How to Clean Cast Iron Dutch Oven

How to Clean Cast Iron Dutch Oven: Every well-equipped kitchen should have a beautiful cast iron dutch oven. This unique cookware usually comes with a deep interior that can enable you to boil a large amount of water and cook large cuts of meat. It also has a thick wall that can retain heat for a long time.

Whether you’re on a camping trip or in your backyard, a cast-iron Dutch oven allows you to cook outdoor meals easily. Just place the food inside the cookware and put the lid on it. Then, add charcoal briquettes on and beneath the cookware to cook the food.

Cleaning the cast iron dutch oven is much easier than you think and quite similar to any other cast iron cookware. You simply need to follow several steps, one after another. Once you’ve done cleaning, taking proper maintenance will help to prolong its life for years.

Proper maintenance includes seasoning the cast iron dutch oven with oil to create a nonstick surface and ensure even cooking. Besides, a high-quality dutch oven may cost you over 200 hundred dollars. But, it can provide you with many years of use if you properly take care of it.

How to Clean a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

You have a brand new cast iron dutch oven, and you may be going to use it for the first time. In this case, you have to season it, following some easy steps. First of all, coat the cookware in vegetable oil. Then, place it in the oven at 350-degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Again, coat the cookware in some oil and put it in the oven at 200-degree Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Once the estimated time has finished off, don’t take it away, but rather leave it in the oven overnight. In the morning, rub it with a final coat. Now, it’s time to know how to clean it with some easy steps.

Things You’ll Need:

1. Wipe the Cast Iron Dutch Oven

As every cast iron dutch oven needs regular maintenance, especially after each use, you should wipe it with a dry towel once you’ve used it. For removing sticky residue, you can also use a moist paper towel, but don’t soak it in water.

2. Fill the Dutch Oven with Water

After you’ve properly wiped the inside of the oven, fill it with water so that any burned food residue is covered. You may find some burned food residue at the bottom of the cookware or around the wall of it. So, fill the cookware as high as it requires.

3. Boil the Water

Once you’ve filled it with water, boil the water on a stovetop. Then, remove the cookware from the stovetop and let the water loosen the food residue. Hopefully, the boiled water can help you get rid of the residue from the oven.

4. Use salt for tougher crud

If you see some stubborn bits of food after the water has boiled, put some salt into it while boiling the water. Then, enhance the temperature to the high. However, keep in mind that cast iron heats up very quickly. So, switch the stovetop off after 1 or 2 minutes.

5. Scrub the Interior

Now, scrub any stubborn bits of food by using a mesh scrubber. Instead, you can use a plastic spatula to get rid of food residue from the cookware. You shouldn’t use dish soap because it may ruin the seasoning of your cast iron. In the end, rinse it thoroughly so that you cannot find any food residue into it.

6. Dry Your Dutch Oven

Now, use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to wipe the dutch oven thoroughly and promptly so that it can be dried. If you see a little black residue on your towel, you don’t need to worry about it because it’s just seasoning.

7. Coat with Vegetable Oil

If you want to use your cast iron dutch oven for years, coat with some vegetable oil. To do this, pour a small amount of oil into it and rub the oil into the interior and exterior surfaces of it with a paper towel. Then, wipe the excess oil from both the interior and exterior surfaces. You can also put seasoning spray onto the surface of your cookware instead of using vegetable oil.

Conclusion

If you don’t want to follow these steps, you can apply an alternative way to this cookware. For that, use a small amount of soap and wash the cookware with hands. If needed, boil a little water for 3 to 5 minutes and use a pan scraper to remove stuck-on food.

After you’ve completed washing the cookware, you have to dry it thoroughly with a paper towel or lint-free cloth. Then, put a coating on it with some cooking oil or seasoning spray. Again, use a paper towel to wipe excess oil from the surface.