New cast iron skillets and dutch ovens!

As long as you don't burn anything, or cook bacon or other highly salty, fatty foods in the pans, you should be fine with just wiping them out with a damp cloth or paper towel. Never use any abrasive cleaners orscraperson it, or you will have to re-season which you do by rubbing on a layer of oil and baking for a few hours in a 250 degree oven. When cooking chicken or ground meats in the pan, you should use a little dish liquid on the damp cloth jus t to make sure no bacteria is still present.

I wash my cast iron in dish soap but I put them on the fire on the stove to dry right away, then I use paper towel and olive oil cooking spray and wipe them out very well. I have used them many many years and a few of my skillets were my mothers for twice as many years. They are near indestructible as long as you take care of them. Never leave them in the sink to soak tho. Wash, rinse, and heat, spray and wipe.

Oh how I love my cast iron pans. Leaving them with water the last thing in them is never a good thing , they rust. You can use soap to scrub them but always grease or oil them afterwards and wipe them out with paper towel or something.We have found old cast iron and reseasoned them and made them usuable again .. it is kind of like finding a treasure for me.

I have used cast iron all my life. It is best to lightly coat it with oil at least once a week. I coat mine and then put a paper towel in it before I add the next one to the stack. I keep a paper towel between each of them at all times. I do use soap and water but NEVER scrub them with a scrubber. If you ever have to treat them again and yes you will have to do this, all you have to do is scrub them up good, coat with oil all over and put in the oven for about 5 hours. That will recoat them and they are good to go. There are a few things that I never prepare in cast iron because the cast iron will absorb some odors such as ramps (assuming you know what ramps are). If you need any help with them at any time just let me know. I have about 20 cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, griddles and such. I love cast iron and some these were even my Grandmothers. We even make pizza in my large skillet. It is huge.

I use cast iron all the time. I do use a little soap if I've cooked with grease or fat, because it cuts through it so quickly. But if there's not much fat to clean off, I just wipe it with a damp rag. Giving it a gentle coat of oil after using will help keep it well seasoned, but I don't usually bother. DH does the trick of putting a little water in it right after he uses it, then boiling it. It seems to help anything stuck on, like eggs or cheese, to slide right out. The one thing you need to be careful of is the temperature you cook at. Cast iron holds the heat so well, you shouldn't need to have the heat on anything much over medium. :) Enjoy!

hi, i have been cooking with cast iron for ever, the thing that i like about it, i mean things, 1. heats very evenly. 2. great for corn breads. 3. easy to clean. 4. lasts for ever. i have a few wagner no 12, no 10 pans they are well over 100 years old, lol. they will never die. so back to your question, i use the same dish water i use on the rest of my dishes. i wash the pots and pans last, take your clean cast iron pan while it is still wet, put it on the stove, turn the burner on medium, when the pan gets hot a few drops of cooking oil, i use the same oil i cook withon mine which is some high grade olive oil. my grand mother straight out of the lousiana backwoods, said she would die with out her cast iron, i am proud to own some of it since her passin many years gone by now. she said you always use the same oil you cooks with our you might has a funny taste in yo food stuff,lol. those pots of hers are just as nice today as they were when her grandmothers husband bought them for her. i think my pans have spirits in them, good luck with your cast iron, do not feel bad if the first few times your food is not quite rite, these pans are thick, takes longer to heat them, also word from someone with experience, when you have meat, fish, or shrimp and it is done remove them from the cast iron or they will become over done quick. cast iron holds its heat. good luck. mahalo, oahu lopaka

Lucky you! Well done in getting lovely gifts. I have found this web site www.frugalfun.com/castiron.html It has a lot of information which should help no end. According this site you have to season the pan and then you can indeed just wipe them over with oil and hey presto! I hope this is useful.

I have never used oil after I have washed my cast iron pans. I do wash them out and put them on the burner to dry. This is what my grandmother and mother practiced as well

I always grew up with my grandma saying that you use very little soap and then put it on the burner to dry. When it was done drying, you wipe a little bit of oil on it. Well, with that said...my grandma's cat iron pan always looked good! And funny thing is, it was always on the stove! ha ha Congrats on the good presents. :) And Happy Birthday!

