|
wormil posted:I have an infrared thermometer but never thought to use it in the kitchen. What are some other ways to use it besides checking pans? I just use it for surface temperatures. Mine, however, doesn't work well on reflective surfaces so I only use it on cast iron pans, non stick pans, and my baking stone in the oven. Because all my cast iron pans are different thicknesses and sizes, they all heat up at different rates so I find it very useful. Same with large stove top griddles, you can find the hotspots real quick.
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2014 14:29
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 16:47 |
|
|
 IR thermometers don't use the laser for actual temp reading. It's only there for aim assistance.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2014 15:32
|
|
|
MrYenko posted:
I use the laser on mine to bother the cat. It's a multi-purpose tool, Alton would be so proud. Now to hope she never jumps on the stovetop after it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 02:46
|
|
|
Suspect Bucket posted:I use the laser on mine to bother the cat. It's a multi-purpose tool, Alton would be so proud. Now to hope she never jumps on the stovetop after it. So how warm is your cat?
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 04:24
|
|
|
Drifter posted:So how warm is your cat? The fur is an insulator, so it throws off the reading, but shes next to my lap at a comfortable 91 degrees. A most snuggly cat.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 15:06
|
|
|
Suspect Bucket posted:The fur is an insulator, so it throws off the reading, but shes next to my lap at a comfortable 91 degrees. A most snuggly cat. My theory that cats are actually cold blooded lizard creatures masquerading as cute fluffy mammals for their own dark purposes finally confirmed. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 21:30
|
|
|
http://seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html the tl;dr of this is you're all babies and you need to wash your cast iron pans you dirty fucks
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 06:42
|
|
|
d3rt posted:http://seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 08:10
|
|
|
d3rt posted:http://seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html Everyone in the thread has pretty much always been saying these things, though?
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 08:34
|
|
|
d3rt posted:http://seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html I started reading but got distracted by the pan roasted chicken and vegetables recipe
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 12:32
|
|
|
Put in some work with the angle grinder today. Not quite there yet, but getting there. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 23:57
|
|
|
Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Put in some work with the angle grinder today. Not quite there yet, but getting there. Is that a newer cast iron pan you're trying to smooth out like an older one?
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2014 00:18
|
|
|
Yes. But it has some deep pits in it. That was after probably 30 minutes with a (cordless) angle grinder.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2014 00:34
|
|
|
Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Yes. But it has some deep pits in it. That was after probably 30 minutes with a (cordless) angle grinder. I know it doesn't make THAT much of a difference, but I was really bummed when I learned about the old way of casting versus the current sandmold casting or whatever. You may want to leave those pits there and just season over them, I'm not sure how thin you'd be taking the bottom.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2014 00:53
|
|
|
Drifter posted:You may want to leave those pits there and just season over them, I'm not sure how thin you'd be taking the bottom.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2014 05:40
|
|
|
feelz good man posted:Wagner and Griswold pans are considerably thinner than the sand-cast Lodge we have today. FGR file away man Should that be a point of concern for someone hunting garage/estate sales for a Griswold?
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 00:27
|
|
|
Assuming you're using a sanding disc I think you'll get bored of sanding long before you remove too much metal.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 00:42
|
|
|
The sanding disc wouldn't touch it. The angle grinder is the way to go. And I stopped before I got all the little pits out, but it feels super smooth. Working on the seasoning now. Ended up putting it in service tonight before I got all coats of seasoning I wanted on it so the seasoning is a little uneven, but it definitely worked well (good contact, easy release).
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 01:03
|
|
|
The Marauder posted:Should that be a point of concern for someone hunting garage/estate sales for a Griswold?
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 04:47
|
|
|
TychoCelchuuu posted:Only if you're buying cast iron pans based on how well they would stop a high caliber rifle bullet. That's my primary consideration, unfortunately.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 05:34
|
|
|
Hate to break it to you, but cast iron is too brittle to deflect most small arms fire. What you want is a nice 1/2" AR500 steel baking sheet.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 05:53
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:Hate to break it to you, but cast iron is too brittle to deflect most small arms fire. What you want is a nice 1/2" AR500 steel baking sheet. if it worked in Back to the Future 3 then it's good enough for me.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 06:42
|
|
|
Drifter posted:if it worked in Back to the Future 3 then it's good enough for me. A Fistful of Dollars (what that BttF3 scene was a nod to)
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 06:59
|
|
|
The North Tower posted:A Fistful of Dollars (what that BttF3 scene was a nod to)
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 19:54
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:"poo poo" I can almost understand, but "heck"? SA seems like the wrong forum to post at if 'heck' is too profane for you...
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2014 20:34
|
|
|
TychoCelchuuu posted:I don't think he used a cast iron pan in that movie. Nor did he in Back to the Future
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2014 02:06
|
|
|
Man, I hadn't really noticed at the time but that's some pretty ~shaky~ camera work.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2014 02:21
|
|
|
I have a set of old cast iron skillets which I use a lot. A few of them really need stripping and reseasoning, as I don't think it's ever been done to them. First, I tried a 500 degree oven, but I live in a small apartment, so it got smoked out pretty quick. Adding to that, my stove does not have a self cleaning option. I considered the oven cleaner method, but the oven cleaners at the store were all scented, so I hesitated. My questions: - Is an oven without a self cleaning option at high temps sufficient enough to burn everything off to ash? I hear this may potentially be dangerous to pans? If so, I may just wait until the springtime when I can open the windows. - Will the scent in oven cleaners permeate into the pan to the point of ruining the pan or flavor? or can I proceed with using this method to strip the pans this way prior to reseasoning?
