Bought my first cast iron skillet.

[Idaho45guy]

Can't believe after almost 50 years of growing up in Idaho and camping and hunting that I've never owned my own cast iron cookware.

My grandparents had them. My folks have them. My brother has them. I never did.

I went camping last week and realized my ex-wife kept all of my camping cookware along with the Coleman stove. I grabbed my worst aluminum pan and used it to heat the beans and cook the hash over an open fire. It worked...

217814

But yesterday I was at Walmart and saw the two types of cast iron cookware they had; the Lodgepole and the very cheap Chinese stuff for half the price.

I bought a Lodgepole skillet for $20, which I thought was reasonable for something that was obviously much thicker and better designed than the $10 Chinese version.

So now I'm seasoning it. It said on the sticker that it was pre-seasoned, but I remember my dad saying they still needed to be seasoned and I recalled something about coating it in vegetable oil and baking it.

I brought it home and I still had a frying pan with bacon grease in it from that morning, so I coated the pan with that and stuck in my oven at 350 for a couple of hours. Smoked like crazy and coated it pretty well.

Decided to check the internet for tips and the first page said you had to do the coating and oven thing 2-3 times. So today, I didn't have any more bacon grease but I did have coconut oil, so I coated it with that and stuck it back in the oven.

Just talked to my dad and he said to forget the bacon grease and the oven. He said just put some coconut oil in it, put it on the stove top and get it really good and hot, then let it cool down and wipe it thoroughly with a paper towel while it's still warm and that should be fine.

[country gent]

I do it in the charcoal grill out doors. Coat the pan liberally with Crisco shortening inside and same with the lid if you have one. get a good charcoal fire going and set over it close. close lid and walk away net cook till fire goes out and its cool. Wipe clean out and you should be done other than the fine tuning cooking in it provides. Mom used to do it with rendered lard on the stove top really heating it up to open the pores and work the liquid lard in. Was smokey and would set smoke alarms off.

[Loudenboomer]

The world if full of seasoning techniques. This is how I do it. Turn oven on a low heat and warm pan to about 250 degrees. Remove pan from oven with cooking glove and with a paper towel wipe a lite coat of Crisco or Lard over the entire pan. Then wipe the pan Completely Dry! Place pan in oven up side down so as no oil could pool. Turn oven to 500 degrees when the oven hits 500 turn oven off and let pan cool in oven. When cool you are ready to start cooking. Repeat for a little better season. Do It when the wife is going to be gone fore a while. It's going to smoke a little.
Cleaning is easy. If you do have a little food stuck in pan after cooking. Pour about 3/4 inch of water in to a room temp pan. Turn stove burner on and heat water (without soap) while scraping pan with a flat wooden or plastic scraper. I'm done before the water hits a boil. Dump out and dry completely. Your ready for the next meal.

[Idaho45guy]

Well, the sucker should be seasoned now!

We're having a heck of a storm front move through so unable to use the charcoal grill with 40+mph wind gusts and heavy rain and sleet. Finished baking in the oven with coconut oil for the second time and then put it on the stove top and heated it up to the point I was worried that the oil was going to ignite. Had kitchen windows open to let all the smoke vent out and with the storm, it was quite a scene in the kitchen, LOL.

So for cooking and clean up, just use warm water and no soap or green pad?

[OptimusPanda]

Use whatever it takes to clean it up. The first couple times I use any new cast iron a little soap and a scrubbuing always seems required even after a couple seasonings. Sometimes if there's something stubborn stuck in the bottom I'll put half an inch of water in the pan and let it come to a boil, let it cool down, and scrub again. It will eventually get jet black and slick as teflon as you use it.

[Reverend Al]

Yes, I have to admit to a cast iron addiction myself. Now you need to add at least ONE Dutch Oven to go along with your skillet ...

;)

https://i.imgur.com/a8KnMKE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cM1tgGy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CxMSmBs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rShE4IN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sxaON3S.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IcDaPJR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W9VQaPH.jpg

[Reverend Al]

PS: Those cast iron muffin pans make the BEST Yorkshire Puddings that you'll ever taste!

