I finally had a good talk with my grandma about my skillet

My grandma stopped by last Saturday and saw me scrubbing my cast iron with soap and a chainmail scrubber. She just shook her head and said 'you're washing away all the flavor, honey.' Turns out she just wipes hers out with a rag and hot water, then coats it with a thin layer of crisco before putting it away. She's been using the same pan since 1972 and it's perfectly smooth and nonstick. Has anyone else had an old timer give them advice that totally flipped their routine?

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reed.eva1d ago

My grandma taught me the same thing with her old cast iron! She never touches soap either, just a stiff brush and hot water, then she heats it up on the stove to dry it and rubs it down with oil. It's crazy how that thin layer of seasoning builds up over decades to be better than any modern nonstick coating. Makes you wonder if we're overcomplicating things with all these special cleaners and fancy methods.