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Anyone into cast iron?

75,022 Views | 326 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by schmellba99
Log
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BECAUSE PO CAMPO COOKED BEANS IN A DUTCH OVEN BECAUSE HIS WIFE WAS IN HELL (WHERE HE SENT HER)!

So, within the last week, I got bit by the bug, and went from a single BSR 10 5/8" skillet, which I obtained somewhere between HS graduation and numerous post-college roommates (it could have even been a family passdown, but I honestly don't know), to about 10 vintage pieces scavenged from family, a roadside junk shop (although an extremely rusty Taiwan #5 snuck in with them), and Goodwill. Another extremely crusty (old seasoning) #5 of unknown origin (markings are obscured by years of crap on the bottom) is currently soaking in the electrolysis tank, and I'll be doing a mass seasoning of 5-6 skillets of various sizes (3 through 8) within the next few days. Wagner's, a BSR #3, a vintage 3-notch Lodge #3, and a few that are TDB.

Anyone else? Or am I the only one with a bit of culture on the OB? Didn't want to go to the food board, lest I get laughed out for not using a Finex/Stargazer/Smithey.
marcel ledbetter
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That's all I cook with. The Griswold 8" skillet in my camp box is over one hundred years old now. I have a mix of Griswold, Wagner and Lodge pieces. Mrs. Ledbetter makes blackberry cobbler in the Dutch oven over coals when we're at the coast. We pick them fresh of the vine.
Kenneth_2003
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You're not the only one with culture, you're late to the party good sir!

Welcome!
BCO07
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I use a 10" skillet damn near daily. Something cheap like Lodge. Works just fine, but I am thinking of ripping off all the seasoning, grinding it down and starting over
FSGuide
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Yeah I have 8 & 12" skillets and a 13" wok that I use all the time. I also have a double sided griddle that I use quite a bit for baking fish, grilling steaks (on a fire) and of course for breakfast stuff.
plowboy1065
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I have several pieces I found in an old camp house in South Texas that I brought home and cleaned up. Can't beat cast iron
BurrOak
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Last year I bought myself a new Lodge 12" skillet. Prior to that, all I had was a 10" Taiwan skillet. Kinda like you, I'm not real sure where I even got it.

I sanded down the inside of the new Lodge down to smooth it up a bit, but not completely smooth. It's a big, heavy sum*****. And it's about all I cook with now.
FiTxAg04
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I've just got an 8" and a 10" Lodge that I've used for the last several years now that I smoothed out and re-seasoned. My wife and I both love cooking on them. A couple months back, I threw down on a couple of these
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/innovative-cast-iron/marquette-castings-superior-cast-iron-skillets to replace the Lodges, if they're worthy. Anxiously awaiting their shipment.
Tree Hugger
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I've got a large Academy Brand skillet that I've put a lot of work into and a late 40's Griswold that I picked up at an antique store last year in North Carolina. That sucker is like cooking on glass.
jtp01
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I have tons of cast iron all old Wagner and one with no markings (probably has the best seasoning).

I cook 90% of our meals and use cast iron in some manner for each meal. I fry eggs regularly in my cast iron because it's more "non stick" than the teflon coated stuff you can get.

A baked spaghetti in cast iron is awesome.
Corps_Ag12
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I have a 6" Lodge & a 10" Lodge cast iron pans.

Use the smaller one to do my steaks in. Would like to get a dutch oven for camping.
stdeb11
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I've got two Lodge pans that convert into a Dutch oven sorta thing... Haven't used that feature but use them fairly regularly
schmellba99
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It's about all I cook with. Inherited a bunch of my grandfather's and after it sitting in the garage for a few years, finally got around to cleaning and re-seasoning.

Took a wire wheel on my angle grinder and got all of the rust, old seasoning and leftover crap on there off and got it down to bare metal. Then took my orbital sander and sanded the cooking surface with various grits of sandpaper - ended up with 220 I think and it was hell for smooth after that. Re-seasoned with flax seed oil - 3 or 4 layers of that (heat oven to 200, put pan in for an hour - take flax seed oil and douse some on a paper towel, rub the surface down, back in the oven at 450-500 for 2 hours, turn oven off and let cool overnight), then started cooking. A good smooth seasoning is on up there with non stick when it comes to cooking.

