Buying NEW Cast-Iron [Archive]

femmesteader

08-03-2010, 07:53 AM

The local discount store has Cast iron pants of every size. The smallest ones, probably a tiny 4”round pan is less than $5. And a 10” pan is going for $10.99. not bad prices as far as I’m concerned.

I still haven’t purchased anything yet because there is a part of me that really wants to get my cast iron cookware used, something that I can just enhance the existing seasoning.
A 50year old 12inch cast-iron pan is the only thing I want from my grandmother when she passes away, that thing could fry water its so well cared for!

I’m considering buying a small 6inch pan…new…and begin to season is, use it, basically put miles on it. I want to be able to use it on/in a campfire, something I wouldn’t dare try with my conventional equipment.

What is your best advice for seasoning NEW cast-iron?

Anon001

08-03-2010, 07:58 AM

I think you'll find that many of us on here are not fans of new cast iron. It just isn't the quality of the old stuff. You can season it, but it will still not cook as well as the old heavy cast iron.

I just got some s killets that belonged to both grandmothers. They raised their families in the 1920's. Tells ya how old the skillets are. I don't know if they got them from their mothers or bought them new.

When I compared them, the surface of the inside of the skillets were as smooth as glass, not what you'll find on today's cast iron. You're better off trying to find the old cast iron.

JMHO
Paul

WVMan73

08-03-2010, 08:27 AM

I agree that the old cast iron is the best, but new isn't always bad either. I've got some old pans that belonged to my grandmother that are still going strong, really great pans. But I also have a coupld of new pieces that are just as good. From what I've seen and learned, that "smooth as glass" surface developes over time from use. The new cast iron hasn't been "smoothed through the decades" so it still has the original "pebblely" surface. I suppose you could use fine grit sand paper or steel wool to smooth it out, but I don't think I would.

Also, this is one of those times when you get what you pay for. Some of the cheap cast iron you see in the stores comes from china and is really cheaply made. If you can aford to spend a little more, Lodge cookware ( http://www.lodgemfg.com/ ) is very good. It's an American company that has been making cast iron for over 100 years, so they should know what they're doing. lol I have one of their 9 quart dutch ovens. It came pre-seasoned and has been a very good investment. I've cooked with it both on the stove and over the fire. I wouldn't be without it now.

As for seasoning new cast iron, there are many different ways of doing it, almost as many different ways as there are different people doing it. Some say to do it in the oven, others on the stove top. Some say to use lard, veggie oil, olive oil... as I said, oppinions vary. lol My suggestion to you would be to look it up online, get some different ideas about the different ways, and see which one sounds best to you. It's your cookware, do it your way. Here is one link to a blog that's mostly about cast iron, but also some grilling and cooking in general.. http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/ He has his own method for seasoning cast iron, and also talks about how to give old, neglected cast iron a new life.

These are, of course, just my humble oppinions, so don't take them as gospel. The best way to learn is by doing, so try a couple of those new pans and see what you think for yourself. Try doing a google search for "seasoning cast iron", you should get a lot of different ideas. Try doing a little shopping online for cast iron cookware also, you'll see a lot of nice pans. (since I know you love online shopping, and always need an excuse to do more of it ;) lol ) Just have fun with it and you'll soon be an old pro!!!

I hope all of my ramblings help in some way.

Have fun and good luck,
WVMan73

femmesteader

08-03-2010, 11:48 AM

esh

08-03-2010, 01:25 PM

Years ago I purchased some Lodge cast iron skillets, and began seasoning them. My husband scored some more in an auction. I bought two small ones and two larger ones, one of each size for my children, already seasoned and ready to go when they get married. I have two my mother gave me the same way. Wouldn't trade them for silver or gold.

08-03-2010, 01:35 PM

If it's NEW, and it doesn't say Lodge on it, it isn't worth bringing home!

DM

WVMan73

08-03-2010, 02:50 PM

Nice to know I'm not the only one impressed with Lodge. :D

WVMan73

mozarkian

08-03-2010, 04:00 PM

Thanks guys!
Advice is what I asked for, and thank you for you both for your opinions.

