The Ringer - The Original Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner, Patented XL 8x6 Inch Design

UPDATED REVIEW (AGAIN): I've bought multiples of these for gifts. I think they're fantastic. The last one was a replacement for me though. After cleaning my beloved cast iron skillet I went to drop the ringer on the kitchen counter and it went right down the drain. Surprisingly, the ringer is NOT ferrous (which I guess lends itself to never rusting). My attempts to fish it out with a magnet on a string failed. Subsequent attempts only forced it further along past the "S" bend. The only thing my building's handyman could do was blast air under pressure through the pipes and blow it away down the buildings main riser pipe (a drain snake couldn't get hold of it). Gone forever. I now have the replacement ringer and am awaiting repair of my leaky pipes (now cracked due to the air pressure) so I can start using it. The ringer works every time and like a fellow reviewer has stated - it's ideal for stainless steel pots and also enamelled baking dishes (use lighter pressure until you learn how strong your enamelling is). It just works! UPDATED REVIEW: After using it for a few months I'm really surprised at just how well it works. So much so that I'm now purchasing them as gifts for other cast iron chefs. Perhaps it's my well seasoned skillets but The Ringer really cleans it well and does it in a super quick fashion. One last added point is that occasionally the odd non-cast iron baking dish or saucepan gets the treatment as well for any baked on stains. Get one and you won't be disappointed. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I was wondering just how well this would clean my brand new and freshly seasoned cookware. I thought it was going to ruin the seasoning or just not clean it at all. Instead, I found this to be about the best thing to clean my cookware - more than I could have managed. The chain mail has rounded links so it's not too harsh yet easily takes off cooked on food. I wrote to the seller asking how hard I could press using this and they told me I could press as hard as I liked without any worry. They were right. Running under hot water I just scrub away and the pan remains perfectly seasoned and gleaming (after a little bit of post washing vegetable oil). I have a little hook on a shelf above my sink so I hang the Ringer there and it's always in reach. It's dishwasher safe and easy to clean. If you've got cast iron cookware - old or new - and want to easily keep it clean, then this is the product for you...

This item is definitely worth buying if you use cast iron. It cleans well without damaging the seasoning. I used to scrub off crusted food with the spatula, but this ended up damaging the seasoning. This little item cleans the pan faster, more thoroughly, and without the problem. The seasoning seems to be staying completely intact now. Also, I haven't needed to use any soap on on the pan since I got it. This item rarely needs cleaning, but it can be cleaned by soaking it in some soapy water and then spraying it with the sink sprayer. It has made cleaning the cast iron pan and keeping it well seasoned trivially easy. It'll feel a little weird and perhaps a bit scary using chainmail for the first time, but it works like a champ. What's amazing is that the metal doesn't damage the seasoning, but a nylon scrubby brush will cut right through it. It seems to be breaking the laws of physics as far as I can tell.

The other reviews posted have given the scoop about how well this little bit of chain mail works on cast iron. And they're right, it's the bomb for cast iron. But wait, there's more! I have quite a bit of carbon steel and clad stainless steel pots and pans in addition to my big cast iron skillet. In fact, almost all of my cookware is some form of steel. The Ringer XL works like a charm on them, too. This morning I cooked breakfast sausage patties in my 10" Calphalon Tri-Ply frypan. The Ringer scrubbed it clean in a flash, with no "elbow grease" required. I used it last week on my 8 quart soup pot to remove burnt chili. A quick soak did half the work, then I used the Ringer just as I would use a sponge, with a little dish soap, and the pan was sparkling clean. Once again, no effort was needed. Who doesn't like easy? Not only does this product do exactly what it says it will, it's made right here in the USA by a very nice man who sent me a lovely note of thanks for my purchase. And it's musical, too! Every time I use, it makes happy chiming, sliding, shimmery sounds. Buy it and experience the joy for yourself. UPDATE 1/20/14- Tonight I baked shells and cheese in a glass baking dish. Some of the cheese was stuck on the outside of the pan, and stayed on after soaking. My nylon brush didn't get it all, and a sponge was useless. Enter the Ringer XL! I figured it was on the outside, so a few scratches would be no big deal. Cutting to the chase, the Ringer took it right off and didn't scratch the glass at all. That's one more kitchen item this little scrubber cleans. Seriously, I like the Ringer more and more every day. It has made doing the dishes much, much easier, and it's so much more sanitary than any other scrubber. Someone (are you listening, Mr. Developer?) needs to make one out of a material that's safe to use on dishes and other scratch-prone items.

