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My cast iron pan is something I will keep until the day I die. Then it will be passed down to my daughter..
by weavie 8y ago
My cast iron pan is something I will keep until the day I die. Then it will be passed down to my daughter..
- peatmoss 8y agoYou have just one? ;-) High fives for iron. I bought an old cast iron pan from a second hand store that had been machined to a very smooth finish. After cooking eggs in it, I immediately stripped and sanded my modern Lodge cast iron. The difference is pretty big. It may not be as non-stick as Teflon, but it’s pretty darned non-stick. I assume my cast iron is also putting less cancer in my body.
- sigstoat 8y ago> I immediately stripped and sanded my modern Lodge cast iron. > I assume my cast iron is also putting less cancer in my body. what were your abrasives bonded together with, and how much of it ended up stuck in the surface of the cast iron?
- peatmoss 8y agoGood question! I did a final buff with the steel cone brush and a drill, so I’m hoping any sandpaper cancer glue was stripped away.
- nielsbot 8y agoGuess we're going to need a multiyear longitudinal study on the health risks of iron pans!
- Gibbon1 8y agoMine are ancient, one wonders what the chromium content of modern ones are though. Due to recycled scrap.
- buckminster 8y agoI'd like to try that with my Lodge. Did you sand it by hand? How long did it take? I'm not very handy!
- peatmoss 8y agoStrip it with a wire cone brush on a power drill (wear full face shield!). Then start with ~60 grit (EDIT: sandpaper). Once sanded smooth move to 80 then 100 grit. Once you’re done, give it a rinse, wipe dry thoroughly, and then season immediately or it’ll rust. I like to initially season by heating to a very hot temp, and then using flax seed oil on a paper towel held by tongs, and brush thin layers of oil on that will smoke and turn amber colored immediately. I don’t like the oven method that people write about on the internet, because the seasoning doesn’t last, it takes forever to do, and it takes way more energy to hear and cool. The “wipe oil on to hot skillet” approach works better and only takes a few minutes.
- buckminster 8y agoCheers. I'd realised it was quicker to heat the pan on the stove than in the oven but it hadn't occurred to me to apply more oil while it was hot. I'll give the sanding a go.
- adultSwim 8y agoAlso keep your eyes peeled for an old one. No 8 is a good size. Rust is fine (easy to get rid of). A good old one will be smoother and lighter than a new Lodge. $30 is a reasonable price. Still, you can't just go to the store and pick one up. I give new ones that I smooth out and season as short notice gifts.
- mark-r 8y agoOur cast iron frying pan never gets put away. There's no point, you'll just be hauling it out again next time you cook.
- post_break 8y agoI have a nice cast iron pan and one that has ceramic. The ceramic is nice because it is non stick but the cast iron just retains heat so much better.