Can cast iron be washed in the dishwasher and in what cases should it not be done?

Is it possible to wash heavy cast iron cauldrons, cauldrons and frying pans in the dishwasher? Will the grates be damaged by their weight? So far, no one has reported cases of dishwasher failure due to cast iron utensils, but it is still not recommended to wash some types of cast iron in the appliance. Let's figure out why.

What are the dangers of automatic cleaning?

Cast iron, like any material, has a number of unique properties that must be taken into account when caring:

• cast iron is a dense alloy with an imperfectly smooth surface, in the unevenness of which oil, as well as household chemicals, is well fixed;
• after calcination, cast iron is covered with a thin film that protects it from rust and prevents food from burning;
• unheated metal is very vulnerable to rust;
• Cast iron is very hard and is not afraid of iron brushes.

It is common to think that cast iron products are absolutely unpretentious, and they “don’t care about anything,” but this is a deceptive impression. First of all, it is very hard, but fragile, and a strong blow will not bend, but rather split the dishes. When regularly washed in PMM, cast iron becomes riddled with microcracks, which accelerate the date of destruction of the cookware.

Secondly, cast iron rusts quite easily if it is not covered with enamel or if the oil film is destroyed. And the latter corrodes quite easily. How it works: the dishwasher uses a strong alkali in the cleaning agent, and it is supplied with a stream of hot water. These factors soften and wash off the film.Then the dishes are “dried”, but remain in a damp chamber for half an hour, or even several hours. As a result, the cauldron or frying pan rusts.

Thirdly, alkali very successfully clogs the pores of cast iron and then moves onto the food, and when heated it also poisons the air.

Advice from purity-en.htgetrid.com
Rust on cast iron or any other utensils should be removed immediately. This can be done in the following way: rinse thoroughly with water and the hard side of a sponge or scrape off with a metal brush. Then you need to restore the protective layer: grease the work surface with oil and warm it up.

In what cases can cast iron still be washed in the dishwasher?

In the modern world, manufacturers of cast iron products try to keep up with technological progress and develop utensils that can withstand washing in the dishwasher. Usually the metal is covered with enamel, less often with more technologically advanced protective layers.

Look at the bottom of the dish or the instructions: there should be an icon saying whether this item can be washed in the dishwasher.

Cast iron cookware can last a really long time if you don't use too strong detergents and don't put it in the dishwasher.