I’ve always had an eye on my grandmothers’ Cast iron pan, ever since I lived in her basement apartment when I was 17. “Child, you can wait until I croak” she’d say.
She used to transport army supplies in the war (not sure which one) and Nanna is the only lady I know over 80 whom can still hot-wire a car if need be. She hasn’t slowed down and I figure she’ll be around a good while yet.
She seasons her cast iron after every use it and stores it with a square paper-towel over it.

I ask because I haven’t had any luck at buying old cast-iron, which I wholeheartedly agree is far superior than the new stuff. I’ve been looking at thrift-shops, yard sales, church sales, second-hand shops, anything short of the garbage. Still no cast iron! I’ll keep looking of course J

I know that Things are made cheaply overseas; I suppose I thought that it didn’t apply to cast iron. I didn’t think that the material was different, that cast-iron is cast-iron…everywhere.

Thanks for the enlightenment guys

Watch the auctions in your area -- especially if you are in a rural area. I wasn't the "favorite" child in my family (I am pretty sure I came in at number 7 out of 7 ;)), so all my cast iron, crocks, eartherware bowls, sifters, rolling pins, lard cans, etc all have come from estate auctions, one at a time. Most of the time I knew a little about the old woman who had passed on and whose stuff was being sold. So most of my items have a name and a history, which I hope to imprint upon my sons as my stuff passes to them and then from them to their kids, etc.

For instance, my Maggie bowl-my biggest earthenware bowl, is nearly 3 feet across and is cracked, but sturdy and very much usable due to the wagon wheel steel band that the blacksmith fixed it with when Maggie Brown was a child somwhere between 1910 and 1920. She told me before she died that that her mother had given up on it when it got broken, and that a traveling peddler who came every so often took the pieces with him and brought it back with that steel band holding it together on his next trip by. She said they boiled it in milk to seal the cracks and I use that bowl to this day - makes a massive batch of bread!

I like OLD!
moz

Aamylf

08-03-2010, 04:30 PM

I actually found Lodge cast ironware at Old Time Pottery, which is normally filled with nothing but China/Tiawan/Viet Nam. It was a good price and I'm actually going back for the biggest pan they have with a lid. I was so surprised to find a good solid brand there, I should have snapped it all up!

bookwormom

08-03-2010, 04:38 PM

I have some that are old, 40 years or so. I got them when I was young. I have some that I bought not all too many years ago, one great big skillet from Wal Mart, look in the camping section. After a while it gets smooth. Mine did. I like to look at fleamarkets. got a griddle for seven bucks, cleaned it up and seasoned it, good as "new".

08-03-2010, 04:40 PM

They sell Lodge here at wally world, along with a bunch of china crap...

DM

backlash

08-03-2010, 05:06 PM

I stopped by my Uncles house one day and he must have 20 or 30 cast iron skillets hanging on his fence as decorations.
I told him they could be worth a lot of money but to him it's just decorations.
He told me I can look through them to see if there are any I would want.
I really need to get back there and see what he has.
I have all of my Mothers cast iron and some of my Grand Mothers also.
We use them a lot.

NCLee

08-04-2010, 12:57 PM

Another -- DON'T BUY THE IMPORTS!

The castings are very rough and you don't know what's in that recycled iron that's being poured to make those pans, overseas. If the heat from melting the scrap doesn't remove it, (whatever it may be) it's still there in your pan.

Lodge is the only US Foundry still in operation. They changed their methods of producing CI cookware back in the 60's. Today's pans are thicker, heavier, and more coarse grained than those prior to the 60's. Prior to the 60's after the cast pieces were removed from the sand molds, they were machined to have a smooth interior. Those pans were as slick as glass on the interior when compared to today's versions.

All that said, if buying new CI, here's another vote to stick with Lodge! :)

It takes time to run down good castiron cookware. Yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and salvage yards are good candidates. It may take a while, but with persistance, it will pay off. At least around here it does. I sometimes go to "antique" stores to window shop, as I seldom find a bargain there. However, looking at those high dollar pieces, picking them up and handling them, gives me insight into what to look for when shopping elsewhere.

