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Sep 01, 2023

Can You Use Soap on Your Cast Iron Skillet? Tabitha Brown Weighs in and a Food Industry Expert Confirms What’s Actually Okay

On this week's podcast episode of Minor Issues, Major Opinions, we debate the best way to clean cast iron skillets. Leslie Corona is the Senior Home Editor at REAL SIMPLE magazine. She has been

On this week's podcast episode of Minor Issues, Major Opinions, we debate the best way to clean cast iron skillets.

Leslie Corona is the Senior Home Editor at REAL SIMPLE magazine. She has been styling, organizing, writing, and reporting on all things in the home space for a decade. She was previously at Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, and Parents. She has shared her expertise on the TODAY show, Cheddar, and local television news outlets.

JR Williams

Minor Issues, Major Opinions is a wildly relevant and funny podcast that dives into the low-stakes controversies about which everyone has an opinion. Hosted by Real Simple editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and Amy Maclin, Minor Issues, Major Opinions covers polarizing topics ranging from the mundane to the meaningful, like: do you need a top sheet? Is the 5-second rule real or a myth? Is it really okay to let a dog lick your face? Each week, we’ll chat with celebrities to hear their hot takes on the topics at hand and get the final word from experts across industries to settle the debate once and for all.

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On this week's episode, we debate the best way to clean cast iron skillets. Non-Southern REAL SIMPLE editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and the very Southern Amy Maclin discuss the pros and cons of cast iron, why some of us avoid it like the plague, and why you shouldn't smoke cigarettes around it. (Yes, we're serious.) Leslie checks in with author and actress Tabitha Brown about her upcoming projects and asks her thoughts on pan scrubbing. Chef Carla Hall and Emily Hampshire of Schitt's Creek fame contribute to the conversation. Then, at the end of the episode, James Beard Award-winning food writer and cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt gives us the mind-blowing truth about soap on cast iron.

Tabitha Brown has become “America’s Mom” to her 13 million plus followers across various platforms, sharing her unique approach to veganism and her wholesome, comedic personality. The North Carolina born, Emmy-nominated actress, vegan food personality, mother and wife is a two-time, New York Times bestselling author, multi-NAACP Image Award Winner and received her honorary doctorate from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She hosted Food Network’s first-ever, vegan cooking competition show, “It’s CompliPlated” and co-created and hosts her own Emmy-nominated children’s show, Tab Time.

Tabitha is also the co-founder and CEO of her own healthy haircare line Donna’s Recipe, has launched multi-category product lines with major retailer Target and never fails to bring sunshine to everyone’s kitchens with her signature McCormick seasonings blends and mixes.

We don't really use soap on the cast iron skillet. You did season the cast iron skillet, right? If you use the soap, it's gotta be quick. You ain't letting no water soak in there. You're not letting it soak or do any of that stuff. But you know, salt and boiling hot water will also do the trick. And a little bit of like lime or lemon. That'll cut it.

Aubrie Pick

Kenji is a bestselling author and chef. He currently serves as a columnist for The New York Times, and his cookbooks, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques and The Food Lab, have received the prestigious James Beard Award. His YouTube channel, which has over 1 million subscribers, features cooking videos recorded by a GoPro strapped to his head. Earlier in his career, he worked as a test cook and editor at Cook's Illustrated magazine and America's Test Kitchen. He currently resides in Seattle with his wife and children.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.