chain mail scrubbers

[CraigA.]

Does anyone use these?
They seem to be advised every where I turn these days.
The whole concept of scratching up my seasoning so that new seasoning will stick just seems wrong to me.

 

[Doug D.]

They do have some fans. The idea would be to not scrub aggressively so as to dig into the surface, but rather to pass across the surface to remove what I assume would be pre-softened by a short soak in plain water. The links should not have sharp edges, and the risk of seasoning damage should be less than that of metal cooking utensils. Benefits I can see would be:

Satisfies the never-use-soap crowd.
Cleaned easily of the residue it has removed.
No funky sponges, Dobies or Tuffies.

Durability (lack of), and a multitude of brands (and off-brands) seem to be the only issues.

 

[Christy T.]

Does anyone use these? They seem to be advised every where I turn these days. The whole concept of scratching up my seasoning so that new seasoning will stick just seems wrong to me.

I bought some of those chain mail scrubbers and tried one on a pan after getting hash browns stuck to it. It did scratch the seasoning. They would be great for cleaning up pans with lots of crud on them before you season them, but for everyday use, they seems to be overkill.

 

[CraigA.]

Thanks.
I have a couple but have rarely used em.
Just don't see the need.

 

[Bob Helland]

I use them and I'm quite happy with how they work. I fill the semi-warm pan with water, then scrub the inside of the pan with the chain-mail.

I use a Lodge chain mail, and I really don't use much pressure at all. They seem to scrape away any remaining stuck bits of food without causing any scratching in the seasoning.

I guess if I really pressed down and scrubbed with a ton of pressure, I could possibly damage the seasoning, but I don't do that.

 

[RJ Ruchti]

I like the hard plastic multi shaped "scrapers" myself. A bit of water for a minute or two and then use the scraper. Takes off any food left from cooking.

 

[Christy T.]

The chain mail I used that scratched the seasoning was from Lehman's, and it's sold for cleaning cast iron. Maybe I'll try some of that chain mail from Lodge.

 

[Jeffrey R.]

I will stick with time trusted hot water and stiff bristled brush. No chain mail for me TY, I also skip the salt and potato stunt. What ever works for you works for you.

 

[Greg Gardner]

I got a cheapo one on Amazon, mostly out of curiosity but also looking for something more sustainable than throwing away a plastic scrubby every few months. I found that it does scratch seasoning if I apply the same pressure I would with a plastic scrubby. As a result I rarely use it.

I was recently gifted a wood handled natural bristle brush for cast iron cleaning and to me it's the best of both worlds (effectiveness and sustainability). Cleans very effectively, doesn't scratch seasoning, and when it's at end of life, I can throw it in my compost bin.

 

[Joe Danberry]

I bought one. Used that thing once and went back to my previous method which is a plastic scrungie. Wish I had my money back for the chain mail thing.

 

[SeanD]

I never used one, but if they work for you, so be it. I use a Lodge brush. For really bad stuff, which isnt often, I use the Lodge plastic scrapers. They get into the rounded corners great. No potato here either, lol.