A camping trip in the Smokies taught me a new way to clean my pan

I was camping near Gatlinburg last month and cooked bacon in my 10-inch skillet over the fire. After eating, I just poured some hot water from my kettle into the warm pan and scraped it with a metal spatula. All the stuck bits came right off, and I wiped it dry with a paper towel. I had always used soap at home, but this was so much faster and left a nice finish. Do you ever clean your cast iron without soap when you're out camping or at home?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles3mo ago

Works even better with leftover coffee instead of water.

clairepark3mo ago

My grandma used to do that with her morning brew.

dylanwilliams1mo ago

Whoa, hold on, Claire. I get that your grandma had her morning routine and all, but is it really that deep? I mean, using leftover coffee instead of water for something, sure, it's a trick, but calling it "works even better" feels like a big claim for such a small change. Like, better how? Better tasting, or just different? I guess if you're already drinking coffee, it's not a huge deal, but I'm skeptical it's some game-changer that changes your whole day. Not trying to rain on your parade, but maybe we're overthinking a cup of joe here, you know?