Silly Cast Iron Question

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Callisto in NC

Washing Up
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Oct 17, 2007
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Mooresville, NC
My DD got me a 8" and 10" cast iron skillet for my birthday and I bought myself a 12". So here's my silly question ~ can I stack them in my cupboard or do they scratch each other if I store them this way?
 
It may be ok, I really don't know. I'd say, until you're sure, just place a paper towel or two in between them. Scratching takes off seasoning, which is not good.
 
It may be ok, I really don't know. I'd say, until you're sure, just place a paper towel or two in between them. Scratching takes off seasoning, which is not good.

Elf is right. I stack mine all the time but just put a paper towel between and have never had a problem.
 
Another thought, what do you think of, would maybe be that puffy shelf liner stuff that keeps your dishes from sliding when you put them in the cupboard. I could custom cut them to fit. Does that sound good or would they maybe stick to the pan?

I know, I sound totally silly but these pans mean a lot because they are my birthday/Christmas gift from my daughter and it wasn't necessarily easy for her to buy them.
 
I think that would be fine. Just be sure to occasionally smell these liners as they may turn rancid from re-use. The oil they absorb may eventually go off. Be sure to cut them to protect the sides too...or just use the paper towels, which can be thrown away each time.
 
I have stacked my CI pans forever, with no negative results. I would think that if you use the foam shelf liner, you would have to be sure that the pans were cool. For me, it just seem like an unecessary step. We all use metal utensils with no negative results with CI.
 
I'm not sure about the rubber shelf liner. I think the papertowels would be just as good. I reuse the towels several times so it's not like it's a big expense. If you really wanted to have a reusable liner, I would go with old kitchen towels or washcloths that can be thrown into the washing machine every now and then.
 
The only reason that I don't stack my cast iron is because I have a white smoothtop stove that they mar up if there's stuff on the bottom of them. Before, with my old stove, all of my cast iron was nestled without anything between it and I never experienced problems with it.
 
I dump mine unprotected into the bottom drawer thingie of my stove. IMO they really don't need special care.

Came here to say just this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ !!!

I have 2-6 in, 2-8 in, 2-10 in 1-12-in, a chicken fryer, and a sloped corn bread skillet just in the kitchen cabinet...They get banged all over each other with no harm. Pots in the pantry the same way...I do use a paper towel inside -- partially outside under the lid of my Dutch Ovens to absorb any moisture build up inside.
 
My mother stacked her cast iron in her range drawer for my entire life, and so do I and I am not a young chick.

Never caused a problem.
 
If iron couldn't be stacked ... I hate to think of it! I don't know how I would store it, I would have no room to work, or the walls would be covered with iron.

Oh, that's right, the walls are getting covered with iron ... no more room to stack them. LOL!

Put a 'buffer' between the pans? Tried it once, just a waste of paper. If you only wipe the pan before putting it back in the stack your buffer material will get oily, and remove the oil, even if the buffer is non-absorbent. If you wash your pans (weak dish soap solution) there is nothing (sort of) to get on the bottom of the pan stacked in the pan.

Scratching the pans ... I'm sorry, I have to chuckle ... I don't even worry about seasoning iron. I'll burn out a pan, let it cool enough so it doesn't burst into flames when I throw some "oil" or grease in it to keep it from rusting, then put it in the stack. If it seasons it seasons, if it doesn't season it goes in the Garage Stack. The thought of scratching Iron by stacking it never crossed my mind. But then I'm a tactile person, It's in my genes or teachings that I don't bang things around.

Put something under the stack to protect the shelf? Most cretinly, use something cheap and disposable or easy to wash.

NOW, if it's enameled iron, that's a different creature .... I still stack it, but it looks better on the wall. L
 
Here's my silly question on the subject - Are you supposed to leave the crunch burned bits on the bottom of the cast iron skillet? I wipe it to keep the grease penetrated but can't get that other stuff off with a paper towel and I'm afraid to put it in water, lol
 
I deal with the burned bits on the inside bottom by scraping with an old broken spatula blade. The crud on the outside makes little difference, although it may act as an insulator. When I get a new (to me) pan, or when my old ones get too bad, I clean the exterior with a chucked wire brush and/or scrapers. I gotta agree with Wart and others here. Cast iron virtually indestructible, and you are not going to stratch it with another cast iron pan. CI is to use and enjoy.
 
You can use water on the pans, that's not a problem. It's soap, of any kind, that you can't use. The manufacturers directions for the Lodge say to use hot water after only a short cool down period to get the gunky stuff off. I wouldn't soak CI because it will rust, but you can use water.
 
THe only thing I don't do is put a hot pan under cold water. A slightly hotter than 212 degree pan under hot running water (the last water heater provided 150~160 degree water ;) ), but NEVER under Clod water.

And thats my only never.

About that thing about never using any kind of soap , L , I guess we could have a war over that. :ROFLMAO:

This week it's Palmolive, looks like next week it's going to be Oxy Plus. A couple of drops on a sponge, plenty of hot water, never had a problem.

OTOH most of my iron is Wagner, Griswold or just plane old. And I'm not worried about "perfect", just functional.
 
I have several CI pieces and I've been using the paper towel method w/o any problem since there's a good heavy seasoning on them.
 
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