Hudson Chain Mail Scrubber: The BEST way to clean cast iron

[Troy]

What is it?
This 7 inch by 7 inch square of chainmail is the perfect device for cleaning and scrubbing cast iron. It's made with stainless steel. It safely and effectively removes crusties and gunk from your precious cast iron skillet without removing or marring the seasoning. NO SOAP NEEDED



I bought it because using salt to scrub my cast iron was getting expensive, plus the thought of having something made out of chainmail really made me smile.
I was concerned that it would knot up, or gunk up, or fall apart. The gimicky chainmail I had years ago (think LARPing) was rather delicate - certainly not capable of protecting against a sword strike.
However this piece REALLY impressed me. The rings are tight and snag-free. The 7" size is perfect for scrubbing a pan or a griddle. It handles tough gunk without a problem, and without using any soap or salt. It rinses clean and it never develops that rotting man-ass smell that sponges do when someone leaves them wet for a few days.

Mine is a few years old now and barely shows any sign of wear. There's a few cloudy areas, but I think they would probably shine right back up if I tried.

I also use it on my hard anodized pans and skillet, and I'm always tempted to break it out when cleaning the inside of a kettle (but I haven't tried)

Where can you get one?
Amazon
I think if I were to lose mine, I might hit up some online chainmail stores to see if they will sell some remnants for cheap. Or perhaps I will go to the Renaissance festival and slay a poser knight to steal his armor!

[addicted-to-smoke]

Troy have you also tried Lodge's pan scrapers? They are surprisingly effective. Again, no soap, just scrape. Made of dishwasher safe polycarbonate in two popular grill colors, black and red.

I got a set expecting the plastic to quickly get "sanded down" or torn or chip but they still look new after a year. It's like porn for your cast iron: hard enough to do the job but soft enough not to explode too early (it's a metaphor, just roll with it for now.)

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SCRAPERCOMBO-Pan-Grill-Scraper/dp/B00JETRWZY/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1430221311&sr=1-3&keywords=lodge+scraper

Amazon also sells 2-pks of grill scrapers and 2-pks of pan scrapers. That link is for one of each. (No, I haven't tried the grill scraper on grill grates yet.)

[austin87]

I have the chainmail and the Lodge scrapers. Big fan of both, they have different applications but work really well.

[mrbill]

I have a chainmail scrubber and love it! gets the crud out w/o salt or soap with ease.

[Jeep]

I would also like to throw my support behind this one.  I have been using one for about a year now.  Hands down one of the best ways to clean cast iron.

-Jeep

[ClubChapin]

I've got one of these chain mail scrubbers. Works great.  Used it last night to clean my carbon steel wok with just water.  Worked well and didn't hurt the seasoning.

[Grizz]

Troy, you think it'd be ok to use one of those on the gourmet bbq system add-ons like the griddle and sear grate?

[addicted-to-smoke]

Because the GBS parts are porcelain coated, they should be OK with a hot soak and some gentle help from the chain mail. But you may only need your fingers on it if it soaked awhile, so try using as little as possible on it first.

[Troy]

Troy, you think it'd be ok to use one of those on the gourmet bbq system add-ons like the griddle and sear grate?

yes. I've already used it on my gourmet griddle

[Grizz]

sweet!  thanks!