[smilie=w:

[atr]

I have many cast iron skillets and a couple of dutch ovens...got got a very old Griswold Dutch oven
I use salt and the cut end of a baking potato to clean my cast iron. Sprinkle salt on the cast and then rub with the end of the potato...usually takes everything off and help keep it seasoned
here is to good cooking !
atr

[EDG]

When you get an old skillet crusted over with a heavy layer of carbon it is easy to remove.
You need a hardwood fire about 4 feet across and the hot charcoals should be about 6" deep in the center.
Use a hoe to dig a shallow crater in the center of the charcoals. Toss in the skillet and bury it with hot coals. Retire for the day and let the fire burn itself out. Retrieve your gray and new appearing skillet in the morning. It will appear fresh cast. Wash with clean water and reseason as necessary.

[Thin Man]

Cast iron cookware is a normal way of life where I live. We even have a Lodge outlet about a 40 minute drive away. When I go through their store I am always amazed at the variety of cookware they offer.

[CraigOK]

Ive got.my great grandmas 10" cast iron skillet as well as 2 12" dutch ovens for camping. Congrats on your purchase

[shaper]

Have you replaced the Coleman stove yet? A friend is the manager of the local metal recycle yard. Anything in the yard can be purchased. When they get a Coleman stove in, I get a phone call. I now have 21 of them. Price around $3.00 ea.

[Les Staley]

My mostes favorite thing to find at garage sales are cast iron stuff. Got two small Grisswolds at a garage sale right next to my buddy's house last summer. He was out cruising for Griswolds and didn't stop there. Heh heh!!

[DougGuy]

DO NOT EVER put a valued cast iron anything in HOT COALS! The temps in those coals are well over 1,200F and will RUIN the iron in the pan. The iron will be heat damaged, the molecular structure of the iron WILL CHANGE, the pan can become warped, and may never take seasoning again.

For seasoning, you need to understand what seasoning really is. Seasoning is a coating of hard polymerized carbons and plastics created by the heating of oils and fats above their smoke point. Yes, it's basically a hard plastic layer that is VERY thin which forms the more or less non stick cooking surface. That also prevents rust.

To season iron, you need to wipe on oils or fats, in a THIN layer. Thicker layers will only cause it to puddle and to make a mottled appearance on the surface that is annoying but will eventually blend in. Wipe on the oil, wipe as much of it off as you can, and heat the pan ABOVE the smoke point of the fat used, this usually requires 450F but not over 500F. Temps over 500F will break down the seasoning and begin to cook it off.

I put a pan with a thin coating of oil on it in a 450F oven for 30mins, using gloves and a blue Scott Shop Towel (no lint) I remove the pan and while it is hot, wipe it all over with a thin layer of oil and return it to the hot oven. I do this 5-6 times, and in an afternoon, I have a good layer of seasoning started. It will improve with daily use.

When I get a new Lodge, I just rinse it out with hot soapy water, oil it and use it. I don't strip or season over the factory seasoning, it's the same as you could do with it, and they use canola oil.


So for cooking and clean up, just use warm water and no soap or green pad?

No green pad, that is scotchbrite, an abrasive, it will sand off the seasoning. I use a single paper towel most of the time and that's often all that's needed. A hard plastic spatula to scrape it when necessary, use about 1/8" of warm water and turn the burner on, scrape the pan with the plastic spatula, wipe clean and dry with a paper towel. sometimes I use a stainless steel scrubbee, and light pressure. Seasoned iron can be washed occasionally with soapy water, if you can't cook the seasoning off of the iron, what makes you think soapy water is going to remove it? This is a myth often repeated by those who only heard it from someone else..

The WAGS, (Wagner And Griswold Society) strictly adhere to non-abrasive methods of cleaning. They do not approve of nor do they promote the use of any type of blasting media, wire wheels, sandpaper, fire, they even frown on a self cleaning oven for removing old crud.