So I ask myself - given the long history of cast iron cookware, would, oh, King Arthur's squire have used this to clean the royal skillet? Holy Moly this thing works great. I'm kind of a cynic about such things and yet I was surprised at how well this did. And it's not like I set up a softball test either...I left my cast iron dirty for a full day before using this product, and it scrubbed off the stuck-on crud like it warn't no thang. Really easy, and loads better than the 3M scrubby-sponge I was using before. My big complaint was that I needed a dedicated scrubby sponge, because the sponge would turn black after a cleaning. No more, and I can stop getting grief for blackening all the house sponges. And it's not like you should be worried about scratching your pan with this. Cast iron, like the honey badger, just don't care. After cleaning I looked at a half sheet pan upon which I baked some cod without benefit of parchment paper. "I wonder," I said to myself. And I set the Ringer to work on that pan...and it had the baked-on fishy bits off that pan in about 45 seconds. So it's not just for cast iron, but pretty much for any untreated/uncoated pan. I haven't tried it on my Le Creuset yet, but with a little caution I see no reason why this wouldn't work on that either. Heck, my Anolon may get a visit from Sir Ringer as well, not to mention my grill grates. So this is the XL size, and it's big enough to compress into a ball just under fist sized. That's just enough to get a good grip in order to scrub. Honestly I wish it were a bit larger, but that would be gilding the lily. Truth be told, it works marvelously as is. The hanging ring on one corner is appreciated as well - it can hang on a regular pan hook, for people to come over and ask "what is THAT?" It's well made and just screams quality. This thing is going to last a looong time. I am not sure how I heard about this product - an Amazon recommendation I think - but I think I'm turning into a bit of an evangelical for this product. It's that good.

Best thing for scrubbing C I I’ve ever used great instructions.

(Author's note- I bought this thing a few years ago, and I'm upgrading my rating from four to five stars. It not only does everything it's supposed to, but it doesn't wear at all, it's fun to use, and it fits into and scours everything. Five stars.) The Ringer is a first-rate item, with excellent construction, and a terrific hand-feel when scrubbing. I agree with pretty much every pro and con on these posts, so I'll try to add a few of my own. Yes, it takes pretty much everything off. I used it on a pressure cooker that has been stained for years, and it's shiny again. It took some muscle and a sprinkle of Comet, but it's like I have a new pot...with myriad tiny scratches. Yes, the Ringer will scratch, but this isn't a detraction; any metal will do this. Wedding rings, BBs, whatever--rub hard enough, and they'll leave marks. The Ringer scratched my pressure pot, my Kitchenaid saucepans, the crockpot, and other stuff. But the scratches and marks are very fine, and the result is well worth it. I haven't noticed that the Ringer removes seasoning, but I'm still learning how much pressure to apply. There is a learning curve. Another small ding is the size. A little bigger would be better, as mentioned elsewhere, and it is a little awkward to hold. To be fair, how would a swatch of chainmail be easy to hold? Also, I've watched people making this stuff, and it's incredibly time consuming. You're getting a product that doesn't reflect the true cost of the labor and time invested, I promise. And contrary to a few comments I read, there isn't an open link or sharp edge to be found. The Ringer is testament to real craftsmanship. Where the Ringer is surprisingly effective is in its heaviness. It's terrific in coffee pots, thermoses, and anything else where it's hard to get a scrubber to the bottom. Add a drop of dishwasher detergent, swish the Ringer around, and you've got a clean doodad. One more note--the owner/manufacturer is a terrific fellow who made sure to email me to make sure that shipping was correct, I was satisfied, and to solicit input. He's really on top of his product, and it shows. The fit and feel of the Ringer is superb, and my seven-year old son is mesmerized by its slinkiness, and I frequently can't find the thing. In sum, it's really a five star item that does exactly what it should, but it will mark pots and pans if you scrub too hard, and it takes a little practice. I'd still recommend it as a useful and terribly hip kitchen addition for the feudal vassal of the family.

