Good cast iron cook ware

[Ithaca Gunner]

We have some old cast iron cook ware which is smooth and shiny. The popular Lodge cast iron cook ware currently available is rough with a gritty, or sandy finish inside. Anybody know of a good smooth finish cast iron cook ware brand?

[Zymurgy50]

I had the same issue, DeWalt 4" side grinder with a 120 grit flap wheel solved the problem for me. Just remember to clean and season well after.

[waksupi]

I had the same issue, DeWalt 4" side grinder with a 120 grit flap wheel solved the problem for me. Just remember to clean and season well after.

I do the same with new cast iron cook ware. Most can be done with the sanding wheel, then I finish up with a piece of folded sand paper to finish up the bottom corner.

[gwpercle]

The new stuff Lodge is making is not near as nice as the older cast iron ( seems like NEW is not necessarily Better). This gives you a good reason to haunt flea markets , garage sales and thrift stores looking for the good old cast iron cookware. I have also gotten some from older relatives who had something stashed in a cabinet and they they no longer used. Doesn't hurt to ask. My mom was glad to pass on some she had to me. And when my daughter was looking for a dutch oven I had two I wasn't using and gave her.
Gary

[joec]

The smooth stuff would be Griswold and Wagner which where made for a very long time but no longer. Now I have cast iron by both as well as Lodge. To be perfectly honest with you they cook the same and the smoothness or lack of have no effect on sticking or difference in seasoning.

[45 2.1]

Erie, Griswold, Wagner and Lodge, in order of oldest to newest. Griswold is the best of the bunch followed by Wagner.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Shop at flea markets and garage sales for the OLD cast iron. You can try Ebay too, but it seems like a lot of Ebay sellers think they cast this stuff out of gold.

Lodge will do in a pinch, but some of the new stuff that's NOT Lodge shows that the Chinese have not yet learned to cast the thin, smooth sections that are found in the older American stuff.

dale in Louisiana

[Rick N Bama]

Lodge will do in a pinch, but some of the new stuff that's NOT Lodge shows that the Chinese have not yet learned to cast the thin, smooth sections that are found in the older American stuff.

dale in Louisiana

Is Lodge being made in China now?

Rick

[Rick N Bama]

Rick, it wouldn't surprise me at all that Lodge is made in China along with about everything else.

It's been several years since I've been to the Lodge Store in S. Pittsburg TN, but I'm thinking that the Foundry was still in operation at that time.....maybe 3 or 4 years ago.

Rick

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I bought a old Griswold fry pan about a decade ago for $5 and she was needin' of some attention, but not cracked or rust pitted...I use it at least once everyday. I wouldn't dream of using something newer, of lesser quality, that costs more. The only time it gets washed is when it gets tomato sauced !
Good Luck,
Jon

[Char-Gar]

With use, the rough bottom of cast iron is filled in with carbonized oil and food. It will become smooth, just use it. If it is property seasoned, it won't stick.

Every time I use my cast iron (which is daily), I wipe it out, and then use a razor blade paint scraper to remove any traces of anything that stuck.

Only rarely do I wash with water, then it is plain hot water with a Scotch-Brite pad. I heat the utensil on the stove to dry it and apply a coat of oil while it is still warm.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I smoothed up the bottom of true dutch oven with sanding discs chucked in an electric drill. It was not all that I thought the bottom too rough. Someone had "borrowed" it, and when I finally repossessed it, it was rusty inside. Took me a few hours, starting with 60 grit, but came out nice and smooth. It does clean easier now that when it was rough.

[Petrol & Powder]

I've got one old Griswold (medium size logo model 704K #8) that's about perfect. Smooth as glass, jet black and perfectly flat. I'm always on the lookout for a few more but most people have caught onto the market and want too much for them now. The old Griswold's were significantly lighter than the modern Lodge, Wagner, etc. I think they were able to make them lighter because the iron was better quality. I have no basis for that assumption, it's just a guess on my part. Regardless, I'll never let go of it.
I've wire brushed, sanded and re-seasoned some newer Lodge and Wagner pans but they just don't compare to the old stuff. I've got a cast iron South African Potjie Pot with a flat bottom (for use on a stove instead of a campfire) and it's the best thing in the world to make stew in. It was the same as the newer Lodge stuff, a little rough at first but fixable.