Acceptable methods are: Soak in a lye bath, coat the iron with yellow top EZ OFF oven cleaner and stick in a garbage bag, electrolysis tank, vinegar and water (only for short periods of time as this can cause pitting). If you use a commercial cleaner, the preferred cleaner is Barkeeper's Friend, commonly called BKF in the cast iron circles. It is not abrasive, but forms a slurry of Oxalic Acid when mixed with water and it works very well on cast iron.

I have used a water only 2600# pressure washer on tough to remove parts like letters and logos, this is not blasting, it's not abrasive, it does exactly NOTHING to change the patina of the iron on the surface. This change of the surface is what the collectors frown on the most. Any kind of physical contact with tooling or blasting will change the look of the surface.

I have a ton of old Erie, Wagner, Lodge, Griswold, Sidney, Wapak, National, Vollrath, Favorite, and i have some newer Lodge. I like and use them all.

[EDG]

Nah doesn't hurt a thing. It is no different than the heat of casting the skillet.
Where did you ever get such a notion?
You don't think old timers believed that do you?
You might have some cheap iron that warped but my grandmother never did. That included 2 cast iron cauldrons used to boil water for scalding hogs when slaughtered.
My grandmother was born in 1908 and knew more about cooking than any one I ever met.


DO NOT EVER put a valued cast iron anything in HOT COALS! The temps in those coals are well over 1,200F and will RUIN the iron in the pan. The iron will be heat damaged, the molecular structure of the iron WILL CHANGE, the pan can become warped, and may never take seasoning again.

For seasoning, you need to understand what seasoning really is. Seasoning is a coating of hard polymerized carbons and plastics created by the heating of oils and fats above their smoke point. Yes, it's basically a hard plastic layer that is VERY thin which forms the more or less non stick cooking surface. That also prevents rust.

To season iron, you need to wipe on oils or fats, in a THIN layer. Thicker layers will only cause it to puddle and to make a mottled appearance on the surface that is annoying but will eventually blend in. Wipe on the oil, wipe as much of it off as you can, and heat the pan ABOVE the smoke point of the fat used, this usually requires 450F but not over 500F. Temps over 500F will break down the seasoning and begin to cook it off.

I put a pan with a thin coating of oil on it in a 450F oven for 30mins, using gloves and a blue Scott Shop Towel (no lint) I remove the pan and while it is hot, wipe it all over with a thin layer of oil and return it to the hot oven. I do this 5-6 times, and in an afternoon, I have a good layer of seasoning started. It will improve with daily use.

When I get a new Lodge, I just rinse it out with hot soapy water, oil it and use it. I don't strip or season over the factory seasoning, it's the same as you could do with it, and they use canola oil.



No green pad, that is scotchbrite, an abrasive, it will sand off the seasoning. I use a single paper towel most of the time and that's often all that's needed. A hard plastic spatula to scrape it when necessary, use about 1/8" of warm water and turn the burner on, scrape the pan with the plastic spatula, wipe clean and dry with a paper towel. sometimes I use a stainless steel scrubbee, and light pressure. Seasoned iron can be washed occasionally with soapy water, if you can't cook the seasoning off of the iron, what makes you think soapy water is going to remove it? This is a myth often repeated by those who only heard it from someone else..

The WAGS, (Wagner And Griswold Society) strictly adhere to non-abrasive methods of cleaning. They do not approve of nor do they promote the use of any type of blasting media, wire wheels, sandpaper, fire, they even frown on a self cleaning oven for removing old crud.

Acceptable methods are: Soak in a lye bath, coat the iron with yellow top EZ OFF oven cleaner and stick in a garbage bag, electrolysis tank, vinegar and water (only for short periods of time as this can cause pitting). The preferred cleaner is Barkeeper's Friend, commonly called BKF in the cast iron circles.

I have used a water only 2600# pressure washer on tough to remove parts like letters and logos, this is not blasting, it's not abrasive, it does exactly NOTHING to change the patina of the iron on the surface. This change of the surface is what the collectors frown on the most. Any kind of physical contact with tooling or blasting will change the look of the surface. I have a ton of old Erie, Wagner, Lodge, Griswold, Sidney, Wapak, National, Vollrath, Favorite, and i have some newer Lodge. I like and use them all.

