) for a bit after you finish the seasoning process. Gumbos usually have tomato and vinegar or hot sauces with vinegar that could be stripping away your fresh seasoning.

      If you still have that metallic taste, try contacting Lodge. It’s possible that it could just have a defect. Let us know if you have any questions!

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