Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/03/20/fantastic-13-set-of-accessori.html
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No thanks to the silicone handle cover. I had some oil splash on to a handle and made the mistake of putting the silicone cover on it. The pan turned, dumped its contents, and dented the floor. I use these now
I still need to try a chainmail scrubber though. Right now salt and a dishtowel works well but I’m curious.
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I use those as well. I keep one on my tea kettle’s handle and it is a life saver.
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Kosher salt (for the bigger granules and a sponge or towel. Jeez. wasting money on stuff!
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I use a simple Messermeister spatula ($10) for scraping/cleaning. Very tough, has a knife edge, cleans the pan wonderfully. And of course use it for cooking! Plus if you manage to break it, free lifetime replacement.
Cannot recommend more highly - https://www.messermeister.com/pro-touch-4-inch-cookie-spatula-800-6.html
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Yup. A little oil and some kosher salt. Wipe it out with a paper towel.
If the stuff is really stuck on there, I use one of these to scrub it with. I’ve had this little bamboo scrubber for 20 years and it cost me a buck at an Asian grocery. I choke way up to the front end to hold all the bristles together, and then start scrubbing.
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I stick to cleaning up my cast iron the old fashion way: with a lathe and a mill.
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Love love love me some cast iron. I have three different pans and a dutch oven.
For cleaning, I use kosher salt (the big kind) oil and elbow grease with a paper towel.
I like the idea of the chainmail, but the two throw away bits of dead dinosaur don’t do much for me… actually they really turn me off (single use plastic gizmo? ugh)
Amazon has larger and cheaper chainmail scrapers and quite a few on eBay and etsy… not sure I would use ‘antique’ chainmail…
These look like great tools. It’s worth calling out, many people eschew cast iron because it is difficult to maintain - which is crazy since cast iron is the best. I wanted to call out you can absolutely clean a cast iron pan with soap and a sponge. I do it all the time and several websites back it up with science.
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You boil tea in a kettle? Heathen.
(Perversely, my cast iron griddle pan has a wooden handle, rendering it unusable in the oven. I may also be a different kind of heathen.)
I generally use soap and a sponge as well and it works fine. The chainmail works fine too, but is more of a pain to clean than the sponge.
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That is awesome and I’m gonna keep my eye out for one.
I use kosher salt as my daily cleaner, fwiw.
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I have one of those chainmail scrubbers. I don’t care for it. It’s just not scrubby enough. I prefer plain old stainless steel scrubbing pads.
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How stiff are the individual sticks/bristles? Are they anything close to, say, chopsticks?
(completely unrelated to cleaning – I’m looking for something to train grip strength with, and this just might do the trick)
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There are different kinds. Mine is more square bristled and compact than the pic I posted. It is also bound with wire. It’s no wonder it has lasted so long. I bet there are good ones and crappy ones. Here is mine, beat to hell but I’ll keep it until it falls apart.
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the chainmail scrubbers do a good job. saves the waste of pouring salt water down my drains. I think the breakeven point for salt($1-$4/year) versus chainmail($10-$12) is about 10 years, maybe 5 if you’re heavyhanded with the salt or have a stubborn dutch oven.
I think the chainmail is a little faster than salt. It also rinses off pretty easily, and I wash it when I do my dishes and hang it to dry. You can also use the chainmail when the pan is still fairly warm (my asbestos fingers). the plastic scrapers get dull (i.e. melt) if the pan isn’t cold.
Yeah everyone seems to have this misconception; guess they have never tried to clean baked-on grease from a roasting pan before. If your pan is properly seasoned soap is fine.
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I’ll admit, I scraped with only salt & oil for years. Then I read those articles and gingerly tried soap. For me it’s much more convenient to have a single set of dishwashing tools (including a plastic scraper, that’s indispensable)
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I put the salt in my trash can.
Fully agree. Coarse salt and a rag… done and done.
I keep my pans in good non stick shape with, cleaning while they’re hot/warm, light soap, coarse salt on exceptions, and oil and baking when they’re not shedding water any more.
