New Cast Iron Cookware.

[Obsolete]

My old SS stuff is from the late 40's and early 50's and is really starting to wear out...
I'm thinking of going to cast iron. My grandmother and mother both swore that Cast Iron was better.... well they are both long gone now so I cant get anymore info from them...

I was wondering if anyone here is using any of the new manufactured cast iron cookware ? What brands are good ... any to avoid ?.... any suggestions or ideas ?

[10-x]

Obsolete,
Try "Lodge" brand, they come either raw or seasoned ready to use.
Look for them in outlet malls, not sure what your 20 is but I'm sure you can find one close by checking online.
Hard to beat a "deer roast" slow cooked with potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms in a dutch oven on 200 F overnight. As a hunt club cook I always soak any game in cheap cola overnight, will tenderize and remove some of the game taste. Deer burger is soaked for a few hours with the same results.
Good luck and Good eating!

10-x

NRA Endowment
H.R.M.S.
N.F.A.C.

[MT Gianni]

Cook with Lodge smelt ww with anything else. I would stay away from the oriental imports as the lids don't fit tight and steam and moisture loss changes how the food cooks. Go with legs for outdoor use and no legs for on top of a stove. I like dutch ovens and flat grills for most of my cast use. My wife thinnks the frypans are too heavy. Gianni

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

+1 on using Lodge. If you purchase the "pre-seasoned cookware" be prepared to season it anyway. I've cooked on cast iron all my life, and all this type of cast iron that I bought needed to be seasoned again within a month.

Everett

[StrawHat]

Don't forget garage sales and flea markets.

I have several pieces of Griswold I found cheap. Clean them and reseason, so far they are great and continue to get better.

The new stuff I have is Lodge and ???. Both appeared to have been sand cast with a coarse sand but after seasoning and use, both brands have smoothed out nicely.

Cast iron, the original non stick surface.

[ACK450]

I recomend Lodge also. It is easy to obtain, and absolutely no problems over the years with their pans, lids, or dutch ovens. Great stuff. I love it whether cooking in camp or in the kitchen at home.

[Obsolete]

Wow... Sounds like Lodge is what to look for. I'm in Northern California so I'm thinking it shouldnt be too hard to find.

10-X .... Yer killin me..... That sounds soooooooo good and I have no venison left in the freezer ARRRRGGGHHHH....:groner::grin:......... hmmm got some Salmon tho... think I'll save that for the new Iron.

My thanks to you all !

[waksupi]

If you get some of the Chinkanese, or other rough cast cookwear, there is a solution.
I put a fine disc on my 4" Makita grinder, and slicked up the inside of a dutch oven, before seasoning it. Slicker than snot on a doorknob.

[10-x]

Maybe we should start a post of our "best" recipes. Seems there was one a while back?
Don't have many but a few got mention in the local "rag" by the hunting reporter back in VA......................Maybe why we have a few extra pounds.
Why die from just old age? or is that an oxymoron?
Feel free to P.M. me for some good eats......


10-x

NRA Endowment
H.R.M.S.
N.F.A.C.
RVN Veteran

[TCLouis]

Maybe we should start a post of our "best" recipes.

OR something like that . . . .

[MT Gianni]

Maybe we should start a post of our "best" recipes.

OR something like that . . . .

Cast pics has a receipe section that is pretty good. Gianni

[10-x]

OK, I can't resist.....so here goes,
as the late Justin Wilson used to say,"I Guarantee",this will be the Best Salsa you will eat......

1-Lg Red Onion
1-Lg Green Pepper
5-6 Cloves of Garlic or 4-6 Tbl Spoons of minced Garlic
1/2 Lb of Bacon
8 Oz little Smokies(or similar) beef sausages
16 Oz Honey
1/4 Cup Yellow Mustard
16-24 Oz Jar of "Pace" Pecante Sauce, Hot or Medium
16 Oz Can of Red Kidney Beans
16 Oz Bottle of Cheap Ketchup
Franks Hot Sauce
Crushed Red Peppers
16 Oz jar of Jalapeno Peppers

Dice Red onion and Green Pepper, smash Garlic Cloves, Cut Bacon into 1/4-1/2 strips(cross ways), Cut beef sausages into 3 pieces.
Fry Bacon in LARGE CAST IRON Skilett, once done drain off all but about 3-4 Tbl Spoons of fat. Set aside fried Bacon
Fry Onion, Green Pepper and Garlic in remaining Bacon Grease until done.
In a Large Pot add Pace Pecante Sauce, Ketchup, Honey,Mustard Kidney Beans Onion, Green Pepper,Garlic and Cut up beef Sausages.
Heat On LOW till it Boils,Bubbles......DO NOT LET IT STICK! Stir Often or get the grandkids to do the stirring........or your own "Chilrens" to do the stirring.
Now Comes the Point Where You Have To Decide Who Is Going To Eat This........Men ..or Others
Begin Adding Franks Hot Sauce by The Tablespoon......
Then add the Crushed Red Peppers by the 1/4 teaspoon......Be Careful if Women folk are around and tempted to try it.
Cook on low for about 1 Hour...........It will be MUCH Hotter after it sits over night.
Spoon out of the pot into "Glad" or "Tupperware" storage containers and place in the Refrig.
Serve with Corn Chips, Any Cracker, or Ridged Potato Chips at any get together. Make sure there is enough Beer or Other Cooling Beverages on Hand.

For and added treat add this to an Omelet with onion, green pepper, mushrooms, shrimp, cheese and tomato the morning after...........

Good Eating!


10-x


NRA Endowment
H.R.M.S.
N.F.A.C.
RVN Veteran

[schutzen]

As stated Lodge is the best "new" cast iron, but did you know Lodge has a factory outlet store just north of Chattanooga TN? The town is South Pittsburg. I try to stop when ever I am through the area. Sometimes they have good prices on end of run items.

[selmerfan]

Definitely Loge. I season mine with bacon grease in the oven. Yes, I know they come pre-seasoned, but I can't help myself. Another great way to increase the seasoning process quickly is to use the pan as a deep dish pizza pan. Grease liberally and bake your homemade pizza in it. See recipe thread for crust recipe...
Selmerfan

[.38/55]

Lodge mfg, Cajun Cast Iron is good stuff and a little cheaper in price

I have 15 pieces of cast iron, wont cook in anything else...

