Christmas break project: smooth new Lodge skillets

[BDAABAT]

I had a couple days off from work around Christmas and decided to try a project: make the cooking surface of some new Lodge pans smooth.

Background: I'd purchased some new cast iron a couple years ago after experiencing the joys of cast iron on Scout outings. The pans our troop uses are a treat to use! Even heat, consistent cooking, nearly non-stick. So, I purchased a 10" Lodge new and acquired a 12" from my mother. The 12" had been a gift from my father to my mom, but was only used once. My mom decided that the pan was too heavy for her to use, so she passed it on to me.

I was excited to try the cast iron. Used both pans at home. Both times, food stuck horribly. Tried re-seasoning. Cooked again with the same result; stuck food....and not in a good way. I HATE it when eggs stick to the bottom of the pan! Dejected, I left the pans in a drawer and bought a new non stick pan.

Puzzled, I started looking into why the experience with the troop pans was so different than my experience at home with the new pans. I found out that the troop pans had been gifted to the troop by one of the previous troop families and THEY had used the pans daily for several years prior to their time with the troop. The result of over a decade (maybe two) of regular use was pans that were incredibly smooth on the cooking surface with a great patina built up over time.

Back to my new Lodge pans. I decided to try to at least correct the surface of the pans. If the surface was smoother, my hope was that I'd be able to use it daily without getting frustrated. At least then I'd have a chance to build up a patina of seasoning to get them to be relatively non-stick.

Looked at a coupe videos online for how to smooth out the bottom of new cast iron. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of tools. What I had was a drill and a square palm sander. Started using a paint stripper disk on the drill to knock off the bug chunks of seasoning and rough edges, then tried the palm sander. Got a good deal more smooth surface in the center of the 10" pan, but there was a fair amount of the edges that were a bit rough. The square palm sander wasn't able to get into the edges of the pan.

Image after one seasoning session using vegetable oil:


I'm a bit OCD...those rough edges bothered me. I borrowed a friends angle grinder, bought a few sanding disks, and tried to get the edges cleaned up. Unfortunately, I ended up gouging the sides and bottom of the pan using too much pressure.



CRAP! Again, being a bit obsessive, I needed to get these pans smooth. Went at them with a couple sanding disks on the drill. After spending a good deal of time on the two pans, they're now ready to go. Smoothed out the uneven spots on the 10" and learned from that experience with the 12". Knocked off the big areas with a paint prep disk (Avanti), then sanded both with flap disks on the drill (80, then 120 grit).

After 6 rounds of seasoning in the oven with flax seed oil:


Results so far: Cooked up some sausage this morning and then cooked eggs in the 12". Results were positive. Not perfect, but getting there. Eggs still stuck a bit in places despite having sausage grease in the pan. But, it wasn't enough sticking to keep me from using the pans again.

Is the result better than what one could get new from Stargazer? Probably not. Does it make good financial sense to acquire the tools/pieces to make the pans smooth vs. purchasing new? Meh. I probably spent at least $50 on sanding disks, grinding disks, paint stripping disks, sand paper, dust masks, etc. I believe the 10" pan was $16 new. And, I spent decent chunks of three or four days working on the pans and doing the initial seasonings.

For me, it was a good project to take on for a couple days. YMMV.

Bruce

 

[HoytFlinger]

Season them with lard.

 

[Mikhail]

I have several Lodge pieces and have not had sticking problems. But boy I sure like the look of a smooth pan like that!

 

[Zak]

Dont forget that cast likes heat. If you start off too cold then things will stick like glue but get it good and hot, it'll brown the bottom quick and not stick. I do believe i've sanded a cast iron pan smooth but cant remember if it really made a difference or not.

 

[BDAABAT]

@ Zak: The area where I had noticed sticking in the past was when cooking eggs. For some reason, I really get inappropriately perturbed when eggs stick to the pan. Prior to sanding, I'd had a couple experiences where I'd have the pan at the correct temperature, with bacon cooked through and plenty of bacon fat in the pan (not swimming in grease, but enough to coat the bottom of the pan well), and the eggs would stick. After sanding, the results were positive. Will continue to build up the seasoning over time.

BTW: Followed the basic approach outlined here for seasoning cast iron. I didn't need to do the chemical stripping first since I physically removed the old interior seasoning (and a fair bit of metal!)
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

Interesting note: Before I found the seasoning chemistry website above, I used vegetable oil. The result was an almost golden color on the interior of the pan. When I used flax, the pan was more of a grey color. It's getting progressively darker with additional layers of seasoning.

Bruce

 

[ironmanerik]

Go on eBay and get a Griswold, you'll never look back

 

[Joshw]

I love cast iron. I have several that I inherited from my grandma, that are as smooth as glass, and some new Lodge. The more you use the lodge, the smoother it will get. I rub with oil and bake after every wash. I have been afraid to sand my new pans, because I have read that new cast iron, can't hold seasoning if you sand it too smooth, and honestly haven't had any problems with them sticking. I cook eggs in a 6" non stick pan, which is the only thing I cook in it. No sticking, and easy to flip. If you want to cook eggs in cast iron, try using butter. For some reason I find eggs cook better in butter. Oh and it tastes good too.

 

[wahoowad]

I wish you a ton of success. I love using my Lodge cast iron stuff. It can take some time and proper handling to get a new one seasoned well.

I also wanted mine smooth like a couple people I know. These people have used their pans for years and years and know what they are doing, and their pans are smooth from buildup of seasoning. So I did what you did and sanded mine smooth and re-seasoned it using iterations of heating it up with uber-thin layers of crisco using the instructions of a guy with a popular youtube channel.

It has been a couple years since and I really regret it. My sanded smooth pans will not take on any buildup over time. I have cooked tons of bacon, fried steak and pork chops and fish and not used it for things it should not be used for, it just won't start a buildup. Instead I keep I it clean and oiled and it does pretty good, but not where I wanted to be. I think I would have been in a much better situation had I left the original Lodge layer on it and just used it. I did this sanding smooth (I used a sanding disk and got it really smooth) to 2 frying pans and both are the same. I still use them but just regret doing it.

If it's the same youtube guy, I believe he is a cook or does a ton of cooking and really dotes on his pans. I take care of mine but don't dote on them. I use them, I clean them properly, I put them away. I think he obsesses over his and puts an obsessive amount of time in them.

 

[pitbossJB]

Go on eBay and get a Griswold, you'll never look back

+1 on the Griswold. I grew up with some of them in our kitchen and later on I was appalled to see the surface on some non Griswolds and other pans, it made me feel privileged to have known the quality of them. I wish I knew where they are now.

 

[wayne77]

I've got 5 lodge skillets that I can fry eggs in without it sticking. Never understood the ones that stick for others. I even wash mine with soap after every use, still no sticking. Sounds like you enjoyed the process though and I'm sure you'll enjoy your skillet.

 

[zippy12]

I have a china made POS 6 inch ... man seasoning will peel right off

my Lodge are 1000 X better

 

[TravelingJ]

I've had a few Lodge skillets for the past 2 years, and I can't get them to keep any seasoning at all. I've tried everything I've been told, and everything I've read on here. None of it works. I'm going to try what the above link suggested with stripping with oven cleaner, then doing 6 rounds in the oven with flaxseed oil. I cook on mine 2-3 times a week, but it seems something always screws it up.

 

[Joshw]

I've had a few Lodge skillets for the past 2 years, and I can't get them to keep any seasoning at all. I've tried everything I've been told, and everything I've read on here. None of it works. I'm going to try what the above link suggested with stripping with oven cleaner, then doing 6 rounds in the oven with flaxseed oil. I cook on mine 2-3 times a week, but it seems something always screws it up.

Until you get a good seasoning in them, avoid anything with acid, or beans. Unfortunately, I have also found out, letting gravy sit in them too long, will strip your seasoning off. As I stated in an earlier post, I have read from several different sources, that sanding new cast iron too smooth, will prevent seasoning from sticking.

 

[BDAABAT]

@ wahoowad: I'm really sorry to hear about your experience.

I'd seen some other folks online mentioning that they had trouble getting the seasoning to stick. I'm hoping that's not the case with my pans. Not sure if you read the Cooks Illustrated process for stripping old cast iron and re-seasoning.

They mention prepping the pan (after chemical stripping with Easy Off but prior to seasoning) with a dilute vinegar solution. I thought I'd read somewhere else that the dilute acid solution creates larger pores that allow the seasoning to better adhere after sanding.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/10429-how-to-strip-a-cast-iron-skillet

Unfortunately, I read this after already doing 6 rounds of seasoning with flax oil over two days and not prepping the surface with dilute vinegar. We'll see. Looks like it's time for some more eggs for breakfast tomorrow!

Bruce

 

[TravelingJ]

@ wahoowad: I'm really sorry to hear about your experience.

I'd seen some other folks online mentioning that they had trouble getting the seasoning to stick. I'm hoping that's not the case with my pans. Not sure if you read the Cooks Illustrated process for stripping old cast iron and re-seasoning.

