Anyone sand their cast iron pans?

[tjbnwi]

Hey Tom, I'm with you on enjoying cooking, 22.5" Weber and lots of cast iron cookware. I actually scrub my cast iron with a stiff nylon bristle brush under Hot tap water. If not everything comes loose, I boil water in the pan and use the bristle brush to finish cleaning. Every 3rd or 4th time I clean it, I re-oil with veg oil of any kind and low heat on the stove and wipe out the excess. Nothing sticks to it, nothing. I thought you might like a link to a great addition for the weber grill... http://madhunkymeats.com/opencart/index.php . Look at the "Vortex" it's a fun addition and very versatile for a guy that likes to cook "hot". Could easily be made, but cheap enough from Rich at mad hunky meats. While you're there, check out his rubs and such. I haven't gotten anything from him that hasn't been awesome. The brines are killer for both pork and poultry.

I'll take a look at his website.

Tom

 

[joraft]

The best way I have found to strip a pan is to put it in the oven for a full self cleaning. It will remove 100 years of crud no problem followed but a good scrubbing and a cold rinse (cold helps prevent oxidizing before seasoning).

I think I have an easier way. Heat the pan in the oven. Take it outside (fumes are awful) and spray it generously with Easy-Off oven cleaner. Let it cool a little and rinse off, use an SOS pad for any stubborn spots.

No matter how old, or how much crud it has on it, it will look almost new with very little work.

 

[Paul G]

What is meant by over finish? New term to me

I believe it should be "oven finish".

Thanks lol, thought there was a technique I'd never heard of before

 

[fdengel]

Some good info on seasoning cast iron:

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

 

[joraft]

Some good info on seasoning cast iron:

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

Very good link, thank you for posting that.

I see that Sheryl has arrived at basically the same cleaning process that I use. The big difference is that she sprays the oven cleaner on a cold pan and puts it in a warm place for 24 hours. I get the pan very hot and spray it with the cleaner, this is how the lye cleaner works best. But it should not be done indoors, and the resulting splatter and fumes must be protected against. The results are fast, very good, and with very little effort.

She mentions that lard has been the oil of choice for centuries, but is now hard to find. Here in Los Angeles, Manteca (lard) is very easy to find in any of the many Mexican markets. However, I will try her suggestion of Flaxseed Oil.

There seems to be 2 trains of thought on the seasoning process, some coat a cold pan and then place it in the oven. I favor heating the pan before the first coat to release in any trapped moisture and open the pores of the cast iron.

I have found that most important in the process is VERY thin, even coats of oil, and heating the pan high enough and long enough to allow the process to work. As she says, this is a process that can't be rushed.

 

[jacko9]

Some good info on seasoning cast iron:

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

Very good link, thank you for posting that.

I see that Sheryl has arrived at basically the same cleaning process that I use. The big difference is that she sprays the oven cleaner on a cold pan and puts it in a warm place for 24 hours. I get the pan very hot and spray it with the cleaner, this is how the lye cleaner works best. But it should not be done indoors, and the resulting splatter and fumes must be protected against. The results are fast, very good, and with very little effort.

She mentions that lard has been the oil of choice for centuries, but is now hard to find. Here in Los Angeles, Manteca (lard) is very easy to find in any of the many Mexican markets. However, I will try her suggestion of Flaxseed Oil.

There seems to be 2 trains of thought on the seasoning process, some coat a cold pan and then place it in the oven. I favor heating the pan before the first coat to release in any trapped moisture and open the pores of the cast iron.

I have found that most important in the process is VERY thin, even coats of oil, and heating the pan high enough and long enough to allow the process to work. As she says, this is a process that can't be rushed.

John, Good info. -  I think I'll try that with my crusted fish pan.

Jack

 

[fdengel]

I favor heating the pan before the first coat to release in any trapped moisture and open the pores of the cast iron.

