It s driven by two theories.
Cast iron dishwasher no soap.
You should never wash your cast iron pan with soap se points out that most cast iron skillets like the ones my husband picks up at estate sales have been around for decades and.
Cast iron seasoning gets better with time and frequency of use.
If not there is always cheaper and healthier choices with the best ceramic cookware no maintenance is required with these pieces and some may even be dishwasher safe to make clean up.
If you want to get some good cleaning results you should clean the skillet immediately after use.
You can even put it in the dishwasher which is something you cannot do with non coated cast iron.
The first thing you should know is that steel wool soap and dishwasher are enemies of cast iron.
There are lots of dos and don ts when it comes to cast iron skillets but follow these instructions and your skillet will stay clean rust free and well seasoned.
The widespread belief is that cast iron cookware requires a lot of maintenance work.
Go ahead and soap it up.
For stubborn stuck on food simmer a little water for 3 5 minutes then use the scraper after the pan has cooled.
Wash your cast iron cookware by hand.
People would rather get a good stainless steel pan like an all clad copper core or calphalon tri ply if they can afford it.
These will break down the oils that you carefully cooked into the iron.
This is what gives well seasoned cast iron its non stick properties and as the material is no longer actually an oil the surfactants in dish soap should not affect it.
If needed use a pan scraper for stuck on food.
The first is that since oil is used to season the cast iron skillet and create a nonstick surface soap would effectively wash away the cure that you worked so hard to build.
Of course you have to wait for it to cool otherwise it might start warping.
But you can clean it anyway you like rosenberg says.
The myth that you shouldn t wash your cast iron skillet with soap is just that a myth.
How to clean a cast iron skillet.
First of all soap steel wool and the dishwasher are no no s when it comes to cleaning cast iron.
A paper towel will do just fine.
This dishwasher debacle inspired a cast iron care search wherein the folks at serious eats debunked various cast iron myths including this one.
In order to preserve the hard won treatment you simply need to wipe out the pan.