Happy with new cast iron

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For you cast iron connoisseurs this will be yawn worthy, but I am tickled pink with this new (to me) shallow skillet I acquired at one of the Liberty open air flea markets a couple of weekends ago. It's not heavy at all so it's no trouble to drag out of the cabinet, and it is essentially non-stick. I'm not a regular user of cast iron but I have never thought of them as non-stick, but I can fry eggs in this thing with no sticking at all. It's a Lodge (told you it was yawn-worthy) and I don't know if this is the factory curing or if someone else has just treated this one right. It still has the bumpy/stubbly texture that I know some people like to grind off, but when it cooks like this I'm not messing with it! I'd never seen a shallow cast iron pan like this before and the light weight makes it super convenient. Probably will accompany me next time I go camping. Oh yeah, IIRC it was $15.

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These do a great job of cleaning stuck food w/o ruining the surface, and they clean up super easy. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A51S9Y2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also discovered, by someone else's comment, the non stick surface is the polymerization of the oil molecules, mine wasn't seasoning because I only used butter. Cleaned it, got it hot, put peanut oil in (some say flax is the ticket), smeared it around, let it start to smoke, wiped most out with paper towel, let it cool.
Did the process a couple times and it's like I've a black teflon pan now.
 
These do a great job of cleaning stuck food w/o ruining the surface, and they clean up super easy. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A51S9Y2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also discovered, by someone else's comment, the non stick surface is the polymerization of the oil molecules, mine wasn't seasoning because I only used butter. Cleaned it, got it hot, put peanut oil in (some say flax is the ticket), smeared it around, let it start to smoke, wiped most out with paper towel, let it cool.
Did the process a couple times and it's like I've a black teflon pan now.
That's pretty cool. I have a large stainless steel "tuffy" that I use on all our dishes and pans, it pretty much does the same thing.
 
Nice. I picked one like that up in W. Jefferson a month or so ago. Mine's a Wagner that was pretty much unused. Think I paid $22. My wife was using it for pancakes and they were sticking a little so I sanded it down and re-seasoned. They are great pans. We make reubens and pancakes on ours a lot. If I am alone and doing 1 burger or something that's the pan I use. I have a cheap metal bowl I use for a lid if I want to melt cheese on something I'm cooking. Work's great. Light and easy to clean up as well.
 
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I like Lodge...mostly because they're reasonably priced.

Cast iron is great...and Lodge comes pre-seasoned, though they still need some extra loving to properly build up a good seasoning. BUT...I don't like the stippled finish to the surface of the cast iron itself. It should be smooth to start with.

One of these days I'm going to buy me several additional pieces of Lodge cast iron cookware and I'm going to take the time to sand their cooking surfaces smooth, like they should be.

Seasoning afterwards isn't a problem...just takes time to do properly, and most of that is simply time spent in the oven between seasoning coats.
 
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I like Lodge...mostly because they're reasonably priced.

Cast iron is great...and Lodge comes pre-seasoned, though they still need some extra loving to properly build up a good seasoning. BUT...I don't like the stippled finish to the surface of the cast iron itself. It should be smooth to start with.

One of these days I'm going to buy me several additional pieces of Lodge cast iron cookware and I'm going to take the time to sand their cooking surfaces smooth, like they should be.

Seasoning afterwards isn't a problem...just takes time to do properly, and most of that is simply time spent in the oven between seasoning coats.
From what I understand Lodge says that stippled texture has something to do with their curing process. I'm not sure I understand why it's desirable to remove it if it's doing it's job.
 
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From what I understand Lodge says that stippled texture has something to do with their curing process. I'm not sure I understand why it's desirable to remove it if it's doing it's job.

It doesn't really do the job. Once you use a pan from about 50 years ago, buy something like a Finex or sand your own you'll realize how crappy the new pans including Lodge Preseasoned really are. Eventually the Lodge will be OK, but it taks a looooong time. IMO every new Lodge pan needs to be sanded and them seasoned. It is the price you pay for the cheaper modern pans of today.
 
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I have the same pan and use it all the time. Good find.
 
Years ago, I came across a guy with a stack of Lodge cast iron Dutch ovens, stored outside - he was using them here and there as planters! I asked if I could have one; he said, "sure! I think I've got some lids around here somewhere..."

Needless to say, it was red with rust - but not pitted. I got out the palm sander and angle grinder with wire brushes & went to town on it. It's now very well-seasoned, non-sticky as a Democrat misogynist, and one of my favorite Implements of Mess Construction.

