Cast Iron cookware.

[Green Mountain]

Having a good set of cast iron cookware is essential for the type of stuff I like to cook. The standing joke around my house is that I cut up an onion and throw it in the frying pan and THEN decide what I'm going to cook for supper.

Anyway I have every size fry pan (skillet) up to 14". They are all broken in really well. Except for the 9" pan. I had it long time. I think my mother left it to me. I can not season this pan. I have tried all the "Tricks" to get this pan from sticking. Sanding it down with salt. Baking it with oil in it. Oiling it after washing. I just can't get the patienna(sp) on it like the other cast iron pans.

Is there such a thing as a cast iron pan the CAN NOT be seasoned? Or does someone have a sure fired way of seasoning a pan.?

[yellowirenut]

i use LARD. Every new years day i cover them in lard and put them in the oven upside down so the fats don't pool in the bottom. Ive never had one not season...u sure its cast iron and not some bi-metal of some kind?

[Green Mountain]

i use LARD. Every new years day i cover them in lard and put them in the oven upside down so the fats don't pool in the bottom. Ive never had one not season...u sure its cast iron and not some bi-metal of some kind?

That's a good question. It sure looks like cast iron. Its old. How does a young fella, like myself, determine if this pan is genuine cast Iron?

(other than hitting it was a sledge hammer like an old boiler.)

PS. I'll try that lard trick. How long and at what temp. do you put them in the oven??

[yellowirenut]

oh damn....i cant remember....i am thinking 275 for 2 hours....maybe

[mattm]

All of mine except maybe the really old ones that don't have the name on it are Wagner. They are all great with the exception of the Wagner chicken frying pan. I have the same issue you do. My mom bought it for me new back in the mid 80's and that thing just wont season up properly. The bottoms not too bad but the sides still have patches that look new.

You don't wash them with soap and water do you ??

[Green Mountain]

All of mine except maybe the really old ones that don't have the name on it are Wagner. They are all great with the exception of the Wagner chicken frying pan. I have the same issue you do. My mom bought it for me new back in the mid 80's and that thing just wont season up properly. The bottoms not too bad but the sides still have patches that look new.

You don't wash them with soap and water do you ??

No I never use soap!

I was wondering if I had my son hit it with his sand blaster and take it down to bare metal and start all over again??? Ever hear of that?

[small change]

No I never use soap!

I was wondering if I had my son hit it with his sand blaster and take it down to bare metal and start all over again??? Ever hear of that?

I have seen it done bennie

here is something on the WWW all about it

I have a nice collection of cast iron ware that I have picked up mostly at second hand stores or yard sales. That, by the way is the most economical way to buy them. Since I don't know or trust where the pans come from or what has been in them, I always sandblast them. I have always worked where a sandblaster was available for the employees to use, so I always blast them clean and start over with the seasoning. You do get a more uniform look to the pan.

There are different types of blasting media. Glass bead is finer and lest abrasive than graded river sand used by some. It does not matter much, just pay attention to what you are doing and just get it down to bare metal and call it good. You would have to be a moron to sit there holding the blaster tool for an hour in one spot and blast a hole right through the pan. My apologies to you morons out there! I usually cure at the warmer end of what I hear others have done. I do it at about 405 degrees F. 425 degrees F. also works well.

It is normal for them to smoke like crazy for an hour or so. I always cure (season) a clean, shiny or new pan at least three (3) times before I start using it, The turning the pan upside down trick is best too, I believe.


http://whatscookingamerica.net/Infor...stCastIron.htm

[spotts]

Jerry, I have a beautiful Griswold cast iron dutch oven that was the same way. Just a kooked on scum that was tough as nails. I cleaned it with my turkey cooker! Just set it on dry, and turned up the heat! Till white flame was coming out of the pan from the oxygen burning up in it. It was seriously past red hot. Then I could see the crusties flaking and ashing off. I gave it a few more minutes for good measure, then slowly turned off the heat and let er cool, re seasoned it, and it's my favorite one!

I have seen cast iron with a horrible casting, just rough, like shark skin. Nuttin you can do with those. Turn it over, I only own Griswold...



and wagner ware



Always perfectly cast. Could just be a POS.

[Green Mountain]

I have seen it done bennie

here is something on the WWW all about it

I have a nice collection of cast iron ware that I have picked up mostly at second hand stores or yard sales. That, by the way is the most economical way to buy them. Since I don't know or trust where the pans come from or what has been in them, I always sandblast them. I have always worked where a sandblaster was available for the employees to use, so I always blast them clean and start over with the seasoning. You do get a more uniform look to the pan.

There are different types of blasting media. Glass bead is finer and lest abrasive than graded river sand used by some. It does not matter much, just pay attention to what you are doing and just get it down to bare metal and call it good. You would have to be a moron to sit there holding the blaster tool for an hour in one spot and blast a hole right through the pan. My apologies to you morons out there! I usually cure at the warmer end of what I hear others have done. I do it at about 405 degrees F. 425 degrees F. also works well.

It is normal for them to smoke like crazy for an hour or so. I always cure (season) a clean, shiny or new pan at least three (3) times before I start using it, The turning the pan upside down trick is best too, I believe.


http://whatscookingamerica.net/Infor...stCastIron.htm

Think I will try the sand blasting routine. And the lard trick. When all else fails I have that sledge hammer we use for demo-ing old steam systems.

I will post the results. This should make my son happy. He just loves the projects I snag him into.

[Green Mountain]

Poor Richard. I got him to sand blast this pan. It doesn't look that clean in the picture but in real light it is silver right now.



Now that we got down to the bare metal it is pretty apparent want the problem was all along.



I'm wondering if it is even wroth the lard to even try to season it. Christmas is comming Kids.

[spotts]

Jerry, drive over to that antique store on the Albany side of town and look at some Griswold and Wagner cast iron pans. Here is a great example of their perfect casting finish. This is an ancient 20" Griswold.



If you cook in cast iron, life is toooooo short to use korean crap.



Click on this, you like to learn new things. http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/20...cast-iron.html

Now I wanna make a pot of chili.

[Green Mountain]

I agree with you Jack, 100%. It is just that this belonged to my Mom. She was always tight with a buck.

If you look real hard at the back it doesn't say "Skillet" it is stamped "SMILLET"

[Bladeforger]

I agree with you Jack, 100%. It is just that this belonged to my Mom. She was always tight with a buck.

In that case I'd just keep it and use it... you don't have to cook in it, you could use it for a trivet. By the way, not all cast iron is created equal:

Cast iron is made by remelting pig iron, often along with substantial quantities of scrap iron and scrap steel, and taking various steps to remove undesirable contaminants such as phosphorus and sulfur. Depending on the application, carbon and silicon content are reduced to the desired levels, which may be anywhere from 2 to 3.5% and 1 to 3% respectively. Other elements are then added to the melt before the final form is produced by casting.

From Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron

So there might be some impurities in the cast that make it not season well.