For example, met with a flea market owner the other day and bought 8 pieces from him for $6 each. Within that batch, there are a couple of collectables. All of them should be good user pans, when I get the gunk removed and season them. Meeting the same fellow tomorrow. Told me today that he'll have about 20 more pieces for me to look at.

At a local salvage yard I bought 7 skillets for $2 each, and 3 for $5 each. All should clean up OK. There's one Griswold (most sought after by collectors) and several early Lodge pans in that batch.

Picked up a #3 Wagner at another shop for $5. (Wagner 2nd highest ranked amoung collectors).

During the late 1800's - early 1900's there were many foundries making quality cast iron cookware. Often these were not marked with a "brand" as their customers were local. Everyone in the area knew about Foundry ABC, thus no need to identify their products. Those no-name pans aren't highly sought by collectors, so they can be found a reasonable prices. Their low prices does NOT reflect the quality of the pan. These make excellent pans for cooking in the kitchen. Those early pans were ground to a smooth finish on the inside. If they haven't rusted enough to pit the metal or haven't been abused by sandblasting and other rough cleaning methods these are fine cooking utensils.

One type of older cookware that I like is called "gate-marked". Most of these were made prior to 1900. They are identified by a unique mark on the bottom of the pan as a result of the casting method. Often these have the most smooth interior because a finer grade of sand was used for the mold. Followed by grinding the surface smooth. Sometimes these sell for only a few dollars, because they're often not recognized as being "collectable".

I know I'm getting long-winded. LOL CI is one of my favorite subjects. :wink: So, in closing, just keep on looking, at every opportunity, to buy older CI. It will serve you well. For information on cleaning and seasoning, see this link. http://www.wag-society.org/cleaning.php FWIW, I'm a rank beginner when compared to the collective knowledge of all things relating to cast iron cookware by the folks at WAGS (Wagner and Griswold Society).

Hope this helps.
Lee

backlash

08-05-2010, 07:31 AM

Lodge CI is made in America except the stuff that is enameled.
It's made in China.:(

MIKENSUE

08-07-2010, 04:21 PM

Older is better! Just spent last weekend renewing some really old cast iron for the daughter as she said she wanted a fry pan. Let her pick 3 of the 12 we have. I wire wheeled them as they had been in the basement since the death of our uncles, parents and grandparents and found the newest one to be over 5o years old. The iron is so much more smooth, heavy and fine than the new ones. I got a big bite on my thumb in the process from the wire wheel because of my own stupidity but was well worth it. When I got those babies seasoned up after the grind, we took each one and cooked an egg in it. Butter in the pan, 45 seconds to egg set, shake and float! Got them just right.
I challenge anyone to do that with a new Lodge pan now days! I wonder how long it is going to take to do that with a Lodge? it was three greasing and heatings with the old pans!

Sue

08-07-2010, 06:27 PM

I probably posted this someplace on this forum LONG time ago, but it seems appropriate on this thread.... Hope the thread owner doesn't mind...

I've cleaned up quite a bit of FREE cast iron cookware that was just horrible with rust and gunk.. I thought i'd show you how bad it can be, and still clean up just fine.

In this case, i didn't wanted to use the accepted method of throwing the castiron on the red coals of a bon fire to clean it. Doing so would have ruined the seasoning on the "inside" of the pans that i wanted to keep. So, i just got after it with a cup brush on my side grinder...

http://www.fototime.com/E892F79BFA15EC6/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/EFFA0FA7121C338/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/47B7A381447BE53/orig.jpg

A couple still had some deep rust in them, so i used soap, water and a stainless scouring pad to clean that out.

http://www.fototime.com/56E704A16408156/orig.jpg

08-07-2010, 06:29 PM

Once that was done, i covered them with Crisco

http://www.fototime.com/0100A041E8CB981/orig.jpg

and put them in my BBQ grill to season

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

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

After the seasoning was done, they came out looking super and worked like they should!