So, plus one on the sand it & reseason it method!
 
That is a great pan! We have the exact same one and use it more than any other. My MIL gave me ours years ago before she passed; it was her Mom's.
 
My son and I stopped in the Lodge outlet in Commerce GA, on the way home from Atlanta this afternoon. I picked up a factory second 12" frying pan and another 8" pan for my daughter.
 
From what I understand Lodge says that stippled texture has something to do with their curing process. I'm not sure I understand why it's desirable to remove it if it's doing it's job.

Lodge can say whatever they want...but the stippling is more likely to simply be the result of the casting process. In days of old, the makers of cast iron cookware actually finished their cookware to a smooth surface. It costs more to do this, as it take more time and tooling. So what you're seeing in the stippled surface is actually an unfinished job, regardless of what Lodge (and other cast iron cookware makers with similar finish) may say.

And it DOES make a difference...without that smooth surface, Lodge will NEVER be quite as non-stick as vintage, or higher quality, cast iron cookware.

As for doing its job...what actually does the job is the seasoning. And the pre-seasoned Lodge cookware just isn't all that good of a seasoning job. It would probably take another 4 or 5 seasoning cycles to get it up to about where it should be.

Properly seasoned, it's d*mn near like a non-stick pan. A small drizzle of oil and you're good to go.

Like I said...I like Lodge because they're cheap. They're not the best, but they are cheap.


THAT SAID...

There are a lot of other great sources of cast iron cookware out there, I've seen a 10.5" skillet going for as high as $270. But you don't have to pay that kind of money to get a great quality cast iron skillet with a smooth finish. You can do your own, but I've been thinking recently "how much is my time worth"?

When you consider how much one makes in an hour, your time can be worth quite a lot.

I have found a few cast iron cookware sites which sell polished skillets less than $100. Stargazer is one, and I may buy something from them to check it out. ESPECIALLY since they offer a discount to military and veterans, which they double on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. I can't fully open their website at work right now (filters are blocking images and such), but if I recall correctly an unseasoned 10.5" skillet was about $60 and a pre-seasoned one about $80. 15% or 30% off that would really bring an already fairly low price down to a really tempting value for something I wouldn't have to finish to a smooth surface myself.

If I do buy a Stargazer, I'll post my review of it.
 
From what I understand Lodge says that stippled texture has something to do with their curing process. I'm not sure I understand why it's desirable to remove it if it's doing it's job.

Lodge can say whatever they want...but the stippling is more likely to simply be the result of the casting process. In days of old, the makers of cast iron cookware actually finished their cookware to a smooth surface. It costs more to do this, as it take more time and tooling. So what you're seeing in the stippled surface is actually an unfinished job, regardless of what Lodge (and other cast iron cookware makers with similar finish) may say.

And it DOES make a difference...without that smooth surface, Lodge will NEVER be quite as non-stick as vintage, or higher quality, cast iron cookware.

As for doing its job...what actually does the job is the seasoning. And the pre-seasoned Lodge cookware just isn't all that good of a seasoning job. It would probably take another 4 or 5 seasoning cycles to get it up to about where it should be.

Properly seasoned, it's d*mn near like a non-stick pan. A small drizzle of oil and you're good to go.

Like I said...I like Lodge because they're cheap. They're not the best, but they are cheap.


THAT SAID...

There are a lot of other great sources of cast iron cookware out there, I've seen a 10.5" skillet going for as high as $270. But you don't have to pay that kind of money to get a great quality cast iron skillet with a smooth finish. You can do your own, but I've been thinking recently "how much is my time worth"?

When you consider how much one makes in an hour, your time can be worth quite a lot.

I have found a few cast iron cookware sites which sell polished skillets less than $100. Stargazer is one, and I may buy something from them to check it out. ESPECIALLY since they offer a discount to military and veterans, which they double on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. I can't fully open their website at work right now (filters are blocking images and such), but if I recall correctly an unseasoned 10.5" skillet was about $60 and a pre-seasoned one about $80. 15% or 30% off that would really bring an already fairly low price down to a really tempting value for something I wouldn't have to finish to a smooth surface myself.

If I do buy a Stargazer, I'll post my review of it.
 
Lodge can say whatever they want...but the stippling is more likely to simply be the result of the casting process. In days of old, the makers of cast iron cookware actually finished their cookware to a smooth surface. It costs more to do this, as it take more time and tooling. So what you're seeing in the stippled surface is actually an unfinished job, regardless of what Lodge (and other cast iron cookware makers with similar finish) may say.

