# Cast Iron Seasoning Help



## icor1031

I have a skillet, which was slightly rusty and the seasoning wasn't optimal. So, I stripped it with electrolysis and a wire wheel.

Then I cleaned it with cold water, dish soap, and a paper towel. I heated it to 200º, and put flax seed oil on it, and wiped that off.
After that, I heated the oven to 400º or more, and left it in for an hour.



I've done this process (cool off, apply flax seed oil, heat to 400-500 for 1hr+) eight times, and yet my food still sticks very badly - much worse than the old seasoning. 

For example, when I tried to cook an egg after the sixth or seventh time, I wondered if I would ever get it all off. So, I did what I could and put it back in @ 500 for 2hr.

Then, I tried to cook bacon and even some of that stuck to the pan.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!


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## Andy M.

Check out this link and go to the section titled, "Refurbish Your Finish".  Do what it says and you will be fine.   Lodge - Seasoned Cast Iron

The key is to use the lightest coating possible.  Excess oil will create stickiness.


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## icor1031

Andy M. said:


> The key is to use the lightest coating possible.  Excess oil will create stickiness.



I did that, there aren't any run marks etc. I was practically scrubbing off the extra oil.
I'll look at that link in a moment, thanks.


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## jennyema

I think Crisco works best.


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## taxlady

When you cooked the egg, did you add some butter or oil to the pan first?


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## icor1031

Yes, I added olive oil.
Some of it was hot, too; I fried some onions first. Then, I added some more olive oil.



taxlady said:


> When you cooked the egg, did you add some butter or oil to the pan first?


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## Roll_Bones

The more you use it the better it will get.

Cast iron is not non-stick by any means.  You need oil to cook things.  You should not need anything to fry bacon though.
I would just continue to use the pan.  Pans take time to get used to IMO.


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## salt and pepper

Your oven is way too hot, lower the temp to 300 degrees, bake upside down for an hour,turn off the oven and let the pan cool. Flaxseed oil has a low smoking temp! Don't add oil to a cold pan, heat it on the stove top then add the oil. Whip out all the oil and repeat 4 or 5 times. I think your problem is that your burning the oil into the iron. Food will stick to cast iron or stainless steel until a certain temp is reached and the food is at the same temp. If you try to move it before, it will stick, even bacon!

   If I were you, I would start over. Scrub out the pan with very hot soap and water,Not cold water! This will open up the pours in the metal, Always apply oil to a warm pan. Even after I clean my pans and they have cooled off I heat them on the stove top just to smoking point, about 200 degrees, the I use a oiled peice of burlap to coat the pan with a thin coat of oil before storing. Hope this will help you, let me know.  Joe


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## icor1031

Great, detailed post. Thanks, I might get some lye and start over.
If I do, I think I'll grind or wheel the pan too, to make it smooth.



salt and pepper said:


> Your oven is way too hot, lower the temp to 300 degrees, bake upside down for an hour,turn off the oven and let the pan cool. Flaxseed oil has a low smoking temp! Don't add oil to a cold pan, heat it on the stove top then add the oil. Whip out all the oil and repeat 4 or 5 times. I think your problem is that your burning the oil into the iron. Food will stick to cast iron or stainless steel until a certain temp is reached and the food is at the same temp. If you try to move it before, it will stick, even bacon!
> 
> If I were you, I would start over. Scrub out the pan with very hot soap and water,Not cold water! This will open up the pours in the metal, Always apply oil to a warm pan. Even after I clean my pans and they have cooled off I heat them on the stove top just to smoking point, about 200 degrees, the I use a oiled peice of burlap to coat the pan with a thin coat of oil before storing. Hope this will help you, let me know.  Joe


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

a D/A grinder with wet emery cloth will get the pan as smooth as you could possibly want it.

When I've messed up the seasoning in my pans, I wiped them with cooking oil, no special kind, and heated on top of the stove until they quit smoking.  Then I rubbed in a little more oil, and repeated the process.  I did this about 4 times.  Then I turned of the stove, let them cool for 5 minutes or so, wiped them with a sheen of cooking oil and let them air dry and cool.  

I believe that the initial coatings fill the pores with oil, that hardens into carbon, and coats all of the metal.  The subsequent repetitions creates a hard coating that resists damage.  The final coating creates a lubricated, slippery surface.