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

I do like to cook bacon the first couple times i use them after cleaning and seasoning...

To keep them clean: After using them, i run a little water in the pan, and put it back on the stove on "hi"... Once the water is boiling, i use a wooden spatula to scrape the pan out. The boiling water and spatula will free up any loose food left in the pan. Then dump the water out, wipe the pan with a dish rag, (if needed, you can do this more than once) and put the pan back on the burner to evaporate all the moisture in the pan. Once the pan cools, you can wipe on a bit of cooking oil to prevent rust.

The boiling water sanitizes the pan...

Hope you enjoyed the picts...

DM

MIKENSUE

08-07-2010, 09:25 PM

Very Good pics DM! That is the same method I used for cleaning mine, and they were almost, if not just as bad as yours. The insides were terrible rusted so had to give them a light shot with the wire wheel as well, brought them in, washed them and started the seasoning process. They are good to go now
Thank you for posting those pics. I think a lot of people will understand better now because of you.

Sue

Bondo

08-13-2010, 11:05 AM

If you can't find used, just as everyone here has said, go with Lodge. I love mine (I also have my grandma's Skillet), and even have my wife using it after I bought her a griddle.

greenturtle36

08-25-2010, 03:56 PM

Hi, what everyone else has said... stay away from the dollar store stuff.

If you can find old cast iron-- Griswold, Wagner, old Lodge-- then by all means get it. It's sold on ebay.

But if you can't find any old and want to just get it new from the store (or Amazon), Lodge is best. Old Mountain and Camp Chef are OK but not as good as Lodge. Everything else stay away from.

esh

08-25-2010, 05:16 PM

I saw tons of old cast iron skillets at the 127 yard sale earlier this month. Yard sales have them sometimes.

NCLee

09-07-2010, 11:07 AM

Went to some of my favorite hunting grounds this morning.

Picked up a CI Dutch oven w/o lid for $6. Now have to hunt for a Pyrex glass lid to fit it. :wink:

A gate-marked bean pot (pot with a bail handle and 3 legs) for $12.

Griswold #8 Big Block Logo skillet for $20. (A little high but worth it!)
**** Can't buy that quality anywhere today as new merchandise. The interior is smooth as glass. Weight is almost 1/2 as much as a newer Lodge of a smaller size. Sales lady was amazed when I showed her how to tell good from not as good by simply using your fingers. No need to turn it over to see who made it. Lots of thanks from her for taking the time to explain. ****

Another oil lamp chimney for $2.

Collapsable French Fry Basket $4. Plan to use for blanching vegetables.

While the last 2 items may not seem to have anything to do with CI, they do indirectly. :) If I'm cooking by lamp light in the #8, the chimney will be handy. And, the basket will too, if I'm making hushpuppies while the beans are cooking, suspended over a campfire.

Lee

Not2L8

09-07-2010, 05:53 PM

Lee, I wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge on cast iron... I've always liked the old CI better, but I've passed up some that was pretty cruddy looking because it was a real pain to clean. I followed your instructions on building an electrolysis unit and now wish I hadn't passed on some of those pieces. Today I pulled my $15 fleamarket #8 Griswold (small logo) out of the electrolysis and it cleaned up with ease and looked wonderful. In fact I can't imagine it looking any better the day it was cast than it does today.:)
I knew I should've took before and after pics..:(
Thanks again Lee..

NCLee

09-08-2010, 02:18 AM

Thank you, Not2L8, for letting me know that I could be of help.

And, to know there's now another person who can see past the crud and rust for the real treasure that often lies under it.

FWIW, I use both electrolysis and a lye bath to clean up that wonderful old cookware. If a cruddy old pan is first put into a lye bath for a few days, the lye will loosen the burned on grease. In some cases electro isn't needed afterwards. In other cases, the time in the electro bath will be much shorter as the lye has already done a lot of the work.