Larstar’s Creole Jambalaya (my recipe)


Ingredients:

2 tbs vegetable oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cups chopped green bell peppers (1 Cup Red and 1 cup Green)
1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (J) or to taste
1 lb. Andouille smoked sausage, (or any smoked sausage) cut length wise in half, cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices
1 lb. Chicken, cut into bitesize pieces (I use thigh meat)
1/2 lb Tasso or Smoked Ham, cut in 3/8 inch cubes
4 bay leaves
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped canned or fresh tomatoes (J) Fresh is best
2 tbs. chopped garlic (J) 1 tbs. for non-garlic lovers (L)
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 cups long-grain rice
5 cups chicken-broth (J) broth is best or 5 cups water
1/2 cup chopped green onions or scallions (J) green part only
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Season with salt, cayenne, and cook stirring, until vegetables are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, chicken tasso and cook stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, garlic, and shrimp and cook, stirring, for 2 Minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add broth and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to Medium-low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the green onions and parsley, remove the bay leaves, and serve HOT!

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

[.38/55]

Lodge mfg, Cajun Cast Iron is good stuff and a little cheaper in price

I have 15 pieces of cast iron, wont cook in anything else...

Shrimp, Andouille and Crawfish Sausage Gumbo w/Tasso (my recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut oil (sausage/bacon drippings/vegetable oil)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 medium-large onions, chopped (3-4 cups medium-diced)
2 green bell peppers, chopped (1 Red/1 Green) (2 cups medium-diced)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons salt (taste)
1/2-1 teaspoonn cayenne pepper (taste) (tasso will add heat as well!)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (taste)
1/2-1 teaspoon onion powder (taste)
1/2-1 teaspoon Hot Smoked Paprika (taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme, crumbled
4 bay leaves
8-10 cups Shrimp stock
2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound smoked andouille or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise then sliced 1/4 inch thick pieces)
1 pound crawfish sausage
1/2 pound Tasso Smoked meat (optional) (sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces)
1/4 cup Green Onion (chopped, garnish)
1/4 cup Parsley (chopped, garnish)
freshly cooked long-grain rice

Have Tabasco and File powder at hand!):)

For you Okra lovers add:

1/2 pound okra, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preparation:

Make shrimp stock: peel shrimp and place shells and heads into a large soup pot along with 10 cups water over high heat; (add some peppercorns, a few stalks of celery, a small onion, chopped, a few bay leafs, and a little parsley), Season peeled shrimp with salt, pepper and some tabasco sauce and place back in the refrigerator.
When water boils, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, drain stock and keep warm(stock should reduce to about 8 cups)

Brown the sausage and tasso over medium-high heat in a dutch oven; remove from pan, leaving any fat that renders out, and keep warm. Turn heat to high.

Make a roux: add and heat oil in the Dutch oven you used to brown the sausage until very hot; dump flour in all at once and whisk vigorously, breaking up any lumps, until the roux is chocolate brown. (note: you can't walk away from this step – whisk continuously.) As soon as the roux reaches the desired color, about 20-45 minutes, (depending on heat), Immediately add the cooked sausage, tasso, and half of the celery, onions and bell peppers,(okra if using). Cook 5 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often. Stir in garlic, green onions, parsley, continue to cook for 3-5 minutes. Add salt, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, oregano and paprika, stir to combine, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in drained shrimp stock, bay leaves and a couple of dashes Tabasco, bring to boil, lower fire to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. add remaining vegtables and simmer 30 more minutes. (Add okra if using, reduce heat and simmer until okra is tender, about 15 minutes)

Add shrimp to gumbo and simmer until just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.

Note for Seafood Gumbo:
Add 1 Quart oysters, 1 pound Lump crabmeat and/or 1 pound crab Claws, simmer for additional 5 minutes.

Mound a cup of steamed rice in soup bowls. Ladle gumbo over. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

Yields 8-10 servings

[Ken O]

I use Lodge also. I'm sure the Griswold would be good, but they are collecter items now, some going for hundreds of dollars.
I have some Chincom stuff also and hit it with the grinder like Waksupi did,
Everytime I use the cast stuff, I spray a little Pam into it first before putting in the grease/oil. I don't know if it really makes any difference, but I never have anything stick to it.

[xtimberman]

I have some newer Lodge cookware that's just as good as my older Wagner stuff. Once it gets broke-in, I can't tell the difference.

However, the cast-iron cookware that is fast becoming my favorite is the stuff that has the enameled surface. Several outfits make some of it, including Lodge, but it is usually cost prohibitive. I've been finding stuff at garage sales and eBay that is new or like-new at dandy prices.

The most common brand of the enameled stuff is Desco or Descoware and it's made in Belgium - great stuff - quick and easy to clean up. My wife is using more and more of it in the kitchen - particularly the enameled cast iron baking and broiling trays.

http://search.ebay.com/descoware_W0QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQgbrZ1QQsascsZ 1

xtm

[MT Gianni]

I use Lodge also. I'm sure the Griswold would be good, but they are collecter items now, some going for hundreds of dollars.
I have some Chincom stuff also and hit it with the grinder like Waksupi did,
Everytime I use the cast stuff, I spray a little Pam into it first before putting in the grease/oil. I don't know if it really makes any difference, but I never have anything stick to it.

Pam can bake on a finish that IME will cause your patina or cured surface to pull off easier resulting in recuring. I'd stick to an oil coat or cooking 1/4 lb of bacon in it before cooking what ever else you have planned, breads & cakes excepted. Gianni

[jlchucker]

These days I pretty much use Lodge exclusively. I once had some Wagner pieces (just before they went out of business in the '70's. Not too bad, but one of the frying pans had a high spot in the middle. The new Lodge process which preseasons seems to work very well, according to friends who bought new pieces and had never done food in cast iron before.

Cast Iron cookware could outlast you and your grandchildren. I'd be careful about the stuff in antique shops and yard sales, though--particularly small pots. Some old geezer back in the day may have used momma's cookware to cast fishing sinkers and 38-55 deer rifle bullets in them. What oozed into the pores of those pieces long ago will never leach out, except into your food.

[yeahbub]

I vote for Lodge, though I must say I've got some of that Chicom cast iron with the rough sand cast finish that I modified with a 4.5" grinder and a 150 grit flap wheel. Slick as a whistle now and performs as well as my 'Merican-made, though some pieces tend to be a bit heavier. It can be gotten at a very reasonable price at http://www.sportsmansguide.com/search/search.asp?r=Page%3A+%2FDefault.asp+KW+Box&s=SEARCH&a=search&k=cast+iron

From what I've read, acidic foods prepared in cast iron, like foods containing tomato sauce, increase the biologically available iron in the food. A good reason not to use aluminum.

[Rick N Bama]

My wife & I have been married for 40 years as of this past Sep. For a wedding gift, an old Aunt gave us 2 Lodge skillets, they're the only wedding gifts we still have & use on a regular basis. We also have my Mom's old skillet (probably a Lodge) which is around 80 years old & still going strong.

We're about 1.5 hrs away from S. Pittsburg TN where Lodge is located & get by their store about once a year where we'll buy another item or 2. It's good stuff!.

Rick

[xtimberman]

Anyone besides me tried any of Lodge's new enameled cast iron?

