Cast Iron Pan Refurbishing Project

[bauchjw]

Great find! CI is so resilient and awesome to cook with. I’m having a hard time getting cowboy boots and shorts out of my head though!

Well I never could stand wearing flip flops or be able to keep them on my feet but my wife does chuckle at me when I wear shorts and my cowboy boots!
Ryan

here you go Ryan ! A compromise!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Great find! CI is so resilient and awesome to cook with. I’m having a hard time getting cowboy boots and shorts out of my head though!



View attachment 520685
here you go Ryan ! A compromise!

How did you find that picture of me?

Ryan

 

[bauchjw]

How did you find that picture of me?
Ryan

 

[mike243]

FYI use anything but the clean cycle on the oven, if you read the directions and lord knows I'm as bad as anybody, it states to remove the racks to prevent tarnishing, now high end stoves might not have a issue but my Frigidaire electric racks had to be lightly sanded after the wife cleaned the oven for me while I was to busy deer hunting lol. Sand with the least invasive then wash dry and oil quickly as rust can/will start in minutes

 

[Buckeye1]

I finally got around to re seasoning the pans. I did a light scrub of the rust with steel wool, washed, dried on the stove and re seasoned with grape seed oil. After first round in oven I decided one more might be good. Unfortunately, I did that 350 not 450 by accident. The finish came out as I would describe as splotchy. So it leads to a few questions:
Is it a big deal, start using and it will go away?
Or do I need to re season again? If so how do I remove the splotches? They seem baked on.

 

[uncle eddie]

I cook my cast iron for seasoning or any other prep work in my gas grill so as not to stink up the house.
On low, my grill is about 350F...perfect for reseasoning the cast iron.
It just takes longer at 350F than it does at 400F - but I like the way it seasons at 350.

As for the splotchy look...Fry some bacon...that always helps.
After cleaning, wipe it down with a light coat of oil and reseason - if needed.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I agree with Eddie, fry some bacon and get to using it. I've had some pans come out like that also, not sure why...but doesn't seem to affect anything.

Ryan

 

[chopsaw]

Or do I need to re season again? If so how do I remove the splotches? They seem baked on.

I just had that same thing happen to my 1940's Lodge . I put it back in the oven for longer time , and turned it upside down . I usually do them upside down , except this time , and it blotched up . I also only went an hour with the heat on , because I had to leave .
You can just go ahead and use it though , it will clean itself up .

 

[chopsaw]

Just looked at your pic , make sure you have a thin layer of oil , and turn the pan upside down .

 

[Buckeye1]

I was assuming I did too much oil and did not get it hot enough. So light coat of oil and back in oven should help? If not I'll just start cooking. I have made some omelets in the 6 1/2 " pan. They didn't stick at all.

These are old pans and haven't been used in a long time. No manufacturing names, one says made in USA. The 6 1/2" has a 3 stamped on the handle. The large pan is wife's grandmothers other 2 are garage sale finds.

 

[civilsmoker]

Yes very light as in use a dry paper towel to wipe as much as you can out after coating it.

I season mine in my pellet grill now. No smoke in the house...

nice looking pans!

 

[Buckeye1]

Yes very light as in use a dry paper towel to wipe as much as you can out after coating it.

I season mine in my pellet grill now. No smoke in the house...

nice looking pans!

That's what I thought I did. I think on the second go around the 350 for and hour was not hot enough. Somewhere I found the grape seed oil smoke point is over 400.

If warm enough tomorrow I may try the pellet grill.

 

[Nate52]

I do as light of a coating of oil as I can possibly get away with. I wipe it out with dry paper towels until it has a "dry look" and then it goes into the oven. I'll usually do two rounds.

I like to bake in mine to finish it off. Something like cornbread, or a giant cookie if my wife has anything to say about it.

 

[bauchjw]

Cast Iron is a work horse. It’s the most happy when it’s being used, I used to stress about it, but then my pop started making fun of me, “the damn things did fine for 100 years with bacon and a wipe, why are you making it so complicated?”

 

[Brokenhandle]

Cast Iron is a work horse. It’s the most happy when it’s being used, I used to stress about it, but then my pop started making fun of me, “the damn things did fine for 100 years with bacon and a wipe, why are you making it so complicated?”

I don't mean to laugh at you...but laughing with you...cuz that statement is so true! Don't drop it on the concrete and break it (Brokenhandle...I know nothing!) And don't throw it on a screaming hot fire for too long and warp it. Other than that it's like anything else you get new...just learn to take care of it properly.

Ryan

 

[bauchjw]

I don't mean to laugh at you...but laughing with you...cuz that statement is so true! Don't drop it on the concrete and break it (Brokenhandle...I know nothing!) And don't throw it on a screaming hot fire for too long and warp it. Other than that it's like anything else you get new...just learn to take care of it properly.
Ryan

Haha! I get it Brother, my Dad has a way of forcing me to laugh at myself now that I’m older and don’t resent his wisdom! I don’t get too self conscious anymore and always happy to have someone else laughing with me!

 

[atomicsmoke]

Just watch the self cleaning oven...I've heard said on some of the newer stoves they don't advise using it...gets too hot for some of the electronics. Can't say if true or not.
___________
Been there, done that. Had a old Frigidaire stove. Never used the self clean cycle until i tried to re-season some CI pans. Halfway thru the cycle an error code pops up on the display. Never tried the self cleaning cycle again. The oven worked fine for another 10years or so.

 

[SmokyMose]

I've never seasoned CI in self cleaning mode. Too high a temp.
We hadn't had the new Frigidaire a month when the Mrs was showing it off to one of her daughters and started the self clean while forgetting that we kept
an electric griddle in there. When the smoke started it was too late. The door was locked.
I had to replace the bottom and the inside of the door but no other damage.
It's "Easy Off" oven cleaner only now and the only thing I keep in it are CI pans....

 

[civilsmoker]

That's what I thought I did. I think on the second go around the 350 for and hour was not hot enough. Somewhere I found the grape seed oil smoke point is over 400.

If warm enough tomorrow I may try the pellet grill.

I use grape and flax seed for mine and yes they like above 400 for the best season. If you run the pellet at 425 for and hour with them face down you will be very happy with the results!

 

[Buckeye1]

Cast Iron is a work horse. It’s the most happy when it’s being used, I used to stress about it, but then my pop started making fun of me, “the damn things did fine for 100 years with bacon and a wipe, why are you making it so complicated?”

He has a point!! Sometimes we want everything too perfect