1) It's well made 2) It's durable 3) It cleans well 4) I'm using it for more things than I expected (eg: a bit safer to get crud off sharp knives than other options) 5) I'm using it more than once per week. If you're on the fence let me share with you the other "innovative" uses for it: 1) kindof like a janky mesh strainer (ie: pour-through) with relatively wide holes. 2) use it to freshen up a pan WHILE frying/sauteing (ie: if you have food bits on your frying pan, get this thing wet, toss it in, and use some tongs to semi-scrub the pan... it's kindof like a heat-safe cloth which can help to keep your pan at high temperature, but get some of the "bits" off) 3) knives? I'm sure the knife-nerds will yell at me for suggesting cleaning your knife with it (be careful!), but it's definitely cut-resistant and depending on the type of mess I'm cleaning with a knife... no reason for me not to use this to get the bulk of "stuck cheese" or something off the knife (aggressive cleaning) to be able to switch over to something of a more delicate cleaning scrubbie/sponge 4) sanitary... it's metal. If you're really worried... boil it! Treating it as a "metal cloth" is the right way to think of it, and it's been quite useful. So useful, I would love to go back to the 1500's and suggest they clean their pots and pans this way b/c it's just such a natural way to do it. An uncommon product, conversation starter, possibly "Buy it for life" product, and something that I'd definitely buy again if I needed to. I've been very pleasantly surprised! Edit: still a great product! New uses: toss in an empty peanut butter jar with some soap and agitate! (it’s own weight and abrasiveness allow it to clean off most gunk inside without having to physically put your hand in it). Also: as a great hand-scrubber when flouring chicken or kneading bread dough. It’s kind of abrasive-but-not-really so works better for getting off those dense, sticky kitchen messes off your hands. GREAT product, I would lean towards “six stars” if I could. :-)

I am very passionate about my cast iron cooking. Never use soap, always oil before cooking and storing. And I love cast iron coking. Inside and out. I also think I'm a super-traditional fan of old technology, so I figured I would give chainmail a try. It works for melee combat, so why not cleaning pots? First off, forget your fidget spinners and anything else for tactile fun. Rolling a small wash-cloth sized piece of chainmail in your hands it a wonderful feeling. The kids play with the scrubber often too. There's something just appealing to it. (If only I could get the kids to clean dishes...) How's it working out on cast iron cookware? Fantastic! I used to take a warm pan after cooking, run hot water and use a very stiff brush (best was grout scrubber type brushes) to scrub and scrape the food off. Although most of my pans have a very nice seasoning, there are still some hard core browned / cooked on bits in places when I'm done cooking. Now, with the chainmail, I run very hot water (usually I should wear a glove to not bun my hand) and scrub the pan with the chainmail, as though it was a sponge or washcloth. It indisputably does a great job cleaning the iron. No soap, no damage, no brushes that are going to wear down. It's also immune to the high heat. I've melted a plastic scraper while cleaning too. Pack well for taking outdoors, doesn't wear out, doesn't get smelly or frazzled. Dishwasher safe. Immune to dish-washing temperatures. After a good scrubbing, I noticed the iron feels smooth and is ready to be dried and lightly oiled. Really feels nice. Good purchase for myself, though I am not sure it would be perfect gift, as some people don't use metal scrapers on cast iron and this might put them off a bit. But, the iron does fine, and my collection has benefited from the better cleaning, as have I.

Simple and easy to use while also being very effective in cleaning my cast iron skillets and pans.

Best purchase I've made in a long time. Great quality and it gets the job done.

Easy to use, effectively removes all cooked on bits and always leaves the pan with a nicely seasoned surface for the next meal

I really like this thing. I'm happy I bought it. Makes life with cast iron and stainless steel much easier.

Love it no complaints. Nice gift!