Got them for $20, they both cook good. Here’s them complete.
Apshh, there goes all the flavor.
You scrubbed off the seasoning! /s
Remember, cast iron isn’t land fill, it is an heirloom.
This is some GOOD POSTING 🙌
One of my favorite things to do with a cast iron is to preheat it on the stove and also preheat the oven, sear a steak on one side, then flip the steak and put the pan into the oven.
Easier than butter basting, but not much of a step down in quality.
Test them for lead.
I didn’t think of that, I will have to look into that. These are from the era you would expect lead.
That, and hobbyist bullet reloaders would use these to melt lead to cast into cheap bullets. Once you melt lead in the pan it will never be food safe again, I’d go as far as to drill a hole into the bottom so no one tries.
Some people use these pans to melt and cast lead fishing weights and/or bullets.
Wild that we still put lead in bullets… Especially for hunters that then eat their kill.
Ah that explains it! No lead would survive the initial casting but using it for that after the fact makes sense.
!castiron@lemmy.world would love this
If you put a mess of elbow grease in and polish those smooth and reseaon them, you will be so satisfied.
Yeah I bought some 80 grit sand paper for removing the rust and some 1500 grit sandpaper for polishing. I also have a griddle that I didn’t get around to doing yet. I’m going to need a wire wheel for it but the nearest hardware store is a solid 30 minute drive from where I’m at.
I polished an 8” Lodge skillet a few years back and decided to work smarter. Took my random orbit 5” sander, taped some weight on the top palm rest, put on a 120 grit mesh, placed it in the pan and turned it on a low speed. It worked like a roomba hitting the sides and spinning over the pan. I needed more control as it was spiraling. I tied off the power cord to a nearby bench so the cord was fully taught at the far side of the pan. Now the sander could swing side to side without spinning. Whenever I was home I turned it on. Changed to a finer grit after the first 8 or so hours and again after another 8-10hrs.
All told that ran for 6 days, maybe 30 hours total. Got a finish as fine as my Griswold now.
My god that’s the kinda lazy I can get onboard with!
Pics?
Great thing about cast iron. As long as they’re not warped badly, they could be 200 years old and work absolutely fine.
Doing gods work
for all the children.
Nice!
Right now I have plain (uncoated) stainless steel skillets and pans… They’re lightweight, heat up quickly as they’re relatively small/thin. I clean them straight away with water and dish soap.
Does Cast Iron heat up quick? Is it easy to maintain after use?
What are the advantages?
Cast iron takes longer to heat up but maintains it heat much longer, I have a griddle that when hot enough to do pancakes, it will will still burn your hands after 45 minutes of heat being removed.
Cast iron when seasoned properly can be relatively maintance free for a while.
Cast iron can also be used on many surfaces then conventional pots and pans, in the image you see me cooking over a campfire. Cast iron is also heavy which means you don’t need to hold it when you turn something. Oh and don’t forget the fact that cast Iron can last longer then 200 years.
I personally like cast iron a lot.
New hand burning opportunities have just opened up near you! I wonder how old your cast iron is.
I one with the bacon could have bin made anywhere from 1924-36 it’s a Wagner Ware. I suspect the other one is also a wagner because the guy I got it from only had Wagner.
Cast iron is heavy, bulky and heats up, slowly. But I haven’t cooked on anything else in a very long time. The main benefits are non-destructableness, non-stickiness when seasoned well, and heat retention (e.g. when you dump a bunch of cold food on it).
Once they are seasoned properly maintenance is pretty much the same as with steel. They are not delicate flowers. Just don’t leave them in the sink or put them in the dishwasher. I rarely use soap on mine, but dish soap is just fine.
I actually tend to clean mine with oil and a paper towel. Most of the stuff that might stick to it tends to be fat/oil soluble. Dish soap doesn’t always get it.
Thanks.
I remember the weight, I tried to pick one up when cooking with a friend. Way too heavy for my liking. As for being non-stick - with most pots and pans that’s a functional on heating before putting ingredients in.
Sometimes I worry about carbonization being carcinogenic (it is, but researchers say it’s okay occasionally). I wonder how much of the “seasoning” contributes to that equation.
I think I’ll stick with Stainless steel… Mostly because there’s less neck strain involved, and I like to cool my pans immediately after use. Ssssshhhhhzzzz into the water they go.
Seasoning isn’t carbonization. If that’s what’s in your pan you’re doing it wrong. (Not ‘you’, whomever) And in my experience, carbonization is what ruins the non stick.
Seasoning is polymerized oils.
As for weight, my main go to pan is 8.5 inches and plenty light enough for me. I also have a 12 inch pan that is a beast.
I have been cleaning my scorching hot cast iron pans under a running faucet for ten years. With a lodge brush. Big cloud of steam. I think that’s the fastest way to clean them. Then just a quick wipe with some oil.
You need to start looking for some Griswold. Lightest cast iron I’ve ever owned. Garage sales are your best bet for scoring them at a decent price. Any reseller knows what they’re worth and that ain’t cheap.
I’d say the heaviness is one of the reasons to use cast iron for the heat retention. If I wanted lightness then carbon steel is the way to go.
Griswolds retain slightly less heat, but also heat up quicker. My 10” weighs 3lb 12oz, the Lodge is 6lb 2oz. That makes a big difference if you use it to sauté. They are a true joy to cook with. If they weren’t a superior product you wouldn’t have to pay over $1,000 for some of their skillets.
Don’t pay a grand for cast iron it just makes you look like a sucker.