[DougGuy]

Nah doesn't hurt a thing. It is no different than the heat of casting the skillet.
Where did you ever get such a notion?

It not only can but DOES hurt the iron. I have seen a lot of reddish hued iron that was heat damaged and the damage is permanent. When a skillet is cast, it is in a mold that is void of oxygen once the iron fills it up. In coals, there is no protective layer like the mold, and oxidation WILL occur. This oxidation is what ruins the metal.

[Idaho45guy]

Have you replaced the Coleman stove yet? A friend is the manager of the local metal recycle yard. Anything in the yard can be purchased. When they get a Coleman stove in, I get a phone call. I now have 21 of them. Price around $3.00 ea.

My dad and I had dinner tonight and he said he has a couple of old Coleman stoves from the 70's I could have, so I should be good to go. Thanks!

[sixshot]

Yes, you can over heat a dutch oven. Many of the very best dutch oven cooks in the world are right here in southern Idaho, northern Utah & you can get in a cooking competition every weekend somewhere if you want. Many, many of them use soap at times, most times we just warm up some water, wipe out the oven, let it cool down & give it a light oiling all over, both lid & oven.

Dick

[Loudenboomer]

Doug I think you and I went to the same cast iron University. :)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

seasoning secret from an old bachelor:
Frying some non-acidic food with oil/butter/bacon grease is how us old bachelors season cast Iron. Griswold is my personal favorite...I have two 9" frypans, and I rotate between them. It's a rare day when I wash them in hot water (no soap). When done cooking, I just scrap any crud off with a slightly flexible steel spatula, just like a fry cook does to the grill at the Cafe'.

Don't over think this cast iron cookware seasoning thing, it's so easy, an old bachelor can do it...because you don't really do anything, just don't cook tomato type sauces (or other acidic foods) in cast Iron, bring out the stainless steel pans for that.

Aluminum was mentioned...I threw that junk out years ago.

[Idaho45guy]

Tried cooking a burger on it tonight and it stuck and left all sorts of junk... Not working too well so far.

[crowbuster]

I didnt have much luck with cocnut oil. went back to lard, no problems. And did the oven thing once. no luck. went back to my stove top method. I hadnt had problems, just listened to someone that said it was better. twasnt

[jimlj]

I think Lodge's factory applied seasoning is a fairly good start, and I wouldn't bother with anything else other than a bit of oil and use it. The more you use it, the better the non stick seasoning becomes. Camp Chef makes a seasoning oil that I wipe my Dutch ovens with before storing them at the end of the year. In between uses I just give them a quick spritz of olive oil cooking spray and wipe them off with a paper towel.

[StratsMan]

Tried cooking a burger on it tonight and it stuck and left all sorts of junk... Not working too well so far.

Technique is also important when cooking to minimize stickiness... For steak, a searing-smoking hot pan is the place to start... I normally cook hamburgers on the bbq, so I'm not sure about smoking hot pans for burgers.

Don't give up, just try something different until you find what works... It's a lot like casting boolits; it's more art AND science...

To clean that stuff, I occasionally warm the pan a little then put in rock or kosher salt with some oil and scrub with a paper towel. The salt doesn't dissolve in the oil, gives a gentle scrub and leaves a generous coating. Quick rinse with hot water and towel dry and it's ready for the next meal....

[Boogedy_Man]

I've never had much luck trying to season a pan doing anything other than just cooking in it. That always works. Our best pans are the ones the wife cooks cornbread in. They're like shiny black glass in the bottom.

[Char-Gar]

I have been using cast iron cook wear since 1962. There are many, many different schools about seasoning the stuff. Some folks are very insistent there is only one way, their way.

Truth of the matter is you can start cooking with it right out of the bag/box and it will work just fine and in due time be very well seasoned.