And it DOES make a difference...without that smooth surface, Lodge will NEVER be quite as non-stick as vintage, or higher quality, cast iron cookware.

As for doing its job...what actually does the job is the seasoning. And the pre-seasoned Lodge cookware just isn't all that good of a seasoning job. It would probably take another 4 or 5 seasoning cycles to get it up to about where it should be.

Properly seasoned, it's d*mn near like a non-stick pan. A small drizzle of oil and you're good to go.

Like I said...I like Lodge because they're cheap. They're not the best, but they are cheap.


THAT SAID...

There are a lot of other great sources of cast iron cookware out there, I've seen a 10.5" skillet going for as high as $270. But you don't have to pay that kind of money to get a great quality cast iron skillet with a smooth finish. You can do your own, but I've been thinking recently "how much is my time worth"?

When you consider how much one makes in an hour, your time can be worth quite a lot.

I have found a few cast iron cookware sites which sell polished skillets less than $100. Stargazer is one, and I may buy something from them to check it out. ESPECIALLY since they offer a discount to military and veterans, which they double on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. I can't fully open their website at work right now (filters are blocking images and such), but if I recall correctly an unseasoned 10.5" skillet was about $60 and a pre-seasoned one about $80. 15% or 30% off that would really bring an already fairly low price down to a really tempting value for something I wouldn't have to finish to a smooth surface myself.

If I do buy a Stargazer, I'll post my review of it.

Please do post a review...that sounds tempting. Im gonna check out their stuff in a little while.
Im with you on the Lodge stuff...cheap, works, but really needs a proper finish and season. The only lodge pieces I have are a small dutch oven and a pretty deep pan with lid. Mostly just use that to stew up sausage and veggies before simmering homemade spaghetti sauce, jambalaya, or similar in it. Flip that lid over and its a pan exactly like the OP's and we use it a bit.
The ones we use the most are our three skillets from our grandparents. I have one from both maternal and paternal grandmother and wifey has one from a great aunt. Near as I can figure based on birth/marriage dates of these folks, these pans have been in the family for about 90-95 years.
 
Ya know what I wanna get? A SQUARE cast iron skillet!

Mom had one...until, that is, I cracked it by cooling it down too quickly when burning off the seasoning to start over. (The way this used to be done was to build a wood fire with the skillet on top of it and let the fire burn cold. The fire heats the skillet enough to completely burn the old seasoning off...then you just clean the skillet and start over. Stupid kid me, I took the d*mn thing out of the fire instead of waiting until the fire went cold. It cracked.)

Her square skillet was my favorite for making bacon. You know...because bacon strips start out straight...
 
My old Wagner skillet is thinner cast iron and the finish is very smooth.

I have 2 of the 9 inch square cast iron skillets. I use them for corn bread and cobblers. Neither one has any markings at all on them.
 
The texture is so the can spray the oil on the while they travel down the assembly line and bake on the seasoning.

In the past, pans were not pre-seasoned. Lodges pre-seasoning process helped save the company.
 
The girls just bought me a #8 Griswold for my bday. First Griswold, can’t wait to use it.

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That's a NICE find!

Griswold went out of business in 1957. Griswold cast ironware is considered a collectible.

Looking at the Wikipedia page, this appears to be a "small logo" Griswold skillet, manufactured between 1940 and 1957. This was a difficult period for the company, as competition was making it difficult to stay in business. Apparently quality and labor problems were pretty bad during that time.

Regardless, enjoy the skillet! Looks like a fine finish on it!
 
Very nice. I have a few Griswolds. One is very nice and the other has a warped bottom. But on a gas stove, grill or fire it is still useable. The finish on the older pans is so nice.
 
That's a NICE find!

Griswold went out of business in 1957. Griswold cast ironware is considered a collectible.

Looking at the Wikipedia page, this appears to be a "small logo" Griswold skillet, manufactured between 1940 and 1957. This was a difficult period for the company, as competition was making it difficult to stay in business. Apparently quality and labor problems were pretty bad during that time.

Regardless, enjoy the skillet! Looks like a fine finish on it!

They had a big logo for $10 more. Still a good price though. But I’m not collecting and I liked this one better. It sat better and more flat. Since I’m cooking on a glass top flatter is better. My wife used it last night. Said it and the other pans was like the difference in cotton and silk. She likes it.


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