Pro tip: Stop washing cast iron with soap if you want that seasoning to last

Been seeing too many new cooks scrubbing their skillets raw with dish soap and wondering why everything sticks. I learned from an old line cook in Detroit 15 years ago that hot water and a stiff brush is all you need. Anyone else notice the seasoning game going downhill with all these fancy cleaning methods?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiegreen12d ago

Oh man, preach! I watched my roommate last week go at her cast iron with soap and a scouring pad like she was trying to erase a crime scene. She stripped the whole pan down to bare metal and then complained her eggs turned into a sticky mess. Hot water and a good chainmail scrubber or even just salt and a paper towel handles 99% of the mess without wrecking that patina. Seasoning is like a good sunburn - you gotta let it build up layer by layer, not scrub it off every time you cook. Once you stop babying it with soap, that pan becomes almost nonstick without any fancy chemicals.

fisher.reese11d ago

Man, that roommate story hit home for me, I feel your pain on watching good seasoning get destroyed.