Food doesn’t usually stick to my cast iron or carbon steel pans. But occasionally I screw up, and something does. One way to get it off is to put some water into the pan, bring it to a low boil, or close, on a cooktop, and scrape.

Some folks use a wooden spatula for scraping, but I’ve never seen one that’s very sharp, and wood softens in hot water.

A good steel spatula doesn’t have either of those problems, but I fear that using one aggressively in very hot water will damage the seasoning.

I have a small (2.25” x 3.5”) nylon Lodge scraper that’s sharp, and doesn’t soften in hot water, but it’s hard to hold, and I wouldn’t want to use it in boiling water.

So I began looking on Amazon for a scraper with a stiff, sharp plastic blade, and a good handle. I found one – and only one. This guy, for $5.86:

www.amazon.com/dp/B00BE02IAU/r..._api_i_graLCbAGQ20X9

I haven’t needed to use it yet, but it looks to be the perfect tool for the job. Its blade is sharp, and at just the right angle. Possibly nylon, but it seems to be stiffer than nylon. Its handle is long enough to keep my hand out of the boiling water, and it’s wrapped with a rubber-like material that provides a slip-resistant grip.

I can’t say for certain that this is the best iron pan scraper ever made, but it must be at least close.

I just add some more cooking oil to pan, get pan really hot so it starts frying/burning the stuck food and then scrape off fried food/oil slurry with normal steel spatula into a waste can. Maybe a quick spray with water to rinse out small residue and a final finish wipe with paper towel and everything is cleaned off and pan stays seasoned. No special scrapers needed.

I've had really good luck using chainmail on my Cast Iron (and other types of pans with stuck on food).

https://www.amazon.com/Ringer-...50&s=gateway&sr=8-16

Doesn't seem to damage the seasoning and gets all kinds of stuck on crap off.

I just use a good quality (flat) metal spatula. The flatness is essential so you don't scratch into the seasoning. Usually just boiling the water and a quick scrub with a brush will take care of things, but I can scrape without fear if need be.

Dexter is the brand I have.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002...760380_t1_B01N9K0O7P

Like cmparrish, my solution for my cast iron cookware has been chain mall. Very effective!

I use chainmail.

Plastic putty knife.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
I use chainmail.

Same here.

At that price it's worth a shot... Ordered one.

Thanks Pipe, seems I could have written that post word for word myself... More $ spent because of Sig Forum!

my expired credit card works wonders @ just the right price

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Like cmparrish, my solution for my cast iron cookware has been chain mall. Very effective!

A very negative review (possibly bogus) of the chain mail scrubber that you show.

“Don't trust all the 5 star reviews. I cook with cast iron all the time, never used soap or anything over the years to protect the seasoning. I saw the overwhelmingly good reviews for the Ringer, and so I bought thinking it would make cleanup easier without damaging the pans.

I've attached pictures of my skillet after using the ringer a few times. This item stripped the seasoning right off my favorite vintage Griswold cast iron skillet. That's 60+ years of seasoning I'll never get back, thanks to this cheap piece of crap.”

https://www.amazon.com/hz/revi...g_btm_6?pageNumber=6

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

A very negative review (possibly bogus) of the chain mail scrubber that you show.

“Don't trust all the 5 star reviews. I cook with cast iron all the time, never used soap or anything over the years to protect the seasoning. I saw the overwhelmingly good reviews for the Ringer, and so I bought thinking it would make cleanup easier without damaging the pans.

I've attached pictures of my skillet after using the ringer a few times. This item stripped the seasoning right off my favorite vintage Griswold cast iron skillet. That's 60+ years of seasoning I'll never get back, thanks to this cheap piece of crap.”

Yeah bogus crap review. I've been using chain mall on my cast iron since early 2014. That includes on our pair of Stargazer pans. The seasoning isn't impacted one iota.

I use a stiff steel spatula and don't worry about the seasoning.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I just use a good quality (flat) metal spatula. The flatness is essential so you don't scratch into the seasoning. Usually just boiling the water and a quick scrub with a brush will take care of things, but I can scrape without fear if need be.

Dexter is the brand I have.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002...760380_t1_B01N9K0O7P

+1 ... I have the EXACT same spatula and use the EXACT same procedure when needed.

Best spatula I've ever owned and perfect size for all my cooking needs. If the spatula gets crusted, I use a green meanie scrubber and it doesn't deep scratch the spatula like a metal scrubber would. I also have been known to use the green meanie when cleaning the cast iron after cooking. Doesn't destroy the seasoning, just gets the crusty stuff if used lightly. If that doesn't get it ... out comes the spatula. And I only use cast iron skillets for pan cooking, about ever other day.

