Cast iron frying pans literally last a lifetime and are some of the best household utensils you can own. There are rumours about what you can and can't do with an iron frying pan; here's what you should do with it to make sure it lasts a long time.
Contrary to popular belief, you can wash a cast-iron pan with washing-up liquid. Many believe that the detergent could damage the coating of the pan. You should not soak the pan with excessive amounts of detergent, but it can be cleaned in dishwater without hesitation.
However, it can damage the coating of the frying pan if incrustations are left to soak for a long time. It is better to clean stubborn incrustations by adding plenty of salt and then "sanding" the incrustations with a cloth.
Maintenance before the first use and after cleaning is no great effort. A brand new cast-iron frying pan can be used directly for frying. For care after frying, it is sufficient to rinse the pan with water immediately after use, if necessary with a drop of washing-up liquid, then warm it up briefly on the hob so that the water evaporates completely and rub the entire pan with a little cooking oil.
An iron pan does not heat up evenly. It is therefore recommended to preheat the pan on the hob for a few minutes and to move it around the hob while it is heating up. However, the iron pan retains heat longer than aluminium pans and loses almost no heat when the food is added.
Even though wooden spoons and scrapers are safer, the pan will not break immediately if you use metal utensils to turn the pan. Of course, you should not deliberately scratch the coating of the pan, but it can withstand normal use of the spatula.
Basically, you don't need to handle an iron pan with kid gloves - after all, you can find cast iron pans in antique shops that are already 100 years old. Only two things are important when treating an iron pan: rub the pan with oil after use and before storing it in the cupboard, and do not pour cold water into the heated pan, as this can cause cracks to form in the material.
