22
My wife's fancy oven cleaner versus my old can of Crisco
So my wife decided to 'help' clean my old 12-inch skillet. She used this spray oven cleaner she got at Target. It smelled like a chemical plant. Left it on for an hour. The pan looked clean, sure. But it was gray and dull, like it lost its soul. Felt rough too. I got mad, but stayed quiet. I took it out back, gave it a good scrub with hot water and salt. Dried it on the stove. Then I did three thin coats of my regular Crisco, baked at 450 for an hour each time. The difference was night and day. The Crisco pan came out black and slick as glass. The oven cleaner just stripped it bare and left it sad. Anyone else have a partner who tried to 'fix' your cast iron with the wrong stuff?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
ryanburns1mo ago
Glad you saved that pan! Just a heads up, baking at 450 for an hour each coat is a bit high and long. I've found 400-425 for 45 minutes works better to avoid burning the oil into a sticky layer. That lower temp still builds a great seasoning without the risk.
6
ruby_lane1mo ago
Yeah, the temp and time thing is key. I burned a layer once by going too hot and it got gummy. Now I do a real thin wipe with Crisco, then wipe it again like I made a mistake and want it all off. Into a cold oven, set it to 400, let it bake for an hour, then turn the oven off and let it cool down inside. That slow cool seems to set it better. Three rounds of that and it's bulletproof.
-1