CrazySalamander posted:

I used one of those tiny cast iron pans they sell with a single serving cookie mix to cook burger patties.

Arcsech posted:

A handle snapped off of one of my Lodge cast iron skillets. That doesn't mean it's useless, but it does make it a bit awkward to work with. Anyone have any ideas on what would be best to use it for that would reduce the awkwardness?

Also, I assume I now need to season the site where the handle snapped off to keep it from rusting, right?

Thirst Mutilator posted:

Lately I've been noticing some brownish-ness where the flat part of my cast iron skillet meets...walls? Is this rust? Do I need one of these stainless steel chainmail scrubbers to clean it?

I've never done a true seasoning of the pan but I use it near-daily for bacon, eggs, steak, and pork chops, and clean it every time with soap, scrubbing it with hard plastic bristle brush and wiping it dry using paper towels. I'm not sure how it could have gotten rusted.

doctorfrog posted:

I think Alton Brown said he used to flip the pan over and use the other side for eggs for some reason?

The other thing I don't give a poo poo about in my cast iron is tomatoes. Toss 'em right in, stew up a curry with 'em, don't care.

Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:

Strip it and season it with shortening (crisco). Olive oil is an odd choice for seasoning to me. I've never heard of using it.

My method is elsewhere in this thread, but I start to heat the pan and once it's warm, wipe it down with some shortening on a paper towel. You just want enough to make it shiny. If you can see any depth to it then you have too much on, wipe off the excess. Put in a 400 degree oven for an hour or two. Let cool, repeat as wanted.

Gorgar posted:

A pot like that is only too big if you can't lift it when it's full of ingredients,

Biscuit Joiner posted:

I didn't mean to add those beans to your chili. I mean cook that bag of beans with some sausage or ham for some fantastic bean soup to eat with your cornbread.

Massasoit posted:

Uh oh! I got a 5qt lodge dutch oven as a Christmas gift, and surprise! the seasoning is poo poo and the pan is already rusting.

I've stripped a pan before using the clean cycle on an oven, however I moved somewhere that doesn't have a clean cycle - my oven only gets up to 500. How can I strip off the 'seasoning' it has now so I can reapply, without using a clean setting on an oven?

Mr. Wookums posted:

Lodge has released a new line of cast iron products that are currently only available at Macy's for a year. I guess they cast in an oxygen deprived environment (or maybe pure nitrogen?) which they mention will prevent the thing from rusting and advertises that you can dishwash it. I picked up the 2 burner griddle and it has very large ribbing on the side that takes the burner. Maybe that'll help with the dispersion or is that like their older casts? I can put up pictures at home, it is light for a griddle.

Theophany posted:

Quick q: what's the best way to remove crappy seasoning from cast iron? A while back I bought some cast iron skillets and they've got gross burned on oil blobs in parts and areas where there appears to be no seasoning. I spent 15 minutes earlier today aggressively scrubbing with dish soap and a scrubbing brush but got pretty much nowhere. My cast iron dutch oven is my favourite cooking vessel and really want to put these skillets to good use.

Theophany posted:

Awesome, thanks! Should I be aiming to get any particular lye:water ratio?

spankmeister posted:

Molds like that don't require seasoning, unless you want to make burgers shaped like gingerbread house parts

Drifter posted:

Rubbing a pan down with salt and oil to clean it is so freaking wasteful. [...] Why waste all that salt?

BeastOfExmoor posted:

The set weighs about 29lbs altogether. I'm kind of astonished that I cannot turn up a single reference to it online. Not an old eBay listing. Not an random cached image from the distant past. The dutch oven seems almost identical to the photos of this model.

Casting seems okay by my ignorant standards. I could only find one small imperfection anywhere on the set and it was on the outside in a non-crucial place. Unless someone see's something that raises a red flag I guess I'll hang onto them.

iospace posted:

Question, is it worth getting a new one or are thrift store cast iron pans just fine?

McSpankWich posted:

But the one in the first picture looks wonderful :/

coupedeville posted:

Butterfly Valley posted:

My first cast iron pan, a 12.5 preseasoned no name brand, arrived today from amazon. I’m loathe to turn into a massive sperg about it, as I have been wont to do with various things in the past, but I also want to know that I’m treating it properly. From the sounds of it, the most important upkeep advice is to wash with water, not scrubbing too hard, and drying immediately. I should cook with peanut or sunflower oil rather than olive oil, and other than that just not worry about it too much? How necessary is the whole ‘dry on the stove over a medium heat and then rub down with oil and heat for another minute or two’ step? Should I do this every time I use it?

I’m mainly planning on using it for steak and meat, and making pizzas.

Nostalgia4Dogges posted:

random question: cool to scrub a seasoned skillet with steel wool? Just do it lightly or?

Mantle posted:

Flax sucks cause it chips off. I use canola on mine.

Your pan actually looks fine other than having a bit too much oil. The objective is to have the oil evaporate in the oven. The less oil you have, the better it will evaporate.

Also I like doing 450 for an hour, or until it's fully evaporated.

Think of initial seasoning as only for preventing rust. Actual cooking seasoning is what makes the pan less-stick.

BrianBoitano posted:

Questions for those who've had flaking:
1. Did you start on bare silver metal?
2. Did you do thinnest-possible layers by wiping basically dry?
3. Do you use soap when cleaning, such that a paper towel comes off clean after?

It's too bad there's variation in the results. My thought is that it really does make hardest-possible layers, but if they're not well bonded then you're SOL.

For comparison, my answers are yes to all. It's a different style for sure, not nearly everybody's cup of tea, and while it works for me I'd be interested to know if anyone matches exactly and still flakes.