[Hogtamer]

It ain't teflon! You must use plenty of oil to cook on newer pans, some oil even on the old seasoned ones. Pan frying will season one quicker than anything but not so popular anymore. In about 40 years it will look like this...217968

[lightman]

I love cast iron cookware, and the food that is prepared in it. But beware, its addictive, like bullet molds! There is a learning curve with cast iron, and like someone said, try different things until something works for you.

[Char-Gar]

If you get some burned on stuff on your cast iron, remove it with a paint scraper. The gizmo with the replaceable single edge razor blades. The reason the bottom of cast iron is so smooth is because the pores are filled with old carbonized food.

[woodbutcher]

[smilie=s:
Guys and gals.There ain`t but one thing better than cast iron.MORE.Lost all mine in a house fire in 88.Had one skillet that eggs would slide around like they were on ball bearings.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Catshooter]

Use a Griswold #3 for my eggs every morning, and you have to careful getting the pan to the plate as the eggs will fly out at the flick of the wrist.


Cat

[Petrol & Powder]

My Griswold #8 is my favorite pan. It is jet black and as slick as glass.

There are about as many ways to season cast iron as there are people and everyone thinks their way is the best :shock: !

There's a bit of a learning curve to using cast iron cookware but once you get accustomed to using it, you'll never use anything else.

[Shopdog]

Eggsactly Cat.

My G-ma's were born in the 1870's.Never had an electric stove.There's a clue on CI right there.One reason newbs have issues with it is modern elect/gas stoves.Everything and body is in a hurry.G'ma skillets never left the heat,till the stove died.... say in summer.

So,slow the freak down...... bring it up to temp slowly.Then it is like casting,gotta KNOW the temp,lube,technique,pace.

One interesting thing about camp CI;If you don't wash the bttm of pan,when you return it to the kitchen....... a delightful faint Smokey smell will fill the kitchen.One of our favorite things to do.

Want another aroma therapy?About 10 minutes before the Gyoungins come over,take a #5 and sprinkle cinnamon in it,set on a medium heat,watch it...... looking for the 5degrees less than smoke point.I swear,they'll never forget going to your house.Well that and frying bacon.Heck,to torture my boys growing up,I'd hold a skillet full of almost smoke point bacon next to the return air grill on HVAC.Do a cpl cycles........ then wait about 5 -10 minutes,and we'd hear them clamoring down the stairs,youngest to oldest,works evertime.

[jimlj]

I have to disagree with the sentiment of never putting cast iron in hot coals. I use mine in/over hot coals most of the summer. Either in the back yard or out camping. You haven't lived till you've had a good meal cooked in cast iron in the great out doors. I used to use coals from a fire, but have found charcoal is much easier to maintain the temperature you want.

I've seen people throw a dirty Dutch oven in a hot fire to burn out any stuck food. That I would agree is not a good way to treat cast iron, but cooking with coals is perfectly safe and has been done that way for hundreds of years.

[lightman]

It ain't teflon! You must use plenty of oil to cook on newer pans, some oil even on the old seasoned ones. Pan frying will season one quicker than anything but not so popular anymore. In about 40 years it will look like this...217968

Some of my Wifes cookware looks like this. And yeah, 40 years sounds about right! At deer camp I wash the skillets in soapy water but I'm careful to not scrape very hard on them. My Wife absolutely won't let me do this at home. Can't tell that it hurts anything, but???

[Char-Gar]

I have to disagree with the sentiment of never putting cast iron in hot coals. I use mine in/over hot coals most of the summer. Either in the back yard or out camping. You haven't lived till you've had a good meal cooked in cast iron in the great out doors. I used to use coals from a fire, but have found charcoal is much easier to maintain the temperature you want.

I've seen people throw a dirty Dutch oven in a hot fire to burn out any stuck food. That I would agree is not a good way to treat cast iron, but cooking with coals is perfectly safe and has been done that way for hundreds of years.

The Chuck Wagon cooks on the cattle drives, turned their cast iron upside down on the fire and burned them clean. When the cast iron was cook, they wiped out the ashes with a cloth.

