The day I stopped scrubbing my skillet like a maniac

I used to spend 20 minutes scraping burnt bits off my 12 inch Lodge with salt and a chainmail scrubber every single time I cooked. Then my neighbor (cooks everything on a 50 year old Griswold) told me to just boil a cup of water in the pan after cooking and scrape with a wood spatula. Tried it last Tuesday with some stuck-on pork chop residue and it came clean in under a minute. Has anyone else had luck with the water trick for tough cleanup?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_coleman6123d ago

Are you really spending 20 minutes scrubbing a skillet every time you cook? I gotta say, that sounds a bit over the top to me. I mean, cast iron is tough stuff, it doesn't need to be spotless after every use. I just wipe mine out with a paper towel or a little hot water and a stiff brush, takes maybe 2 minutes tops. Burnt on bits never bothered me that much, they usually come off with the next cook or just a little elbow grease. Maybe I'm just not as picky about it, but the water trick seems like overkill for something that's not really a problem in my experience.

the_rose23d ago

Scrambling eggs is actually what made me stop worrying about perfect clean skillets. I used to scrub mine raw after every breakfast because I was convinced any leftover seasoning flakes would ruin the eggs. Then I just started wiping it out with a paper towel and a little kosher salt while it was still warm, and the eggs turned out exactly the same. Now I only do a full water scrub if I actually burn something on there bad, which is maybe once every few weeks. The salt trick is a game changer for daily use.

clairepark23d ago

Man that's rough, I feel you on the overthinking it part because I did the same thing for way too long.