Cast Iron Dutch Ovens I just bought a cast iron dutch oven. It came with no instructions and I didn't know you couldn't put it in the dishwasher. It is now covered with a light coating of rust. Does anyone know how I can remove the rust and how I can re-season it? Thanks. Cast Iron Dutch Ovens I just bought a cast iron dutch oven. It came with no instructions and I didn't know you couldn't put it in the dishwasher. It is now covered with a light coating of... » Read More Cast Iron Dutch Ovens I just bought a cast iron dutch oven. It came with no instructions and I didn't know you couldn't put it in the dishwasher. It is now covered with a light coating of rust. Does anyone know how I can remove the rust and how I can re-season it? Thanks. « Show Less
880865
I want to purchase either the 5 qt or 7 qt for frying chicken,there are 4 in our family. Which size would work for less oil splatter also?
880866
If you go to Lodge website and click on News, under the top ten news stories is a post from the New York Times - Mark Bittman's blog, Bitten, that has a detailed description of how to season pans, as well as his reasoning on the benefits of cast iron.
880867
I use cast iron daily, I would just warm the pan put a little oil in it and some kosher salt, scrub with a paper towel, until the rust is gone, then rinse out the pan re heat it add a bit more oil and bake at 250 for 1 or 2 hours...I would never clean my pans with steel wool or any other metal scrubbers...
880868
I thought the oven's self-clean mode was to burn off the old seasoning, and to season without turning to the oil to carbon it is 350 degrees in the oven for 1 hour.The Lodge website would probably settle the matter.
880869
I'm from the Deep South. When I inherited my grandmother's cast iron chicken-fryer, it was rusty from disuse, because she had not cooked in years, due to poor health. While I was trying to decide how to get it back in shape again, I asked the opinion of an older friend. Her exact words were, "Honey, just build a big ole wood fire in the back yard. When you see the coals start to get really red, just throw that thang in the fire and let it burn itself out, then it'll be alright! LMAO!!!What we ended up doing was, my husband put a wire brush attachment on his drill and went to town on that thing. After that, I reseasoned it several times, then fried some chicken in it. Problem solved ;) I'm from the Deep South. When I inherited my grandmother's cast iron chicken-fryer, it was rusty from disuse, because she had not cooked in years, due to poor health. While I was trying to decide how to get it back in shape again, I asked the opinion of an older friend. Her exact words were, "Honey, just build a big ole wood fire in the back yard. When you see the coals start to get really red, just throw that thang in the fire and let it burn itself out, then it'll be alright! LMAO!!!What we ended up doing was, my husband put a wire brush attachment on his drill and went to town... » Read More I'm from the Deep South. When I inherited my grandmother's cast iron chicken-fryer, it was rusty from disuse, because she had not cooked in years, due to poor health. While I was trying to decide how to get it back in shape again, I asked the opinion of an older friend. Her exact words were, "Honey, just build a big ole wood fire in the back yard. When you see the coals start to get really red, just throw that thang in the fire and let it burn itself out, then it'll be alright! LMAO!!!What we ended up doing was, my husband put a wire brush attachment on his drill and went to town on that thing. After that, I reseasoned it several times, then fried some chicken in it. Problem solved ;) « Show Less
880870
I've grown up using cast iron cookware...remember my grandmother and great-grandmother using nothing but cast iron on the old wood stoves... I'd recommend the 7qt - especially if you plan on only buying one size... SOOO many more options for dinner - and one can NEVER have too much fried chicken, right ?? ;-)
880871
We can describe for hours if not days the variety of ways there are to care for bare cast iron, the easiest and best resource available to you is youtube. search "cast iron care" or "season cast iron". One of those videos will no doubt answer your questions and leave nothing to the imagination regarding technique
289611
They made special scrapers for cast iron. I would clean with warm water and the scraper, then re-season in the oven and make sure to apply extra oil to seep in afterwards.
289610
if you want your cast iron to last years with out excess build up of junk, NEVER use cooking spray in your cast iron cookware, cooking sprays will produce a gunk layer that is almost impossible to get out, the only way you can as far a me getting it out was to put it into my self cleaning oven and let it go for a few yours, not only is my cookware clean, and needs to be re-seasoned, but so is my oven. Just a little word of advice, NEVER USE SPRYNG OILS. NONE
1410483
500 degrees may take the seasoning out of the cast iron, but it's easy to re-season them. If your bread can handle that temperature, you don't have to worry about the dutch oven.
2267777
This is cast iron so it will most definitely rust (is supposed to) without proper care. You need to season all cast iron (using oil, can google to find methods) so that the protective layer of oil prevents rust from forming. Can also google ways to get rid of rust first, before then seasoning it.
1582640
Absolutely! I have many cast-iron pans and when I want to completely remove the 'seasoning', I place my pan in the oven and turn on the self-cleaning cycle. That's over 900&#730; for 3 hours. It's very difficult to ruin a cast iron pan. Even if you see rust - which is always the fault of the person not the pan - don't toss the pan. Just pop it in the oven at the highest setting possible or self-clean. All that junk will bake off and you will be left with a gray pan. That's just the raw material. Rub a thin film of lard, crisco, or even flaxseed oil and bake for 1 hr at 400&#730;. All fixed.