This method has always worked for me.  It's not the way Lodge does it.  but like I said, it works for me.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Aunt Bea

This may be a stupid question, but was it ever a good pan or is it one you found and are attempting to clean.  I have seen many inexpensive imported CI pans that have such a rough surface they will never be any good.

I would wash it, dry it, put about a half inch of oil in it, heat it, peel and slice a potato, cook up a batch of french fries, wipe it out when it cools.

Stay away from the lye unless you know what you are doing, it is very dangerous and it does not care what it eats!


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## icor1031

What do you suggest for stripping the old seasoning?
And yes, it used to be a decent pan.



Aunt Bea said:


> Stay away from the lye unless you know what you are doing, it is very dangerous and it does not care what it eats!


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## salt and pepper

Icor, wait. wait, wait! You don't need any lye. Just fill it with water and some vineagar, boil for a few minutes and start the seasoning process. NO LYE!


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## callmaker60

Watch and see if this video helps.

CAST IRON COOKWARE. Part 2. Restoring Neglected Ironware - YouTube


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## TaraWildes

Just reseasoned an old dutch oven I found in my parent's shed.  Skipped the electrolysis as it seemed to only have surface rust; my husband used a wire brush on a drill to get all the rust and old seasoning off. 

Coated it with peanut oil and left it in a low oven (200) for about three hours.  Sticky.  Recoated with Crisco and left that sucker in there for a week on the bottom rack while I cooked as normal on the top rack.  If I estimate, probably around 4-5 hours around 350 or so, with all the heating up and cooling down included.

It was still slightly sticky, gave it a good rinse with plain hot water, sauted onions and braised some pork chops in it.  No sticking of the food, rinsed out easily and it's still coming along nicely.  I'd like it to blacken up and get a bit smoother, but I'm happy with the progress.

At least from my experience with reseasoning old cast iron - and I've done it a lot, I have a pretty good collection - time and use just makes it better.  I have tried all the oil combos you can think of, and the only thing I can really recommend is to use an oil that can take high heat and use at least two different types while seasoning, like peanut, lard, bacon or Crisco.


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## Oldvine

I think that high heat is turning the oil you're using into a sticky gummed-up mess.    I've never heard of that method to season a cast iron skillet.   I can't figure out the lye method either, or the grinding wheel for that matter.   
Maybe it's time to try Salt and Pepper's method just for the fun of it.


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## GB

Do not expect eggs to not stick after just a few rounds of seasoning. Eggs are one of the things that stick the most and seasoning does not work right away. You should season at least once before cooking anything and then after the initial seasoning start slowly by cooking foods with a high fat content (like bacon) a number of times. The more you cook foods like that the more it will reinforce your initial seasoning. Eventually, and you will know when, you will start to see and feel a chance in the pan and will be able to cook things with less fat.


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## Caslon

When you consider the repeated time and money you spent on electricity, doesn't it almost start to approach the price of a brand new Lodge preseasoned skillet?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Caslon said:


> When you consider the repeated time and money you spent on electricity, doesn't it almost start to approach the price of a brand new Lodge preseasoned skillet?



That would depend on the pan.  If I were to happen upon a neglected Griswold, or older Wagner CI pan, I would say that restoring it would be the thing to do, as those pans were so well made.  The new, preseasoned Lodge pan is well made too, but is substantially heavier, and not finished nearly as well.  The cooking surface is very grainy on Lodge pans, while very smooth on the Griswold and Wagner pans.

I have to admit though, that properly seasoned, each brand has it's high and low points.  but isn't it that way with everything?

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Aunt Bea

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> That would depend on the pan.  If I were to happen upon a neglected Griswold, or older Wagner CI pan, I would say that restoring it would be the thing to do, as those pans were so well made.  The new, preseasoned Lodge pan is well made too, but is substantially heavier, and not finished nearly as well.  The cooking surface is very grainy on Lodge pans, while very smooth on the Griswold and Wagner pans.
> 
> I have to admit though, that properly seasoned, each brand has it's high and low points.  but isn't it that way with everything?
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



I agree!

Some  of my old CI pans are smooth as glass, virtually nonstick, others need a little more experience.


