I too wash my cast iron pans with soap and water. I would never just wipe them. YUK!!! I too agree, get yourself a good thick-bottomed stainless steel pan. I would never cook eggs in cast iron. Cast iron is great for searing, but for a more gentle cooking, I go for stainless. I think you're crazy not to use a non-stick surface. If you do not use metal utensils with teflon and buy a good quality pan, it should last for a few years. You can pick up a great little omelet size pan for $20. The testing has shown that if you use a medium or lower setting on non-stick, there are no fumes released. You really shouldn't be cooking on a higher setting with this type of pan anyway. That's what stainless and cast iron are for. Good luck and good cooking.

Yes, you ARE abusing your cast iron if you are using soap on it. The 'black residue' is SUPPOSED to be there, and acts as a non-stick agent. The MORE of it you can get built up, the better non-stick properties you will have. I would not suggest using any food type oils on your cast iron, as they will turn rancid and sticky. I use mineral oil, as it will not turn rancid or cause odd flavors. I have a Lodge cast iron wok, and it has never been touched with soap, (except for initial washing). I used high temp flat black spray paint on the exterior. Conventional stoves do not typically get hot enough to properly use a wok. I would not use a steel wok on your glass cooktop. That ring you will need to use to keep it "flat" will concentrate the heat not only on your wok, but on your cooktop as well, which will crack (glass tops), or burn thru the metal on conventional tops, if you use your wok a lot. I pre-heat my cast iron wok for about 15 min on high, to sear the meat, but once that is done, and I add veggies, etc., it rapidly loses the stored heat, and the stove top cannot produce enough heat to keep the wok properly heated. As to steaming in your cast iron cookware, I personally dont see the problem. I steam frequently, and have never had a problem. If you properly care for your cast iron cookware, rust should not be a problem. Besides, iron is GOOD for you, even if its rust, lol. As to cleaning, I went to restaurant supply place, and got a plastic handled brush, (made with coconut fibers), and that is all I use to clean my cast iron stuff with. I put water in the wok, and bring it to a HARD BOIL, then transfer to the sink, and scrub away with the stiff bristled coconut brush. I rinse it out, and return it to the stove and put the burner on HIGH for several minutes, and I just store it. IF I know it will be in the cabinet for a long period, (Yeah, right, lol, like cast iron stays away for long), I will put a LIGHT coating of MINERAL OIL on it. This is just what I do, your mileage may vary, read your owners manual, and the usual disclaimer language, LOL. Feel free to email me if I can be of further assistance. Regards; bluelytes@yahoo.com

I agree, I have cast iron pans that are decades old and they just get better, my favorite is as slick as teflon. The best seasoning I've found is to make french fries, the hot grease just soaks right in, but I normally coat my cast iron with crisco and put it into a hot oven when it needs seasoning. As Colleen mentioned, cast iron can be shattered, I cracked a nice skillet by taking it off a campfire and putting it into a bucket of cold water so that the kids wouldn't touch the hot pan. Sigh. I'm assuming this is not enameled cast iron, which is something different entirely. I wouldn't do something with a sweet sticky marinade right away, if ever. That stuff is going to accumulate into those little ridges and be a bear to get clean, although Colleen's boiling water method works well for me too. I think when you get used to it, and it becomes properly seasoned, you're going to love it, but there is definitely a learning curve with cast iron. Annie

I did have a cast iron griddle crack.....and haven't yet found a replacement....sob...... It does SO matter what brand the cast iron is...certain brands are much finer finished and will season better than others....Griswold pans I have are the smoothest...with Wagner coming in second and Lodge last. I use soap, but rarely and only in case of something like really stuck on egg....from a pan left on the fire with remains in it....mostly I just swish and wipe... But I really take issue with the recommendations on the wooden bowls. I have my grandmother's wooden bowl and she died in 1950 at age 68. She said....never put water in it, but to rinse and always empty any leftover salad immediatly because moisture will cause a one piece bowl to crack. That bowl is used often in my kitchen today....if it gets a bit of a rancid smell....a scrub with salt will fix it right up. and never EVER put cooking spray on your bowls. As for the canard about the wooden bowl and the pepper grinder, I think that's apocryphal. The classic recipe for a Caesar salad recommends rubbing the wooden bowl with a cut clove of garlic before making the salad....and the reason waiters walk around with the pepper grinder....and the reason it is so large is because patrons have a tendency to swipe them. The first time I ever encountered the giant pepper mill was at Pals Cabin in West orange...some time before 1950... Sure it's a subject of satire....but the satire came after the practise. The country club I belonged to used to have a pepper grinder on every table...until they started disappearing....then you had to ask as there weren't enough to go around....then the waiters started carrying them.... I need a 10 inch cast iron round griddle...preferable used....don't much care for the coarse finish on the modern ones.... I need to be hitting the yard sales. Linda C