Why does nobody talk about how easy it is to ruin a good cast iron skillet in one night

I used to think you could just throw a cast iron in the dishwasher after cooking bacon and call it a day. Then last winter I hosted a chili dinner for my family and left the skillet soaking in soapy water for like 4 hours. The rust ring was so bad my dad asked if I'd been cooking with a rusty bucket. Now I hand wash it with coarse salt and oil it up right after every use. Has anyone else had a skillet go from perfect to trash in one careless moment?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles91913d ago

Read this thing online from some food blog that said to never ever use soap on cast iron no matter what. Tried it their way for a month and my skillet smelled like old grease and burnt stuff. Switched back to a tiny bit of dish soap and drying it on the stove burner immediately. Way better results honestly. That rusty bucket comment got me though because I did the exact same thing with my first skillet and my grandma walked in asking if I was trying to grow mushrooms.

claire_butler112d agoTop Commenter

Ever notice how the internet will convince you to abandon basic common sense faster than a Youtube tutorial can ruin a good steak? @charles919 that grandma comment hit close to home, maybe I should start asking mine for maintenance tips before I trust a blog written by someone who probably cooks with a microwave. I still wash mine with a drop of soap, but I dry it in the oven on warm so it doesn't warp, and somehow my skillet still has that perfect nonstick finish that no food blog can explain. Rusty bucket phase is just a rite of passage, like burning your first grilled cheese and pretending it was intentional.