Lye won't help with rust. That's the real benefit of electrolysis. Rust will simply wash away with ease after an appropriate amount of time for the piece. Oh, BTW, don't walk past painted pieces either. Lye/electro will take care of that, too. May be a bit slow, but it'll work to restore a piece to its intended use.

Another use for a lye bath... Lately it's simply been too hot to season CI. Once I clean up pieces to the point they are ready to season, put them back into the lye bath. With an adequate solution, they'll stay there for as long as needed without rusting. (Newly cleaned CI begins to rust immediately.)

And that's economical, too. Season a oven full of CI at one time, rather than running the stove for a piece at a time. When the weather is chilly, seasoning CI will help heat my shop. For example, it'll be cosy sitting beside the stove working on scroll saw projects for Christmas gifts.

Now that you have your small block done, you're on your way. :yes2: There's nothing like cooking with those old high quality pots and pans. One you have it well seasoned, there isn't much that you can't cook in it.

Once you catch ironitius, it'll be hard to walk by corn stick pans, muffin pans, both styles of Dutch ovens, and more. Especially since you now have the way to easily clean them up for another generation of use. (The ones after yours!)

And, one further thanks. The opportunity to talk about CI. :)

Lee

Artemis

09-17-2010, 12:06 AM

Wow, what a useful wealth of info on cast iron cookware! I bought a small 6 inch pan a few months ago and wondered why I was so terribly disappointed with it. I've looked at tag sales and flea markets and haven't found anything. If I can't find used soon, I'll go with Lodge, thanks for the link.

NotSoFast

09-18-2010, 04:21 PM

My 10.5" skillet is just now, after two years, reaching perfection. I cooked hash browns in it last weekend and they didn't stick at all. Now I'm starting on a 9.5" skillet and just gave away all my other skillets including a stainless steel 10.5" Farberware skillet.

offgridbob

09-20-2010, 12:02 PM

Theres another use for cast Iron. At some of our randavouse(sp) we alway set up a lifesize picture of a drunk fur trapper and then hold a CI toss for the women. It is surprising how accurate they can be.

CastIronCook2

09-20-2010, 02:26 PM

It surprised me how many different new (Lodge) pieces are out there, stuff I never knew had even been made. The gal who does this blog http://ramblingsoncastiron.blogspot.com/ has pictures and descriptions of some pieces that will amaze you. Nevertheless, Hubbest and I love our Griswold and Wagner ware the very best. I have a 75-year-old #9 skillet with lid that is the most beautifully seasoned piece in our collection. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy her blog. Look in the archived section for more than you ever thought you'd see of cast iron ware.

Cougarwalker79

02-05-2011, 11:25 PM

I only have one piece of CI Cookware so far, it's a Lodge grill pan. I am apprehensive every time I use it, because it's such a pain to clean. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not using it properly, or because it's not seasoned properly, or just because of the fact that it's a grill pan instead of one of the smooth-bottomed pans.

Every time we use it, food sticks to it. then it burns, and we end up soaking it and then taking a coarse scratch pad to it (I realize this is about the worst possible thing you can do to CI, but we haven't figured out any other way to get the stuff out.) Then we end up having to reseason it.

I've tried rubbing it with oil and baking it in the oven, but it doesn't seem to help. I've tried rubbing it with oil after cleaning it each time, and all that seems to do is attract lots of dust and crud while sitting in the cabinet. The last time we used and then cleaned it, we put about a cup of oil in it, heated it til the oil started to smoke, then turned it off to cool. Then I put it in the oven for about an hour. We haven't used it since then, but I'm not holding high hopes.

Can someone who uses the grill-type pans with ridges tell me if this is just a problem with the grill pans, or if there is something else I should try? I've always heard such great things about CI, but this piece makes me not want to buy any more (Even if it does make some fantastic steaks)

NCLee

02-06-2011, 10:25 AM

Grill pans are probably the worst piece of castiron there is to clean. Especially if "clean" means more to you than it does to me. :wink:

The best way I've found to deal with a grill pan is to treat it as if it were a castiron grill grate in the BBQ grill. Heat it, brush it, oil it. That's all.

