Cast Iron cooking

[acorneau]

Figured you guys might appreciate this one...

 

[benenglish]

Figured you guys might appreciate this one...

That was good. Thanks.

 

[ed308]

Interesting video. Hard to beat a Lodge skillet.

 

[robertc1024]

Damn! Anybody actually look up the price of those Butter Pat skillets? 10" - $195, 12" - $295, 14" - $395

Never heard of them before and unlikely to own one. I started digging around about sanding on the skillets though. Thought about it because our relatively new Lodge one is definitely not smooth. It's as bad about arguing over 9mm and .45 ACP.

 

[acorneau]

I picked up a Lodge 12" skillet super-cheap recently and it's very rough. I'm used to my smooth Wagner-ware and Findlay/Smarts cast iron so I'm seriously considering grinding it down.

 

[ed308]

I though that I read somewhere the roughness was on purpose, maybe to help with seasoning of the pan. I bought my mother in law a Lodge for Christmas that was really rough, But it seasoned better and faster than my smooth Lodge pan.

 

[skfullgun]

Guess what I made for supper.... A bone in ribeye, onions, and jalapeños - all fried in my huge, cast iron chicken-fryer from Guide Gear. That'll make Bob holler!

 

[skfullgun]

I thought I had a photo, but it got deleted. It was awesome!

 

[robertc1024]

I picked up a Lodge 12" skillet super-cheap recently and it's very rough. I'm used to my smooth Wagner-ware and Findlay/Smarts cast iron so I'm seriously considering grinding it down.

I though that I read somewhere the roughness was on purpose, maybe to help with seasoning of the pan. I bought my mother in law a Lodge for Christmas that was really rough, But it seasoned better and faster than my smooth Lodge pan.

See what I mean? Which one of you is the 9, and which is the .45?

 

[acorneau]

Nah, the benefits of a smooth cooking surface outweigh any from an unfinished surface.

This is from Lodge's own website...

"My new pan feels rough in some areas. Is this normal?

Yes. This is a result of the sand casting process. With use and replenishment of the seasoning, the pan will become smoother. Unlike other types of cookware, Lodge Cast Iron only gets better with use. For concerns about roughness, it is OK to use a fine grade of sandpaper to smooth out the rough areas. Make sure to re-season the item before using.."

They say it will get smoother with use, and that it gets better with use, ergo smoother is better.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

I though that I read somewhere the roughness was on purpose, maybe to help with seasoning of the pan. I bought my mother in law a Lodge for Christmas that was really rough, But it seasoned better and faster than my smooth Lodge pan.

Sorta, kinda. The roughness is there for a purpose and that is to hold the carbon build up to the bottom of the skillet. After time it forms a solid carbon surface that almost nothing will stick to, but to get it to stick to the skillet or pan thick enough the surface has to be rough.

I would suggest if you want that skillet to work as it has for over a 100 years you do NOT grind down the inner surface or you will ruin the pan.

That said after enough years the carbon build up become rough and uneven and it has to be removed. The PROPER way to do that with a quality iron pan is to heat it quite hot and evenly, I recommend putting in the oven at max temp which is 450F but if your oven has a clean cycle it will got to about 550F. Then pour room temp water quickly into the pan*.

You want to do this outside and with gloves and face/eye protection!!!! The water will explode into steam, the rapid cooling will cause the carbon to rapidly cool and shatter.

For you OLD timers like me, this is how you do a head/valve job on gas engines that burned lead based gasoline. Run engine till hot, at fast idle pour in a 12 oz can of water while revving the engine. Undo your muffler so it won't catch all the carbon flakes that blow out. Dishonest garages would charge about $125 for a valve job and all you got was a can of water poured thru a hot running engine...

 

[TheDan]

I though that I read somewhere the roughness was on purpose...

Yes, it is on purpose... It's a cost saving measure.

If you see the retail price on the ones that come smooth, you'll be happy to smooth out a Lodge yourself.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Yes, it is on purpose... It's a cost saving measure.

If you see the retail price on the ones that come smooth, you'll be happy to smooth out a Lodge yourself.

At best that would be an adjunct to the reason I stated. The carbon is not thin enough to sink into the pores of the cast iron as a result it needs some to grip to develop that carbon based not stick surface, with out it will randomly stick at best, come off quite easily and not lead to a uniform smooth surface. The carbon has to depend upon a cohesive attraction as it has little adhesive properties on its own.

That is why the surface is left rough, like a lot of surfaces, they have to be rouged with sandpaper or an abrasive in order to get things like paint etc to stick.

 

[ed308]

That would make sense when comparing my pan (a older smoother Lodge) compared to the new Lodge rough surface pan like what we gave our Mother in Law for present. Her rough pan is much slicker than mine and built a finish much faster.

 

[gdr_11]

If you want new and smooth you have to pay....these are around $275 a piece but one day I will buy a set and keep them out in my work shop and cook on my gas burner where the wife cant see what I am using

 

[gshayd]

I try and keep the wife away from my good pans. I tell her to buy her own set and ruin them

 

[bowjunky39$]

I try and keep the wife away from my good pans. I tell her to buy her own set and ruin them

agree 100%

 

[Axxe55]

I don't think there is anything better than cast iron cookware. Absolutely bulletproof. And even wife proof!

 

[BRD@66]

If you want new and smooth you have to pay....these are around $275 a piece but one day I will buy a set and keep them out in my work shop and cook on my gas burner where the wife cant see what I am using

I try and keep the wife away from my good pans. I tell her to buy her own set and ruin them

agree 100%

I don't think there is anything better than cast iron cookware. Absolutely bulletproof. And even wife proof!

Wow! The Man Cave has been resurrected.

 

[sidebite252]

Well, speaking of cast iron this is what wifey slung out this weekend.