In this video, I debunk the nine most
common myths about cast iron cookware. Is it really indestructible? Do acidic foods and soap ruin the seasoning?
You’re about to find out. The first myth is that cast iron
cookware is difficult to maintain. People think this because you need to
occasionally season it to prevent rust. Although cast iron without seasoning will rust, the seasoning process is easy and
you don't need to do it often. Most cast iron skillets today come pre-seasoned
so you can start cooking right away. When you do need to season it,
all you have to do is clean it, dry it, rub it with a thin layer
of oil, and bake it in the oven. Although the baking portion takes an
hour or so, the actual work you need to do takes less than 5 minutes. It’s
not a big deal and it’s not difficult. Another common myth is that you
can’t use soap to clean cast iron. The rationale behind this myth is that dish
soap is formulated to break down and remove oil. Since the layers of seasoning are created
from oil, the soap will ruin the seasoning. But the reality is that seasoning isn't just oil; it's polymerized oil that's
been bonded to the cast iron. It's hard and tough and as long as the dish soap
doesn't contain lye or sodium hydroxide, a few drops won't hurt. I always recommend using a chainmail to
clean cast iron, but if you cooked an especially messy meal and chainmail is not
doing the trick, mild dish soap is okay. To prove this point, I washed this cast iron skillet with Kirkland dish
soap for one minute five times. Here’s what it looked like after one wash. Here’s what it looked like after two washes. Here it is after three washes. Four. And five. As you can see, the soap didn’t
impact the seasoning at all. Cast iron develops non-stick properties
over time with proper seasoning, but it's not totally non-stick like a
Teflon-coated pan. So when people say cast iron is naturally non-stick,
it’s a bit of an exaggeration. You can cook an egg without oil or
butter with true non-stick pans. But a well-seasoned cast iron pan still needs
to be greased. And even when it is greased, eggs can sometimes stick if the
temperature of the pan isn’t right. One of the most common myths about cast iron
is that you can't cook with acidic ingredients because they strip away the seasoning and
react with the iron. While this can happen, the amount of acidic ingredients and
the length of time they cook matter. For example, simmering tomato
sauce or braising short ribs in red wine for extended periods will damage the
seasoning and make your food taste like metal. But flavoring food with a small
amount of acidic ingredients, such as a splash of wine, vinegar, or
lemon juice, won't cause any issues. If you're not cooking highly
acidic foods for a long time, like over 30 minutes, the
seasoning should be fine. To prove this point, I squeezed a whole
lemon into this cast iron pan and let it simmer for about 4 minutes. After
removing the lemon juice and wiping the skillet, you can see that the
seasoning wasn't affected at all. Another myth is that you shouldn't use cast iron
skillets on glass cooktops because they're heavy, and the rough bottom will cause scratches. GE's support documentation says to avoid cast iron
on its electric stoves for two reasons. First, cast iron can scratch the surface of the cooktop. Second, cast iron retains a significant amount
of heat. That heat can radiate back onto the cooktop and cause the burner to shut down
if the surface temperature becomes too high. In my experience, cast iron works
perfectly fine on electric glass cooktops. I know this because I've cooked hundreds of meals in cast iron on my electric
cooktop without any issues. Just don't drop the skillet or drag it
across the cooktop without lifting it. Also, I've never experienced problems
with the cookware radiating excessive heat back onto the cooktop, nor have I
heard of this being a common issue from others. Let me know in the comments
below if you’ve ever had this issue. One of the reasons I love cast
iron is that it retains heat exceptionally well. But when people
say it heats evenly, they're wrong. The truth is that iron is a terrible
heat conductor. Because it has a much lower thermal conductivity than other cookware materials like aluminum and copper,
it doesn't heat as fast or evenly. Once it's fully preheated, it retains
heat well, so your food will cook evenly. But it takes a while to get
there, and as it heats up, the middle of the pan closest to the heat source
will be significantly hotter than the sides. If you’re not patient enough
to fully preheat the pan, food in the middle will
cook faster than the edges. Another common misconception about cast iron
cookware is that it’s indestructible. People think this because cast iron cookware
can last decades and it’s often passed down from generation to generation.
It's also heavy and feels rock-solid. However, cast iron is actually brittle. It
contains about 98% iron and 2% carbon. The carbon adds hardness but also makes the material
more brittle. That’s why cast iron cookware is made with thick and heavy walls. The
thickness makes up for its brittleness. Unlike other metals like aluminum
and steel, cast iron isn't ductile, which means it will break before it bends. If
you drop a cast iron skillet or subject it to extreme pressure, especially against a hard
or pointed surface, it can crack and break. To prove this point, I took this
grill pan outside and dropped it on my driveway from about waist high.
Surprisingly, there was no damage at all. Here’s another angle. I dropped it a second time. Again, no damage. For the third attempt, I placed a large rock on the driveway and dropped
the pan directly on the rock. This time, the handle broke off. I dropped the pan on the rock a few more
times to see if it would break in half. Fortunately, that didn't happen, but the impact
caused a significant crack in one of the sides. I realize you probably won't be dropping
your skillet on a rock in your kitchen. But the point is that cast iron cookware isn't
indestructible and it will break with enough impact. If you search for tips on seasoning cast iron,
you'll often come across people saying, "Don't worry about seasoning; just cook some bacon."
Bacon cooks really well in cast iron skillets, and cooking fatty meats like bacon can contribute
to the seasoning process. But simply cooking bacon is not the best approach to build an
initial layer of seasoning, and here’s why. First, most bacon contains sugar, and that
sugar will caramelize and make the surface sticky. Secondly, bacon and other animal
fats can become rancid if you cook with those fats and store your skillet without
washing them off completely. And lastly, the purpose of seasoning cast iron is to
prevent rust. When you cook bacon, the fat only covers the interior of the skillet, leaving the
exterior and handle unseasoned and unprotected. Another common piece of advice is to coat
your cast iron skillet with a thin layer of oil after washing and drying it. People
who give this advice claim the oil will protect the skillet and prevent rust.
That may be true, but in my experience, this step is completely unnecessary. If
the skillet is well-seasoned and you dry it thoroughly, it shouldn’t rust, and
you don't need to oil it after each use. If this was helpful, check out this
video where I break down the pros and cons of Lodge cast iron cookware.
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for watching; we’ll see you in the next video.