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## JMediger

jennyema said:


> I think Crisco works best.



I agree.  I've tried other oils with much less success.  Plus, I always have Crisco for pie crust so to scoop out a dollop for the pan is quick and easy.


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## Breathing Couch

I  just bought a cast iron skillet for eggs.  Maybe I should return it.  It sounds like a lot of work to keep up.


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## GotGarlic

Breathing Couch said:


> I  just bought a cast iron skillet for eggs.  Maybe I should return it.  It sounds like a lot of work to keep up.



The only reason I have one non-stick skillet is for eggs and crepes. It just makes things easier


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## taxlady

Breathing Couch said:


> I  just bought a cast iron skillet for eggs.  Maybe I should return it.  It sounds like a lot of work to keep up.


We have a few cast iron skillets that only ever get used for eggs. They don't get washed, just brushed with a wok brush if necessary and then any excess grease is wiped off. Easy peasy.


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## GB

If the only thing you plan to use it for is eggs Breathing Couch then you might be better off returning it and getting a teflon type non stick pan instead. Cast iron is amazing stuff to cook with, but most of the benefit is that it gets hot and holds onto that heat very well. This makes it great for cooking things like steaks (and many other things) where you want to pan to stay real hot when the meat hits it. You can certainly cook eggs very well in cast iron, but a teflon pan will get you the same results and with less upkeep required. Like taxlady said, the upkeep really is not much once the pan is seasoned, but it is more than a nonstick pan. 

If you are mainly cooking eggs in the pan, but might also occasionally cook bacon and/or sausage or other things like that then don't get scared away from keeping that cast iron you got. It sounds harder than it really is to take care of them. They are really pretty easy to get and keep in good working order and it is well worth it in most cases.


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## Zagut

GB said:


> don't get scared away from keeping that cast iron you got. It sounds harder than it really is to take care of them. They are really pretty easy to get and keep in good working order and it is well worth it in most cases.


 
 +1.


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## taxlady

taxlady said:


> We have a few cast iron skillets that only ever get used for eggs. They don't get washed, just brushed with a wok brush if necessary and then any excess grease is wiped off. Easy peasy.


I just realized that I lied. I also use that pan for Swedish Visiting Cake and just brush the crumbs out when it's done.


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## Andy M.

If you start with a seasoned pan, cooking with it only adds to the seasoning.  Properly used it will become egg-worthy in no time at all.


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## Breathing Couch

Thanks for all your help.   I am definitely returning that sweet little pan.  It deserves a  better home than I can give it.


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## Caslon

I have a preseasoned Lodge skillet that does well when I cook eggs after I've cooked bacon. I pour out the excess bacon grease and eggs don't stick at all.

However, when I take a good dab of Crisco and melt it in the skillet and cook the eggs, they stick some.  I'm wondering why.  I'm thinking that I heated the skillet too high too quickly.  I didn't get it frying hot tho.  I'm gonna try heating up the skillet slowly, maybe that's why the eggs stuck some.

I'm also tempted to start saving my bacon grease, storing it in the fridge and using THAT for frying my eggs instead of Crisco (when I'm frying eggs with no bacon).


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## Andy M.

If I'm not usig bacon fat to fry eggs, I use butter.


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## GB

Caslon said:


> I'm gonna try heating up the skillet slowly, maybe that's why the eggs stuck some.
> 
> I'm also tempted to start saving my bacon grease, storing it in the fridge and using THAT for frying my eggs instead of Crisco (when I'm frying eggs with no bacon).


The speed at which you get the pan up to temp does not matter. The food can't tell the difference.

Absolutely save your bacon grease. Your taste buds will thank you.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Caslon said:


> I have a preseasoned Lodge skillet that does well when I cook eggs after I've cooked bacon. I pour out the excess bacon grease and eggs don't stick at all.
> 
> However, when I take a good dab of Crisco and melt it in the skillet and cook the eggs, they stick some.  I'm wondering why.  I'm thinking that I heated the skillet too high too quickly.  I didn't get it frying hot tho.  I'm gonna try heating up the skillet slowly, maybe that's why the eggs stuck some.
> 
> I'm also tempted to start saving my bacon grease, storing it in the fridge and using THAT for frying my eggs instead of Crisco (when I'm frying eggs with no bacon).