Interestingly (or not), the Dexter spatula arrived to me 13SEP2016 and I found that even with 2 rivets, the metal part wiggled just slightly in the Walnut handle. It was minor and shouldn't have bothered me but it did. I used vice-grips and clamped down on the rivets. Problem was, I got into the wood just a bit with the teeth of the vice-grips. AMAZINGLY, with use since then, the wood has swelled back out and looks PERFECTLY new. Can't even tell it had been clamped on. Metal part has no movement whatsoever. It's a winner all 'round.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

A very negative review (possibly bogus) of the chain mail scrubber that you show.

“Don't trust all the 5 star reviews. I cook with cast iron all the time, never used soap or anything over the years to protect the seasoning. I saw the overwhelmingly good reviews for the Ringer, and so I bought thinking it would make cleanup easier without damaging the pans.

I've attached pictures of my skillet after using the ringer a few times. This item stripped the seasoning right off my favorite vintage Griswold cast iron skillet. That's 60+ years of seasoning I'll never get back, thanks to this cheap piece of crap.”

Yeah bogus crap review. I've been using chain mall on my cast iron since early 2014. That includes on our pair of Stargazer pans. The seasoning isn't impacted one iota.

Right. You're not supposed to lean into it. Besides. If a metal spatula won't take off seasoning, dull rings sure as hell won't.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I just use a good quality (flat) metal spatula. The flatness is essential so you don't scratch into the seasoning. Usually just boiling the water and a quick scrub with a brush will take care of things, but I can scrape without fear if need be.

Dexter is the brand I have.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002...760380_t1_B01N9K0O7P

+1 ... I have the EXACT same spatula and use the EXACT same procedure when needed.

Best spatula I've ever owned and perfect size for all my cooking needs. If the spatula gets crusted, I use a green meanie scrubber and it doesn't deep scratch the spatula like a metal scrubber would. I also have been known to use the green meanie when cleaning the cast iron after cooking. Doesn't destroy the seasoning, just gets the crusty stuff if used lightly. If that doesn't get it ... out comes the spatula. And I only use cast iron skillets for pan cooking, about ever other day.

Interestingly (or not), the Dexter spatula arrived to me 13SEP2016 and I found that even with 2 rivets, the metal part wiggled just slightly in the Walnut handle. It was minor and shouldn't have bothered me but it did. I used vice-grips and clamped down on the rivets. Problem was, I got into the wood just a bit with the teeth of the vice-grips. AMAZINGLY, with use since then, the wood has swelled back out and looks PERFECTLY new. Can't even tell it had been clamped on. Metal part has no movement whatsoever. It's a winner all 'round.

DISCLAIMER: I would imagine the spatula cleaning/scraping method works best on smooth machined cast iron like the vintage Griswold, Stargazer and vintage Victor that I cook with. Not sure how it would do or how effective it would be on textured cast iron like the Lodge stuff.

Hobbs,
Love seeing that well used Stargazer. How do find it stacks up against your vintage Griswolds?
And FWIW the chain mall works quite well with a fairly light touch.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Hobbs,
Love seeing that well used Stargazer. How do find it stacks up against your vintage Griswolds?
And FWIW the chain mall works quite well with a fairly light touch.

The Stargazer is my absolute favorite pan. I use it until I HAVE to reach for an extra skillet. Highly recommend the Stargazer. Seldom does it get so hot I can't bare-hand the handle. Because of the Stargazer handle design, it stays MUCH cooler than most. I do all my cast iron cooking on the medium heat setting. Put the eye on medium, let it warm up for about 5-7 minutes, add olive oil, let the oil warm a minute and get to cooking. Bacon I start in a cold skillet. That said, the vintage stuff (pictured) is a good deal lighter to handle than the Stargazer, but the Stargazer does have that extra handle on the pan if needed (the smaller/extra handle on the Stargazer does get pretty warm).

EDIT: The picture angle makes the Stargazer wall look super thick but it isn't THAT thick. The whole top edge is rolled for easy pour from any position.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

The Stargazer is my absolute favorite pan. I use it until I HAVE to reach for an extra skillet.

Not having any vintage here, we simply got a second Stargazer to handle those situations to which you refer!

And I still stand by chain mall for handling the "crusties!"

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

The Stargazer is my absolute favorite pan. I use it until I HAVE to reach for an extra skillet.

Not having any vintage here, we simply got a second Stargazer to handle those situations to which you refer!

And I still stand by chain mall for handling the "crusties!"

... and the Dexter Pancake Turner spatula (linked above) works for cooking AND cleaning LOL ... no extra parts required.