For years I have a 5 inch lodge that I intended to use mostly for eggs. I never was able to get a good release of a sunny side egg. Tried various preheat temperatures, extra seasonings and practically deep frying the egg without success. Just alot of frustration and exasperation. Not understanding why cast iron has a reputation for being non stick and I'm having so much trouble. This week I finally decided to smooth it. I had some 80 grit sandpaper and hand sanded it smooth in about 10 minutes. Reasoned. My first egg practically slid out of the pan without any effort. YAY!
I don't have any issue with my regular lodge pans, the roughness doesn't really do too much for me. eggs still come out great, and nothing sticks. It just takes a good seasoning.
I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a $1 knife sharpening stone. I filled the pan with a little bit of water, and just used the stone to smooth the bottom out. I primarily did it because the latest pan I got was a second and it had a few big bumps that would stop a spatula. I got it smooth in just a few min. It did seem to ruin the stone for knives but I think I can get a few more pans out of it. The corners of the stone conformed to the corners and that was as far as I felt I had to take it. Cooks like a vintage cast iron pan now!
Melt 2 sticks of real butter and then spread about a quarter inch of salt over the bottom of the pan and then turn it to high heat. Once the salt all turns black, take it off of the heat to cool then clean it out. That will make the pan smooth as ice, once done, oil it and your done.
I have the 12in too. I was going to re-season the entire thing but decided to give it a shot beforehand. First thing I cooked were pancakes and eggs. I was shocked at just how non stick it was straight from Lodge. They key is to start the burner on a low flame and let it warm up. Also make sure you use lot of butter or some other fat. The pan will smooth out with use. I use simple Crisco to season my cast irons and it works just fine and it's cheap too.
I have the same pan, and I've never needed to do this. When I first got it, I washed it in soapy water to get off any loose factory seasoning, maybe 15 mins minimum, 30 mins maximum, (I didn't see much of the factory stuff come off), Then oven seasoned it twice (with regular cooking oil) and it was non-stick. I've made pie filling from scratch in it, berries are highly acidic, spaghetti sauces, high heat searing of steaks (preheating is a must oven or burner. when the water droplets on the rim, and handle evaporate, it's ready, water takes a lot of energy to turn to vapor), baked frozen pizzas in it, without re-oiling, cooked without pre-heating (slow incremental heating) and have never had problems. (Cook them, then remove them immediately and rinse off the pan). If I do I cook a pound of bacon or some kind of meat in it, and it's good as new. I cooked some hamburger helper one day in it, and that was the first time I'd seen anything stick to it, like burnt on stuck, ( I got side tracked kids are good for that, and it simmered too long without stirring I guess), and all I did was scrape it, boil about a quarter inch of water in it, and the stuck food came right up, (without pulling up the seasoning), then stove top seasoned it (just to be sure). Cook with it, rinse it out while it's still warm at the least, oil it, and very little to no problems will be had, if the cowboys of the wild west could use them on open fires, I don't think you'll have much problems in a modern home. You see a lot of people going out to buy expensive oils to season with. Screw that, the seasoning going to flake off, it's going to get worn down, but cooking hamburger, bacon, even veggies will recoat it (Vegetable oil). I've made a lot of cast-iron do not's mistakes, and it is a very forgiving hardy material, if it's non-stick, you've got your temp too high, turn it down, and the food will lift when it's done, meats are about the only time I use high, or above medium. Everything else is medium or below. All this presented in this video is fine if you like making adjustments to a very old technology, but knowing how to cook is more important, it's like any other craft, if your craftsmanship is sub-par, it doesn't matter what kind of tricks you try, or high dollar things you get and try. But the right tools do make it easier. Get a wooden spoon, you can scrape the food, and leave the seasoning untouched, and unlike plastic which melts and can leave pieces of it in the food, you can stir damn near indefinitely (make the roux for a gumbo, you'll see), no visible or taste discrepancies. Oils, Vegetable oil works just fine, all this talk about flaxseed oil and this and that, it's cooking, not rocket science. K.I.S.S, keep it simple stupid. You could probably use motor oil to season with, you're changing the chemical make up of the oil by seasoning, (don't do it, I'm explaining a point.) Look it up, olive oil, is no longer olive oil when you get it to it's smoking temp for extended periods of time, it polymers molecularly, kind of a plastic.
To be fair Lodge used to lap their products like the expensive cast iron companies of today but they began to use coarser sand for molds which is cheaper and faster(makes for a rougher finish), omit the lapping and polishing process, and use cheaper faster season methods(which adds to the roughness). Thus now it falls on the shoulders of the consumer to correct the product and make it like it used to come, like it should still come.
For those of us who are long-time metal workers this is a bit funny. Use a 4 or 4 1/2/ inch angle grinder with a backing pad and 60 grit pad, or perhaps a flap wheel, smooth as a babies bottom in less than five minutes. Finish with a 3/4 worn out pad if you're particular. If you don't have one, you can get a Harbour Freight, et. al. grinder for about $15, it will do the job well and be a handy investment for a "homeowner" in the future.
The problem is that the cheap cast iron is not a uniform density and is not flat to begin with. Grinding smooths the surface but doesn't deal with the straightness of the bottom. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it smooth. Just sayin'.
Ur right exactly what I did , fitter welder ,flap disc on metabo ,till smooth as glass , now high quality like a cross wold, new skillets need some work
I don't know that my pans were turned on a lathe, only that they appear to have been. i'm fairly sure the machining was done at the factory. My good fry pans are Griswold, manufactured between 1910 and 1925 and show very similar machining, honing patterns. The outsides of the pans are also very smooth. The sand used was extremely fine, not like the crap that is used today.
@justthinken1 A cast iron pan could easily be put in a lathe safely. Toe clamped to a face plate. You would need a large lathe to swing the handle however. Your average home machinist could do it with a fly cutter, pan toe clamped on rotary table on a milling machine. You could tip the head of a vertical mill to get the sides of the pan, removing one toe clamp at a time as it would interfere with the spindle, and replacing the previously removed toe clamp. Really not a difficult job, just sayin
@justthinken1 What you said is "I can tell you there is no way to put a cast iron skillet on a ''lathe'' " What I described certainly can be done, and done safely. I didn't say it was faster, I didn't say it was more practical, I said it was possible and not that difficult. It's just tedious . Obviously you would indicate it on the face plate, shim between the pan and faceplate as needed, and would want to affix at least 3 clamps or t-nuts as stops butted up against the side of the pan after it was indicated and clamped down. This would prevent it from being able to walk off the face plate. If you were a home machinist, I would hope you would at least have a lathe or a mill, kind of the right of passage to a machine shop. The lathe setup would be more involved, that's why I said your average home machinist could mill it with a rotary table. It's far more practical to grind it, that's what I would do, but it's definitely possible to machine it. And yes I've cut cast Iron. I worked for years as a machinist before becoming a manufacturing engineer. I currently work on improving automated machining cutting nodular iron to tolerances of less than half a thou. We are well past the skin of the casting however. Depending on how chilled the surface of the pan is you may not be able to get deep enough for a good cut. That's up to the foundry. A tool post grinder would work if the iron was chilled. So getting back to your original statement that I rebutted, yes, it is possible to machine it.
Man, those Lodge unfinished skillets suck until they get smoothed out. I've always just stayed away from them and am lucky to have a 1908 Lodge number 8, a 1950s Griswold numbers 9 and 6. They all were given to me, I stripped the crud out and re-seasoned them. I'll get another 100 years out of the Lodge, easily.
I've never had a problem with the surface finish on any of my cast iron cookware, even the cheaper non-Lodge imported stuff... I tend to use a stainless steel pot scrubber when washing the pot, so that might act to smooth out any imperfections over the years... I've wondered about using a lathe to put a perfectly flat and smooth surface to the bottom of the pot, but I don't have a lathe that would be anywhere close to the size needed to mount a skillet in it... Maybe some sort of turntable where the skillet was placed on it and which would automatically rotate while using an angle grinder with a sanding wheel in it might work...
I really love my vintage Wagner that has a smooth glassy finish. My Lodge has so much of a patina on it, that it got smooth by itself. If i gotta get another lodge i may dabble in this method. Thank you for this!
don't do it . . . . you had it right the 1st time. the slightly pitted surface on most of Lodge's products is meant to fill in with polymerized oil over time. i did this with 2 identical Lodge skillets and the smooth surface added utterly nothing to the performance and in fact inhibited the adherence of polymer . this is why many folks have problems with Stargazer skillets.
Interesting concept. I have many lodge pans. I found just after seasoning several times in a very hot oven and thin layers of saved bacon grease nothing really stuck to them. But, hey whatever floats your boat. after time they do get very smooth. But, just from seasoning and never ever ever ever use anything but water to wash them. I throw a little hot water in the pan just as I finish cooking to steam of any stuck on bits.
Hello there. I bought a Lodge pan and arrived today and while I was watching this video it came to my mind that maybe I do not need to sand it down,maybe over time the pores would fill with the oil and eventually become smooth and I was looking for a comment like yours,saying you don't need to sand it down. So I really don't have to do it? It will become smoother? Another question:do you ever grill vegetables in it?
You don't have to sand your new rough skillet. Some people are already set up with this equipment. So it's quick and easy for us. And it is a little better. Some people enjoy doing this as well. If it's a chore to you, probably not worth it. It is better though. I have seven Lodge and a very large Griswold chicken pan. Of course that's already smooth when I got it. My Lodge are now too.
I have several lodge products and have never come to the point to where I needed a power tool to get smooth surfaces. High heat, solid oil,salt and paper towels. Keep it simple
All high quality cast iron pans have a glassy smooth surface. Vintage pans are always smooth. The bumpy, coarse surface of the Lodge pans are not ideal for taking molecularization (the process of seasoning). It's not an opinion of how you like your momma's food or "just cook in it". Literally science.
You mean polymerization...and The Lodge ones do it fine...I have an old Griswold that is smooth, and a bunch of 10 yr old Lodges..they both are glassy smooth with polymerized seasoning...and both cook exactly the same. I got a set of the fancy/overpriced Finex last year and they are smooth..and the seasoning constantly flakes off...plus they are lighter (a selling point these boutique CI makers always push) which means there's less iron mass and they therefore don't hold heat as well for searing and even heating. Lodge works better than the fancy ones...at over 1/8 the price. Heavy cast iron is the way to go.
@@90whatever Lodge stopped sanding their pans some time ago. They used to. Now they don't. A new lodge pan feels like a truck bed liner and it takes a lot of seasoning to get that smooth, if even possible. I spent hours and hours and hours doing every trick in the book and still have sub-par smoothness on mine. Not to mention a pain to clean constantly. My in-laws on the other hand have an old Griswold that they never season, never use salt or any other method except a simple wash with soap and a sponge (yes, soap), and that thing can fry up a delicious hot egg like a champ. It's not a miracle lodge pans are 1/8 of the price. Maybe the old ones aren't bad.
@@tylermcmichael8515 strange. I have an 80 yr old Wagner that is glass smooth and my Lodges are more non stick. And just about as smooth with the seasoning over the last few yra. In fact I prefer the Lodges as they are heavier. Seasoning didn't take to the smooth Finex I had as good as the Lodges. You might not be doing something right. My Lodges aren't old either.
@Bob Watters The first thing I with the nice heavy Lodge skillets was run 120 grit on a sander all over it for about 10 mins...Got an orange-peel texture...then seasoned it 6 times with grape seed oil. That was some years ago and it became glass smooth pretty quickly. The mass/heaviness makes for great heating and searing. If you have to move the skillet around a lot it isnt' a good choice as it is heavy but if you're mostly using a spatula you can't do much better, especially for the price.
