Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

ci pan maintenance

I got some fajita pans for xmas and will be picking up a lodge soon...maybe the fajita pans are just cheapos but I haven't been able to get them very clean. I know about not using soap, so I have soaked in hot water but they still look dirty...is there something I need to know about cleaning or seasoning?

The ones I have said they were pre seasoned.
Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time...

Comments

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    I know it's against the rules, but I always give my CI a light scrub with soap and water after cooking. I can't stand cooking in a pan that hasn't been washed. I then rinse the pan well, heat it up a bit, and wipe it down with canola oil.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • chashans
    chashans Posts: 418
    That is patina building up. Do not try to scrub it away. It becomes the non-stick surface on cast iron. Google "patina on cast iron pans."
    LARGE, MINI BGE    SAN DIEGO, CA            An alcoholic with a barbecuing problem.

  • This is a good questions as I think maintenance is a good word to describe the cleaning process for cast iron.  There is a lot of good information on the web regarding cast iron, but we use cast iron pans daily and here is the process we use.  It is best to clean when the pans are still warm.  
    1. Rinse with hot tap water.
    2. Scrap clean with hard plastic scraper.
    3. Rinse with hot tap water leaving 1/4" in the bottom of the pan.
    4. Lightly scrub with a plastic scrubbing ball.
    5. Rinse with hot water.
    6. Dry with towel.
    7. Place immediately onto stovetop (medium heat)
    8. Wait ~5 minutes until pan is warm to hot ( I hold my hand over the pan)
    9. Turn off burner but leave pan on burner.
    10. Dip folded paper towel into Crisco shortening(other use other oils) and wipe down entire inside surface of pan with a thin layer.
    11. Let pan sit until cool, It will look like new.

    This may seam like a lot of steps/work but it goes quick.
    Here are a couple of pics of cleaning a small pan.  Good luck!
    Valley City, Ohio
  • Awesome...thanks
    Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time...
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    i try not to do anything to the pan except wipe it with a paper towel, on occasion where im say grilling a white piece of toast and dont want to discolor it from a previous cook ill heat tha pan up and toss a quarter cup water in there, scrape with a metal spatula, and wipe clean with a paper towel and start that cook. soaking cast iron in hot water will soften the seasoning. dont fret if some grease or oil is in the pan from a previous cook, your great grandmother didnt and your here
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • HDmstng
    HDmstng Posts: 192
    How would this apply to the CI grid?  
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    i try not to do anything to the pan except wipe it with a paper towel, on occasion where im say grilling a white piece of toast and dont want to discolor it from a previous cook ill heat tha pan up and toss a quarter cup water in there, scrape with a metal spatula, and wipe clean with a paper towel and start that cook. soaking cast iron in hot water will soften the seasoning. dont fret if some grease or oil is in the pan from a previous cook, your great grandmother didnt and your here
    This guy x 1000.

    When you're cooking in CI, the temp is well above sterilization point. For caked-on junks, I rinse with water and a non-scratch scrub pad or boil a little water and scrape with a metal spatula.

    If your pan is very-well seasoned, you can use soap.