It's really expensive, but we really like the few pieces we have, and use some of it every day. My grown kids are even trying to lay claim on it when we're gone! They're kidding of course, but it's still funny.

one of the best things about cast iron cookware is that it is timeless - a great product today, a great product 150 years ago!

xtm

[buckshot&brass]

Nothing makes fried potatoes taste the same as if they were cooked in cast. Cube in squares or just slice them skin and all. soak in salt water about an hour before cooking.watch out for hot oil splatters...mmmmmmm good

[StrawHat]

Pam can bake on a finish that IME will cause your patina or cured surface to pull off easier resulting in recuring. I'd stick to an oil coat or cooking 1/4 lb of bacon in it before cooking what ever else you have planned, breads & cakes excepted. Gianni


The non stick sprays and some of the vegetable oils leave a sticky residue that is a real pain to use.

When I get an old piece of cast iron that has been poorly seasoned or used by anyone I don't know or trust I "purify" it in a wood fire right back to bare metal.

Then a good seasoning in the oven while making something else.

I season inside and outside of the piece.

Back when I was doing the rendezvous thing, we would all use cast iron to cook. When it rained you could tell those who only seasoned the inside of the iron by the rust on the outside.

It is amazing the abuse, cast iron can tolerate!

[calaloo]

Walmarts in this area stocks Lodge cast iron products. Of course the foundry is near.

Bill

[C1PNR]

+1 for the enamaled cast iron. I've got 2 pieces now and am getting a third real soon.

I still use my old cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens for most stuff. But because that enamaled does clean up very easily, and seems to cook just as well, too, SWMBO will use them, allowing me more time to cruise Cast Boolits.[smilie=1:

[DrJay1st]

The enameled solved all the downsides of cast iron and keeps the positive. If you watch the cooking network, that's all you see now! It is damned fine stuff.

Jerry

[NOUGLYGUN]

My grandma told me that low iron wasn't a problem for pregnant gal when she was young. She claims it was because of the cook ware. Go with loge they have all kinds of stuff and it just gets better with age. Never cook tomatoes in one.

[Stevejet]

I bought new Wagner fry pans and gridle about 7 years ago, or a bit less, and I have a really old gridle that has the words Dry Fry on the bottom (?). The Dry Fry is probably one of those items you would find at garage sales. This particlar gridle is "smooth finish", not fine pebble or orange peel like some of the newer stuff. My Wagners was bought at Kohl's Department Store.

[xtimberman]

Nougly,

What's the story about tomatos in cast iron? I cook stews and vegetable soups all the time in my ironware - lots of the recipes have tomatos in them. Is it bad for the pot or bad for the diner?

xtm

[MT Gianni]

Tomatos are high acid and can quickly take off the patina or blackening that builds up preventing food from sticking. We have a 12" that is our "tomato" oven and are sure to rinse it as soon as possible and know it needs to be recured regularly. Gianni

[xtimberman]

Thanks!

Good information. I'll be extra careful with those tomato dishes from now on.

xtm

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There were a number of good foundries in our history that produced lines of cast iron cookware. Griswold and Wagner were probably the best known. When they went out of business in the late 50's the only remaining US company to survive to this day is Lodge. They make a good variety of cookware items that are still available from nationally known outlets. It is true that cast iron is a good source of iron in the diet; this has been known for many decades. Porcelanized cast iron will not allow that, but it cooks well and is a lot easier to clean. One of the secrets to cooking with cast or black iron, as it is sometimes called, is to make sure that the pot, kettle, skillet or whatever you are cooking or baking in in.....is correctly seasoned to start with. Something found in a yard sale was probably neglected and needs to be reseasoned. A new utensil usually comes from the factory with a protective coating, usually some kind of oil. This should be removed by washing & scrubbing with hot soapy water. Then take whatever you want to season and coat it inside and out (you don't want the outside of the item to rust afterward by being unprotected) with veggie oil, peanut oil, canola oil or crisco oil. NO MINERAL OIL. Set the skillet or whatever on a rack in the oven--upside down so that the excess oil drains. Place a sheet of aluminum foil under it to carch any drips/runoff. Then set the oven temp to 350-400 degrees and let the cast iron piece bake for an hour. A little more doesn't hurt. After an hour shut things down and let it cool. You will find that the surface of the iron has acquired a slight brownish satin coating or even a glaze. This process will protect the piece from rusting and also help prevent any food from sticking to the surface. It also adds some to the flavor of whatever you are cooking or baking. If the seasoning is ever damaged by cleaning with steel wool pads or abrasive sponge scouring, you can easily renew the coating by doing the seasoning process over and over again. Suggest that you don't put cast iron in the dishwasher as you'll probably get some rust in the dry cycle and you'll have to get that off and reseason for sure. If you acquire a desireable piece of cast iron that is crudded up with baked on grease or heaven knows what, there is a way to get the cast iron clean. Mix up some LYE (Red Devil springs to mind) It is used to normally clean drains. Follow the directions for mixing and be careful...it won't hurt the cast iron in any way, but it will harm you. Put your cast iron in it (submerged) and let it alone for a week. Your iron will be spotless when you pull it out...then wash with soap and water. If you are lucky enough to find a piece made by Griswold or Wagner and the price is reasonable...snap it up. You will feel that the "finish " of either of those brands is very smooth, even when compared to Lodge. Both Gris and Wag used to polish what they made and advertise it as such, as polished cookware.. Their stuff now is highly collectible and some of it, (not the common pieces), is worth a lot of money. Stuff marked as "Taiwan" or "made in USA" is just not in the same league whereas what was made by G&W can be considered as heirlooms worth passing on in families. Enjoy your cast iron and what it cooks for you. LLS

[floodgate]

Loup:

Good info!

But re the mention of "Red Devil" lye - it was banned for public sale about three years back. My wife makes all our soap, and used to use the Red Devil; when the word got out, she went the round of all the local markets and took what they had left on the shelf - but the supply is getting low. It can still be gotten through some of the soapmaking suppliers, or you may find a chemical supply house that will make individual sales (most will not).

D'ya ever feel they're closing in on us?

floodgate

[xtimberman]

Floodgate,

They're not closing in, they're protecting us from ourselves. :(

xtm

[Junior1942]

Lodge sells a cast iron sauce pot through their web site. It's about 1/2 qt and comes with a silicone basting brush and a sauce cookbook. I bought 4 of them for Christmas presents for the women in my family, and they were a big hit. Here's a link:

https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1.asp?menu=logic&idProduct=4045

Heads up, guys. My womenfolk liked them!

[waksupi]

Loup:

Good info!

But re the mention of "Red Devil" lye - it was banned for public sale about three years back. My wife makes all our soap, and used to use the Red Devil; when the word got out, she went the round of all the local markets and took what they had left on the shelf - but the supply is getting low. It can still be gotten through some of the soapmaking suppliers, or you may find a chemical supply house that will make individual sales (most will not).