[country gent]

A lot of the cattle drive cooks and settlers scoured them out with sand also, then a rinse with water.

[walnut1704]

The easiest way to clean and strip all the rust or crud off a cast iron pan is to put it in your oven upside down and run the oven on self-clean. It will strip it down to bare cast iron.

[edp2k]

Great way to wreck and warp your cast iron cookware.

Use a lye bath instead, outside, in a 5 gal plastic bucket.
Cheap, easy, won't destroy your cast iron cookware.

[Loudenboomer]

Lye bath will take off 100 years of carbon overnight. Ez off oven cleaner and a few hours in heavy duty garbage bags will do in a pinch. Electrolysis is best on rust. For a pan seriously neglected it's simple to make a set up with items most have around the house and shop.

[Idaho45guy]

I've cooked breakfast in it every morning using butter or coconut oil and it is slowly getting easier to clean up and scrape the food off of.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've cooked breakfast in it every morning using butter or coconut oil and it is slowly getting easier to clean up and scrape the food off of.
Yep !
just like I stated 20+ posts ago...


seasoning secret from an old bachelor:
Frying some non-acidic food with oil/butter/bacon grease is how us old bachelors season cast Iron. Griswold is my personal favorite

...SNIP

Now, that Lodge is a decent fry pan...but do yourself a favor and keep an eye out at garage sales or flea markets or thrift stores for a vintage fry pan like Griswold or others that have been mentioned...The cast iron used 70 to 100 years ago is much finer grained and just plain nicer to cook with...Good Luck

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I baked a cherry pie this morning, in my cast Iron fry pan.
I rarely wash the fry pan, just wipe it with a paper towel (if necessary).

So anyway, another lesson just learned, Cherry pie with overtones of Bass...but still tasty :bigsmyl2:

[Shiloh]

Seasoned mine a few times. Crisco and coconut oil. Grill and oven. Doing it on the grill with pieces of oak created a grayish soot. Rubbed in with the coconut oil, it added a nice black finish. It is seasoned nicely and a joy to cook with.

SHiloh

[Smoke4320]

I probably committed harrisy but spent about an hr with a die grinder and a 2" sanding pad . Ground the pan smooth inside ..
then seasoned 3 times upside down in a oven .. it cooks like a dream now

[Idaho45guy]

I probably committed harrisy but spent about an hr with a die grinder and a 2" sanding pad . Ground the pan smooth inside ..
then seasoned 3 times upside down in a oven .. it cooks like a dream now

I remember a thread a couple of years ago on another firearms site in which a guy bought a new Lodgepole skillet and went to work on it with an orbital sander to get the roughness out of it. Ended up smooth as glass and he swore that it worked great. Others said that the texture helped retain the "stuff" that made it slick.

[brassrat]

I am having dry heaves and can't stop pacing while cursing at these last posts.

[Handloader109]

Easiest way to season is to fry that bacon every morning. Leave the drippings in it, heat up enough the next morning to wipe out with paper towel, and fry up another batch. In a week or two, it will be perfect. No wasted time or energy.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[gbrown]

I probably committed harrisy but spent about an hr with a die grinder and a 2" sanding pad . Ground the pan smooth inside ..
then seasoned 3 times upside down in a oven .. it cooks like a dream now

brassrat: "I am having dry heaves and can't stop pacing while cursing at these last posts."

Followed this thread but haven't posted til now. We all stumble down life's path doing the best we can. Everybody has to find their own way, and every now and then go down trails that leave others shaking their head. I'm an iron skillet kinda guy and have dozens of pieces. I clean and restore them, using non abrasive means. But I have known others who used all sorts of abrasives to clean and smooth out cast iron. I remember both grandmothers using cast iron and merely wiping them out with newspaper pieces they had saved just for that. I simply use paper towels. Most people cannot wrap their heads around a pan being wiped clean--surely you have to use some anti bacterial soap or put it in the dishwasher!! I have skillets from #3 to #12, 3, 4, 6 and 8 quart pots used pretty regularly. Plenty of hot water and wipe 'em dry, put 'em up for next time. My cast iron skillets cook like teflon. My favorite cornbread pan is an 8 made in Taiwan--you can see the machine marks in the bottom. Slickest pan I have. My wife, finally, in the past few years, has come to understand and appreciate cast iron. She was one who had a difficult time comprehending the beauty and simplicity of it. Now she grabs for the cast iron before anything else. Wonderful stuff, saddens me that few people this day and age appreciate it.