Bacon fat is healthier, and tastes better than Crisco.  Lard has no transfats, if it's not hydrogenated, and less saturated fat than butter.  It's fairly mono unsaturated fats as well.  And deep frying in it gives you far superior results to veggie oils.  Your fried chicken will have more crunch.  Your french fries will snap.  

Bacon fat is lard with the smokey pork flavor of bacon.  How can one resist such a thing?

Lard was portrayed as evil incarnate by advertising campaigns by Crisco.  It was in their best interest.  It made them money.

So what are you going to trust in your gut, something made by nature, or something created by people back in the 40's and fifties, when practically nothing was known about nutrition?

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## GotGarlic

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> Bacon fat is healthier, and tastes better than Crisco.  Lard has no transfats, if it's not hydrogenated, and less saturated fat than butter.  It's fairly mono unsaturated fats as well.  And deep frying in it gives you far superior results to veggie oils.  Your fried chicken will have more crunch.  Your french fries will snap.
> 
> Bacon fat is lard with the smokey pork flavor of bacon.  How can one resist such a thing?
> 
> Lard was portrayed as evil incarnate by advertising campaigns by Crisco.  It was in their best interest.  It made them money.
> 
> So what are you going to trust in your gut, something made by nature, or something created by people back in the 40's and fifties, when practically nothing was known about nutrition?
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Yes, yes, yes! Pork fat rules!  

I keep a jar of bacon fat in the fridge that we use, mostly, for frying breakfast potatoes, and a jar of rendered pork fat that I get from simmering pork-shoulder trimmings when I make posole, etc.


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## salt and pepper

Properly seasoned CI pan... 1 egg, no 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Oil, no butter, no fat,... no Stick!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

salt and pepper said:


> Properly seasoned CI pan... 1 egg, no
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oil, no butter, no fat,... no Stick!



Pan - $15 at a garage sale
Egg - $0.28 at the grocers
Durability - greater than a cockroach during a nuclear attack.
Ease of cooking and cleaning - priceless!

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Caslon

OK, I had to try this with my 4 month old 8" preseasoned Lodge pan which has been reseasoned, no oil.  
The egg came up in one piece with just a little residue in the pan.  That residue came off easy in the sink. I guess it's not totally non-stick yet.  Preseasoned Lodge pans aren't as  smooth as I would like, they have that slightly rough texture from the factory which I'm not crazy about.


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## Joshatdot

Speaking of the Lodge CI pans .. if one were inclined to sand/grind/polish the inner to be smooth, what would you recommend? just go at it with a wire wheel & drill? or sanding disc? those pumice stone things?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Joshatdot said:


> Speaking of the Lodge CI pans .. if one were inclined to sand/grind/polish the inner to be smooth, what would you recommend? just go at it with a wire wheel & drill? or sanding disc? those pumice stone things?



If one were inclined, you could use a disk sander, with wet emery cloth to do the job.  But there really is no need.l  Over time, and with use, that seasoning will fill in the valleys between the bumps, rendering the cooking surface smooth.  At least that is what has happened with my own Lodge pans.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Andy M.

Speaking from personal experience, there is no need to do any smoothing to Lodge pans.  I have two Lodge Logic pans I use regularly and they both cook eggs without sticking.  I can slide the eggs onto a plate with no issue.  

If you feel you must make the pan smoother, you will have to re-season.  And if that's the case, don't buy pre-seasoned CI.  You should have some skill with power tools so you don't mess up the surface.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Andy M. said:


> Speaking from personal experience, there is no need to do any smoothing to Lodge pans.  I have two Lodge Logic pans I use regularly and they both cook eggs without sticking.  I can slide the eggs onto a plate with no issue.
> 
> If you feel you must make the pan smoother, you will have to re-season.  And if that's the case, don't buy pre-seasoned CI.  You should have some skill with power tools so you don't mess up the surface.



