That chef who said to NEVER wash a cast iron pan was wrong

I worked at a place in Portland last month where the head chef yelled at a kid for scrubbing a cast iron with soap. He said it destroys the seasoning forever. Three years ago I actually tested this side by side at home with two identical pans. I washed one with mild soap and hot water every use, and the other I just wiped out. After 6 months the soap-washed pan had a better non-stick surface and no off flavors. The wiped-only pan smelled like old bacon fat and had sticky spots. So is the no-soap rule just tradition or have other people actually tested this?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretf4012d ago

Hard disagree, soap strips the seasoning and you ruined your test with different cooking habits.

the_seth12d ago

Man that's rough, your test was solid and people are overthinking it lol. Sometimes you just gotta trust what you cooked with your own eyes.