Cast iron cookware

[IanC]

I've been fighting buying cast iron for many years but I'm just so sick of fighting sticky frying pans that I think I'm going to buy one cast iron skillet.

I have two skillets, a medium size that I use for most things and a small one that I keep just for eggs.  I found them in the basement of an old house I bought 14 years ago so I don't know how old they are, but they have seen use almost every day I've had them.  They are so seasoned and slick, they are better than any teflon I've owned.

As far as cleaning I put a half inch of water in, bring it to a boil, dump the water out, wipe with a paper towel and then put it back on the stove to make sure it's dry and them wipe the insides with a bit of oil. I do use a scrubbie lightly when anything sticks and any seasoning that is removed is replaced when I re-oil it.  I don't think I've ever washed the small egg pan though - eggs slide right out like those as-seen-on-tv pans.



   

[Snikwahjm]

Video about cleaning cast iron

[heron]

I have two griswolds and a birmingham, and a wagner griddle. Just looked 'em up, and all except the birmingham, which was made in the sixties, probably, are pre WW II, between the 20s and 1940. Was given one, and the others are yard sale/thrift acquisitions of 40 years ago or so. They are all just as smooth as a smelt. I love them. They aren't light as a feather, but they're the best. I use two hands with the big one, and it's so worth it.

One thing: I would not clean them as in the video, because it takes too much seasoning away. I either do the salt thing, like SW, or if stuff is stuck on them, I put just enough water in to cover the gorp, and as it heats, scrape the stuff off. It comes right loose, and cleanly, very quickly. Dump it, rinse quickly, and dry with a paper towel, which will also wipe off any residue. A *small* amount of oil, maybe quarter sized, spread with a paper towel, and it's ready to go.

[Snikwahjm]

I found an old grizwald skillet at the goodwill where you weigh it outlet. Cost less than $5. It was too well seasoned and rusted. We cleaned it up and reseasoned it... it is now my favorite skillet. It is lighter weight than most but no featherweight. That gave me courage to clean up my grandma’s cruddy looking skillet and it is a grizwald, too.

[Anna]

We need to get an iron skillet also apart from the nonstick advantage when seasoned well it also has the added benefit of introducing iron to the food which is a good thing for the ladies or anyone who is iron deficient.

[MN C Van]

Funny how they get us to discard cast iron because no-stick is so great.
Then everybody decides that cast iron is the thing and discards the no-stick ...

[heron]

Aaaaack! I wouldn't give one of those nonstick ones house room! My mother bought one way back when, and gave it away.

[Anna]

Funny how they get us to discard cast iron because no-stick is so great.
Then everybody decides that cast iron is the thing and discards the no-stick ...

My husband used to have a lot of non-stick pans but i got him to get rid of them for health reasons. As the nonstick pans become toxic once they get a scratch on them and leach the toxins into the food. So we brought stainless steel pots and pans to cook with, we did look at the cast iron ones too but they were too heavy for me lift and use.

[Snikwahjm]

There is cast iron and there is cast iron. The old grizwald skillets aren’t near as heavy. I have an induction cook top and the combo is wonderful. The grizwald skillet is a lot thinner looking than the usual from China skillet. It also is polished and so smooth.

[Blacktank]

so i ask my mom about the old cast iron pans and she gave them away to my evil sister who most likely found out there was a dollar to be made,well today she bought me an 8" and 10" pan,lodge brand,thinner than the older stuff but should work fine

the issue is the cooking surface is about 60 grit,sand the crap out of them till nice smooth surface?