Anyone want to recommend some cast iron pans for someone who clearly knows nothing about them?
The Lodge is considered a decent brand and very affordable.
I have 2, no idea what brand that they are because I inherited them from my grandmother.....so they are probably well over 100 years old, and still going strong!
Anyone want to recommend some cast iron pans for someone who clearly knows nothing about them?
I have a Lodge and supposedly they come pre-seasoned, but.... I think I didn't do right by mine. I've also seen some at flea markets and such. I've heard that's a really good place to get them because they're usually older and better made.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
I can't make eggs in my cast iron. I don't know what I'm doing wrong with my cast iron. It's not at all nonstick and I use it frequently. I "clean" it with hot water and occasionally salt, because if I don't, I feel like it takes on this sort of rancid oil smell. :-\
You need to strip it (I run mine through the dishwasher, some people use oven cleaner) and reseason with a better oil. If you can find it, flaxseed is the best. It's a PIA to season, but it's completely worth it. With the flaxseed, my cast iron is basically non-stick now. I do 5 coats, which takes all fucking day, but then I'm good for months. Which oil are you using? Because poor quality oils can definitely go rancid.
I didn't really do the whole oil thing. My understanding was making bacon in it a few times and voila! Seasoned!
I'll have to take your advice. Except, I get that I use flaxseed oil, but do I heat it? How exactly do I do it?
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
You need to strip it (I run mine through the dishwasher, some people use oven cleaner) and reseason with a better oil. If you can find it, flaxseed is the best. It's a PIA to season, but it's completely worth it. With the flaxseed, my cast iron is basically non-stick now. I do 5 coats, which takes all fucking day, but then I'm good for months. Which oil are you using? Because poor quality oils can definitely go rancid.
I didn't really do the whole oil thing. My understanding was making bacon in it a few times and voila! Seasoned!
I'll have to take your advice. Except, I get that I use flaxseed oil, but do I heat it? How exactly do I do it?
Heat your unseasoned pan in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and use a tongs to rub in 1 tablespoon of oil with a paper towel. Let the oven cool, then stick the pan in upside down. Set the oven to maximum baking temp (mine is 500). Once it reaches that temp, let it heat for an hour. Open as many windows as you can and put the oven fan on. Turn the oven off after an hour and let it cool for at least 2 hours. Then repeat until the pan gets a dark semimatte surface.
ETA: Wipe off any excess oil with another paper towel before you put it in the oven upside down. This is all per Cook's Illustrated. Method and oil choice.
I didn't really do the whole oil thing. My understanding was making bacon in it a few times and voila! Seasoned!
I'll have to take your advice. Except, I get that I use flaxseed oil, but do I heat it? How exactly do I do it?
Heat your unseasoned pan in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and use a tongs to rub in 1 tablespoon of oil with a paper towel. Let the oven cool, then stick the pan in upside down. Set the oven to maximum baking temp (mine is 500). Once it reaches that temp, let it heat for an hour. Open as many windows as you can and put the oven fan on. Turn the oven off after an hour and let it cool for at least 2 hours. Then repeat until the pan gets a dark semimatte surface.
ETA: Wipe off any excess oil with another paper towel before you put it in the oven upside down. This is all per Cook's Illustrated. Method and oil choice.
Heat your unseasoned pan in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and use a tongs to rub in 1 tablespoon of oil with a paper towel. Let the oven cool, then stick the pan in upside down. Set the oven to maximum baking temp (mine is 500). Once it reaches that temp, let it heat for an hour. Open as many windows as you can and put the oven fan on. Turn the oven off after an hour and let it cool for at least 2 hours. Then repeat until the pan gets a dark semimatte surface.
ETA: Wipe off any excess oil with another paper towel before you put it in the oven upside down. This is all per Cook's Illustrated. Method and oil choice.
I won't have to do this with the Lodge pans?
I do with mine. They season the Lodge pans with soy oil, and my H gets a serious upset stomach with soy. Plus, I didn't feel like they were well seasoned at all. Stuff stuck to mine. You might find it to be different, though.
wawa I've started covering my fried eggs near the end to get a perfectly cooked white and a runny yolk. No flipping required. I cook it most of the way, cover and cooked with heat on for maybe a minute, then check it and leave it with the cover on and heat off until the white firms up. You have to watch them closely to avoid overcooking the yolk though. I have a bad habit of getting distracted by the internet while they sit.
Add a tiny drizzle of water around the whole outside edge of the pan, like a tablespoon per egg, before you clamp on the lid. It'll steam the tops and make it a gentler heat so they don't over cook.
I do with mine. They season the Lodge pans with soy oil, and my H gets a serious upset stomach with soy. Plus, I didn't feel like they were well seasoned at all. Stuff stuck to mine. You might find it to be different, though.
So do you just resets on with flaxseed or do you have to un-season and then reseason?
I do with mine. They season the Lodge pans with soy oil, and my H gets a serious upset stomach with soy. Plus, I didn't feel like they were well seasoned at all. Stuff stuck to mine. You might find it to be different, though.
So do you just resets on with flaxseed or do you have to un-season and then reseason?
I'm so confused!!!
I unseasoned and then re-seasoned with the flaxseed because I didn't want any residual soy, but you should strip the pan before you season anyway. At least, that is my understanding.
Post by secretlyevil on Jun 14, 2015 8:28:30 GMT -5
I was antiquing yesterday (this is so not me but I digress), I found cast iron fry pans. They were so much heavier than the one I have. I was pretty bummed...they were $50 and up...each.
I was antiquing yesterday (this is so not me but I digress), I found cast iron fry pans. They were so much heavier than the one I have. I was pretty bummed...they were $50 and up...each.
ugh.
that makes the $15-25 I see them for at thrift stores look like such.a.bargain.
I was antiquing yesterday (this is so not me but I digress), I found cast iron fry pans. They were so much heavier than the one I have. I was pretty bummed...they were $50 and up...each.
ugh.
that makes the $15-25 I see them for at thrift stores look like such.a.bargain.
I want a dutch oven.
I was trying to channel you yesterday but I had zilch luck.
How did I know this was going to get into cast iron pans.
Holy crap those fuckers are heavy. Some of us have delicate wrists, people!!
I know, right? And why are the handles so short? I can't get any leverage. I need DH to help me transfer onions into my sauce. Or I guess I could use a spoon - lol.
Anyway, thanks to this thread I bought my first cast iron skillet. I seasoned it six times with flaxseed oil and IT.IS.AWESOME. Completely nonstick. I love it!