D'ya ever feel they're closing in on us?

floodgate

I see we still have Red Devil on the shelves here. I am going to be making a new batch of soap this next weekend. Got any good recipes to share? I generally do French milled soap.

[floodgate]

waksupi:

Maybe the ban was just here in California - I hope so, anyway. I'll ask Bev to run up a couple of her recipes. Nag me if I forget. She made a shaving soap for one of our other friends here several years back, and it was quite a hit. She makes all our bread, too, and ran up and stuffed a batch of chicken-and-apple sausage yesterday - we sure live good!

Doug

[felix]

Ric, here is a recipe that Bev sent me back in 2002, and has been made at least 10 times and delivered to more than a hand full of family and their friends. Makes more than enough for one man year. This particular flavor is actually an improved IVORY bar soap that can be used for shaving when rinsed off your face first. It softens the stubbies real well after about a minute and a half or so of rubbing/washing the face using hot water.

Use four molds: 5.5 - 6.0 inch length of 3 inch PVC.
Cap one end of each with wax paper, two layers.
Attatch with strong rubber bands.
Rub glycerin on insides of containers.
Stand continers up on cookie tray.
Wash hands with water and dry.

All measures are leveled off measures.

One cup sodium hydroxide, prill form, chem grade (Red Devil).
2.75 cups of water in pyrex glass placed outside of house.
Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of glycerin if you have dry skin.
While stirring, dump the hydroxide in slowly.
Come back into house and wash hands with vinegar.

Heat 5 cups of pig fat from Walmart 4 pound container.
Heat 1 cup of white Coca Butter from Majestic Mountain.
Mix in large container.
Add 0.5 cup of cheap olive oil.
Add 0.75 cup of coconut oil from Majestic Mountain.
Mix, and let temp drop to 90-100F.

Add the 90F hydroxide water slowly while
mixing slowly manually with rubber spatula.

Machine mix on slowest setting. Minimize air
intake.

When thick, about 20 minutes or less,
pour into containers. Pour time is dependent
on the temperature: colder the mix, quicker
the time. Towards the end of the mixing, when
a thicker mix is becoming obvious, put in 0.5
ounce of a oil-based perfume, fragrance oil they
call it. I like either equally: "oak leaves and acorns"
or "autumn afternoon" from Majestic Mountain. If
you like a stronger final smell, go 0.75 ounce.

In a week (or less) push out of
containers, and cut into 4ths for
around 16 bars. Use LARGE tooth
hand saw. If wet enough, push
crumbs onto cut bars. Use rubber
gloves with this process.

Let sit for 30 days on paper, using
new paper if wet at any time.

... Bev formula with felix mods for
auto soap contraction from mold
walls, giving more and finer lather
than Ivory standard. Somewhat
smoother overall, because of the
glycerin content within the soap.

... felix

[Linstrum]

Le Loup Solitaire's post tells it all, good info!

Cookware, lye:

I use mostly GRISWALD, WAGNER, and LODGE cast iron. I got my collection of pans and roasters at Salvation Army and other junk stores over the last 30 years. Keep an eye open for OVENEX baking/cookie sheets, none better for oatmeal raisin and Toll House cookies. Wash your cookware with plain water only if you must, that seasoned patina is where the cooking magic happens.

I buy lye 50 pounds at a time, I use it for soap making, bluing steel, cleaning aluminum (carefully! makes hydrogen gas), paint remover, clearing out slow drains, etc, and 50 pounds lasts just one or two years. I get it at the local well drilling supply under the quaint old fashioned term "caustic soda". The last bunch I got cost $100, not too bad since it is an energy intense product. It MUST be kept stored absolutely air tight since it rapidly absorbs moisture from the air and turns into lye soup and 50 pounds of liquid lye is a majorly dangerous and expensive headache to handle!

[S.R.Custom]

I've seen the new Lodge stuff --even bought a pancake griddle-- but I was not impressed. And here's why:

Back in the day, makers of Cast Iron cookware like Wagner-Ware and Griswold used jeweller's sand to cast their wares. It was very fine, and made for a very fine finish on the metal; it didn't take long to season, and even when the seasoning was faulty, food didn't stick much because the metal was so smooth.

Nowadays, seems that cast iron cookware is cast in kitty litter. It's porous, dismal stuff that will make you go running back to your Revere Ware. (Yeah, it's that bad.)

Make the effort to look for the old Wagner-Ware and Griswold (I prefer the Wagner) at flea markets and antique stores. Get your mind off the guns and you'll find them a lot at gun shows, too. ;)

[floodgate]

Felix:

Thanks for digging that out and posting it. I had lost my copy, and Bev was not looking forward to having to type in another. She uses a nylon monofilament garotte tied to two short dowels to slice off thinner cakes of soap.

Doug

EDIT - PS: Bev says thanks too; she has tried straight glycerine soap, but it shrinks too much as it cures and the cakes go all funny-like; she's going to try the gycerin as a mould release and as an additive to the lye soap. How'd we ever get off onto this tack? (I LOVE this place!) - D

[StrawHat]

Le Loup Solitaire,

Another way to clean gunked up cast iron is in a wood fire. Just toss it in the coals, heap some on top and let it go. After the fire dies down and the iron is cool, it is clean. If your fire was hot enough.

I have used this method in fireplaces and fire rings. Works for me.

SuperMag,

The new stuff is a lot coarser than the old but it can be saved. I havae two friends and each goes about it differently.

One just seasons it smooth! Takes a bit of time but they swear by it. Everytime something is baked, the new iron is slathered with fat and placed in the oven.

The other family is a bit more mechanical and he takes an angle grinder with a flex sanding pad to the cooking surface. Then seasons as normal.

The last piece of iron I bought new was a lodge flat square girdle. It was coarse but seasoned well and did not stick. I just looked at it and now, about a decade later it is pretty smooth.

Nothing beats iron for cooking.

(But I am not giving up my Westinghouse Roaster!)

