Take it from Rachael Narins, the author of Cast-Iron Cooking, who has collected dozens of vintage cast-iron pans over her tenure as a chef. “Treat it well and your great-grandkids will use it,” Narins tells mbg. Follow this step-by-step routine to keep the coating on yours in good shape after every use: A seasoned pan will look glossy, shiny, and smooth, like well-conditioned leather. Unlike traditional cast iron, enameled pans and Dutch ovens will also be fine in the dishwasher, though they don’t stand up quite as well in heat and should be kept off the grill. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
