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Bottoms of Cast Iron Skillets

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Cornfed
Cornfed Posts: 1,324
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Greetings. I have the most gorgeously seasoned cast iron skillet which I use all the time. The "business surface" of the skillet is so beautifully shiny black and nonstick that I would make out with it if that wouldn't make me weird. But the bottom, and the lower parts of the sides, are a bit scuffed up.[p]I ask all you cast iron fans - do you care what the bottoms of your cast iron pans look like? Or am I being a Mary for even considering this (no offense intended to anyone named Mary, or to anyone of the orientation implied by my use of Mary, since there's absolutely nothing wrong with that). I know it makes no functional difference, but I would like a skillet which is beautiful all over.[p]Meanwhile, I just ordered a Lodge Combo Pan (something like that). It's a 3 Qt dutch oven whose lid is really a 10 inch skillet. Perfect![p]Heeeeeeeeeeeeee,
Cornfed
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  • egger ave
    egger ave Posts: 721
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    Cornfed,
    I treat my seasoned cast iron pots and pans gently, never wash them in the dishwasher and wash by hand. The BGE keeps the bottoms pretty clean. If they start to rust I season them in the oven using PAM.
    1 Large BGE, 1 Mini BGE, 1 Minimax BGE, Original wife and 3 dogs living in the heart of BBQ country in Round Rock Texas. 

    "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

    Albert Einstein
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  • Cornfed
    Cornfed Posts: 1,324
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    eggerave,[p]Yeah, I guess I should just bite the bullet and spend a little time one day making the bottom all nicey nice. Was just wondering how many folks took the time to make sure the bottoms/sides of their pans looked as nice as the working surfaces.[p]Later,
    Cornfed
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  • TomCPA
    TomCPA Posts: 82
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    Cornfed,[p]I really don't care what the sides and bottom look like. As long as the working surface is fine. I re-season once a year and that usually helps, but after that, I just keep the functional surface clean and that's all I usually worry about.[p]Tom
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Cornfed,[p]ANy chance you served in MI -- the only place where I heard the slang "mary" used absolutely fluently...[p]~ Broc
    98G - Russian, Berlin mid-'60s[p]

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Cornfed,
    If it hadn't been for your post, I don't think I would have ever admitted to anyone that I am as neurotic about curing the bottom of my cast iron pan as I am. Not sure it helps anything, but it sure is purddy when I pull it out of the cabinet and it's curred all over. I cure mine with crisco--first on the stove for about an hour, occasionally painting the inside walls, then in the oven at about 350-400* for about 4 hours, and a slow cool-down.
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  • Cornfed
    Cornfed Posts: 1,324
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    Broc, just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha,[p]No I did not. But that is interesting that the term may have originated there. It's funny where you pick things up.[p]Later,
    Cornfed
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    Cornfed,
    the reason it won't ever look like the top is because it is exposed to the fire. and the inside surfaces were ground down, flat. the outside still has the casting surface.[p]anyway... if your pan is shiny on top and black (or burnt white even) on the bottom, then that IS a beautiful pan. that's HOW it should look. gotta learn to appreciate it that way and take it as it is.[p]we had some well intentioned folks in towen here steam clean and ACID wash a bronze statue to make it all shiny. not only to it remove about 90 years of patina, which will take another 90 years to grow back, it removed metal from the staue (do it forever, and the detail is gone), AND it would require about $30k to have a statuary company come to restore the black/bronzed finish.[p]some things are actually beautiful the more dirty they are.[p][p]
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Stike,
    I thought only OUR town was that dumb. This summer, they took down a war monument with a nice cast eagle and had it powder coated. (that was mistake number 1.) Then as you probably know, powder coating uses a kiln or strong heat to melt the powder into the paint-glaze layer. Poof! Mr. Eagle broke into a million tiny pieces. Seems it was mended before and anyway, they should not have been powder coating it. The rest of the monument is a simple pillar with very ugly globe lights on each side and now it looks even dumber.[p]
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  • SpokaneMan
    SpokaneMan Posts: 77
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    I treat mine the way Cooks Illustrated recommends. After wiping it clean or using hot water and stiff brush, I heat it on the stovetop and wipe a little canola oil inside and out. The bottoms of my pans are beautifully slick and smooth.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    dover_gal,
    there are few this that cause more damage than enthusiastic volunteers![p]
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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