🍳What Really Happens When Using a Metal Spatula on Your Cast Iron Pan
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
- Mar 28, 2020 - The next video has been released, there will be another released tomorrow which is something I don't think has been done before.
Mar 18, 2020 - A New video has been released, it is a bit of a follow up/restoration from a previous video. • 🍳Restore Rusty Cast Ir...
See the bottom of the description for updates!
I have been told never to use metal on a cast iron pan, I've also been told to always use metal because it improves the seasoning. I have personally never used metal because I figured it would ruin the seasoning, I suppose the same idea as using metal on a Teflon coated pan. In this video we test 4 different pans, all at different levels of seasoning/age and texture of surface to see what really happens when you use a metal spatula on your cast iron.
The goal here is to allow you to see what happens and you can make your own judgement call about which tools you'd like to use.
Please leave comments, I read every comment, and I try to respond to every comment as well (even the nasty ones). Let us know if you use metal or not and why.
As mentioned in the video, I will provide updates on what happens over time when using metal and if there are any problems that come up.
I realize I may be doing a too much talking in this video, I must have had a bit too much coffee :) Also, I gobbled those eggs down when I was finished.
Feb 29th, 2020 - I've been using only the metal spatula on my cast iron, so far no signs of any trouble. I prefer the metal, it glides below eggs much better than the plastic without the sticking affect. So far so good.
Mar 7th, 2020 - While shooting more video for an upcoming release I melted a plastic spatula, which then bonded to the surface of the pan.
#Castiron
#Cooking
#Scrambledeggs
My grandmother, mother, and myself have all used metal utensils. We fry, bake with ours all the time. My grand mother said to not to use force to scrape the bottom. She said if you are frying you are adding to the seasoning and if you have some thing stuck to the bottom to drain the oil and add water, boil a couple minutes and lightly scrape and everything will come right off. The same is if you bake cornbread, pies or brownies boil and ithe food comes off. Just remember you can take paint off a car by scrubbing the paint with a tooth brush.
My cast iron sticks, even after seasoning it! Any ideas?
@@judynoble951temperature is too high ...
Thanks grandma!
My mother always used metal utensils, and so do I. I would not use plastic utensils for fear of them melting, the way I've seen them do on other pans
Metal is the way to go, after making this video a few years ago, I only use metal like you, and there are no problems, the metal spatula/flipper is easier to get under eggs as well and they just last a lot longer in general. Like you say, plastic on a cast iron pan, not always a good idea, especially if you make the mistake of propping it up against the edge of the pan like I like to do with the metal one. There's something about metal as well, it's more timeless, it has a quality feel, whatever it is, I have a deeper connection to using tools that have that feeling of quality, I don't know about you.
It was my understanding that using metal tools helps smooth the rough surfaces, especially like Lodge. I have a good variety of CI, some older pieces of Wagner. Today I just received 12” & 14” CI Woks. Rob
I've never tried a cast iron Wok, which brand did you purchase?
I've been using the metal now for 3 weeks and there are no negative signs that I can see. I'm finding the metal so much easier to get below eggs and potatoes etc. I get a sense that the metal will last a lot longer also.
I use metal on mine daily, especially a fish spatula like the one in your video. I even use them in the ones that were my great grandmother's. When my kids cook in them with me, it is 5 consecutive generations using the same iron. I don't use metal utensils in my enameled cast iron though. Cast iron is all I cook with too, every morning and evening. I admin several cast iron groups and have a website, so, any time you have a question, if be happy to help.
I really like the way you are experimenting and seeing what works for you instead of just listening to what you have heard.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the comment! Great to hear that you support using metal on cast... except for enameled; I hadn't thought of that, we have a Le-Creuset enameled one, which is very nice to use.
Are you able to share your website link here?
I have lots of questions, these are the main ones on my mind right now:
Which seasoning oil is the best? I hear so many different ideas, and I do plan on testing this myself, but it would be nice to hear from someone with more experience.
Does cast iron warp easily? I have welded cast iron in the past and it has warped the piece, however those temperatures were well beyond cooking temperatures and would have cause instant uneven heat.
I have another interesting test video coming out within a week, I'd like your thoughts on it, the results were a little unexpected... to me at least.
Do you have any thoughts on the video style and what you might like to see done differently?
@@NeedItMakeIt sure thing!
My site is castironronin.com I just didn't know if you would want me to post it here.
I'll answer the other questions today when I get to my PC since it would take a bit in my phone.
@@NeedItMakeIt
For seasoning oil I use lard for the initial seasoning and I have been really enjoying beeswax too like Crisbee.