[Shiloh]

I just took the sharpness off the bottom of the pan. Looked like smooth pebbles. That was a good while ag now, and the pan is smooth and virtually non stick from using it at least 3 times a week minimum.

SHiloh

[Idaho45guy]

Was at the local hardware/outdoor/general store yesterday looking for Mother's Day gifts when I saw a new display of cookware next to their cast iron display. It was some really funky looking cast iron that I thought seemed pretty high quality and unique design.

220217

Picked up a 10" frying pan and almost dropped it when I saw the price tag...

$250...

Yes. Two hundred and fifty dollars for a cast iron skillet...

I think the cheapest piece they had was $100.

They are made by a company called Finex in Oregon and come pre-seasoned using organic flax seed oil.

Likely made by dirty hippies, since it is Oregon, but they are cool looking pans that ooze quality.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

the pan looks like the bottom (internal) is enameled?

[Idaho45guy]

the pan looks like the bottom (internal) is enameled?

Nope, just highly polished...

220245

[AllanD]

Easiest way to season is to fry that bacon every morning. Leave the drippings in it, heat up enough the next morning to wipe out with paper towel, and fry up another batch. In a week or two, it will be perfect. No wasted time or energy.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Absolutely, but for cleaning my grandfather had a somewhat different method, He grew up as the fry cook in my Great grandparents Bed & Breakfast and later dude ranch and he had some cut up bath towels that he'd wet with hot water and give the HOT pan a quick wipe.

Also you'd never catch him using "vegetable oil" to Re-season an Iron skillet, bacon only in a pan.
anyone who put a cast iron skillet in water (God forbid soap!) was likely to end up wearing it, either as a hat or a suppository!


All his cook ware lived their long lives on a wood fired stove and were only ever actually cold when the fire went out!

[fiberoptik]

New pan—fry donuts [emoji507] in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brassrat]

brassrat: "I am having dry heaves and can't stop pacing while cursing at these last posts."

Followed this thread but haven't posted til now. We all stumble down life's path doing the best we can. Everybody has to find their own way, and every now and then go down trails that leave others shaking their head. I'm an iron skillet kinda guy and have dozens of pieces. I clean and restore them, using non abrasive means. But I have known others who used all sorts of abrasives to clean and smooth out cast iron. I remember both grandmothers using cast iron and merely wiping them out with newspaper pieces they had saved just for that. I simply use paper towels. Most people cannot wrap their heads around a pan being wiped clean--surely you have to use some anti bacterial soap or put it in the dishwasher!! I have skillets from #3 to #12, 3, 4, 6 and 8 quart pots used pretty regularly. Plenty of hot water and wipe 'em dry, put 'em up for next time. My cast iron skillets cook like teflon. My favorite cornbread pan is an 8 made in Taiwan--you can see the machine marks in the bottom. Slickest pan I have. My wife, finally, in the past few years, has come to understand and appreciate cast iron. She was one who had a difficult time comprehending the beauty and simplicity of it. Now she grabs for the cast iron before anything else. Wonderful stuff, saddens me that few people this day and age appreciate it.

Hehe I am kidding just thinking of the many posts I have seen on the subject. I guess the grinder guys pans are fine. I use lots of water, and rarely, boiling water to clean. Mostly a sink rag and then onto the, hot, gas stove and a wipe down with Crisco. My pans are great, but few

[Baja_Traveler]

So I have not seen anybody mentioning the use of kosher salt for cleaning. When I sear my ribeye's I wipe the majority of the grease out with a paper towel, then dump in 1/4 cup of kosher salt and using another paper towel scrub the sticky bits that are left and the salt soaks up any remaining oil pooled on the surface. I just brush out the oily salt into the sink and call it done and never use water at all. Any fine salt dust remaining in the pan is just seasoning for the next meal.