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Thanks very much for pointing out the wood fire method for cleaning cast iron. It works very well and I have used it occasionally for one piece or two. I once made the mistake of trying to clean an item in a coal fire and almost lost the skillet, but fished it out in time. It was transparent red and going white and wouldn't have lasted much longer. There were other foundries back in the day that were also makers of good cast iron and some of them were either shortlived because of the competition or else victims of the economic times. One that springs to mind is Wapak; they used an Indian Head logo for their signature mark and their castings were extremely smooth. The majority of cast iron then was used on wood or coal burning stoves and many of the models of kettles, dutch ovens had three legs and a rim to position over/in one the stove's cooking holes that was normally covered with/by a plate. These can be made to work over a regular modern stove if you make an "adapter" for it. This can be made from thick flat aluminum stock-an inch or more in thickness, cut into a circular shape that will fit just inside the kettle or D.O.'s legs. You put it on the burner and then sit the vessel on the aluminum plate. The aluminum transfers the heat perfectly and the cooking takes place. If the kettle has a round bottom (and 3 legs) just cut out the center to accomodate the round part. With this adapter you won't have any rocking or having the legs getting jammed or falling into the coils of the burner, or if the stove is a glass flat top nothing touches the glass and the aluminum won't scratch the glass either. If you enjoy flapjacks (flannelcakes?) or pancakes those can be easily made in a skillet or on one of the griddles -round or oblong-made by Gris or Wag, if you can find one, but the real fun and subsequent feast is experienced by learning how to use one of their cast iron waffle irons. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick on a modern stove, but that's really in the baking department and that was a whole different world on a coal/wood stove. Definitely as much as challenge sometimes as handloading . LLS

[felix]

Doug, tell Bev to get "oak leaves and acorns" and "autumn afternoon" smellies from the Sage, Majestic Mountain. They are by far the best to use when pig fat is involved. I have used at least a dozen of different ones to compare with. Lucky I found those two. I use a half ounce per batch. More won't hurt, but I like only a minor smell so I go light. ... felix

[waksupi]

Felix and Floodgate, I may incorporate some of your ideas in my next batch. Cocoa oil is out for me, as it makes me itch like crazy!

[felix]

Cocoa Butter makes the stuff contract from the sides of the mold. No need to have it. Just replace it with pig fat at 100 percent. Will need some sort of plunger to get the "soap" out of the molds. ... felix

[10-x]

Almost forgot about my Mother saving grease for soap. She kept it in coffee cans under the laundry room sink. At the time I had a pet coon, racoon that is ,and he was something else. Once he "got of age" he would take to the woods for a few days to find a "girlfriend". Being a house living critter he lacked the ability to find food. Ole Rufus would come back half starved to death, scratching and making the coon noise at the back door. We would open the door and he would make a bee line for the grease cans, many times we had to pull him out, wipe the fat off his snout and give him some dog/cat food......those were the days.:-D

[Flinchrock]

There were a number of good foundries in our history that produced lines of cast iron cookware. Griswold and Wagner were probably the best known. When they went out of business in the late 50's the only remaining US company to survive to this day is Lodge. They make a good variety of cookware items that are still available from nationally known outlets. It is true that cast iron is a good source of iron in the diet; this has been known for many decades. Porcelanized cast iron will not allow that, but it cooks well and is a lot easier to clean. One of the secrets to cooking with cast or black iron, as it is sometimes called, is to make sure that the pot, kettle, skillet or whatever you are cooking or baking in in.....is correctly seasoned to start with. Something found in a yard sale was probably neglected and needs to be reseasoned. A new utensil usually comes from the factory with a protective coating, usually some kind of oil. This should be removed by washing & scrubbing with hot soapy water. Then take whatever you want to season and coat it inside and out (you don't want the outside of the item to rust afterward by being unprotected) with veggie oil, peanut oil, canola oil or crisco oil. NO MINERAL OIL. Set the skillet or whatever on a rack in the oven--upside down so that the excess oil drains. Place a sheet of aluminum foil under it to carch any drips/runoff. Then set the oven temp to 350-400 degrees and let the cast iron piece bake for an hour. A little more doesn't hurt. After an hour shut things down and let it cool. You will find that the surface of the iron has acquired a slight brownish satin coating or even a glaze. This process will protect the piece from rusting and also help prevent any food from sticking to the surface. It also adds some to the flavor of whatever you are cooking or baking. If the seasoning is ever damaged by cleaning with steel wool pads or abrasive sponge scouring, you can easily renew the coating by doing the seasoning process over and over again. Suggest that you don't put cast iron in the dishwasher as you'll probably get some rust in the dry cycle and you'll have to get that off and reseason for sure. If you acquire a desireable piece of cast iron that is crudded up with baked on grease or heaven knows what, there is a way to get the cast iron clean. Mix up some LYE (Red Devil springs to mind) It is used to normally clean drains. Follow the directions for mixing and be careful...it won't hurt the cast iron in any way, but it will harm you. Put your cast iron in it (submerged) and let it alone for a week. Your iron will be spotless when you pull it out...then wash with soap and water. If you are lucky enough to find a piece made by Griswold or Wagner and the price is reasonable...snap it up. You will feel that the "finish " of either of those brands is very smooth, even when compared to Lodge. Both Gris and Wag used to polish what they made and advertise it as such, as polished cookware.. Their stuff now is highly collectible and some of it, (not the common pieces), is worth a lot of money. Stuff marked as "Taiwan" or "made in USA" is just not in the same league whereas what was made by G&W can be considered as heirlooms worth passing on in families. Enjoy your cast iron and what it cooks for you. LLS

Unsalted lard seasons best, and a really hot fire or a self cleaning electric oven will remove years of built up layers of old oil, just leave it in during the cleaning cycle!

[xtimberman]

Here is a photo of a favorite piece of cast iron cookware. It's a Wagner Bacon and Egg Breakfast Skillet. I've seen a lot of 'em, so it's not rare, but it was a fun cookery item for the kids. They would tell their teachers about the "square" eggs I would cook - conjuring up visions of special hens dropping cube-shaped eggs!

Years later, a son-in-law was helping me in the kitchen with something and suddenly asked about the "square eggs" my daughter had mentioned to him. It's funny what kind of stuff makes a lasting impression on kids.

It even has a handy thumb indentation for a good solid grip on the handle.

xtm

[Linstrum]

Hi, xtimberman, that is a nice kind of pan! I suppose you could conjure up some square pancakes, too! Most of my kitchen implements are old, some of them that work same as new are over 100 years old.

[waksupi]

waksupi:

Maybe the ban was just here in California - I hope so, anyway. I'll ask Bev to run up a couple of her recipes. Nag me if I forget. She made a shaving soap for one of our other friends here several years back, and it was quite a hit. She makes all our bread, too, and ran up and stuffed a batch of chicken-and-apple sausage yesterday - we sure live good!

Doug

Doug, I found out I had bought the last of the old stock Red Devil here locally a couple weeks ago. Apparently, they no longer make it, due to the druggies making crack or something out of it. Just the stuff I would want to sniff, snort, or ingest.

Here is another source for lye, at a good price.

http://www.bestdeal.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?affiliate=candlesoap&Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Essential&Category_Code=277

[wills]

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/coldprocesssoapmaking/a/lyesources.htm

?

[Obsolete]

Well it took awhile but I finially got some tax refund money and bot up some new Lodge cookware. A 10 in Skillet , a 12 in Skillet , a 4 qt 10 in Dutch Oven and a 14 in Wok in the Pro - Logic series.This should be a good start..... I can see adding a few new things later.