1074070
The edge is not enameled. I have 4 Le Creuset enamel cast iron Dutch ovens that I use weekly. I purchased my first one about 10 years ago. I have never had any trouble with rust. I don't put them in the dishwasher; I handwash and let them air dry. I have occasionally left them filled with soapy water for 24 hrs or so...not because they needed to soak that long but because I was lazy...and they never formed rust. They were not fully submersed in water, just filled with water. I don't recommend doing this, but I would think if rust was going to form, it would have in such instances.
572281
Unfortunately this waffle iron is not preseasoned when you get it. Before you use it you must season it yourself. There are several good videos on Youtube on how to do this. Basically it should be seasoned just like any other cast iron cookware. Rinse lightly to remove packing dust. Then dry it thoroughly and lightly brush it with olive oil or bacon fat. Place it in your oven at about 350 degrees for at least one hour. Shut the oven off and let it cool completely before using. Oh yes, very important, unscrew and remove the wooden handles before seasoning the iron. Put them back on after the iron has completely cooled.
1733645
Haven't used it yet....But, my usual method to clean up cast iron pans is to use oil and some salt, and rub with a cloth until all the stuck on stuff is gone, then rub with a clean, dry cloth, leaving some oil sheen on the pan to prevent rust.ALWAYS leave a sheen of oil to prevent rust... NEVER use soap on cast iron... Read about seasoning, and use Flax seed oil
832822
As with any cast iron you need to put a layer of oil on it after you use it. Never use soap just hot water to clean it and then the oil. Just wipe a little vegetable oil on with a paper towel.
240852
If you soak it in very hot water for just a few minutes it should clean pretty easy with a stiff brush. Don't put soap on it and don't scrub it with an SOS pad. I use cast iron all the time and I clean them just like that. If you can clean it right away that's the best way to clean anything cast iron. After it's dry completely spread a very thin coat of Crisco or other shortening on it. Cast Iron has pores in it, or pits and the best thing for them is to dry them on the burner and then while they are hot spread the Crisco or lard lightly inside.Just because they say Pre-seasoned doesn't mean it never needs seasoning. You have to keep something on it to keep it seasoned, especially until you use it for awhile. The more you use it the better it gets. Mine are very old and i still coat them after i use them and always put a paper towel between them if you are stacking them. They may be a little more time consuming than the fancy no stick coated pans but they are so much better to cook with and you get iron in your food every time you use them and you don't have to worry about that no stick coating coming off in you food. I'm 75 and have been using cast iron for a very long time and wouldn't use anything else.
1382276
I hope you haven't done anything drastic to clean your cast iron, such as has been suggested in the previous responses. If the pan is something you'd regret damaging, the safest way to clean off burnt-on cooking residue as well as remove rust would be to place it in an electrolysis bath. The instructions are easy to find online, or just contact any group of cast iron aficionados, they'll be eager to guide you...and maybe even attempt to persuade you to part with your antique pan. Best of luck.
2267783
Never put your cast iron in a dishwasher! I wash mine and dry with a towel, then put it on a burner for a few minutes to get it hot and DRY, then while it is hot I put a little vegetable oil on it with a new dry paper towel...let it cool on the stove before you put it away. Go to Lodge web site and download instructions for care and maintenance of your cast iron cookware. It will be very helpful.
1857148
Michelle, if it's the waffle iron made by Rome Industries, as shown here, it IS wax and the cast iron is NOT seasoned yet. the reason for the wax is to prevent the cast iron from rusting during shipping. Place both pieces of the waffle iron on the upper rack in your oven. Please a layer of tin foil on the rack below to catch the drippings and heat the oven to 250 degrees or so to melt the wax off. After the wax is melted, you can season the iron. I like to use olive oil. Use a pastry brush or a small (new) paintbrush to make sure to get it in all the grooves. Although the directions say to bake it at 350, the pores of the iron won't open until at least 400 degrees, so bake it at 400 for about 40 minutes. Make sure to have a pan or foil underneath to catch anything that may drip. I usually season my new cast iron 2 or 3 times prior to using it to ensure a really nice starting seasoning. Hope that helps! Good luck! Julie Mik
289613
Wash the rust off. Do not use soap, just warm water and a hard sponge until the rust comes off. Then pat dry with paper towel or cloth towel and spray cooking oil or brush a light coat on the pan. Pre-heat the oven to about 350 degrees and place the empty pot in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes and your pot should be ready for use. Let cool and enjoy a great pot. I do not use mine every day but every other week and repeat the same steps after use. Cast iron pots are worth the cleaning time. Food comes out great. Hope this helps.
1550890
Jenna, I have been using cast-iron cookware for 50 yrs. and the best way to season cookware, is to put about an inch of vegetable oil in the cookware, then place in a 300 degree oven for about 1 1/2-2 hrs. Remove from oven and remove excess oil and wash in plain hot water. Hope this helps.
416203
Usually the initial seasoning is not very tight on the handles. If you wash with soap and water vigorously, straight from the box, then dry and season it yourself, you will have a good "set". This will help you in the long run. Always remember to season with a VERY thin coat of oil each time. I hope this helps and finds you enjoying your cast iron for years to come!