[Gliden07]

No there still American made!! Lodge is good stuff once seasoned correctly I have never had sticking problems. I do have some Wagner I picked up at Tag Sales and Salvation Army. I like the Wagner but actually think the bottoms are thinner than Lodge? I have no definitive proof of that but it feels thinner?


Is Lodge being made in China now?

Rick

[Rick N Bama]

I've just received this in an email from Lodge;


Thank you for your email. All of our foundry seasoned cast iron products, and Our newest cookware the Seasoned Steel are manufactured in the USA. Our Lodge Enamel and Stainless Steel items are imported from China.



We have one of their enameled pieces of cookware & quite frankly it leaves something to be desired. My wife & I were given 2 Lodge Skillets as a Wedding gift some 46 years ago that are often used. Another piece we have is an 8" skillet, probably from Lodge, that my Mother received as a wedding present in 1928. It sees use as a Cornbread Pan 2 or 3 times a week.

The only abrasive we ever use on our CI is Kosher Salt. A plastic scraper gets most anything off that might stick.

Rick

[GLL]

Carnitas is a Wagner #9 Roaster! :)

I have several very large Lodge legged Dutch ovens for field trips. They are good quality.

http://www.fototime.com/39AD8D99D732B8D/orig.jpg

Jerry

[timbuck]

Is Lodge being made in China now?

Rick
The porcelain coated stuff is. I don't know about the other new stuff. The regular cast iron was made in the USA last time I looked.

[WARD O]

Are these older brands clearly labeled or do you need to recognize emblems/logos etc???

[Gliden07]

I'm not familiar with many other brands but Wagner and Lodge both are clearly marked. I will say though a couple of the Wagner's I purchased were so grungy I could not see the Wagner insignia and I took a chance. When I got them home I put them through a cycle in my self cleaning oven, cleaned the ash out of them, reseasoned them and put them back into use. I found a smaller Lodge dutch oven that must have been left outside for a while, the outside was relatively clean but the inside was rusty from collecting water (2 bucks at a tag sale!!). I poured a 2 liter bottle of coke into it, soaked it a few days, scrubbed it out with 00 steel wool, chucked it in the oven for the self cleaning cycle, and reseasoned it. It turned out GREAT!!


Are these older brands clearly labeled or do you need to recognize emblems/logos etc???

[Rick N Bama]

Are these older brands clearly labeled or do you need to recognize emblems/logos etc???

The older Lodge stuff is not labeled at all.

Rick

[WILCO]

The smooth stuff would be Griswold and Wagner which where made for a very long time but no longer. Now I have cast iron by both as well as Lodge. To be perfectly honest with you they cook the same and the smoothness or lack of have no effect on sticking or difference in seasoning.

Ditto for me. I'd leave it be and run with it Ithaca. Haven't had trouble with my new Lodge items.

[gbrown]

I have Griswold and Wagner, as well as Lodge and an old Martin Stove & Range pot. Some are well pitted because of age and neglect. What I find is that the more you use them and clean properly, the roughness goes out. However, properly seasoned and with enough use, they are fine. My older cookware cooks like the modern no-stick pans. I'd just season it, use it, clean correctly and keep with it. It'll smooth out after a while. BTW, I found 2 Lodges on the curb about 6 years ago, one #10 skillet and one of those with the ridges on the bottom. Took the skillet to the camp, seasoned it and have been using it. Cooks like the Teflon pans. The other one I use as a pan to hold wood chips in for my smoker. I also got a Wagner griddle years ago for 50 cents at a garage sale that was rusty--lady said it couldn't be seasoned at all.(?????) Guess what we use for pancakes and grilled cheeses? Gave an old 4 quart Wagner (resurrected/reconditioned) to my son-in-law who wanted to cook roasts in it. He can't stop raving about it.

[eka]

Just bought two Lodge cast iron skillets when visiting the Lodge outlet store. They came pre-seasoned. I was skeptical about the seasoning that was on it. I thought I would test the seasoning with fried eggs. I sprayed with cooking spray and to my surprise they came out as slick as a teflon pan. I'm impressed and they should just get better with continued use. As far as how pretty they are compared to others or older ones, I can't say. But they cook good. The literature that came with them said they were made in the USA.

