Unintended Consequences

[Andy M.]

Our smoke detector tells me when the oven needs to be cleaned. So after baking that pizza dough bread last night, I thought I'd get a jump start and clean the oven. With our oven, it's a 4-hour process by default so it would be done before we retired for the night.

Just before I headed up to bed, I checked the oven. "...and what to my wondering eyes should appear but my cast iron skillet that I hold so dear."

I had left my 10" CI skillet in the oven for the cleaning cycle. I can attest, without fear of contradiction, the self-cleaning cycle is an excellent way to clean ALL THE SEASONING off your cookware if you want to re-season it or even if you don't.

I had left it in the oven last night after baking the bread. I'd used it to add some moisture to the oven for baking the bread.

I'm angry at myself for forgetting it in there. It was perfectly seasoned. I fried eggs in it all the time with no issues.

So now it's in the oven again, with a fresh coat of oil, baking a new seasoning layer.

 

[tenspeed]

I'm assuming you left the racks in the oven. What did they look like afterwards? The self cleaning ovens we've had recommend removing the racks before starting the cleaning cycle.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm assuming you left the racks in the oven. What did they look like afterwards? The self cleaning ovens we've had recommend removing the racks before starting the cleaning cycle.

Mine even tells you on the digital display to remove the racks before starting the self-cleaning cycle.

Bummer about your pan, Andy.

 

[msmofet]

I leave my racks and I also place my stove grates in the oven when I self clean.

I was thinking of running my cast iron through the self clean. My pans are not no stick. They cook well but I would love them to be no stick like others say their pans are.

 

[Andy M.]

I have always left the racks in. They get cleaned that way. The chrome gets discolored but I don't care about that. I have to lightly oil the edges of the racks where they run on the brackets in the oven. No harm other than that.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have always left the racks in. They get cleaned that way. The chrome gets discolored but I don't care about that. I have to lightly oil the edges of the racks where they run on the brackets in the oven. No harm other than that.

The user manual that came with my stove said the racks can warp from the high heat of the self-cleaning cycle. YMMV, of course.

 

[msmofet]

YMMV? A lot of people use letter combos and I sometimes don't understand them. Sorry.

Do we have a thread somewhere with the definitions of abbreviations?

 

[GotGarlic]

YMMV? A lot of people use letter combos and I sometimes don't understand them. Sorry.

Do we have a thread somewhere with the definitions of abbreviations?

A quick Google search will turn up the answers.

Your Mileage May Vary = you may have different results than I do.

 

[Andy M.]

My first self-cleaning oven give you the option of leaving the racks in. The Op Manual directed you to oil the runners and warned you the racks would discolor.

My current oven cautioned me of the drawbacks (see above) but didn't recommend against. Both ovens have been gas fired.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

O my Andy. If that pan was anything other than cast iron, you could probably see your reflection in it. I hope it re-seasons good as new again, er good as before.

 

[Kayelle]

I haven't run the self clean on my new stove yet but it's due to be done.

With every other stove I've ever owned with self clean I always left the racks in and added the stove top grates too. I plan on doing the same with this one as the cast iron grates for the stove need to be thoroughly cleaned even more than the inside of the oven.

PS... just read the manual for my new stove, and it doesn't say I can't do it, so I will.

 

[Andy M.]

O my Andy. If that pan was anything other than cast iron, you could probably see your reflection in it. I hope it re-seasons good as new again, er good as before.

I'm sure it will re-season fine. It's already been through the first turn in the oven with a thin coating of oil. Round two tomorrow.

 

[salt and pepper]

Oven cleaning sure does a nice job. To bad you didn't mean to re-season a well seasoned pan. Now the work begins. Don't do that again!

 

[CharlieD]

Sorry about the pan, Andy. I feel your pain and know how you feel. I did the same thing about 10 years ago. Never really reseasoned the pan. After accident at work have hard time lifting things.


Sent from my iPhone using Discuss Cooking

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Darn, sorry about your CI.

 

[Caslon]

I'm assuming you left the racks in the oven. What did they look like afterwards? The self cleaning ovens we've had recommend removing the racks before starting the cleaning cycle.

Yes, cooking racks tend to lose their pristine shinyness after going thru an oven cleaning cycle. It shouldn't be a huge letdown that your racks don't look new anymore. They still act and work the same. So what if they're discolored now.

 

[Andy M.]

I've done three seasonings so far and it's closer to looking 'normal' again.

 

[Zagut]

Andy, My Grandmother used to toss the cast iron in the fireplace every year around Christmas time to "Get the crud off and start the New Year right." Her words not mine.

I think she was following in her mothers footsteps.

While I haven't kept up the fireplace tradition I'm using those pans today and they are still going strong and as nonstick as any cast iron should be expected to be.


My oven's manual says the racks will discolor and to remove them for the clean cycle.
But I've got 3 racks and only use 2 at most so I decided to sacrifice one and have used if for the few times I wanted to strip down my cast iron. (New acquisitions or unhappy with the seasoning for some reason.)

Glad to hear your pan is getting back to normal.

You'll be happy again. But don't worry too much about cast iron. It can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

I don't follow the "rules" some swear by.

My pans see soap and water all the time. My Grandmother would have killed me if I didn't get the pans clean.

Acid foods like tomato sauce are cooked in them all the time and have been for decades.

IMHO all you need to do is keep them clean and dry. Maybe a touch of oil on them before storage. Cast iron only has one enemy. Rust.