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 17:14
|
|
|
Why do they need to be stripped? The only times I've seen pans that need to be redone is when they're neglected for long periods. I don't know about the oven cleaners though, sorry. I like using a grinder or a drill with a steel brush on old rusty pans with lots of crusty gunk caked on, and that's what I recommend. The oven as high as it goes might work. I accidentally left my lodge on my grill once and it took everything off. Best seasoning on it since and still building
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 18:37
|
|
|
Media blasting is best, if you have access to that sort of equipment. I blasted mine with walnut shells, then hit em with compressed air to get the media dust off, and coated them in mineral oil to get them home for seasoning. It's food safe, but I washed em with soap and water when I got home, then shortening for the preliminary season.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 18:41
|
|
|
One solution I heard for 'cant get the oven hot enough, live in an apartment' is, well, do you have a park nearby with outdoor grills? Pick up a firestarter candle and some lump charcoal (not the kind with accelerant in them already), have yourself a BBQ with the cast iron in the firebox. Lovely excuse for a winter picnic. Invite friends.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 18:44
|
|
|
I think what I may do, like suggested, is find an outdoor grill. I know someone with a big gas grill, so perhaps I'll put them on there an let them get really hot and see what burns off. They're not a complete mess, but there are some burnt bits on the pan surface I'd like to get smoothed out. They haven't really been neglected, so maybe it's not necessary.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2014 00:13
|
|
|
If you can't find unscented oven cleaner you can use pure lye dissolved in water. Amazon has 1lb for $10.44, I'm sure you could also find it in any good hardware store. http://www.castironcollector.com/cleaning.php Has some good suggestions for cleaning. If you decide to use lye wear gloves, goggles and have some vinegar handy.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2014 01:24
|
|
|
Planet X posted:I think what I may do, like suggested, is find an outdoor grill. I know someone with a big gas grill, so perhaps I'll put them on there an let them get really hot and see what burns off. They're not a complete mess, but there are some burnt bits on the pan surface I'd like to get smoothed out. They haven't really been neglected, so maybe it's not necessary. And heating them on the stove and scrapping with a metal spatula does nothing? If you want to reseason go for it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2014 17:26
|
|
|
What's going on here? This is a new pan that I had seasoned in the oven, following the serious eats advice of rubbing on a layer of Canola then baking in the oven for 30m, repeat 4 times. The finish seemed good. Then the next day I threw it on the stovetop for searing, so I turned up the burner as high as it'd go. After a few minutes a light gray spot appeared in the middle and started growing. Not knowing what to do I just went ahead and seared anyways. Now if you look at the picture, I have a light gray area in the middle with a darker ashey layer on top of that. Was it a mistake to turn the heat all the way up? Did I vaporize my seasoning? Is this evidence that my seasoning was never any good? What do I do now? Strip it and start again and don't sear things for a while? Just clean and oil it as is? I've already stripped and reseasoned it once after melting a spatula on it, and have only two completely successful meals out of it (both grilled cheeses)... Three seasonings and two "meals" is a pretty pathetic work/reward ratio (my own fault, obviously). E: the pan was dry on the stove. From my reading around I got the idea that you needed to sear meat dry because of the smoke point of oils. Have I just misunderstood, and leaving a dry pan on max heat fucks it up? Same Great Paste fucked around with this message at 07:04 on Nov 25, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 05:34
|
|
|
Don't strip it, just cook some stuff at lower temperatures and oil it up, then heat it till it just starts to smoke on the stove after you're done each time.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 06:30
|
|
|
Same Great Paste posted:What's going on here? YOu have a super thin layer of 'finish' at this point. Just keep using it. Don't strip it. Just use it. A lot. It takes time to build up a nice, functional season. People spend all this time trying to make the pan look shiny without ever actually using it. Temperatures lower than sun's surface can help, too. But you won't break anything if you sear poo poo at a high temperature.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 07:53
|
|
|
Drifter posted:Temperatures lower than sun's surface can help, too. But you won't break anything if you sear poo poo at a high temperature. If I wanted to use a too-high temp, do I NEED to use oil, or can I still do a dry sear?
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 08:59
|
|
|
Same Great Paste posted:If I wanted to use a too-high temp, do I NEED to use oil, or can I still do a dry sear? You don't need oil for steaks. The meat will remove itself from the pan when the surface of the meat cooks enough. And, well, you shouldn't be using oil at a heat greater than its smoke point - with very few exceptions. If you use oil with the steak or whatever you should be adding the meat to the pan just before the oil would smoke - so about 380-420 F (depending). Then keep it around that temperature. Oil's useful for creating an even heat source - it's a liquid so it conforms to changes in a surface. Your fat in the meat should be all the oil you need pretty much. I like to add a bit of butter once the meat is practically done if it's at a high heat, as you'll get the flavor and a little extra crisp but you won't burn your butter while the meat is with it. Adding Butter to oil also doesn't change any smoke point. That said, there's nothing quite like cooking bacon at a low heater for a longer time. THAT helps your pan season, too. And then you use that lard for sautes. 
Drifter fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Nov 25, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 09:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 16:47 |
|
|
You're saying that preheating my pan to 800F and leaving it alone and dry to even out for 5 minutes is no problem at all? When the gray spot appeared I just assumed that I had damaged it from asking too much.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2014 09:37
|
|