I have and use a Lodge 12, 10. & 8 inch cast iron skillet. They are seasoned well. None of the needed work, from the factory all an nearly non stick, not sure what people are doing to have issues, but strongly suggest they are not well seasoned and they have them too hot. Dial it down and season them 5-7 times and they are good forever. I bake mine in the gas Bbq upside down with canola oil.
using a very rough quick strip disc then going to 320 grit paper, what happened to to 120g, 180g, and 220g paper. Ive done this to several pans in grit stages and the pan becomes super smooth on the bottom, sides, and the top. this is definately an easier process to acquire a smooth surface for cooking.
i just use a stainless steel scrubber to take out the rough bumps, wash, and then cook a few eggs and throw out the eggs, then i run hot water to rinse the pan and give it a little scrub and rewash and then cook with low heat for the first few meals, i don't go out of my way to season cookware , it works for me
I have a lot of 50+ year old cast iron that is smooth as glass, but I also have the Lodge skillet in the video. The sanding just makes the surface smooth, not non-stick. My experience with the Lodge you are using is that it will get smooth in a fairly quick time with regular cooking. Bacon grease before and after each use will make a cheap skillet as smooth and non-stick as a 60 year old skillet or a brand new $200 "Butter Pat" skillet.
I bought two Lodge cast Iron cook ware pieces, one was a skillet, the other a round griddle. The round griddle, I had no problem cooking with it.. like seasoning went good and everything. Cook on it no problem. THAT SKILLET THOUGH. . . I did like yourself, I got out the powertools and sanded it down.. lmfao. I'm only on youtube because I was curious if others had the same issues.. looks like that's the case.
Lodge back in the day used to make nice smooth cooking surface skillets. But that was when they had to compete with the giants like Wagner, Griswold and BSR etc. Today they're about pushing product out not quality.
I have three Lodge Chef Collection pans, the 8", 10" and the 12". Cooked with them for a few months and now all three are well seasoned and smooth. Very nice pans.
I disagree. Still high quality, just not perfect out of the box. I do not imagine my new cast iron pans breaking in the next 500 years if not left to rust.
I bought a lodge 10 1/4” cast iron skillet. It was preseasons but rough on the inside. I seasoned it again and put too much oil in the skillet the baked it for one hour. What can I do to get it smooth?
@@lindafuller4542 just cook with it it’ll all burn off. Or you might be able to heat it up again and wipe off the excess once it’s hot enough to wipe off
@@lindafuller4542 season it again but this time turn it upside down and put a drip tray underneath it, the way you were supposed to do it in the first place.
When a pan is new from the factory it's just seasoned enough not to rust. You need to oven season is a bunch, filling in those pits, making it smoother. When you sand the pan you destroy the surface on a micro and mini level. Seasoning will not stick as good. The rough surface of a new pan is a good thing. Just as long as it doesn't have too large pits. Any extreme peak you can always sand off.
I can understand why people do this, but after owning and using several Lodge pans I've never found a need to do this. Like with a stainless steel pan, food will let go when it is ready to. Plus I find I like the texture as it keeps the food in place better when I slide the spatula underneath. I hate having to chase sliding stuff around a pan just because I want to flip it.
The only thing I noticed is that if you are cooking delicate foods like mushrooms it will grind them into little bits if you aren't careful when stirring. But I will NOT be sanding my skillets
I agree with you...I'm new to cast iron and cooking period.. I just cant see myself grinding the pot down to a smooth finish...It'll get there naturally!
If seasoned properly you shouldn’t need to go through this. I use flaxseed oil and heat the oven up to 400. Use a lint free towel and rub the pan down with the oil and bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and leave the pan in until it comes down to room temperature. I do this five times and then I’m good to go. The oil fills in all the pours and adheres to the iron and leaves you with a fantastic cooking surface. Basic maintenance after that!
as far as I know the numorous bumpy things on the surface can grap oil when it got heat. and ongoing use of the pan can make shiny and glassy surface you want to make.
I see a lot of these videos, but I haven’t had a problem with any of my Lodge cast iron pans. I cook eggs, steaks, bacon etc. temperature and oil are the key.
I have a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandmother. The skillet must be a good 75 years old and it has the smooth finish and i love it. I always wondered if the skillet came this way or had someone altered the finish. I was gifted 2 new Lodge skillets by my son. After each use I would scrub them down with stainless steal wool. Even after several years the steel wool didn't make much difference. I'm going to try your method to see if I can get some results. Thank you
I agree the newer lodge pans are too ruff inside. I contacted lodge about this. They only sand blast the pans then do a paint on seasoning. The last one I bought 8 years ago I gave up trying to season out the ruff surfsce and did the same as the video. Sanded mine smooth, washed then reseasoned the pan. The pan has been great since.
I got 2 of my Lodge skillets super smooth. But now the seasoning won't stick. I've tried flaxseed oil 3 times. 1st with moderate heat on the stove then in the oven at 375 fir 30 minutes, eventually it started peeling off. Took it back down to bare metal and seasoned it with high heat, it peeled again. Then I did the whole process again with low heat. I did it at least 3 more times with canola oil. I have plenty cast iron skillets, baking dishes, and meatloaf pans. I'm only having trouble with the two I got super smooth.
@@howardfrankfort, I tried putting it on thin, very thin. Last time I thought I had it perfect, worked great for about 4-5 weeks then one little spec came off and it started peeling off again.
He gave instructions at 0:56 When you squeeze it in and it hot and moist, it should slide very nicely. A 4-inch skillet is really perfect, and if you eat before you use it, it tastes better.
cast iron is addicting. my collection is 20 pc's i have accumulated over 50 years. people admire my griswalds and wagners, but the pan i use daily for everything is a 9'' 1800's unmarked antique with the pour mark and heat ring on the bottom. it even has a crack on the bottom and a crack on the side by the handle. it has seen some use! the old lady who gave it to me told me it was a good pan. she prolly thought i would throw it away, much less ever use it. the bottom crack used to ooze a bit of oil, but i don't deep fry and lately i haven't noticed any oil leakage, the crack seems to have sealed from use. why i use it is because it is far lighter than the others and it holds everything i put in it. i use it with a glass top and can get an onion, garlic, 1/4 head of cabbage, half a microwaved sweet potato, cup of cooked rice, cheese and 2 eggs all at once! i cook that in stages, when the garlic, cabbage and onions cook down i add the rest, and that's breakfast. as soon is i finish cooking i scour it under running water about 10 seconds with a stainless steel springy pad and its clean and shiny ready to cook another meal. now i just made myself hungry..
@@travisleach5916 What is she going to do with 500 pcs much less 50. Sell 490 of them. That's just hording. Get a pan from the 70's or before and you won't have to worry about seasoning - ever! I use an unbranded every day thats probably 50 yrs old at most. Never season it. Works perfectly. Doesn't even have to be a Griswold or Wagner. Please don't make this more complicated than it is. I've got 6 cast pcs and never spent more than 12 bucks from a thrift store on them. Also, most people think their pans are alot older than they are.
@@lordmonty9421 -- The problem with buying a "vintage" skillet is that you don't know what it has been used for previously... I reload my own ammo and cast my own bullets... It is common to use cast iron cookware when either melting the lead for casting the bullets or when smelting the lead scraps (wheelweights, etc) to refine into a more pure alloy for casting into smaller ingots that will be used in your electric casting furnace... I'm pretty sure that I could clean up my cast iron smelting dutch oven to the point where it would not be possible for you to know that it had been used with lead by just looking at it, but you wouldn't probably want to be using it for food... Of course, I don't use any vintage skillets for lead and instead just bought one of the cheap imported brands at Academy, but many reloaders will just use whatever they find at garage sales which sometimes might be a good brand of cast iron cookware that just needs to be restored instead of being used with lead...
@@jakeblanton6853 Yeah, that's an interesting point, and one I hadn't really considered. Though while it's definitely within the realm of possibility, it's....not terribly likely. Guys who are thrifty enough to reload usually know a thing or two about good cast iron. That doesn't keep them from being so thrifty they might try and refurbish a piece they use to melt lead for a sale, but...I think even they would agree the work wouldn't be worth the payout. But, you never know.
@@lordmonty9421 -- More likely the guy who reloads dies (because we're often a bunch of old farts), his wife sells all his stuff for what he *told* her he paid for them, and then the next owner who is not a reloader and has no idea what it was used for decides to refurbish the cast iron pan for a quick buck and resell it to someone who is even less aware of its history... I'm not particularly concerned with elevated lead levels from my casting activities, but I'm not going to use a piece of cookware that has been used to smelt lead for food either... Better safe than sorry...
You know why Lodge sprays on the crappy truck bed liner? It's to cover up the faults in a cheap pan with the cooking surface not being flat, you have high spots in your pan. Your oil usually falls to the edges. I suggest after you remove the bed liner pour some liquid in the pan and see where your high spots are and grind on them areas. It doesn't have to be smooth as much as flat so your oil evenly coats pan while cooking. The seasoning will come with time and will adhere better if its not so smooth. You can spend a little more for a better pan and save the trouble unless you are looking for a project.
I hate new cast-iron skillets. I like the old slick bottom! Been looking for how to smooth out a couple new ones gave me. I won't use them as is. Appreciate finding this video!!!
He is not seasoning it he is finishing it which Lodge use to do and Griswold to a smooth surface for some reason in the 70s they stopped smoothing them out and shipped them out with a rough finish
I got mine super smooth and it will not season properly. I have tried re-seasoning about 6 different times. All the way from lightly oiling it and I'd put it in the oven on the bottom rack at 350 for an hour while cooking other meals. I tried to season it super hot. It will ne great for a few weeks then 1 part would flake off then half the seasoning would chip off and it was horrible. That happend to two skillets, large & small. I have two identical skillets LIGHTLY sanded and they work flawlessly.
Yes...seasoning is the key...more important than the surface. I take a 40 or 60 grit to them and give them a nice orange peel surface...takes seasoning much better than glassy smooth. I got rid of the Finex I had (sold it to a neighbor) as the Lodge works so much better.
While I get the need to do this, saying you had no luck cooking on the Lodge out of the box means you didn't know what you were doing. These pre-seasoned skillets are perfectly usable as is.
I had an antique lodge with a smooth interior. The handle broke off after it hit a brick floor. The replacement with the as cast finish is NOT the same as far as non-stickines.....even after years of use...
@@drigondii Cast Iron is difficult to weld not impossible but not easy. You also don't need a blacksmith to be able to weld. You just need a welding machine. But as I say welding cast iron can be a challenge depending on where the joint broke.
@@nancyjane285 I don't have an old one to compare it to, and I've only just gotten into using cast iron this year, but my new lodge seems to be getting very nonstick with grapeseed oil after just 2-3 months of use. does it really make that big of a difference? ill do an egg test on mine soon and if it doesn't do well, maybe I'll see about smoothing it out. the lodge was pretty terrible at first, but lately it seems great, though I've only cooked chicken and burgers really
@@drigondii cast iron is not like regular metal, it's very brittle and can crack easily in extreme temp changes and it's because of these qualities that it can be difficult to repair
I'm a chef and use cast all the time. All I do to season is veg oil and salt. Heat till smoking. Pour off oil. Then some elbow grease with a rag to grind it in. Then rinse with hot water. Then heat again with oil on paper towel to coat the cast. Then use a oven after to heat the cast to finish setting the seasoning.