When you finish using it the next time, use a small grill brush on it, just as you would a regular grill grate to remove the residue while it's still hot. Wipe out with paper towels and hang it up.

The heat from heating it up will kill anything that may possibly be of concerned. Similar to sterilizing canning jars in hot water. It isn't the water, it's the heat that kills the "critters".

Now for a tip. Before use, heat the griddle until it hot, but not smoking. Oil it well with a folded paper towel dipped into oil. Lay your steak or chop on it and leave it alone! When the meat hits the hot surface it will seize tight. It does stick! But, the meat will release, naturally, when it's ready to be turned. Turn too quickly, and bits of meat will stick. To test, just gently tug it. If it doesn't yield, give it a few more seconds or a minute (depending on the cut & size.)

Use sauces, mops, etc. sparingly while the meat is on the griddle. Those will burn and stick tight. If you're putting on enough that it runs off the sides, you're using too much, from the standpoint of working with a CI griddle. Just have plenty of the sauce for dipping after the meat comes off the griddle.

In closing, don't let the headaches of dealing with a griddle color your viewpoint of the other pieces of CI. Skillets and Dutch ovens are much, much easier, from a maintenace (per that word to "cleaning") standpoint.

Hope this helps, a bit. If you have more questions, please feel free to post. One of my hobbies is cleaning and restoring, and USING castiron cookware. :)

Lee

grumble

02-06-2011, 11:21 AM

I have a question I'm sort of embarrassed to even ask. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Pork sticks to my Lodge fry pan. Not beef, just pork. If I cook a piece of bacon, ham, or a pork chop, it takes a lot of scraping before I can fry an egg. Hamburger, steaks, or even venison cook easily without any subsequent problems.

The pan is about the only thing that stays on the stove and is used daily. So it isn't due to lack of use.

Any ideas?

Aseries

02-06-2011, 12:25 PM

If you cant find lodge go on ebay and pick of some Griswold pans. I would agree with everyone on here that if your buying new buy lodge. If your buying used, try to find some griswold ones, there fairly cheap on ebay sometimes.

I have an entire set of griswold pans, and I love them.

One thing I recommend is if you buy used pans, remove the seasoning. Why because if you cannot confirm if someone was cooking paint or lead in it, or something else besides food. Dont risk it, strip it and build up a nice coating over again. Dont trust the fact that you think the 20 previous owners treated the pan with the same respect you did.

I have cast iron pans that I have two of that I have done some strange things like the small ones I use to burn mosquito coils in them so I dont burn my place down.

Also cleaning them is easy, spray them with easy-off oven cleaner.

If you want a nice polished pan like the older griswold and Lodge ones. Borrow someones round sander put some 120 grit sandpaper on it sand it down and slowly work your way up to 300 to 600 grit sandpaper. Thats if you dont like the newer lodge pans that have all the little bumps in them. Personally I dont like them....

Seasoning them, I do like the fellow before, cover them with crisco, and bake them in the oven or on the BBQ. I usually do it 2 to 3 times before I use the pan. And when you bake something in the oven, let them bake some more....

Some great things about Cast iron is, you can bake breads in them, I use the vintage pancake griddles to toss small pizza's in the oven or bake things such as to make a steak sizzle, or potatoes etc. Its easier to grab the griddle have handles on them...

Just dont drop your cast iron, they are like glass they will crack.

One other suggestion instead of oven mitts, I use my Fire Fighting gloves, there NFPA approved to go into a burning building, they are $20 a pair and they make the best oven mitts lol.... No I dont wear a helmet when baking...

Enjoy, theres alot of used cast iron out there, most people are to lazy to learn to clean or cook with them...

NCLee

02-06-2011, 12:28 PM

I don't know all the answer, but I'll hazard a guess on pork in general.

So much of the fat has been bred out of loins and such, there isn't enough fat to form the lubrication needed for it to release on it's on.

Lean ham can have that problem and, probably one more just like bacon does. The sugar cure. It forms a glaze on the bottom on the pan. With ham, the solution is to make red-eye gravey to de-glaze the pan. If you don't want to do that or you're cooking bacon it's still the same solution.

