More cast iron

weizemanner said:

Interesting... I would be curious to see some pictures of the splotches. I've never heard of a cast iron pan needing replaced after 5 years. Mine just started breaking it at that point.

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See what I mean? This was deep cleaned (using boiling water) about a month ago, reseasoned with Canola oil, and I schmear on some butter prior to each meal. I usually use it to fry eggs, and occasionally potatoes. After the food cooks, I clean it up with a paper towel.

But no matter what I do, I always wind up with this splotchy brown finish. It cooks fine, it is still non-stick, but it doesn't look like the rich black finish I see in everyone else's cast iron pictures.

Do yourself a favor and get some vintage cast iron. IMO there's no comparison.

What brand is that?

Wid said:

Do yourself a favor and get some vintage cast iron. IMO there's no comparison.

What brand is that?

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Its a Lodge 10" ... I also have the Lodge glass cover which fits nice and snug, but I can't find it since my roommate decided to clean house and I think she buried it somewhere out in the garage. Instead, I use a generic, one-size-fits-all cover which fits loosely but does the job.

I've looked at vintage cast iron in antique stores, but most of it is pretty pricey and in poor condition. While I know it can be brought back to life with some deep cleaning and reconditioning, I'd rather just go buy a new one (10" is currently about $15) when I don't feel like cleaning my old anymore.

You can use oven cleaner to clean it. You should never have to throw it away.

Wid said:

You can use oven cleaner to clean it. You should never have to throw it away.

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Maybe I'll try that next time.

I normally just fill it with clean cold water and put it on a roaring boil for about 15 minutes. Spill it out and repeat two more times.

I replace it every few years, not because its worn out, but because I'm tired of cleaning it. I always hope the next one will get that nice black finish, but it never does.

Maybe I'm not seasoning it properly? I soak it in Canola oil and let it soak in for a few hours, then repeat for 2 or 3 coats.

Our pans don't look like a black mirror either. But they perform equally well.

Regular cleaning should only consist of hot water and a nylon brush. Your discolouration may be cause by minerals in your water coming out from boiling.

Your problem might be caused more from cooking methods. For cast iron you need a hot pan>cold oil> let the oil heat up. Then after every use I re-season on the stove top.

Nice thread man. Makes me want to go out and hunt down some vintage stuff.

My opinion is that you are using more oil that is needed during the seasoning process or after each use. That brown stuff is just burnt oil that didn't bond with the pan surface.

dpm802 said:

Maybe I'll try that next time.

I normally just fill it with clean cold water and put it on a roaring boil for about 15 minutes. Spill it out and repeat two more times.

I replace it every few years, not because its worn out, but because I'm tired of cleaning it. I always hope the next one will get that nice black finish, but it never does.

Maybe I'm not seasoning it properly? I soak it in Canola oil and let it soak in for a few hours, then repeat for 2 or 3 coats.

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arthurdl said:

My opinion is that you are using more oil that is needed during the seasoning process or after each use. That brown stuff is just burnt oil that didn't bond with the pan surface.

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My pans turned brown after the first couple seasonings. Then it got black in the middle where the burner is, and after several years of cooking and seasoning it constantly it's started to turn black. On my newer pans I started cooking them much longer, usually over night, between thin coats of oil. This gets them black and shiny much quicker. I think your pans might not have the seasoning cooked on enough so it is coming off and looking more brown when you are boiling them.


I also usually wash my pans in cold water, dry them, and reseason them on the stove for a few minutes.

Check every garage sale and estate sale you can. I scored three if my four vintage that way for $10-20 each. They blow the lodge I had before that away. And you should never have to throw one out. Just restrip and reseason if you don't like it now.


Check the internet for good instructions in stripping with lye or electrolysis . Seasoning is a bit more of an art and there are a lot if different thoughts on what is best. The good news is that if you screw it up, you can strip it and start over. No harm done to the pan (be careful with lye - Handle with care and respect)

Hello, new to this forum, but have used cast iron all my. Life. I am presently cooking with the kettles and fry pans my great grandmother used. I use a gas stove and love the way the iron heats evenly.

dpm802 said:

See what I mean? This was deep cleaned (using boiling water) about a month ago, reseasoned with Canola oil, and I schmear on some butter prior to each meal. I usually use it to fry eggs, and occasionally potatoes. After the food cooks, I clean it up with a paper towel.

But no matter what I do, I always wind up with this splotchy brown finish. It cooks fine, it is still non-stick, but it doesn't look like the rich black finish I see in everyone else's cast iron pictures.

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Warm up the pan, pour a couple tablespoons (no need to measure) of Kosher salt in a pile in the pan. Saturate the salt with cooking oil and scrub the pan with enough paper towel so you don't burn your fingers. It will help even things out and also works great when a seasoning attempt results in gummy residue.

Current Lodge cast iron can work but it needs a long break in to approach the old cast iron finishes. Unless you have mill work done to the pan it will never look like a milled pan. But you can sand it(use a block of some sort since you do want it relatively flat), use metal spatulas to slowly wear the surface. I have a lot of cast iron but the piece that gets used the most is a round griddle. I use to season it but realized that I was creating a barrier to what I really wanted to happen. I want it smoother, so I use it every day, don't let it rust and maybe in a few more years I will be content with seasoning it again. It sees a healthy amount of oil and bacon grease but won't win any beauty contests. Remember that food could care less about what the pan looks like. If it did then a lot of restaurants would be out of business.

There are many ways to cook, clean and season cast iron. But only a few that are tried and actually work. The science of cast iron cooking and care, while not rocket science, it is still somewhat of a science.

Those that research this science, typically have great looking skillets that only get better with time. Vintage and modern cast iron.

After seeing so many skillets literally raised from the dead, unless one is warped or cracked there is no reason to throw one out every few years.

mhdena said:

After seeing so many skillets literally raised from the dead, unless one is warped or cracked there is no reason to throw one out every few years.

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Usually, when I get rid of a pan, its because I'm moving and I give it away so I have less stuff to pack. Plus, I've had more than one roommate who has put my cast-iron pan through a dishwasher cycle, and I refuse to use it after that because I think the porous metal has soaked up the dish-soap and will never come clean again.

And a new pan is so cheap (I paid $14 for my current 10" Lodge, now it is up to $15) I see no reason NOT to replace it. Its not like it has any heirloom or sentimental value. I will deep-clean a pan 2 or 3 times a year, mostly when I'm really bored and need something to do around the house. But even if I didn't clean it, its still quite functional, even if it doesn't look right. But after a while, I'd rather just go get a brand-new pan and start the process all over again.

I think it's the seasoning.

I've found that, for me, the only way to get the shiny patina is to run it through about 4-6 cycles of seasoning.

Oven to 400F. Place a foil lined baking sheet on the bottom rack. Wipe a layer of canola oil/lard/bacon fat onto the pan. Place the pan upside down on the top rack and let it go for an hour. Shut the oven off and leave the pan in the oven to cool. Wipe it out and repeat 4-6 times.

It it takes a while but I find it worth it. Well seasoned, no splotchiness and super easy to wipe out with a paper towel.

Very important when seasoning like this to go with thin layers.

I've also heard its best to oil the pan when it is hot, not cold, with this method.

I'm speaking more from my reading on the matter than my experience

Here's a pretty well known link to seasoning cast iron.

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

That's a great one. I followed her advice on the one pan I've seasoned and I was very happy with the result . SWMBO was not pleased with the amount of smoke I created in the house, however.

If you access to an outdoor grill for this, I'd recommend that, Unless you have a really good vent hood. Or keep all of your windows open with fans running.