Christmas break project: smooth new Lodge skillets

[BDAABAT]

@ 16Adams. Yup, that's the same story that was told to me by my grandmother. I also remember grand mom having an old coffee can sitting on the counter right by the stove for saving bacon grease. That grease would end up being used for cooking, and hence, regularly seasoning the cast iron.

Not only are the pigs different today than they were back in the day (different diets lead to different types of fat produced), but more practically, I don't save the bacon grease. But, I DO release new bacon grease! That's what I did this morning with the 10" pan.



Plus some eggs and shredded cheese.



Looking good so far:



Pan after sliding the eggs out. Performed beautifully!



NOTE: This was a pan that I previously refused to use for cooking eggs because whenever I would make eggs prior to sanding, the eggs would stick and I'd loose what little of my mind was left.

My breakfast this morning: bacon, eggs, shredded cheese, sriracha, cold brew coffee. All accompanied by Boots the 18 lb part Maine Coon cat.



And, fatty production in process. Dusted with Simply Marvelous cherry:



Bruce

 

[JEStucker]

I'm an avid garage sale junky and have acquired a nice collection of vintage cast iron, my wife has a love/hate relationship with it, she loves the way it cooks, hates the weight, but I have tossed all of our "modern" non-stick stuff out gradually. Generally when a "new" cast iron pan comes into the house it either gets run through the propane grill for several hours, shoved into the coals of the smoker (now that I have one I'll try it eventually) or put through the self clean cycle. If you do the self-clean cycle, cold days are best, and be ready for SMOKE, lots and lots of SMOKE. I'll try and get some pictures of my collection when I'm not at work and think about it.

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

I've found that using the pan frequently is the best way to season it. Things use to stick in the beginning, but I made it a habit to plate my food, pour a drink, and go back to wipe my skillet clean while it's still warm. Haven't had an issue since. I did consider sanding my pans (all are lodge minus 1), but thought I would give them a good use before I took such effort

 

[pitbossJB]

I was getting nostalgic for a Griswold and looked on eBay. Holy moly! They must be made of gold! I'll have to feed my lust by going to garage sales and the like.

 

[16Adams]

Keep looking. The old ones are nice to have. I don’t do eBay any more. Perhaps send a family email to family and friends seeking a vintage skillet that’s tucked away. They’re really not rare per se. some pieces are highly sought after collector pieces. All mine are for using

 

[TravelingJ]

If you do the self-clean cycle, cold days are best, and be ready for SMOKE, lots and lots of SMOKE.

You're not kidding. Every smoke detector in my house has gone off today. I'm also in Independence, so luckily it's plenty cold here. I have a few windows cracked, brrr.

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

This is my only non Lodge pan. Calaphon (sp?) pan that I used yesterday for a steak and today for a horrible looking omelet. I used maybe a tablespoon of oil, and nothing really stuck, clean up was a breeze too. I've had and used this pan for a year now.

 

[One Drop]

I used the family cast iron open for years, it was perfectly smooth and worked beautifully. I put it on the stove, on the grill, and on open fires, and my mom cooked near everything on it before me, as did her mom, who she got it from when it got too heavy for her ti use.

A few months ago I got the bug again, after using de Buyer carbon steel pans for years. They are great nut I missed the cast iron thickness and the whole vibe of cooking with them.

I bough a new Lodge 12", ignored all the BS on Youtube, and cooked with it. It worked almost as well as my old family one did from new, and after a few weeks it is now getting really nice, and has a rock hard seasoning layer that is already deep black.

What I did :

- Use it. A lot
- season it in the oven about 6 times, with lard
- use steel spatulas. I also got a piece of chain metal from Petromax, the German cast iron company, that I use to wipe it with if there is anything at all crusty on the inside.
- Cook potato peels and salt in a lot of lard at first. This really helps to start a seasoning layer.

It is already much smoother than it was, and eggs have cooked fine since the second time I used it.

Scientifically speaking there is no validity to the argument that a smooth pan is less non-stick then a bumpy one, the question is strictly an aesthetic one. I agree a smooth pan is better looking and an old mirror slick thick seasoned cast iron pan is a thing of beauty, I miss that old pan that was handed down through three generations, I'm not sure what ever happened to it, but I think Teflon and a few house moves must have signalled the death knell, or at least retirement, for it.

 

[Czarbecue]

I have trouble keeping my cast iron away from the wife. She always want to wash it.