+1

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## salt and pepper

Lets see if this helps. As far as smoothness goes. Some of the cheaper pans have a smoother finish then the thicker, heaver pans, like Wagner or Lodge.
  The reason I like to use flaxseed oil is that it becomes hard after the pan is seasoned. Still leaving a course finish in the pan. But when you add 4 or 5 layers of seasoning the layers of oil raise above the grain of the iron, thus becoming a smooth surface.
  So in essence, you really don't cook directly on the cast iron, you cook on the hard oil finish. So if you want a smooth finish to your pan, don't sand or grind it, just season it. The only resaon to sand or grind a pan is to remove the rust.
  If I buy a new pre-seasoned pan, the frist thing I do is wash it a hot soapy water then re-season with a few layers of oil untill it becomes slick and smooth.


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## GB

salt and pepper said:


> The reason I like to use flaxseed oil is that it becomes hard after the pan is seasoned. Still leaving a course finish in the pan. But when you add 4 or 5 layers of seasoning the layers of oil raise above the grain of the iron, thus becoming a smooth surface.


If seasoned properly, this is true of any fat you use, not just flaxseed oil.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Ok, so now you've heard it from S&P, GB, Andy, and Myself.  There is no need to sand the pan.  Just season it, and cook in it.  When my Lodge pan was new, I seasoned it (there were no pre-seasoned pans at that time).  I cooked in it.  It's not grainy inside at all any more.  The only reason I prefer my Griswold to my lodge for most of my cooking chores is that it's made with thinner metal.  So, it heats faster.  But then again, if I need to sear a substantial chunk of meat, or pan-fry in a couple inches of oil, O use the lodge, as it's thcker metal means that it has more stored heat capacity, and won't fluctuate in temperature as food is added so much.

Understanding the basic nature, or physical properties of the pan will really help you use the right pans for the right cooking technique.

If used properly, I can get great results from my SS pans, my aluminum pans, and my CI pans.  My Atlas Wok is carbon steel, and is seasoned like my other pans.  It to is nearly stick free.  Eggs slide around in it just as they do in every other pan in my house.  The only pans I really don't care for are ceramic coated pans.  I do have problems with food sticking in those.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Zagut

Way to many worries about Cast Iron.

 Use it. Abuse it. 

 Decide if it's for you or not.

 I have Cast that's over 70 years old and it works for me.

 My Grandmother used to throw it into the fireplace to "Clean the crap off".

 There is no magic formula to make it work for you.

 Yes it needs to be "seasoned" before it becomes "nonstick" but there are way too many theories as to how to do this to pick one and declare it as "the way" to do it.

 The basics are use oil/fat + heat to get a surface to cook on and then care for that surface as it fits your cooking needs and habits.


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## Caslon

I'm working on building up the carbon and it is slowly getting smoother. One thing I've noticed on some really really well seasoned pans is that they have almost a slight sheen. Mine is still dead flat looking.

Also, out of curiosity, how does cooking bacon season a pan???  When I cook bacon, I don't use high heat, therefore how can a carbon layer build up?


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## GB

Caslon said:


> Also, out of curiosity, how does cooking bacon season a pan???  When I cook bacon, I don't use high heat, therefore how can a carbon layer build up?


You do not need high heat to season the pan. Heat opens the pores of the metal, the fat gets in, the pan cools and the pores close. That is the seasoning process. Cooking bacon is a great way to continue the seasoning process as it is so high in fat.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

GB said:


> You do not need high heat to season the pan. Heat opens the pores of the metal, the fat gets in, the pan cools and the pores close. That is the seasoning process. Cooking bacon is a great way to continue the seasoning process as it is so high in fat.



I sometimes cook bacon over relatively high heat.

And sometimes I've received some good burns from spattering grease.

I try to give myself time to cook bacon over lower heat settings now.  It spares me pain, sometimes.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## GB

Just don't cook it while in your birthday suit.


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## taxlady

A friend of mine just posted, in her blog, about Lodge cast iron. It's on special: Lodge 5-Piece Cast Iron Set is $65 again! Hurry! | Being fRoogal


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## JGDean

I have several items of cast iron all are well seasoned from use except for an odd sized one. I used it the other day and was in a rush and overheated it with a heavy coating of oil. I put it in a cold oven to cool. Now the entire thing is super gummy. How do I remove the residue??


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## GB

Try heating it again and then wiping out (carefully) the excess while it is still hottish.


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## dcSaute

lemme guess... that was vegetable oil of some type?