I have used Crisco for years for my friends that are Kosher, Hindu, vegetarian, Muslim etc. I have never had good luck with flax seed and I have found that it tends to flake off. A friend of mine gets really good results blending flax with coconut oil though.
I have used coconut and avocado oils by themselves as well.
The main thing to watch for is the smoke point of the oil. You want it to polymerize and not be sticky. I say for the initial seasoning because that is mainly to keep it from rusting and the best seasoning comes with use. I can expand more later because I can tell this comment is getting way too long. 8-)
Warp easily? Absolutely it can!
It makes me sad to see people recommending cleaning cast iron by "throwing it in a fire" or a self cleaning oven. I have seen many pieces ruined that way and they can warp or crack. This is especially true for vintage pieces because they tend to be thinner. Like your Wagner. (Wagners are my favorite BTW)
I like the style of your videos and I look forward to your next test video for sure.
Here is a section that you might like on my site. I put it up there because I have had so many people ask. I have seen my "Tips for the Care & Feeding of Cast Iron" reused in a ton of places so feel free to share away.
www.castironronin.com/category/cast-iron/how-tos/
I personally don't use metal utensils in my cast iron I just don't care for the feel of it how much rather use wooden or bamboo.
When it comes to the smoothness of the cooking surface in the older cast iron they used to machine those to make them smooth. It took a bit more time to make the skillet but they felt it was worth it. They also used a finer casting on the size and back that gave it a smoother finish but not so much the ground finish. From my use of over 50 years of cast iron it's harder to keep a swell season very very smooth skillet. You have to be very careful if you have to scour the pan with a rag you can actually bring them the seasoning off. Lodge has gone to a much rougher casting, more gritty and this helps to keep the seasoning on the surface.
I have also started using a stainless steel chainmail that you can buy over the internet to clean your cast iron skillet and not remove the seasoning. They are under $20 and a blessing to have. All you have to do is scrape out the majority of the burn down material run hot water and circle this around the pan and you will see it lift the parts you can't get off. Check the internet for a video on using a chainmail scrubby. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the video
They used to mill them with a milling stone
Back in the day Wagner, Griswold, BS&R and 3 notch Lodge skillets were machined smooth. Todays has to be sanded if you want it smooth.
Great video
You cast iron pans are well seasoned
Hmm.. I use a metal spatula each time I cook on my cast irons. Love them
I also use them to remove any stuck materials from burgers, steaks.
Then I spray them with oil, wipe with a paper towel then put them away.
Am I doing this wrong?
I wash them maybe once every two weeks if I see them getting bad or I forget to clean it.
I do use a little soap, with a plastic brush but I always heat it and reseason them after.
2:45 About the surface, it may due to the way people cleaned the pans in old days. First did many use a brush with extremely hard bristles, way harder than any today, they were more like fiber needles. Later on did the progress arrive and the good old steel wool (read metal shavings) was being used. Since soap were not particular affective did the cleaning often depend on pure mussels instead of the soaps abilities. But also many restorations' throughout time with everything from wire brushes to angle grinders has been used to bring back a usable pan. Lastly, a fun little fact, on some pans can you see tell tail marks from a right or left handiness of the cleaner. :-)
Old pans had the inside 'finished'. Either with grinding, milling or sanding. Or all of the above. That's also how modern brands finish the inside of the pans. But they cost more then 4, and up to 10, times more then Lodge.
IMO that Wagner’s probably your best pan. Very smooth interior . They just made cast iron pans differently 50+ yrs ago. I could be completely missing the point of your video (which I enjoyed BTW), but assuming all the pans were seasoned the same way heading into the experiment (they’re all yours), why the butter? It introduces a variable (burnt butter) that’s hard to account for. Why not just heat all the pans and use the spatula and see what happens to the existing seasoning?
what about carbon steel woks with a metal wok spatula? been dying to know..
The rough surface was intoduced by manufacturers to mass produce "pre seasoned" pans as a selling point. Before that cast iron skillets had smooth surfaces and customers had to season it themselves. Skillet collectors use pan surface as 1 way to judge year of manufacturer. Videos on RUclips.
A few days ago I seasoned a rough surface pan, and it was quite easy to achieve the dark rich seasoning color. I'd have to agree that a rough surface would be easier for a manufactured to create repeatable results. Most people seem to agree that using a rough pan over time with a metal spatula will smooth the surface, so a rough texture may not be so bad after all.
One downside of seasoning rough vs smooth is that the rough surface tends to want to tear off little bits of cloth and it was tough to get a clean coat of oil. I'd assume they'd spray it on and avoid that problem.