[Walks]

I guess as far as opinions on CAST IRON goes It's the standard answer. Opinions are like *******s, everybody has one.

[EMC45]

I too am a fan of cast iron. We have a good bit at the house - both store bought and passed down from my wife's grandmother (RIP). We have Lodge, foreign and other stuff. Pans, Dutch oven, pots etc. We like it all. They all cook very well. I even have an old iron pot I smelt WWs in. It was a double that my wife had so it made it to the casting area.

When I fry eggs in my pans, I pre-heat them on the stove top. I have a glass top range and I put it on 5, wait for the root of the handle to be hot to the touch and then drop in my butter for the eggs. The eggs, when they hit, just sizzle and bounce on the surface. No sticking. We oven cook our bacon. I do cook hot links in the CI though and it turns out great.

As far as cleaning is concerned..........I occasionally use Dawn and scrub them. Wife does it more than me. I prefer heating it all back up on the stove and wiping out. It will be slick and seasoned that way. Cool down and put away. When they do make it to the sink I dry them immediately and olive oil the insides. My preferred method is to just scrape/wipe them out and store them.

[calm seas]

I'm a lucky guy, I guess. Inherited family members through the years, picked old ones up at estate sales, and my wife is of the same mind set. Dutch ovens, griddles, skillets, and I don't think any are post-Depression. And all cook like a dream. We are both 'antiques', and we like our cooking gear the same ;-)

[fiberoptik]

So I have not seen anybody mentioning the use of kosher salt for cleaning. When I sear my ribeye's I wipe the majority of the grease out with a paper towel, then dump in 1/4 cup of kosher salt and using another paper towel scrub the sticky bits that are left and the salt soaks up any remaining oil pooled on the surface. I just brush out the oily salt into the sink and call it done and never use water at all. Any fine salt dust remaining in the pan is just seasoning for the next meal.

We always used salt & an old towel to clean unless really bad. The latin stores has a scrubber made of what looks like tightly bound bailing cord or stiff thin twigs that make short work of scrubbing. Asian stores have a wooden brush that curves for cleaning woks. Either do great on CI.


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[gbrown]

Hehe I am kidding just thinking of the many posts I have seen on the subject. I guess the grinder guys pans are fine. I use lots of water, and rarely, boiling water to clean. Mostly a sink rag and then onto the, hot, gas stove and a wipe down with Crisco. My pans are great, but few

I'm glad you were being humorous. Some people are really fanatical about things, and I have seen some pretty serious posts around here, even been called out myself a time or two. Like I have always been told, "A wise man will not give out advice and a fool will not heed it." I just started restoring 4 pans and pots for my son-in-law that were messed up by Harvey. Have 'em in a lye bath and then will do electrolysis method for the rust. This is my goto site for info. http://www.castironcollector.com/

[Idaho45guy]

This is my goto site for info. http://www.castironcollector.com/

That link you provided is fascinating! All sorts of good information!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I had Ribeye last weekend.
I think there was something (bromelain?) in the 'solution' of this dollar store Ribeye that wrecked the seasoning in my Griswold fry pan. I've cooked with the pan each breakfast since and eggs stick badly.

So, this morning, I cleaned the pan thoroughly with hot water and copper chore-boy, then re-seasoned using the stove top method (put a little fat/oil in pan, get pan smoking hot, cut heat and let it sit til cool). Eggs didn't stick afterward, YAY !

So, if I buy anymore of these, they'll get cooked in a ceramic coated fry pan. BTW, for $1 these are pretty good for steak sandwich, I thaw them, unlike this video recommends, and just give them a quick fry, like 30 seconds for first side and 30 seconds or less for second side, I just watch for juices to come through the meat and remove from pan. I've also tried them on the grill...they get tough real fast on the grill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gbUulwMxvM