cast iron cookware

[tja6435]

I don’t understand their handle design. I haven’t used it because it just looks uncomfortable.

I do polish new cast iron with sanding disks, but right now I’m trying carbon steel pans. They seem a bit harder to season.

It’s way more comfortable than the Lodge handles. It’s also longer so it doesn’t heat up as quick as the Lodge handles to. I will say it did take quite a while to season it, I ordered one unseasoned. It is so slick the oil just didn’t take when I was initially seasoning it. However, now it is one of the slickest cast iron skillets we own. The Stargazer is my go to skillet for cooking eggs. Wipe it out with a paper towel when finished, zero food stuck.

Also, I have a 10”, 4” deep skillet made by BSR that was my grandmothers, it is incredibly slick as well. I was able to find a lid for it on eBay for about $50.

[Daekar]

I have never used modern cast iron anywhere near as good as the stuff I've gotten from the antique store and seasoned myself. If you can't find a good one from back in the day, just buy Lodge and use a circular sander and various grits of sandpaper to improve the finish of the cooking surface before you do anything else. Then just season it as you prefer and roll on.

[Wayne Smith]

If you have or find a good pan that is hopelessly crusted get a large heavy plastic trash can, make a lye solution, and drop the pan in, with a wire connected to the handle. The lye won't bother the cast iron but will get everything else off of it.

[Thundarstick]

Lodge's Blacklock line is by far the best, affordable, new, pre-seasoned cast you can buy!

Personally, I don't like any of the pre-season stuff. I strip it off with oven cleaner and re-season with avocado oil.

Have you considered steel? We use our steel skillets more than our cast iron ones.

[Char-Gar]

Cowboy cook Kent Rawlins has a U tube video that compares different brands of cast cookware. Maybe some one can find it and post a link. Rockingkj, some day I'm going to do the Nebraska Junk Juant, sounds like fun. I think South Dakota has something similar, thats where I live

He also has a video on how to clean cast iron after use. It really works and is the easiest way to go.

[Char-Gar]

In my last church before retirement, I mentioned one Sunday morning about how much I liked cooking with cast iron. I was flooded with old cast iron from folks who found it to heavy to use anymore. I cleaned and reseasoned all of it and set my kids up with it and put the rest on a table in my office. There were about thirty pieces and most were old Wagner and other makes. Some had the ring on the bottom for use in the "eye"of a wood range.

Folks would come in my office and ask why I have that pile of cast iron cook ware. I told them I was running a cast iron adoption center and take any of it they want with a limit of two pieces. They all went in due time. The word got around and more cast iron came in. All in all I received about 100 pieces. I still hear from a couple of folks who are still using it.

[Ed K]

Have you considered steel? We use our steel skillets more than our cast iron ones.

I use both. Top quality cast iron is expensive nowadays however stamped carbon steel pans are not and cook very well.

[jimlj]

thanks guys. couple of questions; i have excellent sanding abilities. how smooth should i make a new cast iron pan or pot? and will a enameled pan cook/fry and clean as well as a non enameled unit ??

When I did my cheap wallyworld pan I used 120 grit flap disk in a angle grinder. I don't think it is necessary to go smoother, but others may disagree. My pan is slick and non stick after seasoning it.

[nueces5]

I'm following this thread closely
I bought an iron pot and I didn't know anything about how to take care of it
unfortunately it has some rust pits
Has anyone had a solution for that?

[waksupi]

Most are pre-seasoned nowadays. I think they are all pretty much as good as another. A couple years back, I won two brand new frying pans. Both had the rough casting surface. I took one to the shop and smoothed it up well, then used both the smooth and rough equally after re-seasoning the smooth one. The rough one seasoned much better than the one I had smoothed.

One point about having a non-stick pan. Heat them until the oil starts to smoke. If you drop your meat or whatever into a pan that is not hot enough it will stick.

[jonp]

When I did my cheap wallyworld pan I used 120 grit flap disk in a angle grinder. I don't think it is necessary to go smoother, but others may disagree. My pan is slick and non stick after seasoning it.

Pretty much what I did. I found that after smoothing and leveling the pan then seasoning it, works pretty good but not as good as the 50? 75yr? old set at my hunting camp. Good enough, though if your careful

[jonp]

I'm following this thread closely
I bought an iron pot and I didn't know anything about how to take care of it
unfortunately it has some rust pits
Has anyone had a solution for that?

Unless they are so deep sanding or grinding them out will ruin the pot I'd just wash the pot thoughly to remove the rust then season it and ignore them.

[firefly1957]

A few years ago I got a new unused Lodge deep frying pan with a shallow pan as a cover the gal had it for just a couple bucks at a yard sale. I asked why so cheap she said it belonged to her cheating EX boyfriend .

The pans appeared to treated with bees wax I forget how I treated it before cooking but even with the rough surface the pans work well for me . I cook mostly potatoes in it .

[WILCO]

what cast iron cookware is "pre seasoned" and/or what is considered the best brand??

The most fun I've had with cast iron cookware is the cheapy chynese 3 skillet set from Harbor Freight.
Comes in the raw and you have to scrub it real good before use.
Do the traditional seasoning method and the adventure begins.
Heavy duty with the old school fire ring.
Finish is somewhat porous but smooths out with use.
I actually stopped using my regular collection of cast iron because the 3 skillets became my "Go-To" set.