I bot these from a restaurant suppy company called KaTom. They had prices abit better than what I could buy them from direct from Lodge.I didnt check out every place that carries Lodge...... So they might be had less expensivly elsewhere....I dont know but KaTom had them all in stock.

http://www.katom.com/lodge-pro-logic.html

Only had them a couple of days now and other than learning how to regulate the temp they have so far been perfect.Cant wait to use the Dutch Oven and make up a big pot of Chili !:drinks:

[PatMarlin]

After you guys burn up your skillets in the fire, you can drip cold water through the cold ashes and make your own lye.

[Obsolete]

Ok, so we've had this new Lodge CI for a week or so now.......And I'm getting an education on how to use this new Cast Iron. I have to admit what little I have ever used Cast Iron was 35 - 40 years ago...... So basically this is new to me so please bear with me.

But I'm here to tell ya there is a difference between the modern non stick surface cookware and the old school cast iron.The food even smells differently while cooking.Even though I forgot to buy a griddle I made some pancakes in the 12 in skillet
and I was never able to get the results with the newer non stick stuff that I got with this Cast Iron...... made some bacon and egg sandwiches and again I had better results with the cast iron especially with the eggs. Cooked up some stirfry in the wok and again it has a different smell and cooked better ........ I cant help but wonder if the modern nonstick gives off some smell or odor .... but with the cast iron it smelled..... um ... cleaner ? better ? I cant put a word on it but as for now I am really liking this cast iron cookware......

If anyone reading this is on the fence or thinking about getting some cast iron cookware and they understand that it requires a small learning curve then by all means go for it.

I wish I had done this decades ago....... better late than never I guess.

[calkar]

the epa published a warning about the toxicity of teflon several years ago. Fried potatoes with lots of onion and garlic only tast best in CI. CI is all I cook with.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Older CI such as Griswold, Wagner, Wapak and others over the last hundred years produced various cookware items, many of which are classics and are highly collectable. Needless to say they cook and bake like all get out and are also a good source of iron nutritionally. They were often advertised as polished cookware and when one ran their fingers over the cooking surfaces, they were very smooth. When properly seasoned, food did not usually stick and the good flavor was retained. If for any reason the seasoning coating was disturbed it was always possible to reseason the item as this was not hard to do. At this point in time the only current producer or manufacturer of CI is Lodge. Actually Lodge has been around for some time and they have been turning out pretty good quality items, but their casting process is not altogether the same one that was used by previous and now out-of business firms. It is by comparison "grainier" or a little rougher. It may take a few seasonings or long use to fill and seal the pores of the metal to gain smoothness. Some folks who want to speed up the process have successfully polished the cooking surfaces of some Lodge items with various grades of sandpaper or black auto style sandpaper paper (dry/wet) starting with 220 grit and then going to 320 grit and then 400. It works but it is a labor of love and patience. When done, then it is smooth, but as usual it has to be seasoned before cooking/frying etc. It then should be able to turn out food with good flavor and please the chef and those for whom s/he cooks. Bon appetit. LLS

[Rustyleee]

I have the Lodge 12" Wok as they call it. I had to go check the casting number on the bottom to find out what it is. I bought mine because I got tired of all the non stick nonsense.
We have some older Wagner and Griswold stuff which I find is lighter than the modern Lodge items of the same size.
I remember when my mom bought a new Corning cooktop that had an all glass cooking surface. She wasn't about to give up her cast iron so she got out dad's belt sander and used smoother and smoother belts on it till she got it polished enough that it wouldn't damage the cooktop.
Make sure you clean them in just hot water and if you must add something to the water use dish soap, not dishwashing detergent. Dawn and Palmolive are detergents, the dish washing soaps are usually the cheaper store brand kinds that you see in that isle in the store. Just read the label. Nothin cooks as good as cast iron.

[Drilling Man]

the epa published a warning about the toxicity of teflon several years ago. Fried potatoes with lots of onion and garlic only tast best in CI. CI is all I cook with.


Of course you had to leave that teflon coated pan on high heat with nothing in it untill the teflon poped off for it to be toxic, and they also said some stoves wouldn't even hot enough for it to happen...

Anyway, i've been cooking on and off with CI all of my life, and my parents and ect.. all the way back... I have lots and lots of it, from my parents and also what i have bought over the years...

Here's how i season it...

http://www.fototime.com/CF8F93B9A00997E/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/7F807FB24155529/standard.jpg

It does a great job!

http://www.fototime.com/35A87182746F97D/standard.jpg

DM

[GSM]

Drilling Man:

You had to show the cornbread....

Mmmmmmmmm. Pass the butter & syrup.

[10-x]

OK, Just about had enough...........
Anyone eat Cornbread in Buttermilk?????
Come on all You NC guys.......speak up.........
Nothing better than HOMEMADE cornbread in good buttermilk!!!
Try it You'll like it!!!!!!:-P

[PatMarlin]

I love buttermilk and cornbread.

Gotta try your mexi style C-Ray.. :bigsmyl2:

[carpetman]

The recipe for Mexican cornbread does not include onions as I hate them---you might want to add them.

[Obsolete]

Drilling Man,

When I got these they said it was preseasoned.... but I went ahead and bot some lard and reseasoned them again..... just to gain the expirence...... What were you useing in the pics above ?.....

[Rick N Bama]

OK, Just about had enough...........
Anyone eat Cornbread in Buttermilk?????
Come on all You NC guys.......speak up.........
Nothing better than HOMEMADE cornbread in good buttermilk!!!
Try it You'll like it!!!!!!:-P

My Dad just about lived on a pan of Cornbread & Buttermilk. As for myself, I don't care for Buttermilk, so I use just plain milk.

Rick

[10-x]

[SIZE="3"]Rick,
Like just about everything these days, nothing is like the good old days...........the 50's for me.
Buttermilk today ......is well...not the same.
Wish I could find a dairy that made their own and not the store bought stuff.
Used to spend the summer's in Asheville, NC, my Grandparents got their dairy products from the Biltmore Dairy. Yellow dairy truck used to deliver every few days.....She used to make her cornbread in a big CI pan.......

[Drilling Man]

Drilling Man,

When I got these they said it was preseasoned.... but I went ahead and bot some lard and reseasoned them again..... just to gain the expirence...... What were you useing in the pics above ?.....

Crisco, but most times after seasoning i fry bacon in the pans a couple times to finish off the seasoning process..

DM

[mold maker]

If unsure of an old cast iron pot,(yard sale-flea mrkt.) degrease in self cleaning oven and wash thououghly, then test with LEAD test kit. If you find lead, sell it to a boolet caster. If not , reseason and enjoy.

[carpetman]

remember it is said that a person that cooks carrots and pees in the same pot is unsanitary.