I'll check out some videos of collectors and see what they have to say; thanks for the tip.
Me go try it. Look like it work
Assuming you are careful -- and good call with sanding your new spatula -- that smooth edged metal one won't hurt a well seasoned surface. I use an Ekco flexible metal one from, I think, the '60s. It's not sharpened but extremely thin metal...it's great for getting under something close to the edge, from the edge. There's a New Old Stock one on Ebay for $2.50+tax+shipping. It's called the "Ekco Super Flex Scoop Drain Black Spatula Flexible Thin Blade." It doesn't get sexier than that, does it?!?
I got mine in a thrift store utensil bin, probably on senior day, for .50 or so. It's about 2 1/2" wide, but you can snatch up a scallop, then let it drain out the base of the spatula...it's handy.
I don't like the pebbly surface, not because it's not nonstick but it hangs up things like the thin spatula and traps carbon, which isn't really seasoning. It's the black stuff that comes off on your rag, when wiping oil in, then off. Over time, it begins to resemble gunk...because that's what it is. It's easy to tell the smooth from the rough on this very interesting video from the sound your different pans made when scraped.
The extreme example is a super cheap pan from Red China. Rough edges abound and it won't feel good in your hand. The casting will be rough and sharp edged excess iron gouges skin, other cookware and just looks and feels shoddy. Take that piece and refine it, you'll get better performance and treat it better and not end up donating when it gunks up...make sense?
Last thing, if you don't like waiting for your Lodges to heat up, get an induction burner. I got one from Amazon Warehouse, an open box unit, for less than $45. A 10" Lodge gets searing hot in less than a minute, though you should ramp up the temp incrementally, so as to not shock your pan.
High heat isn't the enemy, it's sudden temperature change. The difference between 425-450, ideal searing temps, and the maximum 525 degrees is negligible and doesn't warp cast iron, young or old. Cold rinsing to ward off rust, then sticking in s hot oven, surely could, for you commenter below who doesn't like the self clean method.
The induction cooktop I use is a "duxtop."
So why does induction perform better than a regular cook-top? Does it heat more of the pan so it will not crack? You have me interested.
@@NeedItMakeItAn electric element depends on conduction and radiation for thermal transfer. With induction there is no heat transfer, a strong alternating electromagnetic field is induced in the iron. A gap (less than even contact) is tolerated. With conventional electric heating element gaps impede heat transfer.
Can spatulas bend by simply using them?
Steel wool over time makes it all smooth.
That's not a bad idea, do you mean an SOS pad, or just the plain?
@@NeedItMakeIt I would figure either over time. Maybe even a plastic one with enough time..., But depending on just how old your cast iron is I wonder if plastic scrubbers were even common when it was made.
Believe it is sand blasting.
8 minutes of info jam-packed into a nearly 18 minute video.
Tip: increase the speed of the video to your comprehension level. At 2x speed I can understand him and finish the video in half time.
I think they sanded the sides with a flap wheel
It does look like what you'd see from a flap disk. I thought the flap wheel was a newer invention?
You should have gotten a dexter-russell turner. 😢
Those are $$$. I don't know mine is still holding up super well, I use it every time I use cast iron, which is daily at this point.
They look like a nice brand though so I'll have a look the next time I'm in the market.
How to season a cast iron skillet. use it.
Too true! I use my cast just about every day, and the Lagostina 10" is now my favorite after fixing the bowed bottom. Do you have a favorite CI brand or specific pan?
@@NeedItMakeIt I see cast iron cookware as heirloom items to be passed down to family and friends..even the cheapest cast iron is better than the aluminum cookware at The Big Box store. so I don't have a name brand or favorite as long as it's cast iron and has a good thickness I am happy.
Reddit brought us together, I like metal spatulas on my cast iron. But will only use plastic spatulas on anything that has some sort of coating on it.
That's great to know; after doing the testing, I'm beginning to see why metal is good to use. I appreciate that you've taken the time to share your preference with us.
this would only work for a flat surface. no go on a cast iron grill pan.
Nobody uses a spatula that hard while cooking. And if you season after each use it would be replaced.
When I test in these videos I need to make sure to go further than anyone else to make sure the test can prove something.
I use a claw hammer to flip my eggs.
As long as it has a wooden handle, I approve.
This should have been called a "spatula review video". The conclusion didn't follow from the title at all, it was just a waste of time really
One can always improve. I thought that it covered the topic well, but to each their own. Have a good one.
I wouldn't use cast iron. Too much iron in the blood isn't not good.