Pour off the grease. Add about a 1/2" of water to the HOT pan and bring it to a simmer. Use a rubber/silicone spatular to help release the stuck on stuff. This is the same thing I do, whether it's castiron or stainless steel. Works best, if done immediately after the food is done, before the pan cools down a lot. Just be careful, if the pan is too hot, it will release a lot of steam. So, it's better to let it cool a bit, but doesn't cool completely.

BTW, with castiron don't let it soak. A few minutes boiling water or making red-eye gravy won't cause any problems with a well seasoned pan. However, a long soak will start causing problems with the seasoning coat.

Hope this helps, a bit.
Lee

grumble

02-06-2011, 12:44 PM

Lee, I think you may be on to something. It's been a long time, but I think the problem first started with me cooking some sugar-cured ham. I know I got some caramelized something stuck on it, and got it scraped off.

I think I'll try the lye cure and see if that makes a difference, there might be some burned sugar down under what ever might be on top now. It sure didn't make sense that bacon, of all things, would stick to the pan. FWIW, I do the boiled water thing in it fairly often. It has never been washed with soap, unless one of my DILs did it without me knowing. They take over my kitchen when they visit -- I don't argue!

Plastic spatulas, huh? That never occurred to me, I always use the steel ones, they scrape the pan so much better. I'll pick up a couple on my next trip to town.

NCLee

02-06-2011, 01:34 PM

Grumble, soap and water never hurts a well seasoned castiron pan. I often hear that shouldn't be washed the same way that a stainless one can be done. That's not the case with a well seasoned pan. Well seasoned is that there's been some frying done (French fries, chicken, and such) after the initial seasoning. That gives time for the initial seasoning to "cure" for lack of a better word and to build up a thicker layer, simply by frying.

You may have to strip and start all over again. I have a 2 burner cast iron griddle that stays on the stove all the time. It's gotten to the point it needs to be stripped and reseasoned. There's been too much deli ham, Spam, pork chops and such that have been "griddled". Building up that layer that your talking about to the point the surface is becoming uneven.

Re: Spatulars: Be sure to get the heat resistant ones. :wink: And make sure they are pretty stiff, too. For my griddle, once the seasoning developed a good cure, I use a metal spatular on that. Seasoning is thick enough to take the "abuse". Just have to make sure I'm not trying to scrape up glued down floor tile, in terms of effort being used.

Just 2-mo cents. Good luck with stripping and starting all over again.

Lee

grumble

02-06-2011, 02:13 PM

"Good luck with stripping and starting all over again."

Ha! That's what told my ex last time I saw her! Not really.

Sigh, always another project. Life is SOOO hard. Ain't it great? <G>

aprilconnett

02-06-2011, 03:31 PM

I only have a couple of CI skillets. They were "gifts" of the trailer when we moved in. I cleaned them with steel wool and re-seasoned them. This is gonna sound crazy, but I treat my CI like I treat my Pampered Chef Stoneware. I even use the little plastic scraper that came with my PC stoneware pieces. Just run it under hot water and scrape off the surface crud. Of course, I don't oil my Pc stoneware when it is dry . . .

april

NCLee

02-07-2011, 01:10 AM

April, you're exactly right. Well seasoned cast iron is tuffer than many folks think.

Where most folks run into problems is when they follow the usual seasoning instructions. (Oil and heat for an hour in the oven at 350). First, they often apply way too much oil or grease. Second 350 isn't hot enough. Third, an hour isn't long enough.

Done that way, the seasoning is similar to paint that's just dry to the touch. If you look at it cross-eyed, it'll scratch and peel off. Takes time for the seasoning to "cure" and fully develop through use. If the oil was applied too heavily it won't cure.

Grandma's well used (seasoned) skillets could handle hot soapy water, metal spoons, tomato sauces, and even a light touch with steel wool and still keep on cooking better than almost anything on the market today.