I burned factory "seasoning" off with a torch....I mean I had the whole pan glowing. After it cooled, wire wheel to clean all residue off. After, later off peanut oil, in the oven at 400 for 2 hours, let cool to touch, peanut oil again, another 2 hours at 400. Let cool then ran oil+head process 2 more times on my pot Pit Boss pellet cooker 2 more times. Slick and black solid seasoned surface.
all you commenter's who think this person is crazy, do not know what you are talking about. all cast iron was smoothed in the old days ... it makes it work better. repairs & reviews is 100 % correct.
Not only did they use much finer sand in the casting, but many of the skillets where both turned on a lathe and machined stoned, resulting in a surface that you can see your reflection in.
Just because it was done in the old days don’t mean it was right. That’s like saying in the old days they used to use blood letting to cure the common cold. You are using false information cognitive biases to presume things should be better if it was done differently 100 years ago. Nope what Lodge found is this machining cast iron made it thinner, it would warp when heated to high making it a spinner. It would not hold the heat as long. They tried just seasoning it straight from the casting. They found it took less to season it than when it was machined smooth. It did not warp and it retained heat well. So through modern science and research lodge improved the cast iron and lowered the cost as well and is the only made in America cast iron cook ware foundry left in America.
@@wildmanofthewynooch7028 nonsense. all the high priced, collectable, quality cast iron that is still used today was polished and machined smooth. and ... yes ... it was better. news flash ... if cast iron warps ... it is not because it is thinner ... it is because it is not evenly thinned or exposed to cold water while it is hot. just like a car engine made with cast iron.
I hope @Lodge Cast Iron is paying attention....this is alot of drama to fix a problem....I JUST got a new Lodge 12in skillet....I've had it for years but now it makes sense why my 10 inch was a fail the first few times I used it. I AGREE with others here, LODGE ought to come smooth already from the factory.
I used this tool to sand down my new skillet...took a while but worked great. I then seasoned it with flaxoil. Smooth, glasslike surface! Thanks for the tip! P.S. if your pan can't go into the oven (wooden handle) don't sand down the sides...it's hard to get them hot enough on a stovetop for the oil to polimerize all the way up to the rim.
GWHAWK87 It says so on the website. They have modells with both wooden and metall handles...I choose the wooden handle for convenience with stovetop use...doesn't get hot, easier to lift...I have a nice big cast iron casserole with ceramic finishing which I use for stews and roasts and such. Skeppshult pans come preseasoned and I didn't expect to have to mess with them...they are pretty expensive...but I ended up not liking the rough surface. I didn't want to risk charring the handle though!
Rara Avis I just did this to two of my Lodge pans and used flax oil. After the first use the seasoning is flaking and rubbing right off. I’m afraid it’s not sticking because it’s so smooth and I’m worried they’re ruined!
[Terra]cotta Paste Uh, that sucks! Maybe you didn't heat them up high enough? It's pretty scary, when they start to smoke and all, I had to force myself not to turn off the heat too soon myself. I let the pan heat up pretty slowly...2min low setting, 2 min medium setting, 2 min medium to high, and then all the way up till there was visible blackening going on. Then I let it cool down for 10 min or so before I started again. And I did this on ceran stovetop on a field slightly larger than the pan, to provide even heat all over the bottom of the pan. It's my first ever real cast iron pan though, so I don't really know what to advice otherwise 😯. Maybe post a seperate comment and hopefully someone else can help. Or just try a different approach. There are plenty of different methods, maybe some work better with certain pans...
Thanks for the response! I put them in the oven on 550 for an hour and then let them cool in the oven for two hours in-between oilings. Did six coats. I read elsewhere that someone else had the same problem and it's probably because the surface is too smooth for the oil to stick. I'm just going to keep using them and hope the seasoning builds back up on it's own.
You just wash it with a little bit soap or DAWN. After you clean it , you use paper towel to dry it thoroughly and then put it on the cooktop. Using small-midi fire to dry it thoroughly meanwhile put some cooking oil with a paper towel to wipe the whole body of the cast iron pan twice. Then turn off the fire; let the oil get into the pan completely. That is, you are done. Please do not put the cast iron pan in dishwasher after you use it. Just use the above way to clean it and maintain it.
There is nothing aesthetic about it. I have smooth vintage cast iron and I've been buying new cast iron that I can't even hand dry because it tears up the paper towels. When I try to use a hand towel it snags on it. Such bull crap
I agree, Field company, stargazer, butterpat, finex and other high end cast iron skillets all come with a smooth cooking surface along with all old school cast iron like grizwold etc. Lodge sells alot of these peices because they're cheap in comparison to others, not necessarily cheaply made but not as refined in my opinion. I think they could benefit from a premium finish version with smoother finish. I'd be willing to pay more for it.
Agreed, but the smooth versions would cost 4 times as much, with all the machining that would be needed. But, I have a couple of Lodge skillets that are performing perfectly after a bit of use. Maybe a smooth one for $65-$80? Hmm, I'd probably buy one.
Hex Boriken i’m kind of afraid of the enamel coating I’m afraid that could have lead in it,,,, and in time I believe it would release while you cook dinner
I bought my 10 inch Lodge 2 years ago, I seasoned it 3 times and never had to re-season it. It's not smooth like glass but it's nevertheless non-stick almost like Teflon. I really love the rough finish, because it keeps the food in place and I don't have to chase it with the spatula when I wanna flip it.
What is your process may I ask? I’ve had two lodge pans and I never got the commercial seasoning to be very non stick. And after many months it begins to flake off.
@@mablebird I'll share what I've done that works flawlessly: 1. Use 40 or 60 grit on a sanding mouse and take off the high points of the rough areas (like 10 minutes of work). Like an orange peel texture. 2. Season 3 times with grape or flaxseed oil...super thin/light coating and heat at 450 for 45 mins...let cool to warm in between. 3. That's it...Easy to clean/scrape anything off. Wipe clean, dry on low heat for like 2 minutes. Thin coat of oil and store.
People are so disrespectful , with comments . The guy is explaining how he does it , rather than comment on the way he speaks during his video . is just rude. Thank him for his view and his process . tips (the world isnt made of cookie cut humans) Thanks for your tips Sir they are helping others figure out how to go about it . ill just add to this comment though by saying / i have a griswald very smooth surface and i really prefer the lodge factory finish . seasoned in the oven a few times . Then just wash them with salt and water. and re -oil . but i notice some pans are worse than others made by lodge and thats what i buy. i have like 6 or seven. plus 2 of there sportsman hibachi (cast irons) which are awesome
I can fry cheese in mine and just slips right out and never ever had to grind any of my iron. The rough surface of new iron it to hold years of seasoning.
Ghee butter is the healthiest option to fry with. Much healthier than any seed oil. And it has a high smoke point. I'm not sure if it's good to season with. Going to look it up
i use this disc on all my cast iron pieces. the cheap Chinese pans are very very rough all over. a 15 min smoothing with the avanti pro disc ensures the surface is slick and the pan bottom doesnt scratch the glass too stove.
@Allen Loser If you are Buying The EXACT SAME PAN that your mother bought, then your advise may be right. If you aren't then Maybe, Just Maybe YOU WOULD LEARN SOMETHING IF YOU ARE AN OPEN MINDED PERSON. Otherwise just do what your gonna do and live with the results!!!
I absolutely agree, a smooth cast iron pan is the best. I imagine Lodge has a reason for making them with pebbled surfaces, but it escapes me. I would suggest cutting a larger piece of scotch-brite, and place it on the orbital sander's pad. The sand paper will hold it in place fairly well, and you can be more effective on polishing the sides, and especially the bottom, for a smoother contact with your cook top.
It's not complicated. Coarse sand is cheap. Fine sand is expensive. Skip the Lodge and pick up a Griswold off Ebay. They're cast with very very fine sand and most are machined on the inside. You should be able to see your reflection in the bottom of the pan. I no longer waste my time trying to salvage a brand new pan. A 60 year old pan will cost about twice as much, but will last a lifetime
Why the Scotch Brite wasn't used between the go-around thingies and the pan's surfaces for the final finishing is a mystery. Since any decent pan, when new, is fairly consistent in thickness (the bottom plate, proper, and the height --and, therefore, level -- of that surface up from the presumed-to-be dead level stove-top or element), then polishing a pan's cooking surface should be done in such a way that the entire surface is treated in a fairly uniform way. Even treatment will ensure uniform -- albeit slight -- changes to the thickness and, therefore, heat distribution. If you set things up well, you can polish to a mirror-bright finish -- or stop along the way and leave some 'tooth', according to taste. Since the pan is round, it's a good candidate, when applying machines such as a drill, orbital sander, or angle grinder, to be a participant in the process of changing the cooking surface from factory to any other arbitrary surface. Secure a lazy susan bearing ring (9" or 12") to a solid surface; center the pan on the ring with double-sided tape; put magnets (neo-dymium, preferably) on the outside, opposite the handle, to balance the small extra mass in the handle; run the tool and abrasive surface over the pan bottom lightly, working from the outside edge inward, holding the edge of the abrasive disc in such a way that the contact patch is a crescent shape aligned tangentially to the disc of the pan bottom; as the pan turns -- and you can regulate the speed by altering the contact patch alignment away from tangential -- move the contact patch toward the center of the pan; and, repeat as necessary -- possibly moving through various abrasive grits -- until you've arrived at the desired finish. Someone in these comments suggested that manufacturers provide two finishes for their new CIC. I don't disagree, but suggest instead that they provide it as a custom option, _at no additional cost_ and _arranged for pick-up through retail channels_ . Give the customer what they want. I'd like to see CIC sold with some indication of how dead-flat _and_ dead-level pot/pan bottoms are when shipped. I can see arguments for introducing _slight_ concavity or _slight_ convexity to pan bottoms according to user preference. Dead-flat and dead-level should be the manufacturing standard, though, as this does not violate the principle of least surprise.
@@wesleybullock814 eggs are dancing on it after a few days of use and seasoning like on an ice ring, thx for asking. Why do you think none of the premium cast iron brands use a rough finish inside their pans?
@@mariomolnar3184 good to know it works. I didn't go as extreme with removing all of the seasoning lodge put on so today will tell if I got a good season. Thanks for letting us know eggs dance on it😁
I bet Lodge shit when they saw this video! I can see doing this to a very old rusted pan but never to a new one. I have all of the pans from my grandma and my mom. I can see trying this to one of the uneven bottoms that I have but never to a new one, but this is why we live in America, to be free! Good detailed video too!
I found this method in 2016. It works well. I’ve opted from using the sandpaper as it almost makes it too smooth and more difficult to take seasoning. I’ve shared as much as I I’m asked.
I'm with Gerald. My granny taught me to cook in cast iron in the late '60s...cook a lot in it, only grease a HOT pan, and wash it with warm water...period. I can cook pancakes in ANY of my pans, on my induction stovetop or a campfire, and they will slide out like the best non-stick on the market.
That's because granny's cast iron was made smooth. Modern lodge skimps on the tumbling process which leaves the cast iron still very rough. Then they throw a layer of seasoning on and call it good. Old lodge wold tumble them until smooth. Now it takes years to get a lodge to where it would be from the factory a long time ago.
I've been using the same 12" cast iron lodge Pan for 20 years and when I bought it it was a little rough but now it is smooth as glass never once sanded it
Mine is terribly rough. I'm thinking of returning it since I don't have a sander! Nevermind purchasing something that needs all that work! How long before it became smooth in your case?
While smoothing out the pan is a highly opionated topic. I don't want to get into that. But the fact you say you have no luck cooking on it is absolutly nuts. I have a ton have cast iron from stargazers to a bunch of Lodge. And there is literally nothing wrong with the lodge factory finish if you have any idea how to cook with cast iron.
