Pro tip: I had to pick between a chain mail scrubber and a plastic scraper for my 10 inch Lodge

The chain mail felt too rough at first, but after cleaning up some stuck on bacon from this morning, it got the pan smooth without hurting the seasoning. I was worried it would scratch, but it just sort of glides over the surface. Anyone else have a strong preference between those two tools?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.sean3mo ago

Reminds me of trying to use steel wool on my grandma's old pan. She nearly had a heart attack.

river_bailey21mo ago

Wait, is the chain mail scrubber actually more gentle than steel wool though? I've got one of those chain mail things and it still leaves micro scratches on my stainless steel if I'm not careful. My grandma swore by the blue Scotch Brite pads for her cast iron, said anything metal would ruin the seasoning she spent 30 years building up.

mark_hernandez123mo ago

It's funny how often the tool that seems too harsh at first ends up being the right one. I've seen that same pattern with a lot of things, from cleaning pans to breaking in new boots. The initial resistance usually means it's actually doing the job it's meant to do. My chain mail scrubber felt aggressive too, but now it's the only thing I reach for after searing meat. It gets the gunk off without that dull scraping sound the plastic ones make.