Reddit reviews Knapp Made Original CM Scrubber 4" Chainmail Scrubber - Cast Iron Cleaner - For Cast Iron, Stainless Steel, Hard Anodized Cookware and Other Pots & Pans

I've never really needed soap with this thing, even if the pan has been sitting for awhile. I just use a little bit of water, quickly scrub the pan clean, and then just wipe it out with a paper towel.

First, get one of these to help with bits. I love my chainmail scrubber.

Second, just don't worry about it and keep cooking. Cook a bunch of fatty stuff, especially bacon. My aunt taught me that after you cook bacon, just put some paper towels in the pan to soak up some grease, then, when it's still warm, wipe it down and put it away.

If you just keep doing that regularly, it'll shine like crazy.

This is the best way; flaxseed oil is amazing. Once you have a solid base it's pretty much impervious to anything and if you want to give it a quick boost just cook with bacon and you're good to go. Just don't ever leave water sitting in it or really acidic foods like tomato sauce. I also always give it a quick once-over brush with grapeseed oil after a washing/rinsing which seems to work well. Check this bad boy out for getting most of the food bits off; it's so much fun to clean ;)

Amazon haha.

http://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Cookware/dp/B0087UYR1S

This thing is mandatory if you have any cast irons. It makes cleaning them soo easy. Probably one of the reasons I love/use my cast irons so much is they are much easier to clean than my stainless steel pans.

With this thing because it's so much faster and cleaner than any advice already listed.

I never use soap/detergent on my cast iron. If something gets burned onto the pan I use something like this to scrape it off under warm water. Works great. Then I dry the pan, put it back on the burner and put a tiny amount of oil in it, wiping it down with a paper towel to cover all of the inside surface. Heat it up until it justttt starts to smoke then turn the burner off.

Hmm, that's puzzling. I've never had a layer of "hardened" oil form after frying. The closest I've probably come to that is leaving the pan with a layer of oil in it to sit for a couple of days, which then congealed into a kind of sticky film that I had to scrub off, but I wouldn't describe that as "hard".

My recommendation is similar to /u/Cobaltchameleon's: get a scrubber like this chainmail model, a bit of dish soap, and start scrubbing it under hot water. (A plastic brush might work as well, or maybe even a scotch-brite pad.) Start gently and see what kind of effect the scrubber is having -- you want to take off the problem layer without (ideally) harming the seasoning underneath.

Depending on the results of the scrub, you may or may not need to re-season. If you're able to post pictures, people with more experience than me might be able to give you additional advice.

I would second the cast iron skillet idea. I have a new one stored in a box as an emergency gift. However, I would recommend including a brief care guide and the proper tool for cleaning it (either a very stiff brush) or, if you want to get fancy, this...http://www.amazon.com/Chain-Mail-Cast-Iron-Scrubber/dp/B0087UYR1S.

I use a chain mail scrubber to clean my cast iron skillet

They are a thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S

They are virtually non-abrasive at the micro-scratch level as compared to say steel wool, being hard yet smooth. They grind off charred bits on the cast iron without scratching.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/cookinghacks.com/chain-mail-scrubber-review/amp/

https://www.google.com/amp/www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/tools-test-kitchen/article/how-to-clean-cast-iron-pan-ringer/amp

Still not a believer?

https://youtu.be/JtbqWD3s--o.

Jump to 38 seconds for castiron

Essentially they slide smoothly on the metal doing 0 damage but they knock free any caked-on char, stripping it but not the seasoning off.

That sounds worse than the soap. I rather the strongest dish detergent touch my cast iron than throw it in the fire. Some people do that to burn off the seasoning. Do yourself a favor and get a chain mail. This is what I have:

http://www.amazon.com/KnappMade-CM-Scrubber-Chain-Mail/dp/B0087UYR1S

Chainmail, you can buy squares consisting of interlocked stainless steel rings. This is the one I bought, though there are a ton of brands and they're all very similar. It works a lot better than just some kosher salt and olive oil in a Cast Iron to get the tough stuff out, but it does tend to wipe away your seasoning too if you apply too much pressure.

I finally found something that works for our large competition pots:chain mail

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0087UYR1S?pc_redir=1413086959&robot_redir=1

This works greats for those stubborn burnt bits

Yeah, it's a chain mail thing. It's this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087UYR1S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That looks really harsh. I would use this instead.

Get yourself a chain mail scrubber. I've had one for a few years and it is awesome. :)

Knapp Made CM Scrubber - Chain Mail Scrubber for Cast Iron Cookware https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087UYR1S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_dQiHub1MN2QV9

I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087UYR1S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_DoIxub1KSRSCQ

All in all, I wish I had grabbed a larger one but it's awesome. Rather than the rough, scratchy texture of steel wool, all the links are very very smooth. Polished, even. So it doesn't actually scratch the pan. But the links are hard enough to buff off any crusts. One of the best investments I've made. If it gets greasy, it goes in the dish washer or I just rub some Dawn around on it and it comes out clean.