Here is a little secret and its much cheaper. I am not sure about electric but if you have a gas oven, then self clean that skillet and everything will come off. Even the preseason. It will have some ridges but not as bad as the beginning. Season it a few, not a couple, of times and it will start to slowly smooth out. Maintain it, do a couple more seasonings 1-3 months later (depending on how much you use it) and within a year it will be as smooth as vitrified sand.
I used a flap disc and a random orbit sander like you on my 10" Lodge skillet. I took the time to grind out most of the pits except a few deep ones. It looked like a mirror when I was done. I also cut off the helping handle that says Lodge and ground off the logo on the bottom. That lightened the pan and also made it my own. I did the same to my 12" and also cut 1" from the sides making it only 1" deep now. The lowered sides makes it easier to get a spatula in it when the food is crowded in the pan. The last time I used it, I cooked 4 sausage patties and 3 eggs in it. Nothing stuck! I cleaned the pan with only paper towels when I was done. I am hooked on cast iron.
An easier thing to do is buy a few pieces of vintage cast iron made before 1960. These older pans can be cleaned easily and re-seasoned. The older pans are so smooth the are like glass once you get all of the crud off of them. And they season fast and easy and cook so much better and never stick. This video is good for those who do not like to buy vintage and do work on the old stuff and it works. I have sent Lodge several e-mails over the past 10 years asking why they don't make smooth cookware like they did in yesteryear. So far all I have received is an auto answer from the request!
I have several modern lodge skillets and have never sanded or polished any of them, I cook all sorts of food in them and have never had any problems, after a year or so of use, the seasoning builds up to create a smooth surface, there is no need to do this,but it really won't hurt anything.I also have some vintage stuff with very smooth surface, cooks about the same as modern,accept it doesn't hold the heat quite as well(because it's thinner and lighter weight)
Best oil is flax, 4-5 seasoning stages with flax seed oil will create a permanent bond as the flax oil actually mates with the iron to create an organically formed polymer. But I'm totally using this method on my next cast iron purchases, I've been using a 10" square non-stop so I'm also looking at the 12"
Another good way is to put the lodge Skillet in a plastic bag. Then spray Easy-Off oven cleaner and let it sit for 24 hours. Then wash it off with water and dry it thoroughly. The easy off will take off all of the seasoning that is put on at the lodge Factory
I've used my random orbital sander to do similar with great results. However, this video should have been only 3 minutes, not a quarter hour. Way too much non-essential dialog.
@Nacho Pop's He's right. A lot of wasted time. Way back when I was studying for my teaching credential, an instructor told us that if you chose to have a guest instructor in your class, you should make sure that they not only had the information to impart but that they also could communicate well. If you're not normally concise and efficient in your speech, you should script it out. In this guy's case, he's in competition with a lot of others for viewers. I may look at one more of his videos, but if its the same as this, I won't look at another.
Lodges should come from the factory smooth. Find an old Griswold and it has a very smooth finish from the factory. Lodge needs to step up and add another process to the product.
@Dean Viljoen it's just a feature they've started putting in new pans. Wheather it's wanted or unwanted is different subject than what the company had decided to do. 🤦.... Manufacturers always make changes to their products which they think should be done irrespective of what consumers may want. It's a feature that they've put regardless of history or anything. That's irrelevant to company's decisions
The Lodge pans are made cheaply and quickly. The rough texture is the result of sand used in the manufacturing process. This is just a scheme to make a buck in a hurry. Head to the resale market and pick up an old cast iron pan that isn't warped and feels slick to the touch. Now cook with it for a lifetime and leave it to your favorite child in your will.
Agreed. lodge is cheaping out by selling sand cast cookware they have not done the Final Step on. Most things cast need work to finish them, this is no exception. I find cast iron ingarage sales and estate sales, the older the better.
@Repairs and Reviews Great video. I have been sanding my Lodge’s by hand with 60-grit 3M sandpaper. I may just say screw it and buy the BARE Stargazer.
Sure this works if you want "right now" results. My almost 5 year old lodge pan is almost smooth as glass from normal use. So is my dutch oven. I have a bunch of current production lodge, and several Birmingham Stove and Range from the 40's - 50's. They all work the same. Just use the crap out of them
Albert A Heiserer I'm implying that lodge could do better than the rough casting and spray in bed liner like pre-seasoning. Keep the budget line of cast iron in this price range but I'd pay a bit more for something a little more refined. Maybe a 25-40$ price range. Field company has a really nice pan but it's 100$.
I have my great grandmothers skillet, it is smooth as glass, what you find now is not, BTW NO plant based oils, the result is you make it sticky, you need bacon grease or lard.
Keep in mind it's not the oil, it's the ultra-fine carbon from the seasoning that makes the bottom non-stick. I use lard for initial seasoning, but use only olive oil for cooking. It's not the cooking oil that counts, It's the carbon.
Plant based oils are fine, and in some cases preferred. I season with Grapeseed oil and cook with olive oil. I wont get into the molecular chemistry of it here (Steve has a good point - maybe I'll make a video) but oils with highly unsaturated fat content break down and polymerize more readily than saturated oils do. Not that unsaturation levels are a sole factor for considering an oil to season with, but many people successfully use plant based oils.
If your pan is sticky it's because you didn't get it hot enough during the season. Just place it in the oven on 500 for another half hour and you'll be finel
You are actually dead wrong. You should be using flaxseed as the Base seasoning. It has a lot harder set when it dries and polymerizes. Bacon grease turns into brown mush in the bottom of the pan and when it finally does harden it cracks and chips. The two proven bests are flax seed and grape seed
Thank you for saving my new Lodge griddle from being chunked out the backdoor into the snow. I've been cooking on cast iron over 40 years. All but 2 of my pans are family heirlooms. My frying pan I'm 5th generation to own it. 2 of my pans I rescued from a barn and they were in horrible shape from years of holding rain water. I won $100 bet when I restored them. But THIS. This griddle already started a fight because my husband told me I would ruin it if I didn't follow the lable. It's pre seasoned, just wash it with salt like normal because it's new & these are Covid times. Yeah right. For the 1st time in my LIFE I ruined an entire pack of scrapple. I was a professional chef in a 5 Star restaurant for years, grew up working my uncle's restaurant & catering business since I was 8 years old & this pan just brought ALL my Scottish out. Gordon Ramsey would've been proud.
All these videos on sanding and smoothing new cast iron. Absolutely no need to this. And actually can ruin the cast if taken to deep. I have old cast and new cast and while I do like the older stuff especially since its lighter there is nothing wrong with how lodge does there pans these days. It's actually better for people that dont understand how to care for and season cast iron as rougher surface is very forgiving when seasoning and holds on to see seasoning. Lodge if they wanted to could smooth these pans for pennies if they chose to but they choose not too as this is better .These sanded skillets will take forever to season properly and will flake more easily. Take it from a cast iron nut that has done this milling to smooth newer cast and learned a lesson. Do not do this. Just wash these new pans well and lightly oil and place in 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours at a time. Do this 3 times allowing to cool between seasonings. Start cooking and clean well after cooking and heat it up slightly and re oil. Done
I’m going to disagree with this. Lodge doesn’t do this because the average consumer doesn’t know how to really season cast iron and therefore doesn’t expect eventual non-stick qualities. There are tons of companies that make cast iron that are smooth. It’s a question of preference, not superiority. You are right about going too deep but there’s nothing wrong with doing it in general.
I know exactly what you mean ...cause im so pissed off at my new 12 Lodge skillet. The second time i used it i couldn't get it clean. So Im off to Home Depot to buy these items to salvage my new pan i hope. Im an old lady so i hope im strong enough for this project. When did Lodge start making their pans so rough? The lable covered the surface so I didnt notice the change til I was home with this piece of crap. Thanks for the fix info
mine is so old that from 100+ years of use its glass smooth ,, my tip is really simple sesame oil its thicker and doesnt have palm oil as the cast iron paste does .. i recently moved so my heavy cast irons are packed but i any one wants i can do a vid of it
twice rendered bear grease, is perfect for seasoning. put the pan in the coals of a campfire, then when it is really hot smear it inside and out, set it aside to cool, on a rough pan you might need to do it a couple times, but in the end you have a perfectly seasoned do it all pan.
It helps to understand "smoke points" of various oils.; low temps to high. Cooking works better when you know a bit about the science and chemistry of it. There are charts that can help.
The old iron pans where smooth on the inside. You could see machining marks on it. The manufactures omitted the final machining. Polished is just as bad as the ruff casting. Smooth yes polished not!
my grand parents used to build a fire , fill the pan with lard, place the pan in the fire and let it stay in the fire until the flames go out, and when the coals completely cool, remove the pan and then clean it.
I found that the rough surface holds and traps built up grease.. and hardens in the valleys of the cast.. making it much more non stick and better protection when storing
I had one that was like glass and completely non stick... given to me after my Grandmother passed. She never washed it and kept it in the oven and oiled... like 80 yo. My wife washed it and didn't tell me that she soaked it in the sink first. I pan fried eggplant in a little avocado oil and the season seperated from the pan. NTS I fucking lost it. We haven't spoke in years, only when i visit my Grandmother.
Find an old Griswald pan, they're made properly from the start Lodge is a budget item that's sand cast, that's why the rough surface. Any decent cast iron pan will be smooth right out of the box
...or you could just buy a Field Company Cast Iron skillet. It’s comes polished from the factory, pre-seasoned twice with Grape seed oil, and Made in the USA!! I’ve got the #10 and #12! Best purchases so far for me in 2020!
Repairs & Reviews I understand that, but the value of the tools used in the video would equal a Field Company skillet. If someone already has those tools, then yes, it would make sense to buy the cheaper skillet. Great video though.
For years I have a 5 inch lodge that I intended to use mostly for eggs. I never was able to get a good release of a sunny side egg. Tried various preheat temperatures, extra seasonings and practically deep frying the egg without success. Just alot of frustration and exasperation. Not understanding why cast iron has a reputation for being non stick and I'm having so much trouble.
This week I finally decided to smooth it. I had some 80 grit sandpaper and hand sanded it smooth in about 10 minutes. Reasoned. My first egg practically slid out of the pan without any effort. YAY!
I felt that “yay”. Can’t wait to smooth mine out and re-season.
I don't have any issue with my regular lodge pans, the roughness doesn't really do too much for me. eggs still come out great, and nothing sticks. It just takes a good seasoning.
I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a $1 knife sharpening stone. I filled the pan with a little bit of water, and just used the stone to smooth the bottom out. I primarily did it because the latest pan I got was a second and it had a few big bumps that would stop a spatula. I got it smooth in just a few min. It did seem to ruin the stone for knives but I think I can get a few more pans out of it. The corners of the stone conformed to the corners and that was as far as I felt I had to take it. Cooks like a vintage cast iron pan now!
Melt 2 sticks of real butter and then spread about a quarter inch of salt over the bottom of the pan and then turn it to high heat. Once the salt all turns black, take it off of the heat to cool then clean it out. That will make the pan smooth as ice, once done, oil it and your done.
I have the 12in too. I was going to re-season the entire thing but decided to give it a shot beforehand. First thing I cooked were pancakes and eggs. I was shocked at just how non stick it was straight from Lodge. They key is to start the burner on a low flame and let it warm up. Also make sure you use lot of butter or some other fat. The pan will smooth out with use. I use simple Crisco to season my cast irons and it works just fine and it's cheap too.
I totally agree I have a vintage cast it's slippery my new lodge is rough but if you know what you're doing it's non stick and the food stays put ..
A solution in search of a problem.