 

[BDAABAT]

I have trouble keeping my cast iron away from the wife. She always want to wash it.

I hear you! I have issues with my in-laws wanting to put my knives in the dishwasher. :crazy:

Bruce

 

[Blizzard]

I like your idea of sanding the pans with the electric drill. I’ve thought about doing that. I too could never get cast iron to slip eggs out like non stick. I have both new and old cast iron. Some Wagner, Griswold and some Lodge.

The Griswold is very slick, it also weighs a lot less than the Lodge, it isn’t as thick or heavy. I’ve also had good luck with the Lodge Steel pans. They are not cast iron, and a lot smoother straight from the factory. Plus they aren’t as heavy but have similar cooking characteristics as cast iron.

For beans and acidic foods, I have a couple pieces of enamel set iron, the Le Crueset brand. They are just wonderful. The inside is coated with a clear enamel to protect the cast iron and not react with acids.

 

[BDAABAT]

For beans and acidic foods, I have a couple pieces of enamel set iron, the Le Crueset brand. They are just wonderful. The inside is coated with a clear enamel to protect the cast iron and not react with acids.

Another plug for Le Creuset. I grew up with a couple of their Dutch ovens that my parents had received as wedding gifts. The Dutch ovens got regular use over the years and were NOT treated well. My folks were really good cooks but not so great at caring for their gear. My mom still uses one of the Dutch ovens ~60 years later.

Bruce

 

[rookiedad]

i have old fashioned smooth lodge pans, new ones with the bumps on them, carbon steel woks and i use them all... as paperweights! i never really got the hang of seasoning them. i would get a nice surface going and then either burn it off or cook something in them that would eat the seasoning off, and then they would rust. still i think that the product that can be had from cast iron is somewhat better than can be had from regullar pans as i had probably the best breakfast sausages i ever had from a cast iron dutch oven on a boyscout camp trip and they were just jones sausage, but for the little bit of better quality in the food , they are just not worth the aggravation. they sure do hold down paper in a breeze though!

 

[Joshw]

i have old fashioned smooth lodge pans, new ones with the bumps on them, carbon steel woks and i use them all... as paperweights! i never really got the hang of seasoning them. i would get a nice surface going and then either burn it off or cook something in them that would eat the seasoning off, and then they would rust. still i think that the product that can be had from cast iron is somewhat better than can be had from regullar pans as i had probably the best breakfast sausages i ever had from a cast iron dutch oven on a boyscout camp trip and they were just jones sausage, but for the little bit of better quality in the food , they are just not worth the aggravation. they sure do hold down paper in a breeze though!

Seasoning is an ongoing process. You can't just season, and call it good. There is always an extra step involved. I always wash my pans, as soon as I am done cooking, and wipe with oil or lard, and bake in the oven to dry. Do that, and you will be well on your way to great cast iron, new or old.

 

[rookiedad]

did it already! thanks though. just not worth the effort for me for the small amount of quality as compared to a regular pan. you want non-stick? try a copper chef! it's almost hard to keep food in the pan! :grin: www.copperchef.com

 

[TravelingJ]

did it already! thanks though. just not worth the effort for me for the small amount of quality as compared to a regular pan. you want non-stick? try a copper chef! it's almost hard to keep food in the pan! :grin: www.copperchef.com

I'm about to go that route. I just spent the past 2 days running the oven on self clean cycles, and all sorts of on and off for heating pans for seasoning cycles. 5 rounds on the 12" Lodge. Went to cook a fried egg this morning, even added more oil to it, and it stuck worse that before. I think its time for my cast iron to go into the back of my deepest cabinet.

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

I'm about to go that route. I just spent the past 2 days running the oven on self clean cycles, and all sorts of on and off for heating pans for seasoning cycles. 5 rounds on the 12" Lodge. Went to cook a fried egg this morning, even added more oil to it, and it stuck worse that before. I think its time for my cast iron to go into the back of my deepest cabinet.

What are you doing between cycles?
How hot was the pan when you added the egg?

I've learned that there is a learning curve when it come to using and seasoning cast iron. I still can't really bake in my pans yet, but I feel like I'm getting there slowly.

 

[One Drop]

I'm about to go that route. I just spent the past 2 days running the oven on self clean cycles, and all sorts of on and off for heating pans for seasoning cycles. 5 rounds on the 12" Lodge. Went to cook a fried egg this morning, even added more oil to it, and it stuck worse that before. I think its time for my cast iron to go into the back of my deepest cabinet.