'seasoning' is the process of developing a carbon coating on the cast iron that becomes 'non-stick'

if you review the preceding pages you'll see why some oils/fats seem to work better than others.  there is actual science behind this stuff, although "Because my Grandmother did it like this" trumps science every time.

I just cook fatty proteins like patty sausage and bacon in the pan until it gets slick.  yup, because that's how my . . .


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Not cast iron, but carbon steel for this technique.  You season it the same way, and for the same reasons.  I do this in my Atlas, flat-bottomed wok.

Melt butter in it.  Clarify the butter, add uncooked popcorn, cover, and heat over medium high until the popcorn is done.  Remove from heat.  Eat the pop corn.  Wipe out the wok with paper towel, store.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Greg Who Cooks

I too am skeptical about the electrolysis, wire wheel and lye.

Starting with lye, it won't react with the iron at all. What it will do is react with any oils, turning them into soap. I see no reason to do this.

As far as electrolysis all that's going to do is remove material from your pan, just eating it away. I never heard of anybody doing that.

A wire wheel seems to heavy handed to me. Some of that patina you are removing might be good patina.

My advice would be to remove any rust with steel wool. Then run it through a few season, bake, season, bake cycles. I'd bake at (guessing) 250-300F for 30 minutes per cycle. Use a high temperature smoke point oil. Avocado oil has the highest smoke point of them all.

I've never heard of anybody destroying a cast iron pan, except maybe by leaving it out in the weather for several decades.


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## GB

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I've never heard of anybody destroying a cast iron pan, except maybe by leaving it out in the weather for several decades.


Oh they can be destroyed. Think thermal shock. Granted, it is very hard to destroy one, but it can happen.


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## jennyema

Lordy !  It's simple 

Hot soapy water   ( dish soap/detergent ) scrubby/scrungie

Done


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## Cheryl J

I'm going to be going back to page one and reading this thread with great interest. 

I have an old CI skillet that I got as a freebie at an estate sale about 15 years ago.  The lovely lady who gave it to me wasn't sure how old it was.  I can barely read on the underside that it is a Griswold - I can only make out the G and the D, and they are in a large cross shaped logo.  It's an 11" skillet and heavy as all get out.  It's been somewhat neglected, the cooking area is in fairly good shape but the outside of the skillet is bumpy from crud buildup.  

I would love to clean it up and use it again.  I think I'll buy one of those steel scrubbers to use on the outside and once that's done, I hope to re-season it and use it.  

Thank you to all for your advice on cleaning up these wonderful old CI skillets. I'll read through this thread again and hopefully will get this wonderful old skillet going again.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Cheryl J said:


> I'm going to be going back to page one and reading this thread with great interest.
> 
> I have an old CI skillet that I got as a freebie at an estate sale about 15 years ago.  The lovely lady who gave it to me wasn't sure how old it was.  I can barely read on the underside that it is a Griswold - I can only make out the G and the D, and they are in a large cross shaped logo.  It's an 11" skillet and heavy as all get out.  It's been somewhat neglected, the cooking area is in fairly good shape but the outside of the skillet is bumpy from crud buildup.
> 
> I would love to clean it up and use it again.  I think I'll buy one of those steel scrubbers to use on the outside and once that's done, I hope to re-season it and use it.
> 
> Thank you to all for your advice on cleaning up these wonderful old CI skillets. I'll read through this thread again and hopefully will get this wonderful old skillet going again.



Cheryl;  Here's an easy way to get rid of the crud.  Purchase some ammonia and put it into a glass or plastic bowl.  Place the pan and the bowl in a large, plastic garbage bag.  Do this in the garage, or a shed as ammonia doesn't smell very good.  Close the bag and let it sit overnight.  The next day, the crud simply wipes off with a paper towel.  This also works for cleaning oven grates.  They come out shiny, like new.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Andy M.

Using ammonia will remove the seasoning from the entire pan!  If the cooking surface is good, and you only want to clean the exterior, an abrasive such as steel wool or similar may be the way to go.  There is no sense in disturbing a perfectly good decades old cooking surface.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Andy M. said:


> Using ammonia will remove the seasoning from the entire pan!  If the cooking surface is good, and you only want to clean the exterior, an abrasive such as steel wool or similar may be the way to go.  There is no sense in disturbing a perfectly good decades old cooking surface.