I have the same pan, and I've never needed to do this. When I first got it, I washed it in soapy water to get off any loose factory seasoning, maybe 15 mins minimum, 30 mins maximum, (I didn't see much of the factory stuff come off), Then oven seasoned it twice (with regular cooking oil) and it was non-stick. I've made pie filling from scratch in it, berries are highly acidic, spaghetti sauces, high heat searing of steaks (preheating is a must oven or burner. when the water droplets on the rim, and handle evaporate, it's ready, water takes a lot of energy to turn to vapor), baked frozen pizzas in it, without re-oiling, cooked without pre-heating (slow incremental heating) and have never had problems. (Cook them, then remove them immediately and rinse off the pan). If I do I cook a pound of bacon or some kind of meat in it, and it's good as new. I cooked some hamburger helper one day in it, and that was the first time I'd seen anything stick to it, like burnt on stuck, ( I got side tracked kids are good for that, and it simmered too long without stirring I guess), and all I did was scrape it, boil about a quarter inch of water in it, and the stuck food came right up, (without pulling up the seasoning), then stove top seasoned it (just to be sure). Cook with it, rinse it out while it's still warm at the least, oil it, and very little to no problems will be had, if the cowboys of the wild west could use them on open fires, I don't think you'll have much problems in a modern home.
You see a lot of people going out to buy expensive oils to season with. Screw that, the seasoning going to flake off, it's going to get worn down, but cooking hamburger, bacon, even veggies will recoat it (Vegetable oil).
I've made a lot of cast-iron do not's mistakes, and it is a very forgiving hardy material, if it's non-stick, you've got your temp too high, turn it down, and the food will lift when it's done, meats are about the only time I use high, or above medium. Everything else is medium or below.
All this presented in this video is fine if you like making adjustments to a very old technology, but knowing how to cook is more important, it's like any other craft, if your craftsmanship is sub-par, it doesn't matter what kind of tricks you try, or high dollar things you get and try. But the right tools do make it easier. Get a wooden spoon, you can scrape the food, and leave the seasoning untouched, and unlike plastic which melts and can leave pieces of it in the food, you can stir damn near indefinitely (make the roux for a gumbo, you'll see), no visible or taste discrepancies.
Oils, Vegetable oil works just fine, all this talk about flaxseed oil and this and that, it's cooking, not rocket science. K.I.S.S, keep it simple stupid. You could probably use motor oil to season with, you're changing the chemical make up of the oil by seasoning, (don't do it, I'm explaining a point.) Look it up, olive oil, is no longer olive oil when you get it to it's smoking temp for extended periods of time, it polymers molecularly, kind of a plastic.
To be fair Lodge used to lap their products like the expensive cast iron companies of today but they began to use coarser sand for molds which is cheaper and faster(makes for a rougher finish), omit the lapping and polishing process, and use cheaper faster season methods(which adds to the roughness).
Thus now it falls on the shoulders of the consumer to correct the product and make it like it used to come, like it should still come.
Never wash! Cast iron is porus
It's not "adjustment to old technology", pre 1950s all lodge cast iron were pre polished as part of the manufacturing process
For those of us who are long-time metal workers this is a bit funny. Use a 4 or 4 1/2/ inch angle grinder with a backing pad and 60 grit pad, or perhaps a flap wheel, smooth as a babies bottom in less than five minutes. Finish with a 3/4 worn out pad if you're particular. If you don't have one, you can get a Harbour Freight, et. al. grinder for about $15, it will do the job well and be a handy investment for a "homeowner" in the future.
The problem is that the cheap cast iron is not a uniform density and is not flat to begin with. Grinding smooths the surface but doesn't deal with the straightness of the bottom. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it smooth. Just sayin'.
Ur right exactly what I did , fitter welder ,flap disc on metabo ,till smooth as glass , now high quality like a cross wold, new skillets need some work
I don't know that my pans were turned on a lathe, only that they appear to have been. i'm fairly sure the machining was done at the factory. My good fry pans are Griswold, manufactured between 1910 and 1925 and show very similar machining, honing patterns. The outsides of the pans are also very smooth. The sand used was extremely fine, not like the crap that is used today.
@justthinken1 A cast iron pan could easily be put in a lathe safely. Toe clamped to a face plate. You would need a large lathe to swing the handle however.
Your average home machinist could do it with a fly cutter, pan toe clamped on rotary table on a milling machine. You could tip the head of a vertical mill to get the sides of the pan, removing one toe clamp at a time as it would interfere with the spindle, and replacing the previously removed toe clamp. Really not a difficult job, just sayin
@justthinken1 What you said is "I can tell you there is no way to put a cast iron skillet on a ''lathe'' " What I described certainly can be done, and done safely. I didn't say it was faster, I didn't say it was more practical, I said it was possible and not that difficult. It's just tedious . Obviously you would indicate it on the face plate, shim between the pan and faceplate as needed, and would want to affix at least 3 clamps or t-nuts as stops butted up against the side of the pan after it was indicated and clamped down. This would prevent it from being able to walk off the face plate. If you were a home machinist, I would hope you would at least have a lathe or a mill, kind of the right of passage to a machine shop. The lathe setup would be more involved, that's why I said your average home machinist could mill it with a rotary table. It's far more practical to grind it, that's what I would do, but it's definitely possible to machine it. And yes I've cut cast Iron. I worked for years as a machinist before becoming a manufacturing engineer. I currently work on improving automated machining cutting nodular iron to tolerances of less than half a thou. We are well past the skin of the casting however. Depending on how chilled the surface of the pan is you may not be able to get deep enough for a good cut. That's up to the foundry. A tool post grinder would work if the iron was chilled.
So getting back to your original statement that I rebutted, yes, it is possible to machine it.
Man, those Lodge unfinished skillets suck until they get smoothed out.
I've always just stayed away from them and am lucky to have a 1908 Lodge number 8, a 1950s Griswold numbers 9 and 6.
They all were given to me, I stripped the crud out and re-seasoned them. I'll get another 100 years out of the Lodge, easily.
Then you didn’t do your seasoning right.
I've never had a problem with the surface finish on any of my cast iron cookware, even the cheaper non-Lodge imported stuff... I tend to use a stainless steel pot scrubber when washing the pot, so that might act to smooth out any imperfections over the years... I've wondered about using a lathe to put a perfectly flat and smooth surface to the bottom of the pot, but I don't have a lathe that would be anywhere close to the size needed to mount a skillet in it... Maybe some sort of turntable where the skillet was placed on it and which would automatically rotate while using an angle grinder with a sanding wheel in it might work...
I really love my vintage Wagner that has a smooth glassy finish. My Lodge has so much of a patina on it, that it got smooth by itself. If i gotta get another lodge i may dabble in this method. Thank you for this!
don't do it . . . . you had it right the 1st time. the slightly pitted surface on most of Lodge's products is meant to fill in with polymerized oil over time. i did this with 2 identical Lodge skillets and the smooth surface added utterly nothing to the performance and in fact inhibited the adherence of polymer . this is why many folks have problems with Stargazer skillets.
Interesting concept. I have many lodge pans. I found just after seasoning several times in a very hot oven and thin layers of saved bacon grease nothing really stuck to them. But, hey whatever floats your boat. after time they do get very smooth. But, just from seasoning and never ever ever ever use anything but water to wash them. I throw a little hot water in the pan just as I finish cooking to steam of any stuck on bits.
Hello there. I bought a Lodge pan and arrived today and while I was watching this video it came to my mind that maybe I do not need to sand it down,maybe over time the pores would fill with the oil and eventually become smooth and I was looking for a comment like yours,saying you don't need to sand it down. So I really don't have to do it? It will become smoother?
Another question:do you ever grill vegetables in it?
Dish soap doesn't have lye anymore, like in the old days, so we don't have to worry about stripping the seasoning.
You don't have to sand your new rough skillet. Some people are already set up with this equipment. So it's quick and easy for us. And it is a little better. Some people enjoy doing this as well. If it's a chore to you, probably not worth it. It is better though.
I have seven Lodge and a very large Griswold chicken pan. Of course that's already smooth when I got it. My Lodge are now too.
I have several lodge products and have never come to the point to where I needed a power tool to get smooth surfaces. High heat, solid oil,salt and paper towels. Keep it simple
All high quality cast iron pans have a glassy smooth surface. Vintage pans are always smooth. The bumpy, coarse surface of the Lodge pans are not ideal for taking molecularization (the process of seasoning). It's not an opinion of how you like your momma's food or "just cook in it". Literally science.
You mean polymerization...and The Lodge ones do it fine...I have an old Griswold that is smooth, and a bunch of 10 yr old Lodges..they both are glassy smooth with polymerized seasoning...and both cook exactly the same. I got a set of the fancy/overpriced Finex last year and they are smooth..and the seasoning constantly flakes off...plus they are lighter (a selling point these boutique CI makers always push) which means there's less iron mass and they therefore don't hold heat as well for searing and even heating. Lodge works better than the fancy ones...at over 1/8 the price. Heavy cast iron is the way to go.
@@90whatever Lodge stopped sanding their pans some time ago. They used to. Now they don't. A new lodge pan feels like a truck bed liner and it takes a lot of seasoning to get that smooth, if even possible. I spent hours and hours and hours doing every trick in the book and still have sub-par smoothness on mine. Not to mention a pain to clean constantly. My in-laws on the other hand have an old Griswold that they never season, never use salt or any other method except a simple wash with soap and a sponge (yes, soap), and that thing can fry up a delicious hot egg like a champ. It's not a miracle lodge pans are 1/8 of the price. Maybe the old ones aren't bad.
@@tylermcmichael8515 strange. I have an 80 yr old Wagner that is glass smooth and my Lodges are more non stick. And just about as smooth with the seasoning over the last few yra. In fact I prefer the Lodges as they are heavier. Seasoning didn't take to the smooth Finex I had as good as the Lodges. You might not be doing something right. My Lodges aren't old either.
@Bob Watters The first thing I with the nice heavy Lodge skillets was run 120 grit on a sander all over it for about 10 mins...Got an orange-peel texture...then seasoned it 6 times with grape seed oil. That was some years ago and it became glass smooth pretty quickly. The mass/heaviness makes for great heating and searing. If you have to move the skillet around a lot it isnt' a good choice as it is heavy but if you're mostly using a spatula you can't do much better, especially for the price.
I have and use a Lodge 12, 10. & 8 inch cast iron skillet. They are seasoned well. None of the needed work, from the factory all an nearly non stick, not sure what people are doing to have issues, but strongly suggest they are not well seasoned and they have them too hot. Dial it down and season them 5-7 times and they are good forever. I bake mine in the gas Bbq upside down with canola oil.
using a very rough quick strip disc then going to 320 grit paper, what happened to to 120g, 180g, and 220g paper. Ive done this to several pans in grit stages and the pan becomes super smooth on the bottom, sides, and the top. this is definately an easier process to acquire a smooth surface for cooking.
i just use a stainless steel scrubber to take out the rough bumps, wash, and then cook a few eggs and throw out the eggs, then i run hot water to rinse the pan and give it a little scrub and rewash and then cook with low heat for the first few meals, i don't go out of my way to season cookware , it works for me
I have a lot of 50+ year old cast iron that is smooth as glass, but I also have the Lodge skillet in the video. The sanding just makes the surface smooth, not non-stick. My experience with the Lodge you are using is that it will get smooth in a fairly quick time with regular cooking. Bacon grease before and after each use will make a cheap skillet as smooth and non-stick as a 60 year old skillet or a brand new $200 "Butter Pat" skillet.
Old skillets came pre polished from the lodge factory.
I bought two Lodge cast Iron cook ware pieces, one was a skillet, the other a round griddle. The round griddle, I had no problem cooking with it.. like seasoning went good and everything. Cook on it no problem. THAT SKILLET THOUGH. . . I did like yourself, I got out the powertools and sanded it down.. lmfao.