I think the self clean cycles are way too hot, you are burning off the fat each time rather than polymerising it.

Season by rubbing with lard or oil, and wiping off all excess, when the pan is hand warm or a bit hotter, then season upside down for an hour at around 300F°-350°F, you will end up with a good base seasoning that will then build up with regular use.

Try cooking a mess of potato peels and a big handful of rock salt in a dollop of lard, until the potatoes are crisped completely. This really helps lay a layer down as well. Don't give up, the results are a delight. There is a flavour element to cooking with cast iron or carbon steel pans that is unmistakeable and improves the end product in an obvious way, both from the improved Maillard effect compared to Teflon, and from the ions transmitted from the metal to the meat during cooking.

This and the great ability to retain and maintain a level heat makes for a very useful pan. I can get as good or better sear from carbon steel pans but that is the one and only thing they are good at besides transfer to an oven to complete the cooking, for other dishes where liquids and other ingredients are added later I'll take cast iron or a sauté pan instead depending on the acidity of the ingredients and length of the time I'll need to finish.

Anyone cook in cast iron dutch ovens, with coals? That is such a fantastic method of cooking, another skill no one should be without, and the quality of food you can make over a campfire or fire-pit is off the charts. I'm currently lusting over these Petromax pans from Germany, they have a very clever set of pots and cookers that mostly fit together and that have multiple uses, similar to Lodge but with the addition of their camping stoves and other accessories. Their Atago grill is a work of pure genius:

https://www.petromax.de/en/products/bbq-outdoor-cooking/

 

[Cook]

I'm about to go that route. I just spent the past 2 days running the oven on self clean cycles, and all sorts of on and off for heating pans for seasoning cycles. 5 rounds on the 12" Lodge. Went to cook a fried egg this morning, even added more oil to it, and it stuck worse that before. I think its time for my cast iron to go into the back of my deepest cabinet.

I do hope you'e not trying to season with the self-cleaning cycle.

The self-clean will strip the pan clean and leave you with bare cast iron. I do this to every pan I buy either new or used (from sources unknown). I normally set the timer for three hours, but it actually might strip it in two (don't know, never tried it for just two hours).

Here's another piece of information...the initial seasoning will hardly ever deliver you a pan that is non-stick. You have to cook on the thing a while before food easily releases.

If you want more of an "instant gratification" feeling, buy a carbon steel pan (don't buy a Lodge steel pan...I have one & it's the least favorite of the four I own). You can buy expensive ones online like de Buyer, or you can get less expensive pans from places like restaurant supply stores & Asian groceries. I only cook our eggs in carbon steel. The best part of it is one 5 minute seasoning session & eggs slide around like they are on ice. PS...nothing seasons or makes these non-stick like pork fat!

 

[BDAABAT]

I'm about to go that route. I just spent the past 2 days running the oven on self clean cycles, and all sorts of on and off for heating pans for seasoning cycles. 5 rounds on the 12" Lodge. Went to cook a fried egg this morning, even added more oil to it, and it stuck worse that before. I think its time for my cast iron to go into the back of my deepest cabinet.

Really sorry to hear about your experience. I HATE it with the white hot heat of a thousand suns hate when eggs stick in the pan (yes, i understand I have a problem...and that’s why I started this project!).

My experience has been very positive cooking with the sanded and seasoned pans. I’ve been using the pans and have been working on trying to not obsess (well...not too much) over them and just been using them.

For example; Yesterday breakfast was left over fatty (only a small chunk left) that I supplemented with some pre cooked bacon. Didnt add fat to the pan...the amount released by the pre cooked bacon was plenty. Whipped up a couple eggs, dropped them in, added some cheese, and everything just...worked. Eggs were scrambled and never stuck to the pan. Everything slid out and onto the plate. Clean up was easy...after the pan cooled, just ran it under water, wiped out with a paper towel to remove small bits of food. Then dried. Small amount of veggie oil added and wiped down.

Is this process better than using a new $20 10” non stick pan from Costco? Does the food taste better from one pan vs. another? No. Both the Costco non stick pan and the $16 Lodge pan perform well. However, based on my past experience, the Costco pan will need to be replaced in 2 or 3 years as the non stick surface ages/degrades. We’ll see what happens with the cast iron.

For me, this was mostly about having a project. I’m not a handy guy, so applying my very limited skill to something that ended up improving the product is kinda cool. YMMV.

Bruce