I have a cast iron skillet, and absolutely love it. I usually just wash it with a mild soap. I do coat it with vegetable oil probably once a month.

I have just posted a couple article on cast iron. How to season cast iron properly http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1038184.aspx How to Cook in cast iron http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1038204.aspx and I am getting ready to do a discussion on how to cook outdoors in cast iron dutch oven.

Cast iron skillets is a great thing for cooking. Instead of vegetable oil, use olive oil and only use soap if you have to and never use a dishsoap with citric acid in it. You only really need to coat your cast iron after you have cleaned it. Tried and true, wash it with warm water, then put it back on the stove at about med-high, after all the water has evaporated pour on the olive oil. Make sure to cover all surfaces using a paper towel, but don't wipe out all of the olive oil. After the skillet is cooled is the best time to remove the remaining olive oil. Then the skillet has had a change to absorb the oil. If you have made something that seems to stick to your cast iron, putting water in the pan and bringing it to a boil will help release the food. Think of it this way. When you heat cast iron, basically you are opening the pores of the skillet. That is why a well seasoned cast iron skillet is just as good as a non stick pan. So if you use water and heat to open the pores to release food, you have to at least rinse it out.

i love my cast iron frying pan...after you wash it..i use soap...dry it compltely then just wipe down the inside with alittle vegetable oil..it keeps it from rusting...i use ours alot when camping and cooking over an open fire...raw fried potatoes in the cast iron pan are so delicious...enjoy your new pans happy cooking to you

I use them a lot here, inside and out. i alwasy wash with hot water after, then oil inside and out and put away til time to use again! I have not had any trouble and have been using them for 5 years or so. Everything tastes so much better in Dutch Oven!

The iron skillets th at I have belonged to my great grandmother and they were passed down to from my mom. I take really good care of them because they are special to me. I know it's crazy to get sappy over something like a skillet. I keep mine in top shape by washing them with dawn and then drying them and taking a paper towel and wiping it down with a little grease and putting it in the oven until the stove reaches 350' degrees and then shutting the oven off and leaving the skillet in their to season as they call it. Granny used to use her wood burner stove and when I had one I did to. My brother also got a iron skillet but he ruined his because he didn't do it right and everything started to stick and rust up so I am hoping that you will get good direction from somebody here at mylot that will help you. Umm.. boiling water in the pan will just kill the germs maybe but it isn't the only thing you need to do you need to also season it afterwards or it will rust for sure and stick like my brothers did And be basically useless. I think that vegetable oil keeps it to wet and can cause a little rusting you can tell because when you wipe it out before use it will come away rusty and dirty looking. Not good. I'd use shortening or lard to season it. And maybe a nonstick spray before use. I will sometimes heat grease to deep fry stuff and that helps it to keep seasoned good. Well good luck and happy using..

I love love love my cast iron collection -- some pieces were my mother's, but I keep collecting unusual pieces, too. The only thing I DON'T cook in my cast iron is poached eggs. I have to admit being aghast at all of those who are using soap of any kind on their pans!!! I was taught that this is THE biggest no no of all, as it removes any seasoning of the pan which you have worked so hard to create. Heating the pan should kill any germs present. If I have made a bigger mess than usual (scrambled eggs with cheese!) I will let it sit with very hot water in it for a very few minutes, then swish it out with a plastic scrub brush. With long-standing seasoning, it almost never gets anything stuck "hard". Even when I just rinse with plain water (which I do fairly often), I wipe it down with olive oil after heat-drying it, every time. I also use olive oil before cooking in them. These pans also are a great source of dietary iron! Enjoy!!!

My favorite skillet is my cast iron one. I have used mild soap to wash it, then I place it on a burner on low to dry it, then either wipe it down with oil, on a paper towel, or spray it while it is still hot. The main thing my mom taught me was to oil it (season it) after every washing, and you will find it is good as any non-stick finish there is.