You’ve probably heard that coke removes rust from cast iron before, whether that’s through Facebook, Youtube or just word of mouth, and it can be tempting since rust is frustrating to remove, but can coke remove rust from cast iron?

Coca-cola (Coke) drinks can remove rust from cast iron, this is due to the ingredient phosphoric acid, phosphoric acid is the most acidic chemical added to any drink, and it gives coke a PH level between 2.3 and 3 (Depending on which coke you buy) as opposed to other fizzy drinks that are roughly 3.3-5, this means coke is acidic enough to remove rust from cast iron. Once you have removed the rust, make sure you season your cast iron skillet properly to prevent rust forming again.

In this article I’ll be talking about how to remove rust from cast iron using coke.

How to remove rust from cast iron with coke

First, you should buy the most acidic coke, which according to the American dental association, is Coca-cola caffeine-free. However, any other cokes with sugar in will work just fine. Diet cokes will be less effective due to being less acidic on the PH scale.

Now cover the rusted area on your cast iron in coke and let it sit there for an hour. It can work quicker, sometimes as little as 10 minutes; however, it depends on how severe the rust is and how deep it’s penetrated. So I always leave it for an hour. 

If you have rust on the handle or the top of the walls on your cast iron pan, or any places where coke can’t cover it, then buy a plastic bag, place your cast iron into it, and fill it with coke.

Once it has been an hour, scrub with a sponge, and the rust will come off.

The rust still hasn’t come off using coke?

Rust can vary in severity; the longer it’s left, the worse it becomes. Sometimes rust can be so severe that it’s time to throw away your cast iron skillet. But if it’s not too severe, and coke hasn’t worked, then check out our other article on the best way to remove rust from cast iron.

Final Words

There are so many ways people try and remove rust, whether that’s scraping it off, or attempting to burn the rust off the cast iron pan

That being said, Coke is a great product to remove rust from cast iron, but it’s not the best. If coke is readily available for you, then it’s worth a shot; it’s very effective against surface rust, but when it comes to more severe rust, it becomes less effective.

Give it a shot, and if it doesn’t work, there are many more solutions to try.