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Thread: Cast Iron Skillet Question

  1. #11
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Float On View Post
    Alan, what brand of castiron did you go with? My mother has a wall full of Griswold (she is a Griswold) but she won't pass any along to me yet. I've always wondered if there is a difference between brands and how well they hold up.
    Mine is a Lodge. My mother has lots of Griswold and she's been using the same pieces since the mid 50's and they all still look brand new.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  2. #12
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ToomuchStuff View Post
    I've been away for a couple of days. (no internet access) While I know cast iron was good for frying, I never heard/considered it to be non stick? (isn't that part of the reason you cook with oil/lard/etc. in it? Lubricant)
    Well seasoned cast iron may not be as non-stick as Teflon, but it should be pretty close. That's the state I'm trying to get to.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  3. #13
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    The one I have that keeps the seasoning well is a Griswold, got it at a flea market many years ago. The one I can't keep seasoned is some unknown brand made in Taiwan.

  4. #14
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickycat View Post
    you might be interested in this article:
    http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/t...cast-iron.html
    Great info in this article. I will now haul out my cast iron pan again. As Alan found, the non-stick didn't seem to be working despite regular oven seasoning efforts so will try the directions in the article and see. Thanks!
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  5. #15
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    I have a very well-seasoned Lodge frying pan.

    To season: Heat it until it is good and hot. Carefully rub oil on it. Heat it until it smokes a bunch. Repeat. If you are around a campfire, tossing it into the fire works great.

    BTW, avoid inhaling the smoke at all cost.

    Also, even a Teflon-lined pan works better for frying eggs if it is properly heated first AND sprayed lightly with a cooking oil. The same is true for seasoned cast iron.

  6. #16
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    I have two iron skillets and a few years ago put both of them through a self-cleaning cycle in my oven to get rid of a ton of gunk build up. Then I seasoned both of them fresh and identically the same according to some web references, although I've forgotten the details. One of the skillets is very old and has that smooth satin finish. It's pretty much held the seasoned properties and cooks like a charm. The other one is newer (like 30 years old) with a slightly rougher finish and it has never taken to seasoning. It's still just fine to cook with. I just add a extra oil before cooking with it and maybe a little extra clean up but it really doesn't stick much. The older skillet just needs a few drops wiped across the cooking surface before cooking. They are both fine, one is just better than the other and I have no idea of the difference since they were treated the same. I don't even own any other skillets.

  7. #17
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    when it's clean I warm it up on the stovestop and rub it with olive or peanut oil and let cool
    I much prefer peanut oil to olive oil as it has a much higher smoke point. Given the high temperatures to which the piece is exposed, I'd rather use an oil that does not gum up.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  8. #18
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    I have both Wagner Ware ( I am a Wagner, just not "those" Wagners, lol) and Griswold cookware. I had a Lodge skillet but sold it - I like my old ones better. They are well seasoned but will stick if abused. I mostly cook with bacon grease or olive oil, and more rarely, butter. This morning I cooked hominy in bacon drippings, then soaked the pan - hominy is gunky -and just washed it out with warm water, dried it and it's good to go. I have never tried to season them, they came well loved and although I washed them really well with soap when I got them, they were old to begin with and all their years of use have seasoned them just fine. I remember my mother seasoning pans and skillets by larding them and leaving them in a wood burning cook stove for a day or so. It must have been when the stove was banked, because lard has a really low smoking point!

    Steve, I've never cooked with peanut oil - does it leave a taste when you cook with it? I like the way high grade olive oil doesn't leave a flavor. Of course the reason we use bacon fat is just to opposite - to add flavor.

  9. #19
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Well, I decided to start over from scratch. This morning I fired up the grill and placed the skillet inside. After an hour or so all the built up oil had been reduced to flaky little carbon bits and, after a good scrubbing, it was down to bare cast iron. Now, I've applied a light coating of vegetable oil and it's in the oven at 400* for an hour or so. I'm curious to see what it looks like when it's done.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  10. #20
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    Well, I decided to start over from scratch. This morning I fired up the grill and placed the skillet inside. After an hour or so all the built up oil had been reduced to flaky little carbon bits and, after a good scrubbing, it was down to bare cast iron. Now, I've applied a light coating of vegetable oil and it's in the oven at 400* for an hour or so. I'm curious to see what it looks like when it's done.
    So am I . Please report if you are more pleased. Mine is a Wagner Ware, BTW.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

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