[steif]

Hi,
There is never a week goes by that I am at a flea market or yard sale and see several pans in varying shapes for sale, usually a no name brand cast skillet, but I've had several of these that were made in the 60's or 70's and still use them pretty regular, if you happen to find one, unmarked at a sale, just feel the inside where the food goes, if it's pretty smooth, it should clean up and reseason well. I've got several griswold pans that I use as well, but they are not very common anymore. the older import stuff was still cast in fine sand, and that's probably one reason the griswold went out of business back then, and now we are stuck with nasty import stuff, unless you can find a lodge dealer around... just like everything else.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Around 1957 following the untimely demise of one of the owners of the Griswold Company, the surviving brother/owner decided not to continue the family business. It was sold despite protest and lawsuits by other family members to Wagner...the main competitor of Griswold for so many decades. Wagner got the whole Griswold operation including molds, pattern numbers and complete production rights. They moved everything from Erie PA. into their plant in Ohio. They continued to produce cast iron for two more years and the pieces that they made had in fact both company logos on them. Around 1959-1960 Wagner decided to sell the whole show to the General Housewares Corp. which continued to produce a smaller number of the old pieces and they carried the mold mark of GHW. But by then the quality of the polished cook and bake ware had fallen off and the castings were a lot rougher than ever before. GHW continued to hold the production rights for several more years, but eventually the entire operation just faded away and to my knowledge nothing more was ever produced. Both Griswold and Wagner (and several other foundries that were competitors prior to WW2) produced high quality cookware and related items, the quality of which has never been matched. Some items were enameled in various colors, chrome or nickeled plated. They cooked/baked excellently, never wore out, afforded a nutritional source of iron(if not enameled or plated), and just kept getting better with use. All items were made for use with woodstoves, coal stoves or gas. They work just as well on electric ranges and are respected to this day by people that know how to cook. The only remaining cast iron producer in the US at this time is Lodge and they do a good job with their production of cast iron although their casting process must be different in some way for as noted by other forum members in previous posts, the finish is a bit grainier and some users improve it by gentle sanding of the cook surface with a very fine grit abrasive paper. Whatever was produced by the original manufacturers has become highly collectible and certain patterns/pieces are worth hundreds and thousands of dollars. If you can acquire one of the originals it is probably worth it to find out beforehand what it is that you have as you may have more than just a common piece and it might be worth quite a bit. Well enjoy your cast iron whether you use it for cooking or for an ingot mold. LLS

[Bodydoc447]

I guess I am just going with the crowd here. I bought my wife a set of Lodge enamel Dutch ovens (3 and 6 quart sizes) and a 12 inch skillet. I got "the look" when I brought them in the door but SWMBO has decided they are the best thing since sliced bread. The pork chops and bean come out fantastic and so does the skillet corn bread. We just love the stuff. The enamel finish makes the seasoning issue almost irrelevant and the even heat retention is wonderful. Get online and find some of the Lodge enamel cast iron stuff if the seasoning puts you off. You'll get the best of both worlds.

Doc

[Silverback]

I have a Lodge cornbread pan with corn cob shaped cups, I preheat the pan in the oven, spray it with Pam then add the batter, the mini cornbread cobs drop out of it as good as any teflon pan I have seen. The mini cob shape usually gets good comments as well.

[Obsolete]

The other night I felt like having breakfast for dinner. I had two partial packages of mix but not enough of either. So I mixed the two together. 1/2 Baker Mills Whole Grain " Kodiak Cakes Frontier " mix and 1/2 Arrowhead Mills Whole Grain Buckwheat mix.... tossed in a couple teaspoons of wheat germ , flaxseed meal , an egg and milk....... cooked them up in the CI skillet that I had just cooked the bacon and eggs in. I'm here ta tell ya that them whole grain flapjacks are much better tasting than the regular mixes that the supermarkets normally push out there.......... And none of it stuck to the Cast Iron 12 in skillet I used .:drinks:

[OeldeWolf]

My mom and I are having some small difficulties you might know the solution to.

I seasoned my frying pan with corn oil, and usually use some olive oil when I cook eggs in it. But when I add some sausage on the side, or corned beef hash, they seem to lift the seasoning off. Is this meaning I used the wrong oil for seasoning, or what?

My mom has some cast iron sauce pans. She says that cooking soups in seems to remove all the seasoning.

Any ideas?

[glockmeister]

waksupi, the Red Devil lye is use in one of the methods of making meth. I retired four years ago from a 36 year carrer in law enforcement, saw lots of meth labs and helped to clean up the area (it is considered a ''Hazardous Waste Site.'' The strange thing is the meth heads put this stuff in their bodies, by various methods, no wonder they don't live the be old. Take care, John.

[Linstrum]

OeldeWolf - Cooking up soup, beans, and stew will take the seasoning off a pan, so don't use a pan you cook your eggs in to make those. Any of the common cooking oils will work for seasoning a cast iron pan. I usually use corn oil, canola oil, soy oil, and safflower oil. I clean a pan by heating it to the first visible dull red heat you can see in the shade, and do it out in the yard so I don't set off the smoke detectors in the house. After heating the pan and letting it cool down on its own, I use Bon Ami and coarse steel wool with a few teaspoons of water to get all the loose powdery black residue off, rinse out well with plain tap water, and dry on the stove. As soon as the pan is dry I pour in enough vegetable oil to just barely coat the entire inside of the pan (a thin coat about like varnishing a table top) and rub it around with a folded-up paper towel to work the oil into the surface. I heat the pan until it starts to smoke a little, and let it cool down. I add a little more oil and heat the pan until it just starts to smoke again. It isn't rocket science, it shouldn't take more than about 45 minutes or an hour to burn the pan out, let it cool down, wash and scrub, and then season twice with cooking oil. Lard works just fine, too, and that is what our grandparents used, but it takes longer for the non-stick surface to form using animal fat. Good luck!

rl 1,207

[Moonie]

The best oil to use is flax seed oil, it has a very high smoke point and polymerizes at closer to 500F. The polymerized oil is the coating. I use 5-8 thin coats of flax seed oil on mine. It takes a while but once complete you can even use soap on them without harm to the seasoning.

[WILCO]

My mom and I are having some small difficulties you might know the solution to.

I seasoned my frying pan with corn oil, and usually use some olive oil when I cook eggs in it. But when I add some sausage on the side, or corned beef hash, they seem to lift the seasoning off. Is this meaning I used the wrong oil for seasoning, or what?

My mom has some cast iron sauce pans. She says that cooking soups in seems to remove all the seasoning.

Any ideas?

Hi OeldeWolf!

The seasoning instructions on the back of my Wagner's 1891 skillet says to do the following:

1) Scour thoroughly
2) Coat with cooking oil
3) Heat at 300°F for 1 hour
4) Remove excess oil
5) Ready for use, repeat as necessary

As a side note, when I'm done using my cast iron cookware, I scour, rinse, heat till dry on medium flame, coat with a dash of canola cooking spray and wipe out with a paper towel. I do the same with my sauce pans too. No issues.

Hope this helps.

[DougGuy]

Hehe Obsolete (OP), this is a 6yr old thread, I take it your cast cookware is seasoned by now? LMAO!

I clean my cast with a wet paper towel while it is warm and then re oil. If something sticks, I put warm water in it and scrape with a wooden spoon, then towel dry and re oil.

[dragon813gt]

I took a grinder to a new lodge skillet to smooth it out. It was really rough. Washed it out to get any residual metal out. And then proceeded to season it w/ olive oil. I don't know why I did it inside. I wasn't thinking that day. It had a nice black look to the pan. Scraped off any excess buildup and then put a final thin coat of oil on it. I then fried up some bacon in it. All it did was stick. I always fry up some potatoes in the residual grease. So that was an even bigger disaster since the entire pan had potatoes stuck to it. It did clean up fairly easily w/ a plastic scraper. But I am not happy w/ everything sticking to it :(

[WilliamDahl]

From what I've read, acidic foods prepared in cast iron, like foods containing tomato sauce, increase the biologically available iron in the food. A good reason not to use aluminum.

From what I've read, you should not cook highly acidic foods (e.g. tomato based) in cast iron.

I use my cast iron pots for stir frying, blackening steaks, deep frying, and such, but if it is a mostly water based operation, I just use a aluminum pot.

The old style Magnalite cookware is a very thick aluminum that will also last a very long time. I use one of the "roasters" when I'm making a 'small' batch of gumbo.

http://img2.wfrcdn.com/lf/49/hash/1606/4545451/1/Magnalite+Classic+15%22+Oval+Cast+Aluminum+Covered +Roaster.jpg

[Petrol & Powder]

Cast iron is awesome for some cooking. I still keep some stainless steel for general use but for serious cooking, good cast iron is hard to beat. I got super lucky and found a cheap but excellent old Griswold #8 that is my all time favorite. I've got a couple of newer Lodge pans that are good but not nearly light and smooth as that Griswold.
If you go hunting for Griswold at yard sales and antique stores make certain you know the history of Griswold. They went through several generations and it's good to know what you're bargaining for. Also make sure the pan is flat before you buy it. There are a lot of warped ones out there.

I also obtained a flat bottomed Potjie Pot from South Africa that is outstanding for making stews. Unfortunately, the cast iron is not the same quality as some of the round bottom potjie pots that I've use in the past but at least it can be used on a stove.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Lodge is the only surviving manufacturer of cast iron in the U.S. They are based in Tennessee and publish an up to date catalogue. Their selection of different utensils is large and many stores affiliated with national chains carry their stuff. What they make is reasonably priced. They also publish cookbooks that use what they make and include many many recipes. If you buy cast iron from other sources such as antique stores, private sales, etc, always check for warpage....that a skillet or kettle sits flat on a flat surface and above all check for cracks. This can be done by holding the piece up and striking it with a key ring or other metal object.....if it rings (like a bell) you're ok, but if all you get is a flat sound---then it has a crack somewhere--pass it up. You want the best and you want it to last. LLS

[OeldeWolf]

when using flax seed oil, what temperature do you bake the pans at? 500 F? I have a couple of heavy aluminum pots, and a couple stainless steel ones. But mom is hoping to find a seasoning that will survive cooking a soup in her pots

[EdZ KG6UTS]

Don't forget garage sales and flea markets.

I have several pieces of Griswold I found cheap. Clean them and reseason, so far they are great

Swap meets, garage sales, and yard sales YES! YES! YES! Griswolds and older used cast iron are great and can always be cleaned, re-seasoned and used. My wife and I have lots of cast iron . We don't trust the new Chinese stuff, never know what is in there.


Nothing like stew from a Dutch oven !!

[WilliamDahl]

Swap meets, garage sales, and yard sales YES! YES! YES! Griswolds and older used cast iron are great and can always be cleaned, re-seasoned and used. My wife and I have lots of cast iron . We don't trust the new Chinese stuff, never know what is in there.

You don't trust the Chinese stuff, but you do trust the used stuff that might have been used for smelting lead?

BTW, Lodge subcontracts out their enamel exterior cast iron pots overseas.

[dragon813gt]

You don't trust the Chinese stuff, but you do trust the used stuff that might have been used for smelting lead?

BTW, Lodge subcontracts out their enamel exterior cast iron pots overseas.

Very few people use it for smelting lead. And they are readily apparent if they've been used for that purpose. Lodge clearly states that they're enamel pans are made in China so they aren't hiding anything.

[WilliamDahl]

Very few people use it for smelting lead. And they are readily apparent if they've been used for that purpose. Lodge clearly states that they're enamel pans are made in China so they aren't hiding anything.

I didn't say that Lodge was hiding anything. In fact, I got that information off of their website. It's not a matter of where something is made so much as it is a matter of whether the company is diligent in their quality control to ensure that it is made to their required standards.

I've bought used cast iron pots before, but I only use them for lead. The started out a bit rusty and I pressure washed them, sanded them down, and re-seasoned them. They looked as good as any of the ones that I use for food, but I don't know what they might have been used for over the years. I've even used them for smelting lead and after cleaning all the lead out of them afterwards, they still *looked* good enough to use for cooking with no visible lead residue. Although I don't tend to be concerned with lead exposure from smelting or casting, I'm not going to take the chance on eating from something that I had previously used for lead.

The main advantage that I see with the old cast iron cookware is that you can often find them in different size profiles than you can currently produced cast iron cookware. The cast iron cookware that I see these days tends to be not as deep for a given diameter. Some of the older stuff that I find is deeper for a given diameter or deeper and smaller diameter for a given volume. I prefer a smaller diameter so that there is less lead exposed to air for oxidation.

[gbrown]

We've cooked spaghetti sauce, chili, links in barbecue sauce, okra n tomates and zuchinni n tomatoes in Mom's old Griswold for about 60 years. It still looks practically brand new. Dunno, maybe luck, but doesn't seem to have affected it. Cooking chili tonight in it. The Wagner, Griswold and Wagner griddle we use quite regularly clean up quick and easily with hot water and paper towels. Wife cooked hamburger steaks in gravy last night in the Wagner. Took me about 5 minutes to clean. I've resurrected/restored about 40 pieces of cast iron in my life--really believe in that stuff.

[Hogtamer]

"repeat as necessary" in the original instructions! Scouring even a new pan is exactly what NOT to do. Seasoning the pan means hot oil in high heat repeated until those pits in the finish are filled smooth. grandma prolly did it with lard but a high heat oil like peanut or canola will do....coat liberally, put in 500' oven, repeat as necessary until pan smooth then NEVER scour the finished cooking surface. always add a little canola oil to pan before cooking to coat surface. When finished swirl under faucet, wipe with soft cloth and dry. No abrasives or you will have to re-season.