[Nick]

I scored two cast iron pans, 1 Griswold 9" and a Griswold 12" ... $30. I think I won here.
That said, I know nothing of 'seasoning' nor cast iron care. Can I just use these things? Wash them?

Hit me with that cast iron knowledge. Thanks.

 

[StiHacka]

Alea iacta est!

 

[jdcamb]

I scored two cast iron pans, 1 Griswold 9" and a Griswold 12" ... $30. I think I won here.
That said, I know nothing of 'seasoning' nor cast iron care. Can I just use these things? Wash them?

Hit me with that cast iron knowledge. Thanks.

Griswold from Erie PA is the high-end stuff for direct fire Iron pans. #13's pans go for big bucks.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Wipe on olive oil or bacon fat or whatever floats your boat, 350-400 F in the oven for an hour, leave in oven while it cools off, all done.

 

[vinny4130]

I keep using duck fat and my pans get faster and faster.

 

[Nick]

Griswold from Erie PA is the high-end stuff for direct fire Iron pans. #13's pans go for big bucks.

these are stamped Erie PA. holy crap these things are pricey! I got a great deal.

Wipe on olive oil or bacon fat or whatever floats your boat, 350-400 F in the oven for an hour, leave in oven while it cools off, all done.

thanks John!

 

[SkaredShtles]

Once you have them seasoned, don't use soap to clean them. Simply "deglaze" after using by heating very hot and hitting it with water.

I save aluminum foil that has been used for other purposes, wadded in a ball, to "scrub" any stuck bits with plain hot water.

Then heat it up very hot and wipe it with oil.

 

[Toshi]

I like my ceramic coated Le Creuset, even if it is sacrilege

 

[gonefirefightin]

You might look into sanding them down if they need it before seasoning. I tend to hit all my (new to me) pans and dutch ovens with a series of grits down to 220 before re-seasoning them since most are a bit too pitted or rough for my specific cooking needs. Even the brand new stuff I get from ace needs some treatments. Older ones may not need as much but it definitely makes a difference in the long run for being truly non stick when seasoned

 

[SkaredShtles]

I like my ceramic coated Le Creuset, even if it is sacrilege

Nothing wrong with that, my dude.

 

[jdcamb]

Season with Ghee. Works awesome. Rendered Beef Fat works well in a pinch.

 

[Westy]

Once you have them seasoned, don't use soap to clean them. Simply "deglaze" after using by heating very hot and hitting it with water.

I save aluminum foil that has been used for other purposes, wadded in a ball, to "scrub" any stuck bits with plain hot water.

Then heat it up very hot and wipe it with oil.

I use this method but with soap and a soft nylon brush. Just clean and dry it while still hot. I hit it with a bit of whatever oil is at hand mostly just cooking spray.

Cast iron works well as a cooking surface because the carbon/graphite crystals in it can absorb oil and also have their own lubricant properties. Also why it is used as a cylinder liner in engines.

A lot of people out there aren't cooking on cast iron, they are cooking on years of burnt food on cast iron.

 

[StiHacka]

A lot of people out there aren't cooking on cast iron, they are cooking on years of burnt food on cast iron.

 

[Sandwich]

I have a couple of lodge pans. I use them, wash them, and keep them well oiled. They seem to work fine. I still like non-stick for most things.

 

[Westy]

I have a couple of lodge pans. I use them, wash them, and keep them well oiled. They seem to work fine. I still like non-stick for most things.

The type of pan I use depends on what I am cooking. Cast iron for meat, stainless for most stuff, non stick for eggs/bread.

 

[SkaredShtles]

The type of pan I use depends on what I am cooking. Cast iron for meat, stainless for most stuff, non stick for eggs/bread.

We no longer have any "non-stick" pans. Anything I used to cook in non-stick get cooked in the cast iron.

 

[Westy]

We no longer have any "non-stick" pans. Anything I used to cook in non-stick get cooked in the cast iron.

 

[StiHacka]

We no longer have any "non-stick" pans ... anything gets cooked in the cast iron.

 

[SkaredShtles]

View attachment 170536

Naw - the old non-stick pans we had didn't work on the induction stove... so off they went. I had always stayed away from eggs in cast iron due to some... poor results in the past. But it works fine, at least on my really old Lodge.

 

[Nick]

I did a skirt steak in one of these pans last night.
It both cooked the meat and contained it COMPLETELY within the pan. Revolutionary!

 

[Nick]

 

[Toshi]

I do like not losing that lovely rendered beef fat. On the grill it just gets wasted and causes flare ups if cooking a particularly good piece of meat.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

View attachment 170541

I gave away giant piles of Griswold when I was cleaning out our house...

 

[jonKranked]

flax seed oil. i can't remember which of the fatty acids it is, but when you heat it hot enough it polymerizes and that's what creates the seasoning. flax oil has the highest concentration of it. warm your skillet slightly (not too hot to touch), coat all the cooking surface with flax, wipe off the extra. place it upside in a cold oven (with a drip pan underneath), set your oven to its max temperature (needs to be at least 500F i think). once it hits temperature, leave it in there for an hour. turn the oven off and let it cool. repeat this 5 times. i've done this with all my skillets that require seasoning and it has always worked.

you *can* clean them with soap, just don't scrub too hard.

 

[gonefirefightin]

2nd on flaxseed, 2nd on the oven seasoning as hot AF

 

[jonKranked]

if you need to deseason your skillet, i've heard you can put it in your oven on the clean cycle.

i've also heard soaking it in a lye bath works.

take both with a grain of salt, i have not tried either.

 

[gonefirefightin]

if you need to deseason your skillet, i've heard you can put it in your oven on the clean cycle.

i've also heard soaking it in a lye bath works.

take both with a grain of salt, i have not tried either.

Orbital palm sander

 

[jonKranked]

Orbital palm sander

:breathes deeply:

 

[SkaredShtles]

:breathes deeply:

Luckily, most of us have a bunch of N-95's around now...

 

[Full Trucker]

Season with Ghee.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[jonKranked]

i think you mean "gheet out"

 

[SkaredShtles]

i think you mean "gheet out"

 

[sunringlerider]

@Nick, I finally remembered to look up the brand of spatula I use with my cast.
https://www.richcraftstainless.com/spatulas

They are inexpensive and have a very nice flex. 10/10 would bang again.

 

[jonKranked]

after tomorrow i will be able to rid myself of my last remaining nonstick skillets....

 

[jdcamb]

Eggs cooked in clarified butter are pretty awesome. French toast also. Rabe with snap peas, fresh ginger, tofu, honey and garlic. Blast of siracha.

 

[rideit]

I have two 12” Lodge cast iron pans that anyone can have for shipping if they want. Please take both!

 

[DaveW]

I like my ceramic coated Le Creuset, even if it is sacrilege

Hmm my Le Creuset casserole and saucepans are enamel on the inside but the 12" skillet is seasoned cast iron.
No coating on the inside.

 

[jonKranked]

Hmm my Le Creuset casserole and saucepans are enamel on the inside but the 12" skillet is seasoned cast iron.
No coating on the inside.

the cast iron skillets they offer now are black enamel coated on the cooking surface. not sure when they stopped offering the version with non-enameled cook surfaces.

 

[jonKranked]