I'm only on youtube because I was curious if others had the same issues.. looks like that's the case.
Lodge back in the day used to make nice smooth cooking surface skillets. But that was when they had to compete with the giants like Wagner, Griswold and BSR etc. Today they're about pushing product out not quality.
I have three Lodge Chef Collection pans, the 8", 10" and the 12". Cooked with them for a few months and now all three are well seasoned and smooth. Very nice pans.
I disagree.
Still high quality, just not perfect out of the box.
I do not imagine my new cast iron pans breaking in the next 500 years if not left to rust.
Nice. I would really like to see how you would deal with a Lodge cast iron wok. The curved surface would probably prove very challenging.
I have a 12” like that, bought it 20 years ago. Mine is like glass, but it’s from the seasoning.
I bought a lodge 10 1/4” cast iron skillet. It was preseasons but rough on the inside. I seasoned it again and put too much oil in the skillet the baked it for one hour. What can I do to get it smooth?
@@lindafuller4542 just cook with it it’ll all burn off. Or you might be able to heat it up again and wipe off the excess once it’s hot enough to wipe off
@@lindafuller4542 just keep using it
@@lindafuller4542 season it again but this time turn it upside down and put a drip tray underneath it, the way you were supposed to do it in the first place.
@@gusf8451 you don’t need to put it upside down if you wipe the oil out before you put it in. You’ll live longer if you’re not such a Richard. 😉
When a pan is new from the factory it's just seasoned enough not to rust. You need to oven season is a bunch, filling in those pits, making it smoother. When you sand the pan you destroy the surface on a micro and mini level. Seasoning will not stick as good. The rough surface of a new pan is a good thing. Just as long as it doesn't have too large pits. Any extreme peak you can always sand off.
I can understand why people do this, but after owning and using several Lodge pans I've never found a need to do this. Like with a stainless steel pan, food will let go when it is ready to. Plus I find I like the texture as it keeps the food in place better when I slide the spatula underneath. I hate having to chase sliding stuff around a pan just because I want to flip it.
DefMunkyYT There are also some cooking methods where you want the food to stick a little and leave bits behind. That’s how you make pan sauces.
The only thing I noticed is that if you are cooking delicate foods like mushrooms it will grind them into little bits if you aren't careful when stirring. But I will NOT be sanding my skillets
I agree with you...I'm new to cast iron and cooking period.. I just cant see myself grinding the pot down to a smooth finish...It'll get there naturally!
@alternate account Thanks so much for that information...Helps me out a lot! I appreciate it! Have a nice holiday!!!!!
yeah, but i'd recommend a stainless steel pan for that. that's what the pros prefer. @@karlrovey6580
If seasoned properly you shouldn’t need to go through this. I use flaxseed oil and heat the oven up to 400. Use a lint free towel and rub the pan down with the oil and bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and leave the pan in until it comes down to room temperature. I do this five times and then I’m good to go. The oil fills in all the pours and adheres to the iron and leaves you with a fantastic cooking surface. Basic maintenance after that!
Thank you
No problem about iron dust, we all have masks now.
lol
And we all know how to cook now
I have 4 cast iron pans.....3 smooth and 1 real rough....the rough one is the one that sticks the least. And i season them all often !
Yeah I guess if they are too smooth, the seasoning can't accumulate anywhere. There must be a sweet spot halfway between rough and shiny.
I was surprised by Target's selection of Lodge skillets, griddles etc.
Dunham's Sports and Bed Bath and Beyond got Chinese products.
as far as I know the numorous bumpy things on the surface can grap oil when it got heat. and ongoing use of the pan can make shiny and glassy surface you want to make.
I see a lot of these videos, but I haven’t had a problem with any of my Lodge cast iron pans. I cook eggs, steaks, bacon etc. temperature and oil are the key.
I have a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandmother. The skillet must be a good 75 years old and it has the smooth finish and i love it. I always wondered if the skillet came this way or had someone altered the finish. I was gifted 2 new Lodge skillets by my son. After each use I would scrub them down with stainless steal wool. Even after several years the steel wool didn't make much difference. I'm going to try your method to see if I can get some results. Thank you
I agree the newer lodge pans are too ruff inside. I contacted lodge about this. They only sand blast the pans then do a paint on seasoning. The last one I bought 8 years ago I gave up trying to season out the ruff surfsce and did the same as the video. Sanded mine smooth, washed then reseasoned the pan. The pan has been great since.
I got 2 of my Lodge skillets super smooth. But now the seasoning won't stick. I've tried flaxseed oil 3 times. 1st with moderate heat on the stove then in the oven at 375 fir 30 minutes, eventually it started peeling off. Took it back down to bare metal and seasoned it with high heat, it peeled again. Then I did the whole process again with low heat. I did it at least 3 more times with canola oil. I have plenty cast iron skillets, baking dishes, and meatloaf pans. I'm only having trouble with the two I got super smooth.
mine does that if i put the oil on too thick. i never got it the way i wanted till i watched a wok seasoning video. they are slick to start with.
@@howardfrankfort, I tried putting it on thin, very thin. Last time I thought I had it perfect, worked great for about 4-5 weeks then one little spec came off and it started peeling off again.
My ex-girlfriend also upgraded to a 12 inch, 4 inch is fine for what I use mine for though.
Robin says 4 inches is fine
I prefer a good 6 inch but a 4 will do in a pinch.
He gave instructions at 0:56 When you squeeze it in and it hot and moist, it should slide very nicely. A 4-inch skillet is really perfect, and if you eat before you use it, it tastes better.
Stupid but funny. That made me laugh! :)
(hahahaha, probably not). (he said ex-girlie)
cast iron is addicting. my collection is 20 pc's i have accumulated over 50 years. people admire my griswalds and wagners, but the pan i use daily for everything is a 9'' 1800's unmarked antique with the pour mark and heat ring on the bottom. it even has a crack on the bottom and a crack on the side by the handle. it has seen some use! the old lady who gave it to me told me it was a good pan. she prolly thought i would throw it away, much less ever use it. the bottom crack used to ooze a bit of oil, but i don't deep fry and lately i haven't noticed any oil leakage, the crack seems to have sealed from use. why i use it is because it is far lighter than the others and it holds everything i put in it. i use it with a glass top and can get an onion, garlic, 1/4 head of cabbage, half a microwaved sweet potato, cup of cooked rice, cheese and 2 eggs all at once! i cook that in stages, when the garlic, cabbage and onions cook down i add the rest, and that's breakfast. as soon is i finish cooking i scour it under running water about 10 seconds with a stainless steel springy pad and its clean and shiny ready to cook another meal. now i just made myself hungry..
Bob S 20 pcs.. pffft... my mother has about 500.
@@travisleach5916 What is she going to do with 500 pcs much less 50. Sell 490 of them. That's just hording. Get a pan from the 70's or before and you won't have to worry about seasoning - ever! I use an unbranded every day thats probably 50 yrs old at most. Never season it. Works perfectly. Doesn't even have to be a Griswold or Wagner. Please don't make this more complicated than it is. I've got 6 cast pcs and never spent more than 12 bucks from a thrift store on them. Also, most people think their pans are alot older than they are.
I'll definitely be doing this to my lodge, the stock coating sticks like crazy
Here's my tip: throw your Lodge skillet in the garbage and buy a vintage one with a smooth cooking surface. It's a great hack.
@@lordmonty9421 -- The problem with buying a "vintage" skillet is that you don't know what it has been used for previously... I reload my own ammo and cast my own bullets... It is common to use cast iron cookware when either melting the lead for casting the bullets or when smelting the lead scraps (wheelweights, etc) to refine into a more pure alloy for casting into smaller ingots that will be used in your electric casting furnace... I'm pretty sure that I could clean up my cast iron smelting dutch oven to the point where it would not be possible for you to know that it had been used with lead by just looking at it, but you wouldn't probably want to be using it for food... Of course, I don't use any vintage skillets for lead and instead just bought one of the cheap imported brands at Academy, but many reloaders will just use whatever they find at garage sales which sometimes might be a good brand of cast iron cookware that just needs to be restored instead of being used with lead...
@@jakeblanton6853 Yeah, that's an interesting point, and one I hadn't really considered. Though while it's definitely within the realm of possibility, it's....not terribly likely.
Guys who are thrifty enough to reload usually know a thing or two about good cast iron. That doesn't keep them from being so thrifty they might try and refurbish a piece they use to melt lead for a sale, but...I think even they would agree the work wouldn't be worth the payout.
But, you never know.
@@lordmonty9421 -- More likely the guy who reloads dies (because we're often a bunch of old farts), his wife sells all his stuff for what he *told* her he paid for them, and then the next owner who is not a reloader and has no idea what it was used for decides to refurbish the cast iron pan for a quick buck and resell it to someone who is even less aware of its history... I'm not particularly concerned with elevated lead levels from my casting activities, but I'm not going to use a piece of cookware that has been used to smelt lead for food either... Better safe than sorry...
You know why Lodge sprays on the crappy truck bed liner? It's to cover up the faults in a cheap pan with the cooking surface not being flat, you have high spots in your pan. Your oil usually falls to the edges. I suggest after you remove the bed liner pour some liquid in the pan and see where your high spots are and grind on them areas. It doesn't have to be smooth as much as flat so your oil evenly coats pan while cooking. The seasoning will come with time and will adhere better if its not so smooth. You can spend a little more for a better pan and save the trouble unless you are looking for a project.
Actually it's not truck bed liner. It's used auto oil mixed with crushed charcoal. Seriously.
I hate new cast-iron skillets. I like the old slick bottom! Been looking for how to smooth out a couple new ones gave me. I won't use them as is.
Appreciate finding this video!!!
He is not seasoning it he is finishing it which Lodge use to do and Griswold to a smooth surface for some reason in the 70s they stopped smoothing them out and shipped them out with a rough finish
“Because I know it’s just gonna piss me off” 😂😂😂😂
I got mine super smooth and it will not season properly. I have tried re-seasoning about 6 different times. All the way from lightly oiling it and I'd put it in the oven on the bottom rack at 350 for an hour while cooking other meals. I tried to season it super hot. It will ne great for a few weeks then 1 part would flake off then half the seasoning would chip off and it was horrible. That happend to two skillets, large & small.
I have two identical skillets LIGHTLY sanded and they work flawlessly.
I found the 'as cast' surface on my 14" griddle even more nonstick than machined cast iron, both when properly seasoned.
Yes...seasoning is the key...more important than the surface. I take a 40 or 60 grit to them and give them a nice orange peel surface...takes seasoning much better than glassy smooth. I got rid of the Finex I had (sold it to a neighbor) as the Lodge works so much better.
While I get the need to do this, saying you had no luck cooking on the Lodge out of the box means you didn't know what you were doing. These pre-seasoned skillets are perfectly usable as is.
I've never had a problem with the Lodge finish.
I had an antique lodge with a smooth interior. The handle broke off after it hit a brick floor. The replacement with the as cast finish is NOT the same as far as non-stickines.....even after years of use...
Nancy Jane why didn’t you just have a blacksmith weld the handle back on?
@@drigondii Cast Iron is difficult to weld not impossible but not easy. You also don't need a blacksmith to be able to weld. You just need a welding machine. But as I say welding cast iron can be a challenge depending on where the joint broke.
