Semon
Assistant Cook
I want a good pan I can use as a work horse for frying eggs, bacon, potatoes,steak or anything else I want to cook in it. I don't care what it is made of as long as it works and lasts for more than 6mo's?
Get a cast iron skillet and season it well. It will last forever.
I have several CI the last was a Lodge but it is a none stick and everything stickes to it. I was thinking of taking it to the shop and grinding it smooth and treat it like the other?
If you are thinking about grinding a CI pan there are a bunch of youtube videos where people use a paint stripper from Home Depot to strip off the factory seasoning. I've never done it, so I can't comment on how well it works. I guess you have to decide if things you see on youtube are to be trusted.
LOL. That's the first time I've heard of a pan getting a b'day card!I have two cast iron pans for frying, one 60+ old and one that is only 53 years. I thought it was older until my dad sent it a birthday card to it, because he found the receipt , it used to be his pan.
There are a few videos on youtube using a paint stripper like this one:I think the OP is talking about the roughness, not the seasoning. I have a garage full of very good tools, and I've been wanting to get a cheap Lodge skillet to experiment with. I need to just do it. An 8-inch skillet doesn't cost much.
If that Home Depot paint stripper is a chemical stripper, I wouldn't want to use it on anything I cook with.
CD
The lodge pan I picked up is going to the grinder and then oil and oven we'll see how it comes out.
I'll keep you posted.
There are a few videos on youtube using a paint stripper like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGLV7fd0-fQ
An article on seriouseats recommends using a lye containing product, such as Easy Off oven cleaner, to remove seasoning. Handling and disposal can be problematic, though.
How to Restore Vintage Cast Iron Pans | Serious Eats
As far as the self cleaning oven method, the manufacturer of my wall oven specifically states to remove racks before running the cleaning cycle. It flashes on the control panel when the cleaning cycle is selected. Wall ovens are $6 - $8 K, replacement racks are $70, and CI pans are much less than that. Guess what I'm going to do.