A tale of two skillets

[Variant_S]

I picked up these skillets in Colorado and Utah on my most recent cross-country drive. One was $10USD, the other $12. As well as I can tell, they are both #8 Lodge, likely early post-WW2, so 70+ or so years old. One has a very slight bit of rocker, but not enough to be a problem.

This is one of them before cleaning:

Here they are after cleaning. They have a light coat of olive oil on them to prevent the inevitable flash rust:

Old Lodge is one of the easiest ways that I see to get into good * cast iron cookware. Lodge doesn't have the panache of Griswold or Wagner, but it's darned good cookware and is way more affordable. Buy new Lodge if you have to, but in my humble opinion, old Lodge is a better investment.

* good: smooth cooking surface, excellent heat retention, easy to handle.

 

[BornSlippy]

How did you clean them? I have a Lodge griddle I left outside in the rain and is now a rectangle of rust.

 

[John105]

How did you clean them? I have a Lodge griddle I left outside in the rain and is now a rectangle of rust.

Rust = burst o’ flavor

 

[nomas]

How did you clean them? I have a Lodge griddle I left outside in the rain and is now a rectangle of rust.

Troubleshooting

Does your cast iron pan have black residue, flaking seasoning, or rust? No problem! We'll show you how to fix your cast iron cookware.

www.lodgecastiron.com

 

[SC Maintenance]

How did you clean them? I have a Lodge griddle I left outside in the rain and is now a rectangle of rust.

Hit it with a wire wheel on a grinder, or even a paint removing wheel on a drill if you don't have a grinder until all the rust is gone, then sand it smooth with 60 then 100 grit or so on an orbital sander - or even by hand if you have to, then re-season it with a high flash point oil like flax seed oil.

Kent Rollins explains cast iron stuff pretty well:

 

[97prizm]

I picked up these skillets in Colorado and Utah on my most recent cross-country drive. One was $10USD, the other $12. As well as I can tell, they are both #8 Lodge, likely early post-WW2, so 70+ or so years old. One has a very slight bit of rocker, but not enough to be a problem.

This is one of them before cleaning:

View attachment 162294

View attachment 162295

Here they are after cleaning. They have a light coat of olive oil on them to prevent the inevitable flash rust:

View attachment 162296

View attachment 162297

Old Lodge is one of the easiest ways that I see to get into good * cast iron cookware. Lodge doesn't have the panache of Griswold or Wagner, but it's darned good cookware and is way more affordable. Buy new Lodge if you have to, but in my humble opinion, old Lodge is a better investment.

* good: smooth cooking surface, excellent heat retention, easy to handle.

I have two different sizes of Lodge skillets. They are amazing and will probably outlast me.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Someone got me a lodge that I fought with and was about to throw out before I found a video of someone sanding it smooth. I figured why not nothing to loose. What a difference - I can get an egg off it now.

I have 3 now - 6 inch, 10.25 inch, and a 10.25 deep with lid - sort of a mini dutch oven almost.

Does anyone use them on inductive tops? I have been thinking of getting a single inductive burner to try.

 

[Variant_S]

Hit it with a wire wheel on a grinder, or even a paint removing wheel on a drill if you don't have a grinder until all the rust is gone, ...

I would not recommend this to someone who has never done this and who has a pan that they'd like to use. I have seen a fair number of otherwise-good cast iron ruined by injudicious use of an angle grinder.

 

[Variant_S]

How did you clean them? I have a Lodge griddle I left outside in the rain and is now a rectangle of rust.

Easy-Off oven cleaner - the yellow can, not the blue can - until all of the gunk is gone. Then a wash/scrub with dish soap and a stainles steel scrubbie, followed by a soak in hot water and vinegar. The Easy Off loosens and removes the cooked-on gunk, the vinegar soak loosens the rust.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I would not recommend this to someone who has never done this and who has a pan that they'd like to use. I have seen a fair number of otherwise-good cast iron ruined by injudicious use of an angle grinder.

Wire wheel on a grinder- not grinder wheel - per my post. Will get rid of the rust and any remaining seasoning that will clog your sandpaper. Then sand smooth. The cast iron has to be smooth for it to be non stick. Thats why the $300 cast iron pans are smooth to start - they do it in the factory.

Wear eye and ear protection of course. https://food52.com/shop/products/35...m_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=skimlinks_phg

"This skillet sports the single smoothest cooking surface we’ve ever seen on a piece of modern cast iron cookware, thanks to a special polishing process that makes it just the ticket for no-stick fried eggs,"

"

 

[BornSlippy]

Someone got me a lodge that I fought with and was about to throw out before I found a video of someone sanding it smooth. I figured why not nothing to loose. What a difference - I can get an egg off it now.

I have 3 now - 6 inch, 10.25 inch, and a 10.25 deep with lid - sort of a mini dutch oven almost.

Does anyone use them on inductive tops? I have been thinking of getting a single inductive burner to try.

Cast iron is very magnetic, so it works fantastic on induction. Just go low and slow to heat it up and cook on it otherwise you get hot spots.

 

[Insertcoolname]

omg i love cooking with iron!

clearance Lodge flat griddle from walmart

12" unmarked i got it from the flea market in Brownsville TX .

8" Lodge i got it from TJ Maxx

iron serving teapot 4 cup. also Tj Maxx

2 qt saucepan it says 'made in Chile' i got it from HEB

and a 4.5 qt dutch oven . its stamped
amazonbasics

my roommate gets mad when i use them... he says he can taste metal . i disagree.

 

[Rand]

Does anyone use them on inductive tops? I have been thinking of getting a single inductive burner to try.

They will hot spot bad if you put them on too high.
better to warm them up on a relatively low power then turn it up after the food is in to maintain.
if you just start on med-high there is over 100f difference in spots.
(my range is induction) on a portable which is 1500w? might not be as big of an issue.

also have to be careful of scratching cooktop.

I used mine a few times but it works much better on the grill with the lid closed.. and keep any mess outside too.

nothing better than some good bisquik pancakes out of a cast iron skillet while camping.

Nice crispy edges.. MMmmm.

So miracle cleaner... usually I just use some hot water and wipe it out and reoil
but if you got a mess..
these take it all off with just a little water. *A M A Z I N G*

https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-214C-Stainless-Scrubbing-Scouring/dp/B002CQTXBC

 

[Pablo]

From a few years ago: