How to care for your cast iron frying pan (reddish brown, burnt, white discoloration)
Hello!
This is the Iwatetsu Ironware online shop, which sells cast iron frying pans from the ductile pan series.
Today, we will explain how to care for a cast iron frying pan.
If you use a cast iron frying pan,
"The surface of my cast iron frying pan has turned reddish brown. Is it rust? Or burnt? What should I do?"
"Something got burnt, so I washed it, but it didn't come off completely and it got burnt again... what should I do...?"
"It looks like it's turned white, but I don't know how to take care of it."
Isn't that the case?
This time, we will introduce how to care for cast iron frying pans, which are useful in such situations.
- How to care for it when it turns reddish brown
- How to clean when food is burnt
- How to care for white discolouration
We will explain about:
The true nature of the reddish-brown stains that make you want to clean your cast iron frying pan
We conducted a chemical analysis of the reddish-brown stains that make cast iron frying pans want to clean, and found that the reddish-brown stains are not actually rust, but are most likely burnt protein stains .
So let me show you how to restore it properly.
- First, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Scrub it with a detergent-dipped scrubbing pad.
- Heat for 3 minutes over medium heat while evaporating the water, then reduce the heat to low and add 3 tablespoons of oil and let it soak for 5 minutes. We recommend using salad oil or rice bran oil. Olive oil is not suitable for soaking .
- Turn off the heat and wipe off the oil with kitchen paper, making sure to rub it into the entire cooking surface.
- Wash lightly with a scrubbing pad without detergent.
- Allow the water on the frying pan to evaporate and it's done.
The following video explains how to care for your cast iron frying pan when it turns reddish brown.
How to clean a burnt cast iron frying pan
- Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes to carbonize any dirt or other impurities.
- After it has cooled, scrape off the charred parts with a plastic spatula.
- Scrub with a detergent-dipped scrubbing pad.
- Heat on medium heat to remove excess water, then reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons of oil and mix well. We recommend using salad oil or rice bran oil. Olive oil is not suitable for mixing.
- Turn off the heat and wipe off the oil with kitchen paper, making sure to rub it into the entire cooking surface.
- Wash lightly with a scrubbing pad without detergent, dry and you're done.
The following video explains how to clean a burnt cast iron frying pan:
How to clean a cast iron frying pan when it turns white
We will explain how to clean a cast iron frying pan when it has turned white.
(The care instructions in this article are for a ductile pan.)
It may be unlikely for the color to change to the extent shown in the image below, but if it is exposed directly to fire it may turn white.
When I was getting used to the ductile pan,
"The parts that were exposed to the fire have turned white. Is it okay?"
I'm sure there are some people who think this way.
First, let me explain why teeth turn white.
Our products may have polishing marks due to the manufacturing process. In order to improve their appearance, they are treated in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act, and may turn white if they exceed their heat-resistant temperature (please rest assured that this is harmless to humans).
If you are concerned about the whitened areas, soak a paper towel in cooking oil and rub it onto the whitened areas. With repeated use, the area will gradually turn black (this may vary from person to person).
Please feel free to use this as a reference.
Summary & Basic Washing Method
The care methods we have introduced here will make your cast iron frying pan very clean!
Some people may be hesitant at first to heat a frying pan for around five minutes to carbonize burnt food and other stains (as it gets quite hot and smokes).
However, this process will ultimately help remove the dirt that has stuck to the top of the cast iron frying pan!
Basic cleaning method for ductile pans
Finally, we will explain the basic method of cleaning a ductile pan.
1. Scrub with a scrubbing brush while running hot water from the faucet.
2. After washing, drain the water.
That's it.
It's environmentally friendly as you don't need to use detergent.
*If you are concerned about odors or stains, you can use detergent, but this will remove the oil that has soaked into the product, so we recommend that you allow the oil to soak in before using it again.
Please feel free to use this as a reference!
