Cast Iron Cookware discussion thread...

[Luis]

I just scrape it with a small plastic scraper. Don't use any soap at all. Then heat it until it dries and coat it with some olive oil.

 

[kronin323]

I just scrape it with a small plastic scraper. Don't use any soap at all. Then heat it until it dries and coat it with some olive oil.

That should work, though I'd towel dry it before heating it to finalize the drying. It'll just take some time to build up better, with more use.

 

[Luis]

That should work, though I'd towel dry it before heating it to finalize the drying. It'll just take some time to build up better, with more use.

Yes, I forgot. I do towel dry it before.

 

[kronin323]

Cleaning cast iron...

First off, what is seasoning? It's not just gunky old oil buildup, it's oil that's been polymerized by heat, creating a hard, plasticized, protective coating with non-stick properties.

Conventional wisdom is to never use soap. In truth, proper seasoning is durable enough to stand up to some soap, but really there's no reason to, you can get it clean enough using the traditional method. And even if any pathogens were to remain, they'd die well before you got up to cooking temperature the next time you use it.

Don't use steel wool to scrub, that will damage the seasoning. In fact you use it to strip the seasoning if you want to start over from scratch. And a dishwashing machine will typically strip seasoning and / or rust your cookware.

Plastic and nylon scrapers and brushes seem to be commonly used these days. I don't use them personally.

Chain mail is a throwback method that's been pretty popular. You bunch it up and use it like a scrub brush; the mail links are more gentle than the sharp edges of steel wool. I've researched this quite a bit and decided to pass - quality may vary from product to product, i.e. some may have links that can open up and scratch, others may not be big enough to bunch well, etc. And results seem to vary based on usage, some say it's not good enough to get off the really burnt-on stuff while others say it's too much and damages their seasoning. But overall it doesn't appear to work any better than the nylon stuff.

What do I use? A wok whisk. Looks like this (not my actual whisk but a random internet pic)...

It's a traditional cleaning tool for high-carbon steel woks to clean it without damaging the seasoning. And it works well for cast iron, too.

 

[kronin323]

Before I continue with the story of my cast iron, first what's the deal with vintage cast iron vs. modern stuff? Cast iron is cast iron, right?

Yes it is, but...

Cast iron cookware has been around for a couple thousand of years, but in relatively modern times the cast iron industry (in the US) ramped up around 1900. It's sand cast, which leaves a slightly pebbly finish. Originally they would machine out the inside of the pans to make them smooth. Then production was automated starting in the late 1950s into the 1960s, and at some point that final machined finishing process was dropped. So pretty much all modern cast iron, including modern Lodge, has that pebbly surface. It really makes less of a difference than one might think, but vintage stuff is desirable for that machined smooth cooking surface.

An exception is a recent startup called Stargazer Cast Iron. They are making cast iron with a modernized handle design and they CNC machine the cooking surface to be smooth. But right now they only offer a 10.5" skillet and, though you can buy it now, they won't go out until November of this year.

 

[kronin323]

So anyway, I'd been using this 12" skillet for months and really liking it, decided to find out more about it. It had no maker's mark / branding on it. But with a little research, there are some distinctive design features that identify it as being from Birmingham Stove & Range (BS&R), which opened in 1902 as a separate foundry owned by Atlanta Stove Works. They were eventually bought by Lodge in 1989.

Vintage stuff like Griswold and Wagner are considered valuable collectibles, but BS&R stuff, though not particularly valuable, is considered some of the most desirable vintage cast iron to actually use. And examples can still go in the three-digit price range. Or for a dollar at a garage sale...

I ended up digging out all the rest of it. Some was in the back of the cabinet while some was in a camping cooking-supplies foot locker in the garage. There was some cheap import stuff, and a modern Lodge with the pebbly cooking surface; I got rid of all that. But there's also a pretty complete set of BS&R pans.

I have sizes 3, 5, 8, 10, and 12, which translates into about 6", 8", 10", 12", and 13". I also have a "fryer" which is like the 10" one only the walls are twice as high and there's no heat ring on the bottom. There's a heavy-duty cast iron lid that fits both 10" pieces.

The best I can pin down the manufacture of these items in sometime between 1930 and 1957. But there are some things to indicate they fall in the earlier portion of that date range.

It's just really SMH, I've been sitting on these things for like 20 years without really knowing what I had or how to properly use them. But now that's changed...

 

[Litos]

"...I use multiple cast iron pots and pans when I cook at The Gazebo, sometimes both at the same time in any given BBQ Sesh..."

Sincerely,
Oakley Forum Pit Master

P.S.
If any of y'all are ever in Texas, your first stop should be at my dad's house in the Houston area

 

[kronin323]

"...I use multiple cast iron pots and pans when I cook at The Gazebo, sometimes both at the same time in any given BBQ Sesh..."

Sincerely,
Oakley Forum Pit Master

P.S.
If any of y'all are ever in Texas, your first stop should be at my dad's house in the Houston area




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Those skillets look like they're Lodge though it's hard to say for sure just from those pics. Do you know where they came from?

 

[Oakley G]

Lodge is a great entry-level brand that offers fantastic value for the money. I bring it for camp trips. For home cooking or if I need better performing cast iron, I use Le Creuset and Staub. I am liking Finex as well but can't really get past the awkward shape.

 

[kronin323]

"...I use multiple cast iron pots and pans when I cook at The Gazebo, sometimes both at the same time in any given BBQ Sesh..."

Sincerely,
Oakley Forum Pit Master

P.S.
If any of y'all are ever in Texas, your first stop should be at my dad's house in the Houston area




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Those skillets look like they're Lodge though it's hard to say for sure just from those pics. Do you know where they came from?

If it's a mixed set there might be some BS&R stuff in there. Check the underside of the handles, BS&R have this distinctive scoop with a ridge running to the pan like this: