Where you keep it between cooks matters almost as much as how you clean it.
Where you keep it between cooks matters almost as much as how you clean it.
A cabinet near the dishwasher, under the sink, or in a damp basement all expose the pan to ambient moisture over weeks, which is enough to start rust even without direct contact with water. A dry cabinet away from plumbing is worth more than a “better” location that happens to be humid.
A folded paper towel, cloth, or paper plate between stacked cast iron pans stops them from scratching each other over repeated stacking and unstacking. The scratching itself is cosmetic, but it does wear down the seasoning faster in those spots.
If you store the pan with a lid on, leave it slightly ajar. A fully sealed lid traps whatever trace moisture is left after drying, and that moisture has nowhere to go except into the seasoning.
Hanging keeps air moving around the whole pan and avoids the stacking issue entirely. It’s not required — a shelf works fine — but it’s the lowest-maintenance option if your kitchen has the space for it.
Almost always one of two things: the pan wasn’t fully dry before it went away, or it’s sitting somewhere humid for long stretches between uses. A pan used daily rarely rusts in storage simply because it doesn’t sit long enough for either problem to matter.
Yes, with a paper towel or cloth between them. Bare metal-on-metal stacking is what causes scratching, not the stacking itself.
No — a sealed lid traps residual moisture against the surface, which is exactly the condition that causes rust. Leave it uncovered or slightly cracked.
If a storage spot has already left you with rust to deal with, see the rust removal guide.