Make sure you get your skillet/pan hot first, then add your fat and let it heat up too - then start cooking your food. Amazing how little ends up sticking when you follow these two steps. Throw food on before everything heats up and crap will stick all over the place.

Tip: Wash your cookware. The old addage that you don't wash cast iron is outdated and not applicable. Old high caustic lye soap would strip seasoning - but modern dish soaps don't. Wash your pots and pans when you are done. A heavy crust is not seasoning - it's a heavy crust that both inhibits consistent cooking and shows that you aren't one that thinks sanitation is important. Don't use metal if possible (I fail miserably at this personally) - use wood utensils. Keeps from nicking or chipping a good seasoning.
Duncan Idaho
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http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
TwoMarksHand
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If you have RFDtv there is a guy who hosts a cooking show that airs on Monday (maybe on Tuesday) afternoons. Cookin' Outdoors with Johnny Nix. He is a goofy suma buck, but man, does he cook some good looking food. All cast iron over a fire.

Johnny's Website

Edit: his show airs Monday at 3pm Central.
Finn Maccumhail
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I use cast-iron pretty extensively but I've not gotten into hunting up vintage stuff. I've got one old Dutch oven in the garage that I inherited which needs to be stripped down and re-seasoned and I'm not sure of it's provenance. However, everything else I've got is Lodge. A couple of skillets, a reversible griddle, and a Dutch oven.

During the week we don't cook much because we're so busy and usually rely on Snap Kitchen type meals but on weekends I use the cast-iron for almost everything except when we boil pasta. The fairly uniform distribution of heat due to the heavy cast-iron is excellent for a wide range of cooking.
schmellba99
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Another tidbit:

Vintage cast iron is no better than modern cast iron, especially if you need to strip and re-season. The only drawback to newer stuff (Lodge especially) is the lack of a good smooth finish on their surfaces. Which is easy to fix.

Also - you don't know what the old cast iron was used for. I know that cast iron was popular for lead casting back when aluminum pots became all the rage and cast iron became a cast aside item. My great grandmother had a pan that was used as an oil (vehicle) pan for years.

Don't get me wrong, an old Wagner or Griswold that is in good shape is a great piece of equipment, but just because it says Wagner or Griswold over Lodge or whatever doesn't mean it's somehow better at what it does.
Icecream_Ag
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I'll just soap and water if I have something stuck on, but generally a good scrub with a scrub brush gets everything off.
sawemoffshort85
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I have one reversible griddle. 1 - 6" skillet, 2 -- 10" skillets, 1-14" skillet and 2 "corn ear cornbread pans. All of the skillets were passed down from my grandmother and great grandmother. The 14" was my great grandmother's that she received as a wedding gift late in the 19th centurey.

I also have 1 - 8" DO, 3 - 10" DO, 1 - 12" shallow DO (aka a "bread" oven, 2 - deep 12" DO, 1 - 14" DO
All of the DOs are actually CDOs (Camp Dutch Oven) meaning that they have three legs on the bottom for use over coals. The DOs are a mix of Lodge, Wagner and very old and unidentifiable. They've come from pass downs, Christmas gifts, antique shops and retired Scouters.

Yes, I could feed an army - and have! Much the way the old saying goes, you can have them when you pry them out of my cold, dead fingers...probably due to a coronary from trying to load my 14 into my truck!
Creek06
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Need to check out Kent Rollins. He has a couple camps every year where he shows folks how to really cook on cast iron. He is a friend of the family (so i am kinda biased) and cooks out of a chuckwagon with tons of cast iron. If anything he has some great stories and the man knows his stuff better than anyone i have every listened to or watched.

Website is Kentrollins.com
rather be fishing
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My cast iron was out of hand, so I downsized in 2016. I offloaded a #12 Lodge (recent made), a #8 BSR dutch oven, and a #10 BSR dutch oven.