True 'nuf.  guess I didn't think that one through.  It still works for barbecue and oven grates though. 

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Cheryl J

Thank you, Chief and Andy!  A wire brush it is, then.  I'll report back once it's done and let y'all know the results.


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## Greg Who Cooks

jennyema said:


> Lordy !  It's simple
> 
> Hot soapy water   ( dish soap/detergent ) scrubby/scrungie
> 
> Done



I'm a bit skeptical about hot soapy water harming a cast iron skillet other than temporarily, despite what some have said. When mine has too much crud I get out a plastic scrubber and a bunch of dish washing soap and scrub away best I can, then run it through the dish washer.

The next few times I use it I oil it to keep the food from sticking, then clean it with a scrubber and plain water. After a few oil, cook, wash with water cycles it's as good as new. Good as old. Whatever.

The problem the OP has is rust. I'd tackle that with a wire brush and steel wool, then run it through my suggested method above.


And yes, whoever said it, of course if you heat it until it's red hot then throw it in ice water it will probably warp or shatter. You could drive a caterpillar over it and destroy it. I meant you wouldn't destroy it doing reasonable things.


It's amazing to consider that cast iron was the original non-stick cooking surface. The Iron Age began about 1,000 BC (possibly much earlier) and lasted trough about 700 AD, and cast iron cookware might have been in use around the time of Jesus.

And it's still such a good cooking utensil it is worth having in our modern day kitchens!


(No comment on the ammonia method since I've never tried that.)


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## Andy M.

Cheryl J said:


> ...It's been somewhat neglected, the cooking area is in fairly good shape but the outside of the skillet is bumpy from crud buildup.
> 
> I would love to clean it up and use it again.  I think I'll buy one of those steel scrubbers to use on the outside and once that's done, I hope to re-season it and use it....




As the poster was concerned with the exterior of the pan only, a localized cleaning is in order rather than re-seasoning the entire pan.  Crud, not rust is the issue here. 

I'd start with scraping then sanding then grinding if needed.


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## GB

Greg Who Cooks said:


> And yes, whoever said it, of course if you heat it until it's red hot then throw it in ice water it will probably warp or shatter. You could drive a caterpillar over it and destroy it. I meant you wouldn't destroy it doing reasonable things.


It does not take red hot heat and ice water to cause a CI pan to shatter from thermal shock. Taking it out of a 500 degree oven and plunging it into a sink full of water could just as easily do it and that would be a reasonable thing for someone who did not know better to do. I have also heard of them shattering when being dropped on hard surfaces from a height (dropping on a stone floor from a counter), but I do not recall the specific details so I can't comment further on that. 

As far as cookware goes though, there is little doubt CI is the most indestructible of what is available.


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## Andy M.

Tonight I dropped my 2-quart All-Clad Stainless saucepan onto the ceramic tile floor and as it was falling the thought that flashed through my head was, "Which one will I have to replace?"  The answer is neither.  Lucky.


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## Cheryl J

Andy M. said:


> As the poster was concerned with the exterior of the pan only, a localized cleaning is in order rather than re-seasoning the entire pan. Crud, not rust is the issue here.
> 
> I'd start with scraping then sanding then grinding if needed.


 
Yes, it's a crud issue and not rust, thank goodness.  I just ran a butter knife over a couple of blobs of crud and they pretty much just popped off, so it appears as though it won't be too much of a biggie to clean off the outside with a wire brush.  Thanks to all again for your suggestions and help.


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## Cheryl J

Andy M. said:


> Tonight I dropped my 2-quart All-Clad Stainless saucepan onto the ceramic tile floor and as it was falling the thought that flashed through my head was, "Which one will I have to replace?" The answer is neither. Lucky.


 
Whew!  Yes, you were lucky that both survived!  Bet your heart skipped a beat or two as it was falling.


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## Andy M.

Cheryl J said:


> Yes, it's a crud issue and not rust, thank goodness.  I just ran a butter knife over a couple of blobs of crud and they pretty much just popped off, so it appears as though it won't be too much of a biggie to clean off the outside with a wire brush.  Thanks to all again for your suggestions and help.



That's good news.  If you don't have to clean down to bare metal, you won't have to re-season.