[Rick N Bama]

Just bought two Lodge cast iron skillets when visiting the Lodge outlet store.

Mind if I ask what size skillets & what you paid for them? The area stores used to have coupons from Lodge offering 10" skillets for a little under $5.00. I guess we've bought 10 or so at that price keeping only one & giving the rest as gifts.

Rick

[eka]

I actually bought the grill grate and when I went to check out they said hey we have these two skillets on special you can add to your purchase for $10. They were an 8 inch and a 10 inch. So, I took them up on it. I actually will probably be ordering from Amazon in the future. Prime shipping and no tax. Good prices too. The 15 1/2 inch skillet is next.

[Junior1942]

If you see a castiron pot in a store, put the lid on it and see if it rocks, i.e., doesn't fit perfectly. Chinese pot lids rock and wobble. Lodge lids don't. A tight fitting lid on a pot acts like a pressure cooker.

[Fishman]

Wal mart actually has good prices on Lodge cookware. The last big skillet I bought was marked made in the USA. Used it last night to make cornbread to go with the lentil and ham soup my wife made in the crock pot. Delicious!

[Petrol & Powder]

I have Griswold and Wagner, as well as Lodge and an old Martin Stove & Range pot. Some are well pitted because of age and neglect. What I find is that the more you use them and clean properly, the roughness goes out. However, properly seasoned and with enough use, they are fine. My older cookware cooks like the modern no-stick pans. I'd just season it, use it, clean correctly and keep with it. It'll smooth out after a while. BTW, I found 2 Lodges on the curb about 6 years ago, one #10 skillet and one of those with the ridges on the bottom. Took the skillet to the camp, seasoned it and have been using it. Cooks like the Teflon pans. The other one I use as a pan to hold wood chips in for my smoker. I also got a Wagner griddle years ago for 50 cents at a garage sale that was rusty--lady said it couldn't be seasoned at all.(?????) Guess what we use for pancakes and grilled cheeses? Gave an old 4 quart Wagner (resurrected/reconditioned) to my son-in-law who wanted to cook roasts in it. He can't stop raving about it.

+1 on that well seasoned iron cooking like Teflon. When you get it right nothing can touch cast iron when it comes to cooking.

[762 shooter]

There was a time when a lot of cast iron skillets looked like the cooking surfaces were "turned". I have my grandmothers Wagner that definitely has turn marks on the cooking surface. I have an unmarked #8 that is turned. Then it seemed like more and more had as "cast" surfaces. My newer Lodges have an as cast surface.

The older ones are slicker that the newer ones IMHO.

My square #8 LOVES cornbread.

762

[gbrown]

Are these older brands clearly labeled or do you need to recognize emblems/logos etc???

Go to Ebay or some other place on the web and look at the products with a search. There will be some photos that show the logos. Become familiar with these if you are interested. Then, when you see an old pot/pan, you will recognize the logo/design and be able to pick up on it. The one that got me was the old Martin--never saw it before, and had to do some research on the web. Interesting piece, is all I can say.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Garage and estate sales are a good place to look for old cast iron. A lot of eBay'ers and antique shops don't know the difference between cast iron and cast gold and they price their stuff like the latter.

Some thrift shops still have good prices, too, but even a lot of them are beginning to see a Griswold cross and re-interpret that as a '$$$'.

dale in Louisiana

[tommag]

I have a Griswold skillet from my grandmother, circa 1900 or so. I love it and use it frequently.
Until I started casting I never thought about using old cast iron, but now wonder... What if that old dutch oven was used for smelting? Newer cast iron is rough, but I can live with it until I get it smoothed out, rather than take a chance.
Maybe lead wouldn't be a problem, but not sure.

[WilliamDahl]

I always thought that you *wanted* cast iron cookware to be heavy. That's what allows it to act as a heat reservoir when you are blackening a steak. The heavier the better.

Personally, I would not use a used piece of cast iron cookware for food unless I know beyond any doubt that it was not used for melting lead in its past. I have bought used cast iron pots before, but they were very rusted and I planned on cleaning them up and using them as smelting or casting pots.