Cast iron pan rusts, what to do?

The huge selection of kitchen utensils on the market was never able to displace simple and reliable cast iron pans. Confidence in this utensil appeared since childhood, but there are times when you notice that a cast-iron frying pan is rusting - what to do in this case, you need to decide immediately. In this article, we will discuss how to choose and use such dishes without harming it and you.

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Cast iron cookware

To avoid cooking problems, you need to know that cast iron is rusting and therefore needs proper care. It is not difficult to establish it if you adhere to such principles.

Pan selection

The most important criterion for leaving is precisely the choice of quality utensils. Like it or not, even the most thorough care will not help if the material from which the product is made is not of high quality.

Outwardly, different types of cast iron do not differ, and it is not possible to choose a good frying pan in appearance. Relying on the price and weight of the product.

Important! A high-quality product will not be light, since this material is heavy in itself. And also it will not be cheap - the better the product, the more expensive, this is an axiom in this case.

Preparation for use

As soon as you have chosen a good dish, an indispensable assistant in the preparation of tasty and healthy dishes has appeared in your house. But before using the new acquisition, it must be prepared in accordance with all the rules. Otherwise, the question, “a cast-iron frying pan rusts - what should I do?” Is inevitable.

So, carry out the following manipulations:

1. Wash your purchase with soap or detergent.
2. Then it needs to be dried and calcined with vegetable oil, it should fill all the pores that allow the material to rust. It is better to make this operation in the fresh air, as a large amount of smoke is possible.

Important! It is necessary to ensure that the pet remains “slightly oily” between uses, this will not allow the surface to oxidize and actually check whether the cast iron is rusting.

Daily care

When an inexperienced housewife gets such an acquisition as a cast-iron frying pan, she asks the question: “Does cast iron rust or not?”. In fact, it depends on how proper and timely care for such utensils is. The main cause of any rust is constant contact with moisture. This case is no exception.

To avoid this phenomenon, you need to adhere to simple rules for the care of these products:

1. Kitchen utensils made from this material do not like downtime. You must use it regularly.
2. After cooking, you need to transfer it to another container, and wash the pan.
3. Wash it only with a sponge and hot water. It is undesirable to use detergents, and metal washcloths and abrasive substances are strictly prohibited.
4. If food burns to the bottom of the product or sticks, put the dish in warm water for half an hour. Such soaking will help to cope with the problem.
5. After washing the pan, wipe it dry and wait until it dries completely.
6. After - thoroughly grease with oil and store in a dry place.

Cast iron only rusts when improperly maintained. In a different situation, such a product will serve you for a long time without any problems.

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Getting rid of rust

Now that we have examined how to properly care for this product, we will take a closer look at why a cast-iron frying pan rusts and how to remove rust without ruining our assistant.

Reasons for the appearance

There may be several reasons why a cast-iron frying pan rusts. Let us consider in more detail each of them:

1. Poor quality material from the manufacturer. No matter how regrettable this may sound, today, regardless of the country of manufacture, it is difficult to buy a quality product. Often, not only cast iron is used for production, but also cheaper alloys, saving on metal.
2. At high air humidity, the metal has the property of corroding. This is especially true for Chinese-made dishes.
3. With improper care of the pan, various incidents occur with it. Cast iron is a very fragile and demanding material. Therefore, from a light blow, it may appear cracks, chips, which increase the risk of death of the pan.

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How to remove rust?

In the absence of careful care of the pan, do not be surprised that it rusts. If your favorite pan is dear to you, then do not put off the removal of red spots in a long box. In addition, "evil is easier to remove in the bud."

Consider several rust removal options:

1. If there is a small amount of rust, wash it with a regular sponge and detergent. Wipe dry.
2. It can be washed in a dishwasher, choosing the optimal mode according to the recommendations of manufacturers of dishes and household appliances.
3. If the corrosion is more complicated, then put the pan for half an hour in the oven at a temperature of 150-200 C. Let cool and coat thoroughly with oil.
4. A simple way to wash with an abrasive brush.
5. A good grandmother's method works. Pour into a bucket 7 liters of water mixed with half a pack of soda. In the mixture, lower the cast-iron pan and put on low heat for 10 hours. In the terminal, wash under running water.
6. With the help of well-known Coca-Cola or Pepsi drinks. Pour the drink into a sufficiently large bowl and lower your cast-iron frying pan into it. When the liquid boils, turn off the fire and allow to cool. Rinse in warm water and choose dry.
7. Mix vinegar with water in equal proportions in sufficient quantity to completely immerse the pan. Leave for 2 hours. Then rinse, grease with vegetable oil and send to a hot oven for 3 hours.
8. You can act mechanically - with a drill with a special brush nozzle to remove all traces of corrosion. Further - it is advisable to bake the pan on the stove or in the oven again.

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Helpful hints:

1. After completing all these procedures, it is necessary to restore the protective layer by calcining the pan to reduce the likelihood of metal corrosion.
2. You can sometimes bake oil in a pan and cool it. Then a protective film forms on the surface. This is done if the pan is not used.
3. Keep the pan exclusively in a dark and dry place.
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   Stock footage

If you follow all the rules of storage and care, your favorite pan will always delight you with delicious pancakes, fried meat and other goodies. Do not deprive yourself of such pleasure.