I now have a '60s era #5 Griswold, a '40s-'50s era BSR chicken fryer, and a pre-1904 'ERIE' #9 dutch oven.

These 3 cover everything I need.
Bighamp03
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Cast iron reproduces like guns or camera lenses for me. Every time I look away and then look back, there are more of them.

EFE
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How else am I supposed to get wicked good sears on all my sous vide deliciousness?
New Hampshire Ag
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Icecream_Ag
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Likeke98 said:

Since I started using our Lodge pan about 6 months ago I don't think any other pan has come out of the cupboard.
I am not the best at seasoning cast iron. Any tips?
if you are starting from raw iron

1) make sure its clean
2) warm in 200* oven
3) apply very thin coat of flax seed oil
4) wipe away excess oil (have a dedicated cotton cloth for this step)
5) put pan back in oven and increase heat to 500* (or hotter if available)
6) once oven is at 500* cook for 1 hour
7) turn off oven and leave pan inside for 2-4 hours (until cool enough to handle)
8) repeat steps 3-7 3-5 more times
Icecream_Ag
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if you want to know how to strip the current seasoning

read the first half of this or just throw it the self clean cycle in your oven.

dont follow the seasoning in this article, use the one posted earlier on this thread (or follow my previous post, they are similar enough)
rather be fishing
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Icecream_Ag said:

Likeke98 said:

Since I started using our Lodge pan about 6 months ago I don't think any other pan has come out of the cupboard.
I am not the best at seasoning cast iron. Any tips?
if you are starting from raw iron

1) make sure its clean
2) warm in 200* oven
3) apply very thin coat of flax seed oil
4) wipe away excess oil (have a dedicated cotton cloth for this step)
5) put pan back in oven and increase heat to 500* (or hotter if available)
6) once oven is at 500* cook for 1 hour
7) turn off oven and leave pan inside for 2-4 hours (until cool enough to handle)
8) repeat steps 3-7 3-5 more times


5a) make sure wife is out of the house and raise windows. Your eyes will sting. I have to make sure the dogs have full access to the backyard when I season.
OilAggie
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Do I have to use flaxseed oil? Can I use peanut oil?
Bighamp03
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Don't throw them in a fire. I read that online and threw a skillet into my Kamado Joe coals. It got heat damaged. It was red and warped. That or cracks are basically the only things you can't bring cast iron back from.

Follow the seasoning advice (Crisco or flaxseed oil is what I've had good luck with), then just cook bacon, fry some stuff, and cook cornbread a few times. If you mess it up don't stress about it. It will heal itself when you cook with it.

The most important thing to know about cast iron IMO was mentioned earlier on the thread. Let it get hot on the stove (but not smoking hot) and don't put oil/butter on it until after it is hot.
Bighamp03
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OilAggie said:

Do I have to use flaxseed oil? Can I use peanut oil?


Yes, you can use peanut oil. Canola, vegetable, coconut, whatever. Just bake it at 450-500f.

I got flaxseed oil after reading that article, but a lot of people have issues with it flaking and say Crisco is better. As long as you put a decent base seasoning on and just cook with it it will be fine.
plowboy1065
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Both my grandmothers used Crisco therefore I use Crisco
DriftwoodAg
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OilAggie said:

Do I have to use flaxseed oil? Can I use peanut oil?

I use crisco. Put the pan in upside down with a pan under to catch the drips
Bigballin
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Use a 15" lodge almost every day. About to take a grinder after it.
Icecream_Ag
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Bighamp03 said:

OilAggie said:

Do I have to use flaxseed oil? Can I use peanut oil?


Yes, you can use peanut oil. Canola, vegetable, coconut, whatever. Just bake it at 450-500f.

I got flaxseed oil after reading that article, but a lot of people have issues with it flaking and say Crisco is better. As long as you put a decent base seasoning on and just cook with it it will be fine.
I actually had crisco seasoning dissolve for lack of a better word on the first batch of bacon. Was the damnedest thing I've ever seen.

Never had issues with flax seed though.
rather be fishing
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Reasoning behind flaxseed oil is the smoke point. Vegetable oil works just fine.
 
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