Lodge, the US cast iron maker, says its cookware can go on any cooktop, in the oven, on a grill or over an open flame. The advice on heat, cleaning and seasoning varies between sources, though. This guide draws on Lodge’s pages on seasoned cast iron care, cleaning, seasoning and the camp Dutch oven, together with Food Network’s guides to skillets on the grill, cleaning and seasoning, and a Weber tip on cast iron steaks. Temperatures are in °F, with °C conversions of our own.
Using a Skillet on the Grill
Weber’s advice is short: make sure the grill is hot and give the pan plenty of time to preheat, because it needs to be hot rather than just warm. Food Network agrees, and adds that once cast iron is hot it stays hot, so always treat the handle as hot and use grill gloves or long-handled tools.
Food Network quotes Lodge’s resident chef, Kris Stubblefield, saying the middle and back of a grill are generally the hottest and the edges weaker, so you can control heat by moving the pan. A second chef quoted there suggests searing over the hot zone, then moving the skillet to a cooler zone. He also says a fatty steak is better done in a skillet because you avoid flare-ups from fat catching fire.
On what to cook: Lodge says acidic ingredients such as tomato sauce or lemon juice can break down the seasoning on new cast iron. Once the seasoning has built up, it says acidic dishes are fine when the cook time is under 45 minutes.
Camp Dutch Oven Over Coals
Lodge’s camp Dutch oven has three legs that hold it above the heat, a flanged lid that holds coals and a bail handle. Light wood 30 to 45 minutes ahead, or briquettes 15 to 20 minutes ahead. Place coals under the oven in a circle, at least half an inch inside its edge, and on the lid in a checkerboard pattern. Do not bunch them, because that creates hot spots that can burn food or damage the oven. Every 10 to 15 minutes, lift and turn the oven a quarter turn, and turn the lid a quarter turn the other way. If you add or remove briquettes, keep the top and bottom proportions the same, and take care not to drop ash into the pot when lifting the lid. Lodge also publishes a downloadable coal chart, which we have not reproduced; our separate Dutch oven coal chart article covers that topic.
Cleaning: Where the Sources Split
Lodge’s routine has three steps: wash, dry, rub with oil. Its pages say a small amount of mild soap is fine, because today’s dish soap is no longer strong enough to remove seasoning. Use a stiff brush or scrubbing pad, dry completely, and add a thin layer of oil. For stuck-on food it suggests a nylon brush or a pan scraper. It says never to soak the pan or use a dishwasher, and to keep steel wool for removing rust. For a camp Dutch oven, Lodge says to rub a very light layer of oil on while the pan is still warm, and to wipe until no residue remains. Its camp cooking guide adds that the pan should cool before washing, and that any soap should be biodegradable.
Food Network disagrees on soap. After testing both approaches, its kitchen team concluded that even a little soap strips cast iron, and recommends hot water and a scrubber, using salt and a dry towel for stuck-on food and boiling a little water if needed. It says to dry the pan thoroughly, even warming it on the stove until the water evaporates, and to wipe it with an oiled paper towel. You will have to choose between them. Both agree on drying thoroughly and finishing with a thin coat of oil.
Seasoning and Rust
Lodge describes seasoning as oil baked onto the iron, and says the best way to maintain it is to cook with the pan regularly. New Lodge pieces come pre-seasoned. Its reseasoning steps are to wash and dry the pan, wipe on a very thin layer of oil that will not drip, then bake it upside down at 450 to 500°F (232 to 260°C) for one hour, with foil on a lower rack to catch drips, and let it cool in the oven. Food Network gives a different temperature: 350°F (177°C), also for one hour, upside down with foil below. It prefers the oven to the stovetop, which it says makes hot and cool spots. Both warn that too much oil leaves a sticky pan.
For rust, Lodge says to scour it off, wash, dry and oil, and to reseason if a lot of seasoning was removed. On flaking, Lodge says the black flakes are carbonized bits of oil that are not harmful to you or the cookware. It suggests scrubbing with a nylon brush or salt, drying, oiling, and reseasoning if the problem persists. Lodge says to store a camp Dutch oven with the lid ajar to keep moisture out.
Limits
These sources cover the pan, not the fire; use our lighting and flare-up guides for that. This article makes no health claims beyond Lodge’s statement that seasoning flakes are not harmful.
Keep reading
- Seasoning a Flat-Top Griddle: Blackstone’s Steps
- Lazy Peach Cobbler in a Camp Dutch Oven (Lodge Recipe)
- Dutch Oven Coal Chart: Controlling Heat Over Coals
- Dutch Oven Camp Biscuits: Lodge’s Recipe Over Coals
Sources
- Lodge — Seasoned Cast Iron Cleaning & Care
- Lodge — How to Clean
- Lodge — How to Season Cast Iron Cookware
- Lodge — How to Fix Common Cast Iron Concerns
- Lodge — Cleaning & Care: Camp Dutch Oven
- Lodge — Our Complete Guide to Camp Cooking & Cleanup
- Food Network — 6 Tips for Using Your Cast-Iron Skillet on the Grill
- Food Network — How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet
- Food Network — How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet
- Weber — Ultimate Crust: Cast Iron Steaks