Lee

LouKy

02-07-2011, 03:27 AM

Back around 69 or 70, my aunt moved into a farmhouse and my parents were helping her. My dad went nosing around and came upon the burn pile for the farm. He noticed a few metal pieces sticking out and started digging through the pile to look for "treasures" In that pile, he found a Dutch oven with a lid and 2 frying pans. After checking with my aunt, he took them home, seasoned them a few times and I'll have you know, my Mom is STILL using those pans to this day. I have no idea why anyone would discard them like that, but it was a big bonus for my parents!

OldSchool

02-11-2011, 04:46 AM

I have some trouble with our sausage sticking to the skillet, but my favorite way to clean it is with some flour, milk, and a wire wisk to get it all loosened up. Then pour it over the sausage :)

land steward

02-16-2011, 06:01 AM

I recently bought some new cast iron bread pans. They are great quality and I will never cook bread in anything else ever again. I preheat the pans to 475 then take them out and place the bread dough in the pans. I dont have to knead the bread and they just fall out of the cast iron loaf pans.

Love them

Mperfect1

07-02-2011, 11:43 AM

Our son and his wife are just getting into gardening, cooking and using CI - they have an oval griddle and a small frying pan they were starting with.

Yesterday at a yard sale, I scored them three CI pieces for only $20.00! A dutch oven, a medium fry pan and a large one, all in excellent condition. No marks I recognized, but obviously old and lovingly cared for. I slightly knew the lady from some volunteer work she and I did together once - she's orginally from Austria, but not sure if the pans came over with her...? She had them marked at $35.00 for all but since no one had shown any interest, she gave me a deal, she said.

I washed them in plain water, dried them and coated 'em lightly with Crisco - then set 'em outside in the sun. The heat index here is 105 degrees today - so far :D.

I'm thinking the pans and a good cookbook would make a great Christmas present....

NCLee

07-02-2011, 11:59 AM

You've got to be kidding! You didn't "score", you "stole" them. :) Around here, Dutch ovens are usually priced at $35+ alone. To find all three pieces, in good condition and what appears to be good quality is a steal at $20.

BTW, there was a lot of no-name quality castiron made in the past. Local foundries didn't need to put their name on the products because everyone around them knew who they were.

Agree, a cookbook and those pieces of CI would make a wonderful Christmas present. Click on Books on the left-hand column to see if BWH still has a castiron cookbook. If not check with Amazon, as there are several books out with recipes geared towards cooking with CI. Why not take advantage of the special properties of CI with things that can't as easily be done with other materials. For example, well-seasoned, good quality CI, is almost as non-stick and the modern stuff. Modern stuff can't take the temperatures when a high temp sear is wanted. CI is as comfortable on a campfire as it is on the kitchen stove. Don't try that with pots/pans with plastic handles & knobs on the lids.

Plus, you can start a DIY cookbook, instead of purchasing one. Lots of CI cooking info on the net. Along with the care and feeding of CI. Just google Dutch Oven recipes for enough to fill a couple of cookbooks. With a DIY cookbook you can also include favorite family recipes, including pictures of the cooks, especially from prior generations. Just as CI is passed on from generation to generation, your DIY Family Cookbook, can be passed on the same way. ---- Think about it.----

Lee

Mperfect1

07-02-2011, 03:29 PM

Glad to hear I done good, Lee. One frying pan is a '5', the other is an '8', but no name. The dutch oven's lid is marked '10 1/4' and '8' underneath. They shined up very nicely - in fact, they're in better shape than my own corresponding pans....hmmm....;).

I'll have to grab one of the daughters to get some pictures up. I'll include another yard sale find from 10 years or so ago just to raise yer eyebrows, a Griswold #9 oval dutch oven. I bought it at a church yard sale when the 100-year-old church was closing its doors - being cheap, I know I didn't pay over $20.00 for it. To be honest, I've never used it but kept it more as a curiosity. No idea what they would have cooked in such a monster - a whole turkey, easily, or maybe a couple possums! I don't think I could carry it to the oven empty, much less loaded with food. What a gutbuster!