@@nancyjane285 I don't have an old one to compare it to, and I've only just gotten into using cast iron this year, but my new lodge seems to be getting very nonstick with grapeseed oil after just 2-3 months of use. does it really make that big of a difference? ill do an egg test on mine soon and if it doesn't do well, maybe I'll see about smoothing it out. the lodge was pretty terrible at first, but lately it seems great, though I've only cooked chicken and burgers really
@@drigondii cast iron is not like regular metal, it's very brittle and can crack easily in extreme temp changes and it's because of these qualities that it can be difficult to repair
I'm a chef and use cast all the time. All I do to season is veg oil and salt. Heat till smoking. Pour off oil. Then some elbow grease with a rag to grind it in. Then rinse with hot water. Then heat again with oil on paper towel to coat the cast. Then use a oven after to heat the cast to finish setting the seasoning.
I've had no trouble with mine sticking. Then again, I washed mine with soapy water and then seasoned it a few more times.
I burned factory "seasoning" off with a torch....I mean I had the whole pan glowing. After it cooled, wire wheel to clean all residue off. After, later off peanut oil, in the oven at 400 for 2 hours, let cool to touch, peanut oil again, another 2 hours at 400. Let cool then ran oil+head process 2 more times on my pot Pit Boss pellet cooker 2 more times. Slick and black solid seasoned surface.
all you commenter's who think this person is crazy, do not know what you are talking about.
all cast iron was smoothed in the old days ... it makes it work better.
repairs & reviews is 100 % correct.
Not only did they use much finer sand in the casting, but many of the skillets where both turned on a lathe and machined stoned, resulting in a surface that you can see your reflection in.
Just because it was done in the old days don’t mean it was right. That’s like saying in the old days they used to use blood letting to cure the common cold. You are using false information cognitive biases to presume things should be better if it was done differently 100 years ago. Nope what Lodge found is this machining cast iron made it thinner, it would warp when heated to high making it a spinner. It would not hold the heat as long. They tried just seasoning it straight from the casting. They found it took less to season it than when it was machined smooth. It did not warp and it retained heat well. So through modern science and research lodge improved the cast iron and lowered the cost as well and is the only made in America cast iron cook ware foundry left in America.
@@wildmanofthewynooch7028
nonsense.
all the high priced, collectable, quality cast iron that is still used today was polished and machined smooth.
and ... yes ... it was better.
news flash ... if cast iron warps ... it is not because it is thinner ... it is because it is not evenly thinned or exposed to cold water while it is hot.
just like a car engine made with cast iron.
@@davidanderson5005
yep.
you need to tell that to " Wildman of the Wynooch "
he seems to think that thin, smooth, cast iron automatically warps.
Yes cowboy Kent rocks. I’ll be using a mouse sander like Kent did. You need to go deeper.
Much much deeper.
I hope @Lodge Cast Iron is paying attention....this is alot of drama to fix a problem....I JUST got a new Lodge 12in skillet....I've had it for years but now it makes sense why my 10 inch was a fail the first few times I used it. I AGREE with others here, LODGE ought to come smooth already from the factory.
Are you willing to pay 4x the cost?
I used this tool to sand down my new skillet...took a while but worked great. I then seasoned it with flaxoil. Smooth, glasslike surface! Thanks for the tip!
P.S. if your pan can't go into the oven (wooden handle) don't sand down the sides...it's hard to get them hot enough on a stovetop for the oil to polimerize all the way up to the rim.
Rara Avis why can't you put a wooden handle in the oven?
GWHAWK87 It says so on the website. They have modells with both wooden and metall handles...I choose the wooden handle for convenience with stovetop use...doesn't get hot, easier to lift...I have a nice big cast iron casserole with ceramic finishing which I use for stews and roasts and such.
Skeppshult pans come preseasoned and I didn't expect to have to mess with them...they are pretty expensive...but I ended up not liking the rough surface.
I didn't want to risk charring the handle though!
Rara Avis I just did this to two of my Lodge pans and used flax oil. After the first use the seasoning is flaking and rubbing right off. I’m afraid it’s not sticking because it’s so smooth and I’m worried they’re ruined!
[Terra]cotta Paste Uh, that sucks! Maybe you didn't heat them up high enough? It's pretty scary, when they start to smoke and all, I had to force myself not to turn off the heat too soon myself.
I let the pan heat up pretty slowly...2min low setting, 2 min medium setting, 2 min medium to high, and then all the way up till there was visible blackening going on. Then I let it cool down for 10 min or so before I started again. And I did this on ceran stovetop on a field slightly larger than the pan, to provide even heat all over the bottom of the pan.
It's my first ever real cast iron pan though, so I don't really know what to advice otherwise 😯.
Maybe post a seperate comment and hopefully someone else can help. Or just try a different approach. There are plenty of different methods, maybe some work better with certain pans...
Thanks for the response! I put them in the oven on 550 for an hour and then let them cool in the oven for two hours in-between oilings. Did six coats. I read elsewhere that someone else had the same problem and it's probably because the surface is too smooth for the oil to stick. I'm just going to keep using them and hope the seasoning builds back up on it's own.
You just wash it with a little bit soap or DAWN. After you clean it , you use paper towel to dry it thoroughly and then put it on the cooktop. Using small-midi fire to dry it thoroughly meanwhile put some cooking oil with a paper towel to wipe the whole body of the cast iron pan twice. Then turn off the fire; let the oil get into the pan completely.
That is, you are done.
Please do not put the cast iron pan in dishwasher after you use it. Just use the above way to clean it and maintain it.
Yet it is completely unnecessary and completely an aesthetic difference.
There is nothing aesthetic about it. I have smooth vintage cast iron and I've been buying new cast iron that I can't even hand dry because it tears up the paper towels. When I try to use a hand towel it snags on it. Such bull crap
Lodge could solve a lot of arguing between its customers, by making a smooth version and a porous version for people to buy what they want
I agree, Field company, stargazer, butterpat, finex and other high end cast iron skillets all come with a smooth cooking surface along with all old school cast iron like grizwold etc. Lodge sells alot of these peices because they're cheap in comparison to others, not necessarily cheaply made but not as refined in my opinion. I think they could benefit from a premium finish version with smoother finish. I'd be willing to pay more for it.
Over time Lodge with smooth out from wear + seasoning. Don't know why anyone cares though; tri-ply are competitively priced now and so much better.
Agreed, but the smooth versions would cost 4 times as much, with all the machining that would be needed. But, I have a couple of Lodge skillets that are performing perfectly after a bit of use. Maybe a smooth one for $65-$80? Hmm, I'd probably buy one.
Hex Boriken i’m kind of afraid of the enamel coating I’m afraid that could have lead in it,,,, and in time I believe it would release while you cook dinner
Repairs & Reviews their Pro Logic version is smoother. Or at least it used to be
I bought my 10 inch Lodge 2 years ago, I seasoned it 3 times and never had to re-season it. It's not smooth like glass but it's nevertheless non-stick almost like Teflon.
I really love the rough finish, because it keeps the food in place and I don't have to chase it with the spatula when I wanna flip it.
What is your process may I ask? I’ve had two lodge pans and I never got the commercial seasoning to be very non stick. And after many months it begins to flake off.
@@mablebird I'll share what I've done that works flawlessly:
1. Use 40 or 60 grit on a sanding mouse and take off the high points of the rough areas (like 10 minutes of work). Like an orange peel texture.
2. Season 3 times with grape or flaxseed oil...super thin/light coating and heat at 450 for 45 mins...let cool to warm in between.
3. That's it...Easy to clean/scrape anything off. Wipe clean, dry on low heat for like 2 minutes. Thin coat of oil and store.
People are so disrespectful , with comments . The guy is explaining how he does it , rather than comment on the way he speaks during his video . is just rude. Thank him for his view and his process . tips (the world isnt made of cookie cut humans) Thanks for your tips Sir they are helping others figure out how to go about it . ill just add to this comment though by saying / i have a griswald very smooth surface and i really prefer the lodge factory finish . seasoned in the oven a few times . Then just wash them with salt and water. and re -oil . but i notice some pans are worse than others made by lodge and thats what i buy. i have like 6 or seven. plus 2 of there sportsman hibachi (cast irons) which are awesome
I look for old Lodge or Griswolds at the antique stores or look at new Field Company or Stargazer skillets.
6:00
May you use RUclips chapters please
So we can share each chapter
I can fry cheese in mine and just slips right out and never ever had to grind any of my iron. The rough surface of new iron it to hold years of seasoning.
With the new lodge ones, it is not possible too rough.
Ghee butter is the healthiest option to fry with. Much healthier than any seed oil. And it has a high smoke point. I'm not sure if it's good to season with. Going to look it up
I just recently added a 12 inch Lodge to my cast iron collection. That purchase was overdue.
i use this disc on all my cast iron pieces. the cheap Chinese pans are very very rough all over. a 15 min smoothing with the avanti pro disc ensures the surface is slick and the pan bottom doesnt scratch the glass too stove.
Everyone should check out Chuck Wagon Chef Kent Rollins video about "Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware"!!
@Allen Loser If you are Buying The EXACT SAME PAN that your mother bought, then your advise may be right. If you aren't then Maybe, Just Maybe YOU WOULD LEARN SOMETHING IF YOU ARE AN OPEN MINDED PERSON. Otherwise just do what your gonna do and live with the results!!!
He is doing a similar thing getting that pre-seasoning off. I have a lodge i haven't used yet because I haven't taken it off
I absolutely agree, a smooth cast iron pan is the best. I imagine Lodge has a reason for making them with pebbled surfaces, but it escapes me. I would suggest cutting a larger piece of scotch-brite, and place it on the orbital sander's pad. The sand paper will hold it in place fairly well, and you can be more effective on polishing the sides, and especially the bottom, for a smoother contact with your cook top.
It's not complicated. Coarse sand is cheap. Fine sand is expensive. Skip the Lodge and pick up a Griswold off Ebay. They're cast with very very fine sand and most are machined on the inside. You should be able to see your reflection in the bottom of the pan. I no longer waste my time trying to salvage a brand new pan. A 60 year old pan will cost about twice as much, but will last a lifetime
@@stevehanson279 Skip the Griswold, and get whatever skillet you want.
@@stevehanson279 Any cast iron skillet will last a lifetime, if properly cared for.
Great idea to smooth the surface. I never knew it could be done. Thanks for a great video.
Why the Scotch Brite wasn't used between the go-around thingies and the pan's surfaces for the final finishing is a mystery.
Since any decent pan, when new, is fairly consistent in thickness (the bottom plate, proper, and the height --and, therefore, level -- of that surface up from the presumed-to-be dead level stove-top or element), then polishing a pan's cooking surface should be done in such a way that the entire surface is treated in a fairly uniform way. Even treatment will ensure uniform -- albeit slight -- changes to the thickness and, therefore, heat distribution. If you set things up well, you can polish to a mirror-bright finish -- or stop along the way and leave some 'tooth', according to taste.
Since the pan is round, it's a good candidate, when applying machines such as a drill, orbital sander, or angle grinder, to be a participant in the process of changing the cooking surface from factory to any other arbitrary surface.
Secure a lazy susan bearing ring (9" or 12") to a solid surface; center the pan on the ring with double-sided tape; put magnets (neo-dymium, preferably) on the outside, opposite the handle, to balance the small extra mass in the handle; run the tool and abrasive surface over the pan bottom lightly, working from the outside edge inward, holding the edge of the abrasive disc in such a way that the contact patch is a crescent shape aligned tangentially to the disc of the pan bottom; as the pan turns -- and you can regulate the speed by altering the contact patch alignment away from tangential -- move the contact patch toward the center of the pan; and, repeat as necessary -- possibly moving through various abrasive grits -- until you've arrived at the desired finish.
Someone in these comments suggested that manufacturers provide two finishes for their new CIC. I don't disagree, but suggest instead that they provide it as a custom option, _at no additional cost_ and _arranged for pick-up through retail channels_ . Give the customer what they want.
