Kitchen Cookware Reviews and Recipes

By maintaining the seasoning on a Dutch Oven, you can make clean up quick and easy.

The first step to cleaning a Dutch Oven will be to scrape any excess food using a plastic scraper.  It is important not to use any metal utensils or scouring pads on the Dutch Oven.  The abrasive nature of the metal could take off the seasoning on the Dutch Oven.  If the seasoning is lost or damaged during the cleaning process, it is important to restore that seasoning to protect the Dutch Oven from rust or to cause food to stick next time you use your Dutch Oven.  So, plastic scrapers are best to remove excess food.

Using warm water and a clean dish rag, clean the inside of the Dutch Oven.  If the Dutch Oven is seasoned properly, this should be easy — nothing should stick to the Dutch Oven.  Never use cold water, especially if the Dutch Oven is hot or warm.  Cold water can cause the Dutch Oven to crack or could cause damage to the seasoning.  Warm water should be all you need.  Try not to use dish soaps on the Dutch Oven, as the soap could leave a residue on the seasoning that will transfer to the food the next time you use the Dutch oven.

After the Dutch Oven has been wiped down with warm water and a clean dish rag, rinse the Dutch Oven thoroughly with just warm water.  You can now dry the interior with paper towels, or simply heat the oven enough to dry the Dutch oven.

If you are still building a good seasoning, you may occasionally need to wipe down the interior of the Dutch Oven with a thin coating of vegetable oil.   This step is not necessary for a well seasoned Dutch Oven.

Once cleaned, be sure to store your Dutch Oven somewhere where it will stay dry.  Some people  will hang a paper towel over the edge of the Dutch Oven lip with the lid partially o, holding down the paper towel.  This will help keep the air dry inside the Dutch Oven to try to keep rust away.