Cast Iron

[Britesea]

I have an antique cast iron waffle iron that I love. Also a set of 3 frying pans of varying sizes, a dutch oven, and a griddle. They all get used often (some more than others). I use a chain mail scrub for any burnt spots, hot water with just a touch of soap. Dry over a flame on the stove, then a touch of coconut oil if it looks too dry. I've never bothered particularly with the bottom of the pan-- that's not the part I cook with!

 

[Alaskan]

I wanted to add you got me looking now. Someone, I don't recall who gave this 8" one to my wife.

It's a Wagner Ware made in Sydney. It's very light weight seems cheap compared to lodge. As you can see it most definitely needs to be heated up in a camp fire, than cleaned and oiled with olive oil. It may survive being heated in a camp fire or maybe it won't because it's so thin. But I'll give it a try next time I have a camp fire.

It's a nasty one... looks like one of those never been washed kind.
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Jesus is Lord and Christ

Looks just fine to me.

The inside part where you cook is smooth

 

[Marie2020]

I'm disappointed in the iron pans I bought this year. I was never in too using iron without the being enamelled before.

These pans are patchy
Lid

Underneath

Pan

 

[Okiepan]

I'm disappointed in the iron pans I bought this year. I was never in too using iron without the being enamelled before.

These pans are patchy
Lid
View attachment 17160

Underneath
View attachment 17161

Pan
View attachment 17159

Looks like a sheet iron pan , These are great as well like cast , although I have not baked in a sheet iron one .
Thank you for sharing

 

[flowerbug]

...I've never bothered particularly with the bottom of the pan-- that's not the part I cook with!

i wipe it dry when i wash or rinse it out. when i first bought it i made sure it was cleaned and then i wiped some vegetable oil on and and pretty much have ignored it since then. it hasn't ever gotten rusty. i suppose next time i get it out and clean it up after cooking i'll check it and wipe it on the outside with a bit of oil to make sure it won't rust if any spots are now exposed or could use a bit of coating.

i don't cook over an open flame or gas stove so a bit of oil on the outside won't be in any danger of igniting and will eventually just harden up like the rest of whatever else is on there from the last time. it still looks about like it did when i bought it on the outside so i think i'm doing this ok.

 

[The Porch]

I have had mine for 39 years,
dutch oven, LG stew pot
2 LG skillets
1 small skillet,
waffle iron
steak sear

Ones I dont use regularly I wipe them down and re oil them and bake them in a very hot oven on till they smoke, then I shut the oven off and let them cool.
The skillets, I just wipe out with a paper towel like if I cooked eggs, but if meat I as soon as I am dont cooking, rinse in HOT water and wipe down, oil the inside and heat on the burner until it smokes.
I keep them under the bench,




Now,, this skillet has always given me a pain, this one spot, no matter what I do, wont cure/cake over/??

 

[R2elk]

I wash mine after each use with palmolive green dish soap and water and scrub with a stainless steel pad. Then I rinse well, put back on the stove and heat up to dry. Once dry cut the flame and I oil the entire pan and a lid with olive oil, spread around with a paper towel. Leave on the stove to cool off and then put away. Been doing it this way for long as I can remember.

My son had a pan that was all nasty, he said someone told him to never wash it. I had him put it in a outdoor fire until it turned red. The next day it was cool and clean as could be. He's been washing and oiling as I said above and seems to work for him also.

Just a tip for consideration people got their own way of caring for cast iron, that work well for them.

I'm interested what others do. Caring for cast iron seems to be the biggest "issue" people have with cast iron. One of my other son's uses vegatable oil and says olive oil will go rancid. I've never had that problem, so can't say.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

I wipe mine out with a paper towel while it is still warm. It looks good and clean and there is no scrubbing involved.

 

[CrealCritter]

Felt it good to add a link Lodge Cast Iron 101. Probably the best source of info out there, for all things Cast Iron.

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/discover/cleaning-and-care/cast-iron/all-about-seasoning

Thank You again for starting this thread, it's a good one

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[flowerbug]

I'm disappointed in the iron pans I bought this year. I was never in too using iron without the being enamelled before.

These pans are patchy
Lid
View attachment 17160

Underneath
View attachment 17161

Pan
View attachment 17159

if nothing is sticking to that spot and it isn't otherwise bothering you i'd just keep on using it.

otherwise you can scrub that area back to the metal and then make sure it is clean and dry before applying some oil to it and then using it. eventually it may even out no matter what.

i never want to heat a pan up to where an oil reaches the smoke point. it doesn't smell very good and it doesn't usually taste all that great either. once in a while it does happen but i don't do it on purpose. ooops.

one way to add more black carbon to the seasoning on the pan is to cook some sugary bbq type sauces on some bacon or ham. that will often give you some nice black carbon and oil to work with. still, i don't really worry about it too much, just keep using it when i need it.

i did check out the website and there's a discrepancy between what they post in the seasoning temperature for one page and another (one says 450 - 550F another says 350 - 450F) so that's not a good thing IMO. but to me to simply state a temperature range without taking into account the smoke point of the oil used is just blah...

and yes, others can do what they like, as i said before i'm not really too wrapped up into this, the not wanting to get to the smoke point is just my own desire not to set off the smoke detectors or to smell burning oils inside the house and not liking the taste or smells when that happens. personal preferences.

 

[Britesea]

I remember reading somewhere that flax oil has the highest smoke point. Might be a good one for seasoning, except that it also has the highest rancidity rate. That's why I prefer coconut oil- reasonable smoke point and takes a very long time to turn rancid.