If you love being in the kitchen and using an array of different culinary tools to create beautiful and delicious dishes, chances are pretty good that you are very aware of just how useful a cast iron skillet can be.
Cast iron skillets are highly versatile, and if they are treated well and maintained correctly, they can be used for anything from frying eggs, to creating delicious sauces, to searing the highest quality cut of steak.
With that being said, cast iron skillets need to be treated with respect and cleaned correctly, otherwise they will quickly rust and be rendered basically useless unless you take the time and effort necessary to season one.
So if you are curious about how to clean a cast iron skillet without creating rust or stripping the seasoning on the pan, then you have come to the right place! Here are some great tools that you can use to take your cast iron skillet cleaning game to the next level while always being confident that your seasoning will remain.
Brushes
One of the best tools to use for cleaning a cast iron skillet are cast iron skillet brushes. These are firm brushes that will allow you to remove general cooking debris with ease. Having something that is firm, but not something as corrosive as steel wool (which you should never use on a cast iron skillet) is a great way to keep your pan clean while not stripping away any of the seasoning.
Chain mail scrubber
One of the very best tools to use when you have quite a bit of gunk and burned food stuck to your cast iron skillet is a chain mail scrubber. A chain mail scrubber will allow you to get off even the toughest of gunk.
On top of that, chainmail scrubbers actually allow you to improve the seasoning of your pan overall. It does this by creating small breaks in the seasoning, allowing you to fill it with more oils that will fill in cracks and create an even more cohesive and effective season. If you love using your skillet for cooking meats and more, a chain mail scrubber is a must have.
Pan scrapers
This is another super useful tool that will make cleaning off your pan much easier. This is great for really baked-on bits just like the chain mail scrubber. If you find that you are having a difficult time getting the baked food removed from your skillet, simply run the skillet under some warm water to soften up the food and make the job that much easier for you!
Conclusion
In the end, your cast iron skillet is going to work as well as you treat it. A cast iron skillet that is cleaned and stored correctly is going to be able to handle basically every task you put it up to. The tools above will absolutely help you in making sure that the skillet works as well as you need it to every time you get in the kitchen.
