As you can see from the pictures, the surface of the skillet is no longer smooth. What are y'all's thoughts on how to fix this? I was thinking just to take a wire brush and scrape it all down until it's nice and smooth again and just start over with re-seasoning the surface. Any other ideas are welcome!

looks like a wire brush/sander may be required.

You can throw it in the self clean cycle and just start from scratch as well.

Vinegar and water will take all of that off. Put it on the stove with the heat on med low and let it work.

On a side note it looks like a well seasoned skillet.

Wait is that buildup or chipping?

Thanks for the tips! I'll go try the vinegar and water and see where it goes before moving on to the brush if needed.

It's not chipping as far as I can tell. I think it's just been slowly building up and I didn't do as good of job seasoning and cleaning it as I needed.

Run it through the dish washer to clean it. (if that doesn't work, use the self cleaning cycle of your oven or a can of ezoff)

Then follow this to the letter
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

+1 on leaving it in the oven on the self cleaning cycle. A friend of mine accidentally did this and it stripped down the skillet back to brand new conditions.

Curious how it got in that condition. I've got one over 40 years old and it's as smooth as any non-stick skillet.

Wow, thanks for the resource! Looks like I need to buy some flax oil.

As for how the pan got that way, I'm pretty sure we cooked something and left it in the pan too long that partially stripped off the seasoning. It didn't use to be this noticeable, but has become worse over the years somehow.

Be careful with using vinegar and water. It works almost too well, and can cause pitting if you leave the skillet in there too long.

Buy a chain mail scrubber similar to the one below, works wonders on grime but doesn't scar the patina.

https://www.amazon.com/Hudson-Essentials-Stainless-Chainmail-Scrubber/dp/B00KQCJ0CG

I'd wire brush it down to clean metal, sand with 220 grit, then reseason with flax seed oil per the directions in the link above.

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Run it through the dish washer to clean it. (if that doesn't work, use the self cleaning cycle of your oven or a can of ezoff)

Then follow this to the letter
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

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I second this website.

I've been told not to do the skillet in the oven self-clean cycle due because it is a fire hazard. I'm not saying not to do it, but use caution and if there's a lot of buildup on the pan, it could ignite. Maybe dishwasher first then self-clean cycle?

There is a googlable trick with potatoes and salt or rice that is supposed to work well

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There is a googlable trick with potatoes and salt or rice that is supposed to work well

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lots of oil
lots of coarse salt
potatoe

Is supposed to scrape the build-up off, but I havent had good luck with that on heavy build-up. Small things its great for.

This is interesting...I have a lodge one as well and was curious how to get the rough interior off.

Lye is way too easy to do it any other way. A can of drano crystals in a 5 gallon bucket of water and the gunk will just fall off.

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Lye is way too easy to do it any other way. A can of drano crystals in a 5 gallon bucket of water and the gunk will just fall off.

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easy off oven cleaner (the non fume free version) contains lye as well.

A good spray down
place in plastic bag
store somewhere warm for a day or two
scrub clean
re-season
bacon
???
profit

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Lye is way too easy to do it any other way. A can of drano crystals in a 5 gallon bucket of water and the gunk will just fall off.

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Lye is the reason why people didn't wash cast iron back in the old days - because it would strip the seasoning off due to the corrosive nature of the soap.

But today we have modern dish soap - and it does absolutely nothing to strip seasoning off of cast iron. So actually washing your pans and skillets is the best thing to do to prevent excessive buildup. Because that excessive buildup is not "seasoning" - it's poor care of your good cooking utensils and it does not provide anything beneficial to the cook. Clean your cast iron.

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Lye is way too easy to do it any other way. A can of drano crystals in a 5 gallon bucket of water and the gunk will just fall off.

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Lye is the reason why people didn't wash cast iron back in the old days - because it would strip the seasoning off due to the corrosive nature of the soap.

But today we have modern dish soap - and it does absolutely nothing to strip seasoning off of cast iron. So actually washing your pans and skillets is the best thing to do to prevent excessive buildup. Because that excessive buildup is not "seasoning" - it's poor care of your good cooking utensils and it does not provide anything beneficial to the cook. Clean your cast iron.

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I wash mine after each use with dish soap and a stainless steel scrubbing pad. It's doing great.

If you don't want to use the oven method, fill the pan with kosher salt, throw it on a propane turkey fryer for an hour or so. It'll stink, but it will burn off all that excess, obviously this is done outside.

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If you don't want to use the oven method, fill the pan with kosher salt, throw it on a propane turkey fryer for an hour or so. It'll stink, but it will burn off all that excess, obviously this is done outside.

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that made my kitchen stink just thinking about it.

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If you don't want to use the oven method, fill the pan with kosher salt, throw it on a propane turkey fryer for an hour or so. It'll stink, but it will burn off all that excess, obviously this is done outside.

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Oh come on, you're no fun!

We do it from time to time to clean out our carbon steel in the kitchen.

Pro vent-hoods allow us to have more fun !

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We do it from time to time to clean out our carbon steel in the kitchen.

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I've been wanting to get some carbon steel pans. I assume you use them in the restaurant? Always wondered why they haven't caught on in American home kitchens.

NATE AG03 said:

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We do it from time to time to clean out our carbon steel in the kitchen.

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I've been wanting to get some carbon steel pans. I assume you use them in the restaurant? Always wondered why they haven't caught on in American home kitchens.

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Its a combo of the glass cook tops and weight IMO.

Well the weight of carbon steel is less than cast iron, and glass is becoming less and less an attractive option (just about the worst option....imo)


Why they haven't caught on?
I'd wager it's the appeal of old cast iron. Using the stuff your, or some Grandma, used "forever" is kinda cool. That, plus all clad and the like spend a TON on marketing making you think a copper core (...etc) is superior.


There is a time and place for stainless, saut and searing isn't that time if your comparing to carbon or cast.

I use my carbon steel at home as well, but all my home carbon steel has been commandeered for the restaurant. So, ATM, I'm all cast iron at home. As well as come really old alum and some stuff Mom used all my life. (Man did she get angry when I threw that stuff in the dishwasher.....)

If you want some:

De Buyer

EOT

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Well the weight of carbon steel is less than cast iron, and glass is becoming less and less an attractive option (just about the worst option....imo)

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and its still heavier than stainless or non-stick. So when my parents are cooking on their glass cooktop, the weight is prohibitive for my mom and my dad would die if he scratched the glass.

So I'm sticking with weight and glass cooktops as why they havent caught on.

Just don't go Leroy Jenkins on it and you'll be ok!

This cast iron skillet has a really nice cooking surface! At $80, it does seem a bit much, but I'd love to have season something that smooth and see how non-stick it turns out.

I would caution that pan..... welded handle.

Though I am really excited to see people go up against Lodge, 'cause Lodge sucks.