If you go this route, keep in mind that the one I've linked is only like 4"x4". Even for my tiny lady hands, it's a bit small for gripping so I end up just gripping with my finger tips. There are a number of large ones available.

Probably something like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S).

I don't know about you but it sounds like you need to work on your seasoning a bit. I can cook anything in my pan and nothing ever sticks. Literally just wipe it out with a cloth and it's clean. Join us over on /r/castiron we'll get you straightened up.

Edit;
Also, I like the chain mail scrubbers over the rubber lodge type scubbers. Link

I just don't understand how cast iron is a bitch to work with. A lot of people simply over-think it and treat their cast iron like some sort of crazy complicated piece of equipment. Just cook with it, clean it with something like this, and dry it with a paper towel. That's it.

I love my chainmail scrubber. Cooks Illustrated does some good gadget reviews, and it was their top choice for cleaning cast iron. https://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S

I just got this for cleaning my pans. It's amazing! I'm usually done scraping anything out in under 45 seconds, then throw it back on the burner to finish with a coating of oil. So far it hasn't chipped the seasoning off at all.

Knapp Made CM Scrubber™ - Chain Mail Scrubber for Cast Iron Cookware https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087UYR1S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Z4b.ub1XPJY38
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087UYR1S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Z4b.ub1XPJY38

Edit: forgot link

I got one of these for cleaning it (might not be the exact brand, but same thing) and it seems to work really well without damaging the seasoning at all.

I know a lot of people swear by the chainmail scrubbers for cast iron:

http://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Cookware/dp/B0087UYR1S

chainmail scrubber

I've never heard anyone recommend using a razor. This is my go-to tool for cleaning off crusty cast iron: https://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S

Maybe not that exact scrubber, but one just like it.

Oh! Got two!

I recently cooked Swiss potato pancakes, one at a time, in our cast iron skillet. After cooking and sliding off a dozen of them, I noticed I had let too much oil drip to the underside of the skillet, and half the underside of the skillet is now a sticky mess.

Any way to remove this without scouring it down and starting over?

Question two: Odors. How do I get rid of them? I cook Alton Brown's sweet corn bread pudding and for at least one more meal, the pan reeks.

EDIT: My cleaning routine is exceptionally hot water, no soap; water heater is cranked above safe temp so I wear gloves to handle the heat. I then wash it down with plenty of hot running water and a white washcloth (which often gets stained black), until it no longer removes soil (turns brown) after flipping it to a clean area. If I happen to have stubborn stuck-on food, I'll use a dobie pad ... or if they're really bad, one of these chain mail cast iron scrubbers. I dry it thoroughly, and either wipe it down with peanut oil on a clean washcloth, wipe all of it off with a THIRD clean washcloth so only a thin film remains, or, occasionally, heat it up again on the cooktop and do the same oil rubdown, letting it get hot enough to start smoking ... which if I'm not careful, ruins another washcloth.

Cool. I bought mine. It was about $14 after a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond and should last a couple decades. I mean, if you really want, making it it is fun, too. But, I got some other things to take care of...

The chainmail scrubbers work amazingly well. I was able to restore my cast iron dutch oven and I no longer have to use a wooden scraper or my finger nails to fully clean.

Not the price I paid but here it is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S

Try this for cleaning: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087UYR1S

Also keep in mind that the next time you use the pan, once it reaches 212 F it will be sterilized.

Flaxseed Oil is the best for seasoning. [Cook's Illustrated did an article on it.] (https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron?ref=HowTo_browse_11) I've been using it and it works amazing.

I've found the last step of oiling and heating to be unnecessary. In fact, if not all of the pan gets hot enough the extra oil can make the pan sticky and gummy.

On a related note, has anyone used a chain mail scrubber like this? They look like they work great, but it seems like it would be too abrasive.

Join us over at /r/castiron

Here's what I do though - I put water in it about 1/3 of the way up and turn it up to medium heat for a bit. Let the water steam for a bit while I scrub it with a wooden spoon. I empty the water after scraping, and repeat that process as needed. If it's really stubborn stuff, I have one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Knapp-Made-CM-Scrubber-Stainless/dp/B0087UYR1S) that can get more stuff out, but I hardly ever use it. When it's all done, I leave the pan on the still-warm stove to evaporate whatever amount of water is left over, then I put a little oil/grease on a paper towel or napkin and very lightly coat the inside of the pan. If there's a little caked on brown stuff, I don't worry about it, just a light coat of oil over it will be fine.

I don't personally use soap in mine, but contrary to some belief modern dish soap will not harm the seasoning on your cast iron skillet. This wisdom comes from the days when soap contained more caustic ingredients such as lye which would could affect the seasoning.

Let us know if you have more questions on this.