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## Cooking Goddess

Andy M. said:


> Tonight I dropped my 2-quart All-Clad Stainless saucepan onto the ceramic tile floor and as it was falling the thought that flashed through my head was, "Which one will I have to replace?"  The answer is neither.  Lucky.


Lucky your toes weren't between those two either! BTW, make sure the saucepan is still true round. I dropped one "just so" and managed to bend the rim ever so slightly and the lid wouldn't fit tight. Himself did his manly thing and saved the pan...and me.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Steel is more ductile than is cast iron, that is, it will bend, stretch, and has a certain amount of elasticity.  The reason cast iron will crack/shatter, is that it doesn't have that same property.  It is more like stone, or glass.  Thermal shock can crack cast iron in the same way it shatters glass.  As materials are heated and cooled, they expand or contract.  With a material like aluminum or copper, this isn't a problem, as they are great conductors of heat, and tend to change size at an even amount, all over.  But ferrous substances, i.e. cast iron/steel,  area poor conductors of heat.  Therefore, the outside starts expanding/contacting before the middle can do the same.  The change size at a different rate.  The outside surface is changing very quickly, while the middle is resisting that change.  And as cast iron has almost no ability to stretch, the forces become strong enough to shatter the metal, similar to pressure cracks on large, frozen bodies of water.

Steel, on the other hand, responds to the same treatment by warping.  The metal doesn't fail catastrophically.

Also, that lack of ductile strength is the reason you can shatter cast iron with blunt force.  People who work metal with chisels know that striking metal against metal can cause bits to break and fly away from the tools at high speed.  This is why eye protection is a must for metal workers.

So, don't immerse very hot cast iron, or steel pots and pans in ice cold water.  Don't hit them with a hammer, and if you have a very hard headed partner, don't whack him/her with a pan.  You might crack the metal.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Greg Who Cooks

GB said:


> It does not take red hot heat and ice water to cause a CI pan to shatter from thermal shock. Taking it out of a 500 degree oven and plunging it into a sink full of water could just as easily do it and that would be a reasonable thing for someone who did not know better to do. I have also heard of them shattering when being dropped on hard surfaces from a height (dropping on a stone floor from a counter), but I do not recall the specific details so I can't comment further on that.



All those things describe to me somebody too stupid to be allowed to own cookware.


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## GB

So only stupid people drop heavy things?

You had better be careful. All those things describe things people here have done as I have read all of them on this site over the years.


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## Caslon

so...forgetting to turn off the burner that you turn on for a minute to dry your CI or whatever metal pan and forget it was on high heat for quite a while and you dunk it in cold water and accidentally drop it on a tile floor.  Cracks in the pan might possibly appear, depending on the metal alloy properties of said pan?  That's getting too deep into the properties of metals and heat if you ask me.


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## GB

Caslon said:


> so...forgetting to turn off the burner that you turn on for a minute to dry your CI or whatever metal pan and forget it was on high heat for quite a while and you dunk it in cold water and accidentally drop it on a tile floor.


Something tells me you would not be able to forget you had those on the burner then dunk them in water. The 3rd degree burns on your hand would be a pretty good reminder.


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## Caslon

cracks in cast iron pans?  someone did something wrong. CI pans are cheap.  Scrap metal cheap.


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## Cheryl J

I've been working on my old neglected Griswold CI skillet, and think that I'm now beginning to see some progress.  

I scrubbed it with a wire brush, and that didn't seem to help too much, so yesterday I sprayed it with oven cleaner (wearing goggles and gloves), and put it in a trash bag overnight. 

This morning I got it out, rinsed it off, and started scrubbing again. That seemed to help loosen some of the crud. Here is a pic of the outside, and all that nasty buildup. Ugh. On the right side of the pan, there's a barely visible path of pre-gunk that has started to release, compared to the left side which wasn't scrubbed as much.


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## Cheryl J

Here's another pic of part of the inside, and the handle. The '9' on the handle was not even visible before. There seems to be hope for this.  

I was inspired by salt and pepper's yard sale finds, unfortunately they are in a different thread and I keep going back and forth. I'm thinking I should try s & p's method of soaking it in hot water, vinegar, and dawn dishwashing liquid, and that may help loosen stuff up even more...? For a short time, of course....don't want to add rust to it.


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