«Water is fine, do not be afraid to use it,» says Koludrovic, «but stagnant water can be a problem, do not use dishwasher.» The problem is not cleaning itself, but the fact that Leaving a water cast iron pan for a long period of time can make it oxide. The same happens if you soak it in the sink. A rusty pan is not only ugly, but can cause health problems, since it houses bacteria. To avoid spoiling, the cast iron kitchen battery always dries with a dry cloth or paper towel when you finish cleaning it.
You should also take into account the age of your kitchen battery. Although it can last what an eternity looks like, it is not so. If your pan has passed from generation to generation, it may be in the last. If you notice that the base or mango staggers and cracks, it is time to let it go. Follow the advice of Marie Kondo and thanks the cast iron pan that has given you joy (and delicious meals), and then retire it.
How to give a second life to an old pan?
If you have inherited a rusty cast iron pan whose surface seems to be beyond a basic cleaning project, there is still hope. You can delete small oxide spots cleaning the cast iron pan with a pan dash or a mesh scart, washing it with a little soap, drying it and greasing it as usual.
For the most serious surface oxide, prove the cleaning trick with sodium bicarbonate and white vinegar seen in Tiktok by @smokedbbqsource. Make a paste with six tablespoons of bicarbonate and three of water. Rub the pan with steel wool. Add vinegar and fiery a little more to eliminate all oxide. Clarify with warm and clean water. Season with a little oil and put in the oven at 260 degrees Celsius for an hour. Let cool completely and repeat the process if necessary.
You can also place the cast iron pan in a plastic container and cover it with a vinegar bath for about an hour. Coca-Cola can replace vinegar because it is quite acidic. After this acid bath, use a steel wool scourer so that the vinegar penetrates the existing oxide layer. The result can be a brown paste, which is totally normal. Clarify with water to see progress. If you don't work at first, repeat the process. Once the surface of the pan is oxide free, be sure to dry it well so as not to invite the appearance of new oxide.
But if your pan has more than a small problem – for example, it is turned off, gray and has lost its non -stick surface – uses soap hot water to start. Then, put it in kitchen oil and bake the pan upside down at a temperature between 175 and 200 degrees Celsius for at least an hour (it is not time to put it over low heat!). Be sure to place aluminum foil in the lower rack of the oven to collect any spill, and your cast iron pan will come out as new.
Article originally published in Ad us.
Translation and adaptation of Camila Colina.