Cast Iron Cookware

nolaegghead

I never realized it was kosher to use soap on seasoned cast iron.  Apparently it is (from the link I posted earlier in this thread):

Caring For Cast Iron:

Many cooks are unnecessarily worried about maintaining their cast iron cookware. The seasoning on a good piece of cast iron is very durable. Modern soap will not harm seasoned cast iron. Old, lye based cleaners will hurt seasoned cast iron because lye dissolves the oil-polymer. Seasoned cast iron can also tolerate gentle scrubbing with non-metallic abrasives. Vigorous washing is not recommended on new, weakly seasoned pans.

Sometimes, the surface of a cast iron pan can become damaged through abuse or neglect. In this case the pan has to be stripped down to metal and re-seasoned. The best way to remove an old or bad seasoning job is to use a fireplace or the self-clean cycle of your oven to reduce the seasoning layer to ashes. This happens around 800 degrees F.

Another good maintenance technique with cast iron is to use metal cooking implements. The gentle scraping of metal along the bottom of the pan while cooking helps to even out the surface of the seasoning and make it more durable, not less.

chuff

Beware that I have seen good cast iron in otherwise fine condition crack due to the old "throw it in a fire and walk away" method of stripping seasoning. My grandmother used to do it sometimes, but I wouldn't try it with a piece that was valuable or dear to me.

Lit

I know dawn will strip the seasoning and I also have heard the same as the guy above that you can easily crack or warp a pan at those heats. Not too sure I would trust the site you found. I use this to clean my cast iron its really good. http://www.knappmade.co/order.html

chuff

You might also consider de Buyer pans. I have a few in my collection and they cook very much like old cast iron and much better than new cast iron. They're very heavy and about the same thickness as my old Griswolds with a nice smooth bottom that makes them slicker than frozen moose snot when they're seasoned, and they season much quicker than CI. I love them. They're still a seasoned product and care is pretty similar to cast iron, but the handle is way friendlier than your typical CI skillet. They're also pretty affordable. Mine are from the mineral line.

Here's one of them:

And next to an old Griswold with roughly the same bottom diameter. You can imagine how much better those nice long handles on the de Buyer are in use.

travisstrick

@chuff SOLD!!! I must have one.

nolaegghead

That site is pretty reputable...the chemistry explanations seem pretty rational to me. 

http://www.cookingissues.com/about/

Anyway, I think most people don't really have a good seasoning on their cast iron, and if the oil isn't fully polymerized, it's going to be soap soluble.   I thought mine were seasoned for years but realized later they were only partially.   Anyway, I'll look into it further.

nolaegghead

Yeah, that looks like a great handle.  Want!

chuff

Here you go. 

The country chef pan is great too. Nice and deep.

Baysidebob

"You might also consider de Buyer pans"

+1 on the carbon steel de Byer pans.  We've had a set for I don't know how long and they get better every year.  They're as black as any cast iron and are used almost every day,.  Probably not suitable for the BGE because of the long handles.

chuff

Never ever thought I would spend 5 minutes reading about cast iron. but I did, thanks everyone for the education. Now where is that teflon pan.........I know she used it own me when I got my egg.

Best not to give it another thought. It could consume you before you know it.

WickedIsland

I am lucky enough to have my grandmothers CI pan. Brings back the best childhood memories every time I use it... we call it the Nana Pan. I also recently purchase a large lodge pan and it does not compare. As Lit mentioned it is bumpy an it seems that no amount of use or seasoning will make it come close to Nana's. I know how to season but that is th extent of my CI knowledge. Any markings I could look for to determine what kind of pan my grandmothers is?

nolaegghead

Post a few pictures and your address and if it's valuable, we'll leave a ransom note in the morning

chuff

Fire ring? Pour spouts? Any markings at all visible on the bottom? Is there a number in the top of the handle?

nolaegghead

This might help  http://www.ehow.com/how_5612856_identify-antique-cast-iron-skillets.html

WickedIsland

This might help  http://www.ehow.com/how_5612856_identify-antique-cast-iron-skillets.html

Ha! No address but will post pics :P

nolaegghead

This might help  http://www.ehow.com/how_5612856_identify-antique-cast-iron-skillets.html

Ha! No address but will post pics :P

Awwwwwww....

WickedIsland

Fire ring? Pour spouts? Any markings at all visible on the bottom? Is there a number in the top of the handle?

Pour spouts and fire ring = yes. No markings on handle. Made in USA (of course)

Focker

"Made in the USA" along with the size number and inches...this piece was manufactured post 1959

A great user pan, perfect for the egg

More sentimental value than collectible value

 

WickedIsland

Thanks Focker... Very sentimental

EagleIII

I picked up my first CI skillet a couple months ago at a garage sale. It was an old lodge 12". The lady selling it said it had been her grandmother's and went back about 60 years. Asking price? $2.00. Sweet!

Tillerman

I have a few of each listed... But for the price, I have recently purchased Lodge CI products from Amazon and just seasoned them my self! LOVE CI!

dldawes1

Picked up my 8qt-DO and 8-qt soup pot at the local Flea Market....~$20 each. I've only had time to use the DO for 1 peach cobbler....turned out perfect(almost, but no complaints)!

Still need to go back and get a smaller 5qt-DO.

Donnie

Dredger

This is a very good Facebook group for cast iron enthusiasts. Look in the files for Frequently Asked Questions for a lot of good info on cast iron. You have to ask to be added to the group.