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Thread: Cast iron skillets

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Cast iron skillets

    Disappointed with some of our newer skillets. They are good quality and well seasoned but not very non stick. Been thinking about polishing the inside to speed up the aging process and make them slicker.
    Anyone do something similar? How did you do it and were the results worth the effort?
    East Tennessee

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy ericandelaine1975's Avatar
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    Best way I've found to season a skillet is to fry chicken in it.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    I would recommend not using abrasives, I'd just keep cooking with it.

    I guess if you were gonna try it, at least you are considering it on newish cast iron pan.
    I'd strongly suggest NOT using abrasives on a older collectible pan. I know some have, I recall one thread here that talked about it quite a bit, and there were diverse opinions on the subject. I can't find that thread...But I did find a thread with one mention of it (see post #45 and 46)
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-iron-skillet
    >>Also, Dougguy has a great post (#14) in this thread about seasoning.
    Last edited by JonB_in_Glencoe; 11-29-2018 at 12:16 PM.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Just fry a pound of bacon in it drain then overheat till it smokes. Put some grease back in. The blacker with carbon the better the non stick.
    QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I did some research on YouTube and polishing is a very common practice to “age” and improve a skillets ability to make it nonstick.
    Was hoping to hear from people who actually did it on newer skillets.
    East Tennessee

  6. #6
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    bullet maker 57's Avatar
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    We used ours, washed it, coated with oil and put it in the oven. Every time the oven is on there is a new coat of oil on the frying pan. Didn't take long to season it.

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    I won two new cast iron skillets at a shoot a few years ago. Both were rough, so this looked like a good time to experiment. I took one to the shop, and smoothed the inside well. I have used both equally since then. The rough one seasoned well in a short time. The polished one still isn't seasoned to where I would like it to be.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Polishing the skillet your removing the texture that the seasoning sticks too. Once the seasoning adheres to the texture, it will start to smooth out an become more non-stick.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Interesting debate. Plenty of people claim the older cast iron that was polished better from the factory is more non stick. These same people say polishing will help the newer mass produced skillets.
    Me? I just don't know. I tried many cast iron skillets over the last 30 years and tried every seasoning trick in the books and never felt like I had a decent skillet. Teflon coated always did/does a much better job.

    Think I will season a new one again, fry some chicken in it and see how it works out. Then I am going to polish a smaller one and season same method as the one I'll fry chicken in and compare results. Both are newer Lodge items so quality will be comparable.
    East Tennessee

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I started buying cast iron. some very heavy rusted. hit it with wire wheel. then. fry bacon in it. some we put olive oil in and backed it. it all works good.

  11. #11
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    My theory on polishing a skillet is that cutting works, as in grinding or sanding, but that polishing, using a soft wheel, smears over the free surface of the iron, giving a bright shine, but offering no 'scratch' to take hold of the seasoning. I have a couple of nearly century old Griswold 8s that are lighter than modern Lodges and that have quite smooth inner surfaces. The factory Griswold finishes clearly show evidence of a cutting finishing process.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Char-Gar's Avatar
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    I have been cooking with nothing but cast iron for about 50 years. I have some old and some new iron. I have never felt the need to polish one. Use and proper cleaning will take care of any issues.
    Disclaimer: The above is not holy writ. It is just my opinion based on my experience and knowledge. Your mileage may vary.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I season mine outside since there is going to be a lot of smoke LOL. I start a fire in the charcoal grill and let it burn to glowing coals. I coat the pan with a heavy coat of unsalted crisco3/8"-1/2" on sides and bottom This used to be done with lard or bacon fat. Add a layer of coals on the glowing bed and set pan in on them. close lid and let heat and "cook" till fire goes out and pan is cool. Seasoning the cast iron pan isn't just a surface coating but needs to work the grease in to the pores of the cast iron. The carbon spaces between the iron. Heating and opening the pores of the pan allows the seasoning to work into these pores better and deeper.

    I have welded on a couple cast iron pans to fix them and the grease that comes out when at welding temps is amazing way more than any surface coating could make. One produced a 3'-3 1/2' circle of grease around the pan when I welded the handle back on.

    One reason the older pans are more "non Stick" than newer ones is the 100 years of seasoning and use these heat cool cycles with greases present have worked the grease into every pore of the cast iron. The above process gives new a very good star on getting the seasoning in deep to start.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    Use a grill stone if you want to smooth your cast iron skillets

  15. #15
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    snowwolf, I will be interested in your results. I've read that part of the difference in the smoothness of old vs new cast is in part due to the casting process used now verses what was used a hundred years ago. Part is also due to a bit of grinding/polishing done years ago. I had an old Griswold Dutch oven that was smooth inside, and I now have several newer Lodge Dutch ovens that are rough. I've found with use they have started to smooth out a bit, but I know they will never be as smooth as the Griswold oven was even if my great grand kids are still using them in 50 years.
    The new pans in the camping section at wallyworld feel like 50 grit sand paper. I may have to spring for a few bucks and take a angle grinder with a flap disk to it and see what happens.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    jimlj,

    It will be a few weeks or a month before I get around to it. I read several articles and all agree with what you said about old vs new casting process. I will post my results. This is one of the videos that has me interested in the results:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVmCglTZWT8

    Pay attention to how he frys an egg at the end.
    East Tennessee

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    reminds me I was at an auction and a set of new iron skillets came up. woman bought them I said do you know how to season them? she said how I said fry bacon in them. she said she does not eat bacon. I said you don't have to I will come over and eat it. you just have to fry it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy pcolapaddler's Avatar
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    Watch some of Kent Rollins' videos. This guy knows his cast iron care and cooking.

    This video talks about smoothing cast iron pans.

    https://youtu.be/ljSQrSoSYAE

    Sent from the largest mountain range in Florida.

  19. #19
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    I decided to smooth a new Lodge pan and season if. Complete disaster. The pan was about as far from nonstick as you can get. Fixed it by buying another new Lodge pan and using it. Been working perfectly and has only gotten better w/ use. There’s no need to smooth them out. Simply use and they will get better over time.

    The real difference between old and new cast iron is weight. The older ones were lighter. This is the only advantage I’ve found.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I've sanded a skillet or two. Had a new cheap one that was rough as a rasp on the bottom. I put the 5" random orbit sander to use and smoothed it mostly out, then reseasoned it and started using it. Looked horrible for a while, but finally darkened up and cooks good now.

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