When I reseasoned a pair of old skillets I got on a yard sale, I took off the old seasoning using various techniques that did not involve the use of Lye, washed/dried, then put in the oven to heat before the first coat, but then I let it cool most of the way before I put the first coat on it.  This was for the completely scientific reason of not wanting to burn my hands when I rubbed in the oil.

To the OP: I have a preseasoned Lodge grill/griddle combo (one of the dual-burner ones that you can flip over depending on whether or not you want stripes on the food) and never did anything to it - bought it new, and just maintain the seasoning.  No complaints.

 

[promark747]

I like the suggestion of using oven cleaner to strip down the pans, but I worry about leaving any residual lye...I assume that can be completely rinsed/cleaned from the pores of the iron?  That was also my only concern with sanding the bottom...that there might be residual particles from the sandpaper embedded into the iron.  Hopefully those fears are unfounded.

 

[joraft]

I like the suggestion of using oven cleaner to strip down the pans, but I worry about leaving any residual lye...I assume that can be completely rinsed/cleaned from the pores of the iron?  That was also my only concern with sanding the bottom...that there might be residual particles from the sandpaper embedded into the iron.  Hopefully those fears are unfounded.

As far a I can tell there is no residue, and since Lye is used in curing many food products, if there were any it shouldn't be toxic anyway. I also don't think sandpaper particles are small enough to embed in the pores of the cast iron, even at 600 grit.

Maybe most important, a properly seasoned pan should be completely "sealed", so the coating is between the food and any thing on the surface of the iron. Done correctly, that coating is pretty darned tough. 

 

[Foghat]

I've been watching various videos on seasoning the pans. I have a new Lodge pan. They take a wire wheel and use that then a sander. Well, I used a wire wheel with a big milwaukee drill (sorry Festool, I've had it a long time and it's a warhorse, big hammer drill) and the wire wheel did almost nothing. I tried 80 Granat with a R90 on Rotex, but it's too long and won't sit flat in the pan. Did smooth it a bit but not much. Then I tried 100 Flies on the 150/3 sander. Hardly did anything.
Does Festool make a paper that will take this down a bit before I polish it?
thanks,
John

 

[Brian Livingstone]

Hi,

I have bought a number of Lodge cast iron pans over the last few months.  I don't see a need to sand them down.  While the surface is slightly pebbly, with seasoning after each use they are spectacular.  The fourteen inch pizza pan is my favorite !  Makes a great homemade pizza !

I just bought a carbon steel Lodge skillet last night, and made crepes.  So good. 

All cast iron, all the time. 

 

[leakyroof]

I've been watching various videos on seasoning the pans. I have a new Lodge pan. They take a wire wheel and use that then a sander. Well, I used a wire wheel with a big milwaukee drill (sorry Festool, I've had it a long time and it's a warhorse, big hammer drill) and the wire wheel did almost nothing. I tried 80 Granat with a R90 on Rotex, but it's too long and won't sit flat in the pan. Did smooth it a bit but not much. Then I tried 100 Flies on the 150/3 sander. Hardly did anything.
Does Festool make a paper that will take this down a bit before I polish it?
thanks,
John

. Saphir is tough, it should easily sand that cast iron.

 

[peter halle]

I was at a Cabella store today and all of the Lodge cast iron pans for sale were pre-seasoned.  Everyone of mine was also.

Peter

 

[ear3]

A propos of nothing, I'm reminded by this thread of a passage I read in Sir Richard Burton's (the 19th c. British explorer/adventurer) account of his travels across America to visit the new Mormon settlement in Utah.  Among his many observations of how curious Americans were, was his take on our penchant for cooking everything in cast iron skillets.  He in fact found it disgusting, because the same skillet that was used the night before to cook, say, a meal of freshly caught salmon, would then be used in the morning for breakfast, resulting in a disturbing confluence of flavors.

My wife and I keep two skillets: one for sweet (usually breakfast) foods, and one for savory (usually dinner) foods, to avoid that sort of assault on the tastebuds.