How to Clean Burnt Cast Iron Grill Pan – Step by Step Guide

How to clean a burnt cast iron grill pan? This is a question that every person who owns one of these old-school grills must ask at some point in time.

Typically, we all enjoy savoring delicious grilled meals, and many of us are fond of cooking. Yet, when the topic turns to cleaning, only a handful of us embrace it while the rest prefer to steer clear. It’s common knowledge that cleaning becomes a breeze if tackled immediately post-cooking. However, procrastinating or dealing with burnt food can make the task somewhat challenging.

In this blog, we are going to discuss some of the easiest and simple ways to clean a cast-iron grill pan.

How to Clean Cast Iron Grill Pan?

When you search on the internet, you may find various methods available but here we will discuss some of the easiest methods that are very effective and time-saving at the same time.

First of all, you have to fill your grill pan with salt and rub it with the help of a sponge. After scrubbing, wash it with warm water and check if there is any stain or rust. If any stains are left on the pan then put some dish soap and thoroughly rub with a sponge. Then finally rinse with warm water.

Other Methods to Clean Burnt Cast Iron Grill Pan? 

1. Cleaning with Salt

It is one of the easiest methods of cleaning your cast iron grill pan. Certainly, you would love this method as salt is available in every household. So let’s get a start with this method.

Materials you may need 

• Salt
• Warm water
• Scrubber
• Liquid dish soap

Procedure 

1. Firstly you have to fill the pan with a handful of salt. Generally, you have to cover the whole pan with salt. It is recommended to put in bigger grains as they give better results.
2. After that, scrub the pan properly with the help of a scrubber. Rub each side of the pan thoroughly and try to remove the stains as much as you can.
3. As you rubbed it with salt, now wash the pan with warm water and check if any stains or rust are left.
4. If you see any stains or rust, pour some dish soap liquid, apply some water, and rub the pan properly.
5. After rubbing with dish soap again, rinse it with warm water and let it dry. You can also soak the extra water with the help of a paper towel or any other cloth to dry the pan quickly. This step will remove any stain that may be leftover on the pan.
6. Now your cast iron grill pan is thoroughly cleaned. And it’s time to season it for later use. Seasoning is very important if you want to get a perfect cooking experience.

2. Cleaning with Water and Scraper 

This method can be very effective when you have large grains of food stuck or burnt on your pan or when you are out of supplies.

Materials you may need 

• Warm water
• Scrapper or spatula

Procedure 

1. Set your grill pan on the stove, on the heat, and fill it with 2 to 3 inches of water. The quantity of water depends on the size of the side walls.
2. Boil the water for a few minutes and you will observe that some food particles may float on the surface of the water.
3. When you notice that food particles are floating on the water’s surface then take a scraper (or a spatula) and start scraping between the edges to loosen any stuck or burnt food.
4. After that, let your pan cool for a few minutes and then dispose of the particles along with water.
5. Now rinse the pan with warm water or you can also rinse it with dish soap to get a better clean surface. Then dry it with a paper towel and season it for later use.

3. Cleaning with Cast iron Cleaner Kit 

If you do not want to try the above-given methods then you should go for this one especially when you want a professional and 100 percent working process. This method can be very effective as all of these items are particularly designed for cast iron products.

Materials you may require 

• Warm water
• Sponge
• Culina Supreme Cast Iron Care Set

Note that this cast iron care set may include cleaning soap, scrub, and conditioning oil.

Procedure 

1. Apply the Culina cast iron restoring scrub on the pan properly.
2. Then grab the sponge and start to rub the pan.
3. Now pour some warm water and keep it for a while.
4. After some time, again scrub the pain nicely and dump the residue particles along with the water.
5. Next, add some Culina cleaning soap, take a sponge, and scrub it thoroughly.
6. Now finally rinse the cast iron grill pan in hot water and season it properly with the Culina conditioning oil. You may see that your pan will glaze again just like before.

Some Tips for Taking Care of your Cast Iron Grill Pan 

Does not matter what method you are going to use for cleaning a cast iron grill pan, here are some of the tips you have to follow for increasing the life of your pan.

• Never leave water in the pan as it may cause rusting.
• Do not allow your pan to come into direct contact with cold water because it can cause warping.
• In case you do not wipe away excess oil when you are seasoning the pan, the pan will be left with a sticky coating.
• If you are cleaning the pan in the sink, line your sink with towels to keep your pan away from scratching on the bottom.

Final thoughts

We hope that this blog post about how to clean burnt cast iron grill pan has proved helpful for you. If so, please share it with your friends and family.