They mention prepping the pan (after chemical stripping with Easy Off but prior to seasoning) with a dilute vinegar solution. I thought I'd read somewhere else that the dilute acid solution creates larger pores that allow the seasoning to better adhere after sanding.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/10429-how-to-strip-a-cast-iron-skillet

Unfortunately, I read this after already doing 6 rounds of seasoning with flax oil over two days and not prepping the surface with dilute vinegar. We'll see. Looks like it's time for some more eggs for breakfast tomorrow!

Bruce

That Cooks Illustrated link also points to a topic where they test the method that you mentioned earlier. I'm going to throw my pan in the self cleaning cycle tomorrow, and then bust out the flax seed oil! I'll be sure to try that vinegar solution. I'd love to love my cast iron.

 

[BDAABAT]

@TravelingJ: you may want to belay that idea.

I’d had very good success with other Cooks Illustrated recipes and assumed that they had the goods on things. The chemistry discussion linked ealier also seemed reasonable...that’s why I went down that path.

However, looking at one of the cast iron forums, you get a different message.
http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php

They suggest that polymerization is only part of the process for creating seasoning. The process also needs carbon. So, expensive flax oil may not be the best option.

I’ve already done a bunch of seasoning using flax. Will now proceed to just use regular old cooking oil/animal fat (depending on what I’m cooking).

I’m feeling like I’ve made this part of the process a bit too complicated. I mentioned at the beginning of the thread that I got inspired to purchase cast iron by using skillets in my Scout troop. The troop skillets never saw flax oil and they’re nearly non stick. I also purchased a discada for outings and have been using it every month for the past 6 years. My cast iron discada has never seen flax oil, and stuff generally doesn’t stick. Will try to keep it simple from now on and just cook with them, clean, then use a light coating of veggie oil.

Bruce

 

[Bbq_lover]

Just an FYI, I did do the flax seed oil seasoning to my Lodge skillets. It made them look good, but eggs still stuck for a while. I kept cooking in them and taking care of the properly and using a chain mail scrubber to clean them and now eggs don’t stick and they are nice and smooth. It will take some time after seasoning to get the results you want but I love my cast iron pans now.

 

[Jrogers84]

Older unmarked pans can usually be found cheaper than new lodge. The rougher surface should have little to no effect on the non stick properties. Its all in the seasoning. The more you cook the better they perform!

Done believe all the myths about cast iron either. Use soap. Treat it like a piece of iron I use a SS scrubbie every single time I clean mine. I do so with care and dont carve the seasoning off.

I hope this works for you in the long run. Please update me with your results. I know some people have had an issue with seasoning flaking off after this. If you are still in need of an older smooth pan LMK and Ill see what I can come up with

 

[Jrogers84]

@TravelingJ: you may want to belay that idea.

I’d had very good success with other Cooks Illustrated recipes and assumed that they had the goods on things. The chemistry discussion linked ealier also seemed reasonable...that’s why I went down that path.

However, looking at one of the cast iron forums, you get a different message.
http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php

They suggest that polymerization is only part of the process for creating seasoning. The process also needs carbon. So, expensive flax oil may not be the best option.

I’ve already done a bunch of seasoning using flax. Will now proceed to just use regular old cooking oil/animal fat (depending on what I’m cooking).

I’m feeling like I’ve made this part of the process a bit too complicated. I mentioned at the beginning of the thread that I got inspired to purchase cast iron by using skillets in my Scout troop. The troop skillets never saw flax oil and they’re nearly non stick. I also purchased a discada for outings and have been using it every month for the past 6 years. My cast iron discada has never seen flax oil, and stuff generally doesn’t stick. Will try to keep it simple from now on and just cook with them, clean, then use a light coating of veggie oil.

Bruce

Ive used flax before. Wasnt a fan of the smell so I quit using it. I now use grapeseed oil that comes in a spray can. It has no other ingredients other than grapeseed oil and it super easy to apply. Ive used just about everything under the sun and most will work. Its just as simple as finding the smoke point of the oil you are using and make sure you season above that

 

[16Adams]

I asked my 85 year old mother how they seasoned their CI back in the day. Her answer “clean it and start cooking with it”. The skillet was for frying baking boiling it did it all. She used bacon grease, lard, beef tallow, butter, tub of crisco and later Oleo (parkay).
But bottom line was she used it. Fry bacon in the morning let it sit out or in the fridge with grease and use it again at supper to fry CFS or okra. She didn’t change oil much. Saved it tilled it smelled like it was turning.
The cast iron skillet was not a special event piece of cookware. It WAS the cookware and was used frequently. With mom dad 4 kids one income we seldom ate out. Fast food was a truck stop- for truck drivers. A special dinner out was usually a hamburger. I don’t remember ever eating out anything else. I learned to cook(obviously I’m still learning) fried bologna in a cast iron skillet. I posess that Wagner today. Slick as glass, but spins.