Cast Iron- why is new cookware so rough inside?

[Crashbox]

IMO soap is a real no-no with cast iron. Not only does it foul the seasoning but, because of cast iron's porosity, the soap can remain in the cookware and have a very unpleasant purgative effect!

 

[Shannow]

I think that eljefino (I still look at that name and see the "Ninjas took my family...need money for karate lessons" spoof), has one end covered, while Sturat Hughes has the other end covered.

If I cooked over solid fuel, my pans would look lovely, and cook non-stick, and I'd have a soups stock (calcium rich) beyond taste sensation.

Rest of us have to live in the middle.

I've noticed that soap (real soap) is OK on cast iron, while detergent is rust city.

 

[stringsattached]

I saw some of the Le Creuset pans at a kitchen store today; the normal sized ones were about $100. They felt like they were a lot higher quality than the "new" Lodge ones you can get at BBB/LNT (they were much heavier and smoother). More like the pans my grandma used to have.

 

[Shannow]

Hint for seasoning the centre of the pan.

If you cook toasted sandwiches in your cast iron pan with a tiny amount of butter smeared on the sandwich, it leaves a really nice finish on your pan.

 

[kkat]

My grandmother said that you should never washout a cast iron pan. wipe it clean with a paper towels or a cloth towel. And the best way to season one was to use bacon couple times a year

 

[TheTanSedan]

I've used everything to season them in the course of cooking and beef suet was superior to olive oil (lousy, actually), CRISCO, and bacon fat. Clean them just after cooking, a paper towel wipedown is all it should take.

See the LODGE website for instructions on seasoning.

The older the better.