Cast iron pan leason

[randyrat]

Yep I learned my lesson with cast iron Pans, bought a few cast iron pans. #3- #8- and a #10

The 3 and 8 are Wagner. Nothing sticks, works great, easy to clean and cooks food real nice, Love em.

The #10 SUCKS everything sticks no matter how much oil I use and it is a "who knows brand" It is not a cheapo made in china pan though, it seems like it it is a quality pan and is not rough.
Is there a way to season the #10 more?, save it or just give up on it. I still am going to keep an eye out for a #10 Wagner.

I really like using the cast iron pans and will never go back to the other JUNK.

[762 shooter]

These people know their stuff. All ways works for me.

www.wag-society.org

Click cast iron and aluminum repair on the left.

762

[DerekP Houston]

Erm, a low quality rough finish cast iron will never slick up as good as a griswold or wagner. I hit ebay and got one of each size 3-4 years back and haven't looked back. Freaking indestructible and I cook everything in them. Ive cleaned up many cruddy looking pans with the self-clean cycle on my oven and a few fresh layers of fat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Griswold-Lar...8AAOSwa-dWsO9U

Something like that will run around 50 + shipping, I don't collect for the logo or anything.

[randyrat]

I went to that web site and am going to try their proven method of seasoning, I'll be it will work. thanks

Actually $50-60 is not that out of line for a #10 Griswold or Wagner. I'd bet it goes to $70-80 + $20 shipping.

[toallmy]

Interesting sort of like breaking in a new mold .

[DerekP Houston]

I went to that web site and am going to try their proven method of seasoning, I'll be it will work. thanks

Actually $50-60 is not that out of line for a #10 Griswold or Wagner. I'd bet it goes to $70-80 + $20 shipping.

Considering its a one time investment not a bad deal at all. I used to replace my teflon pans every year or 2 depending on usage anyways.

[DougGuy]

I just got done buying 3,4,5,6 and shopping for a 7. The 5 and 6 are Wagner Ware Sidney -O- pans and are slick and gloss black on the cooking surface and nothing sticks. They have untold years of service on them, they are not seasoned by somebody's method they are seasoned the real way. The 6 is the pan in the photos of the cornbread on my "How We Do Snow - Beans And Cornbread" thread.

I hunted ebay for these pans specifically in this condition because cast iron this way doesn't get any better, and I can afford to pay a little more for a naturally seasoned pan. I can make that money in a day. Takes a lifetime to make that seasoned surface.

This site here, the lady writes fairly knowledgeably so I think I can trust her method of seasoning, she suggests using organic unrefined flax seed oil because it gives a harder longer lasting finish. http://www.houseofpaine.org/CastIron

I have another #4 Griswold coming and shopping for a #7 so I might get to try out her method.

Also I have had a #8 SK (Lodge) for many many years, I generally make roux in it and a few other things. It does not have the machined smooth finish inside, it is more pebbled like a new Lodge from walmart. It is shiny black and non stick, but the finish is not nearly as nice as the older pre-WWII good ore pans. I might give it to my son. This pan I have blackened fish in and have had it to a gray finish more than once, and the shiny black seasoning returns fairly quickly.

I am no expert on cast iron by any means but I do love stuff cooked in cast.

BTW, I fix cast iron! I TiG weld it with a special fluxcored wire that is near perfect color match and very strong.

[Petrol & Powder]

If you can find a real Griswold that is in good shape, BUY IT !

I have a #8 Griswold (old one, big logo from Erie, PA) that I will never let go of. The #10 is a little big for my needs but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good one if I found it. I have some old Wagner's that are good pans as well but nothing comes close to the old Griswold's. I think they used better iron in those days and the pans are actually a little thinner/lighter probably because they could use less iron and achieve the same strength. For whatever reason they do seem to season better than the newer, thicker pans.

My advice is to take your time, educate yourself a little about Griswold history and find a good Griswold #10. Not all Griswold products are the same (big logos, small logos, slant logos, etc. ) The cast iron cookware market is a little weird and some antique stores will ask insane prices for old cast iron, DON'T fall for that. Learn what to look for and hunt the antique stores and consignment shops. There are some fabulous finds out there.
A few things to look for: A warped pan will drive you crazy, make certain it has a flat bottom before you even think about buying it. A little rust is OK, pitting is not. Unmarked pans are rarely American made, there are a lot of them out there that are in fact junk and not even old.

Good Luck, it is worth the search !

[44man]

I love cast iron and have many, many skillets up to a Lodge, 13-3/8 with a lid. My pots, "Dutch ovens" are cast iron for making stew. I also have three sizes with legs for in a fire pit with lids for coals.
Never wash with soap or you need to season again. The secret is a carbon layer. Not so much the oils that are the start. You can scrape off stuck food and use hot water but don't remove the finish that builds up. NO, you can't season a gun barrel. You might want to if you cook snakes!
If you clean too much, put some grease in it, light coating and heat to smoking or put in the oven to bake. Don't clean after, put it up.
A woman can ruin a skillet FAST.
I made something a few weeks ago and Carol complained that it had a smell, told her to STAY AWAY and the food was great.
Mostly I wipe out with paper towels if nothing sticks. Of course she tells me it is not clean.
She has trouble with Teflon pans and stainless is the worst.
You can make cast iron work and it is what I get first when I cook.

[randyrat]

"A woman can ruin a skillet FAST"

You ain't just kidding

My wife reached for the #8 after I cooked some meat and was ready to scrub it with a chore boy and soap, lucky I was able to stop the devastation.

I re seasoned the #10 this morning and I think I will do a couple more coats and bring up to Mountain man quality..It does look better and a bit smoother already.

[w5pv]

I don't know the names of them but we have several sets of cast iron pots,pans,and skillets some are probably over a 100 years old.The ones from my wife's grand mothers collection could be over a hundred years old.I say this because the first set we got on our own is 50 years old and the others came from our parents and maybe some from their parents who knows.Never thought to ask how old they were but they still cook good.

[Hickory]

I have 4 skillets that are marked Wagner 1891 on the bottom of
the pans, had them for years, nothing cooks like cast iron.

[762 shooter]

I have #8 no name from my grandmother that my 92 year old dad says has fried thousands of chickens.

I used electrolysis on a truly abused dutch oven and cover, then seasoned by WAG methods and was very impressed.

Unless it is cracked or warped , it'S still alive under there somewhere.

762

[DougGuy]

Unmarked pans are rarely American made,

There are a LOT of unmarked American made vintage pieces on the market. Lodge (SK), Wagner, BSR, lron Mountain (Griswold), and others.

[DerekP Houston]

BTW, I fix cast iron! I TiG weld it with a special fluxcored wire that is near perfect color match and very strong.

Hmm I have a lid that cracked while cooking I could send you! no loss to me at this point as I replaced it.

At some point the no name marked skillet were a decent quality as well, my mom picked up some from antiquing that are smooth but just stamped "5" "7" and no L, G, piqua,e tc. The main thing for me is to feel the surface. I'm not sure who changed the manufacturing but they went from a real craft product to mass produced **** real quick. #8 size is most common for us to use, I have a few spares and it cooks enough food in one pan for 3-4 people.

[bob208]

my #10 Griswold was cracked. I do have a #10 lodge that is real good. also some unmarked u.s. made pans that work good as long as I can keep them away from the daughter in-law.

[DougGuy]

Most of the unmarked pans were made by the big manufacturers. Griswold made several varieties for other markets, like stores that wanted to sell cheaper pans so they took the logos off. Wagner did the same. All of them made pieces with their logos, and all of them made pieces with just a mold number or the size cast into the handle. Griswold did it so that they could market the unmarked pans cheaper than their competition was selling theirs for. Thing is, the quality was for the most part identical to the marked pieces.

The "good ore" dried up just before WWII. Pans made with the higher quality ore were smoother with less porous castings, they have a smoother finish inside and generally are of the highest quality. Mass production really kicked in after the war because all the mills and foundries were now open to civilian and commercial production. Cast iron pans show this trend as they got thicker and the quality fell off somewhat and the ore by now was not as good as it was in the great depression.

Hmm I have a lid that cracked while cooking I could send you! no loss to me at this point as I replaced it.

Send me a PM we can discuss it!

[DougGuy]

This is an unabashedly off-topic post, sorta, but since we are talking about cast iron, and seasoning, I had to post what JUST came out of the oven... Can't wait til it cools!

Cary's Butter Crust Blackberry Pie:

[Ford SD]

We have a auto store --think walmart for guys

they often have cast iron pans but they are (sand cast) very rough
I have bought several and they stick after seasioning
they make a trip to the garage and a little touch up with a 4 inch angle grinder with a sanding disk

they go from every thing sticks to eggs slide out of the pan

[Petrol & Powder]

There are a LOT of unmarked American made vintage pieces on the market. Lodge (SK), Wagner, BSR, lron Mountain (Griswold), and others.

You're right but in a lot of "antique" stores they will pass off cheap knock-offs as old cast iron. It's buyer beware and I wouldn't recommend paying top dollar for an unmarked pan. If you can get it cheap it doesn't matter but the game they play is to claim it is old and therefore valuable.