Staub’s expert reveals the essential dos and don’ts for maintaining your enameled cast iron cookware—and they might surprise you.

Our kitchen and dining writer explains how to clean, season, and maintain your cast-iron and enameled cast-iron cookware.

First, avoid washing the enameled cast iron immediately after cooking in it. “Make sure you let it cool down to a temperature that you can handle without a cloth or glove,” Stewart explains.

For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one.

Enameled cast iron, however, is unique, and cooks are fond of it for its versatility, which is all the more reason to take care when cleaning it after cooking.