I'd like to see CIC sold with some indication of how dead-flat _and_ dead-level pot/pan bottoms are when shipped. I can see arguments for introducing _slight_ concavity or _slight_ convexity to pan bottoms according to user preference. Dead-flat and dead-level should be the manufacturing standard, though, as this does not violate the principle of least surprise.
Did this with a $5 disc on my drill and then went to town for a 5 minutes with 180 grit sandpaper. Much smoother than the factory finish. Thank you!
You ruined the cast-iron it will never hold seasoning well
@@wesleybullock814 eggs are dancing on it after a few days of use and seasoning like on an ice ring, thx for asking. Why do you think none of the premium cast iron brands use a rough finish inside their pans?
@@mariomolnar3184 good to know it works. I didn't go as extreme with removing all of the seasoning lodge put on so today will tell if I got a good season. Thanks for letting us know eggs dance on it😁
I bet Lodge shit when they saw this video! I can see doing this to a very old rusted pan but never to a new one. I have all of the pans from my grandma and my mom. I can see trying this to one of the uneven bottoms that I have but never to a new one, but this is why we live in America, to be free! Good detailed video too!
4:53 HAHAHA well that isn't an issue anymore.
I found this method in 2016. It works well. I’ve opted from using the sandpaper as it almost makes it too smooth and more difficult to take seasoning. I’ve shared as much as I I’m asked.
I'm with Gerald. My granny taught me to cook in cast iron in the late '60s...cook a lot in it, only grease a HOT pan, and wash it with warm water...period. I can cook pancakes in ANY of my pans, on my induction stovetop or a campfire, and they will slide out like the best non-stick on the market.
tubularguynine 100% agree...This is like melting your shoelaces together because you can’t figure out how to tie your shoes.
That's because granny's cast iron was made smooth. Modern lodge skimps on the tumbling process which leaves the cast iron still very rough. Then they throw a layer of seasoning on and call it good. Old lodge wold tumble them until smooth. Now it takes years to get a lodge to where it would be from the factory a long time ago.
I've been using the same 12" cast iron lodge Pan for 20 years and when I bought it it was a little rough but now it is smooth as glass never once sanded it
So how many years into it that it became smooth as glass?
Does that mean you ate some of the pan ?
Mine is terribly rough. I'm thinking of returning it since I don't have a sander! Nevermind purchasing something that needs all that work! How long before it became smooth in your case?
@@joew4202 Yep, that's how cast iron works. I've heard doctors recommend cooking with cast iron cookware if you're anemic.
I just season mines in the oven 3 r 4 times 🙃 even the ones from target Walmart dollar general. Never want to do all of that thxs 4 showing yr way,,,
You’re really making more work than necessary. I’ve got the same cookware and mine smoothed out just by using it.
While smoothing out the pan is a highly opionated topic. I don't want to get into that. But the fact you say you have no luck cooking on it is absolutly nuts. I have a ton have cast iron from stargazers to a bunch of Lodge. And there is literally nothing wrong with the lodge factory finish if you have any idea how to cook with cast iron.
What are the ingredients in that cast iron protectant you use? Thanks
: )Tyler
Here is a little secret and its much cheaper. I am not sure about electric but if you have a gas oven, then self clean that skillet and everything will come off. Even the preseason. It will have some ridges but not as bad as the beginning. Season it a few, not a couple, of times and it will start to slowly smooth out. Maintain it, do a couple more seasonings 1-3 months later (depending on how much you use it) and within a year it will be as smooth as vitrified sand.
I used a flap disc and a random orbit sander like you on my 10" Lodge skillet. I took the time to grind out most of the pits except a few deep ones. It looked like a mirror when I was done. I also cut off the helping handle that says Lodge and ground off the logo on the bottom. That lightened the pan and also made it my own. I did the same to my 12" and also cut 1" from the sides making it only 1" deep now. The lowered sides makes it easier to get a spatula in it when the food is crowded in the pan. The last time I used it, I cooked 4 sausage patties and 3 eggs in it. Nothing stuck! I cleaned the pan with only paper towels when I was done. I am hooked on cast iron.
The problem is that cast iron castings are not flat or of uniform density. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it.
An easier thing to do is buy a few pieces of vintage cast iron made before 1960. These older pans can be cleaned easily and re-seasoned. The older pans are so smooth the are like glass once you get all of the crud off of them. And they season fast and easy and cook so much better and never stick. This video is good for those who do not like to buy vintage and do work on the old stuff and it works. I have sent Lodge several e-mails over the past 10 years asking why they don't make smooth cookware like they did in yesteryear. So far all I have received is an auto answer from the request!
I have several modern lodge skillets and have never sanded or polished any of them, I cook all sorts of food in them and have never had any problems, after a year or so of use, the seasoning builds up to create a smooth surface, there is no need to do this,but it really won't hurt anything.I also have some vintage stuff with very smooth surface, cooks about the same as modern,accept it doesn't hold the heat quite as well(because it's thinner and lighter weight)
Just get a good carbon steel pan! It'll be smoother and lighter and still last forever and season the same way.
And you will get it to sear better too
But no iron incorporated
@Bob Watters they r different for reasons. sometimes you just want and need a good cast iron
@Bob Watters only real chefs use cast iron skillet for corn bread
Best oil is flax, 4-5 seasoning stages with flax seed oil will create a permanent bond as the flax oil actually mates with the iron to create an organically formed polymer.
But I'm totally using this method on my next cast iron purchases, I've been using a 10" square non-stop so I'm also looking at the 12"
Another good way is to put the lodge Skillet in a plastic bag. Then spray Easy-Off oven cleaner and let it sit for 24 hours. Then wash it off with water and dry it thoroughly. The easy off will take off all of the seasoning that is put on at the lodge Factory
I've used my random orbital sander to do similar with great results. However, this video should have been only 3 minutes, not a quarter hour. Way too much non-essential dialog.
Agree.....hate the vides where they start with a history of cast iron.....blah....blah....blah.....just get to the point man.
@Nacho Pop's He's right. A lot of wasted time. Way back when I was studying for my teaching credential, an instructor told us that if you chose to have a guest instructor in your class, you should make sure that they not only had the information to impart but that they also could communicate well. If you're not normally concise and efficient in your speech, you should script it out. In this guy's case, he's in competition with a lot of others for viewers. I may look at one more of his videos, but if its the same as this, I won't look at another.
....yea but can I leave the quick strip pad in one spot when I'm sanding the pan?
Lodges should come from the factory smooth. Find an old Griswold and it has a very smooth finish from the factory. Lodge needs to step up and add another process to the product.
Reason why it's rough is so that oil polymerizes in the spaces. It helps create better coating, that's the purpose but to each their own.
@Dean Viljoen it's just a feature they've started putting in new pans. Wheather it's wanted or unwanted is different subject than what the company had decided to do. 🤦.... Manufacturers always make changes to their products which they think should be done irrespective of what consumers may want. It's a feature that they've put regardless of history or anything. That's irrelevant to company's decisions
The Lodge pans are made cheaply and quickly. The rough texture is the result of sand used in the manufacturing process. This is just a scheme to make a buck in a hurry. Head to the resale market and pick up an old cast iron pan that isn't warped and feels slick to the touch. Now cook with it for a lifetime and leave it to your favorite child in your will.
Agreed. lodge is cheaping out by selling sand cast cookware they have not done the Final Step on. Most things cast need work to finish them, this is no exception. I find cast iron ingarage sales and estate sales, the older the better.
@Dean Viljoen not true
@Repairs and Reviews Great video. I have been sanding my Lodge’s by hand with 60-grit 3M sandpaper. I may just say screw it and buy the BARE Stargazer.
This video is way too long. Try to make your point in less than 10 minutes. It would make this a great video instead of a good one.
Sure this works if you want "right now" results. My almost 5 year old lodge pan is almost smooth as glass from normal use. So is my dutch oven. I have a bunch of current production lodge, and several Birmingham Stove and Range from the 40's - 50's. They all work the same. Just use the crap out of them
Maybe you can post a picture of your reflection int he pan?
So.. is he implying that an over 100-year-old company does not know what they are doing.
Albert A Heiserer I'm implying that lodge could do better than the rough casting and spray in bed liner like pre-seasoning. Keep the budget line of cast iron in this price range but I'd pay a bit more for something a little more refined. Maybe a 25-40$ price range. Field company has a really nice pan but it's 100$.
I have my great grandmothers skillet, it is smooth as glass, what you find now is not, BTW NO plant based oils, the result is you make it sticky, you need bacon grease or lard.
Keep in mind it's not the oil, it's the ultra-fine carbon from the seasoning that makes the bottom non-stick. I use lard for initial seasoning, but use only olive oil for cooking. It's not the cooking oil that counts, It's the carbon.
Plant based oils are fine, and in some cases preferred. I season with Grapeseed oil and cook with olive oil. I wont get into the molecular chemistry of it here (Steve has a good point - maybe I'll make a video) but oils with highly unsaturated fat content break down and polymerize more readily than saturated oils do. Not that unsaturation levels are a sole factor for considering an oil to season with, but many people successfully use plant based oils.
If your pan is sticky it's because you didn't get it hot enough during the season. Just place it in the oven on 500 for another half hour and you'll be finel
You are actually dead wrong. You should be using flaxseed as the Base seasoning. It has a lot harder set when it dries and polymerizes. Bacon grease turns into brown mush in the bottom of the pan and when it finally does harden it cracks and chips. The two proven bests are flax seed and grape seed
Thank you for saving my new Lodge griddle from being chunked out the backdoor into the snow.
I've been cooking on cast iron over 40 years. All but 2 of my pans are family heirlooms. My frying pan I'm 5th generation to own it. 2 of my pans I rescued from a barn and they were in horrible shape from years of holding rain water. I won $100 bet when I restored them.
But THIS. This griddle already started a fight because my husband told me I would ruin it if I didn't follow the lable. It's pre seasoned, just wash it with salt like normal because it's new & these are Covid times. Yeah right. For the 1st time in my LIFE I ruined an entire pack of scrapple. I was a professional chef in a 5 Star restaurant for years, grew up working my uncle's restaurant & catering business since I was 8 years old & this pan just brought ALL my Scottish out. Gordon Ramsey would've been proud.
All these videos on sanding and smoothing new cast iron. Absolutely no need to this. And actually can ruin the cast if taken to deep. I have old cast and new cast and while I do like the older stuff especially since its lighter there is nothing wrong with how lodge does there pans these days. It's actually better for people that dont understand how to care for and season cast iron as rougher surface is very forgiving when seasoning and holds on to see seasoning. Lodge if they wanted to could smooth these pans for pennies if they chose to but they choose not too as this is better .These sanded skillets will take forever to season properly and will flake more easily. Take it from a cast iron nut that has done this milling to smooth newer cast and learned a lesson. Do not do this. Just wash these new pans well and lightly oil and place in 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours at a time. Do this 3 times allowing to cool between seasonings. Start cooking and clean well after cooking and heat it up slightly and re oil. Done
But that sandy surface can hardly be considered non-stick
Why not get the thing that smooths airplane painting out of the cupboard.
I’m going to disagree with this. Lodge doesn’t do this because the average consumer doesn’t know how to really season cast iron and therefore doesn’t expect eventual non-stick qualities. There are tons of companies that make cast iron that are smooth. It’s a question of preference, not superiority. You are right about going too deep but there’s nothing wrong with doing it in general.
you're wrong they used to finish the antique iron they just don't do it anymore because it's cheaper to manufacture unpolished
Lodge always machine polished pre 1950s and only stopped to reduce manufacturing costs. If you buy an expensive skillet it will be polished.
I know exactly what you mean ...cause im so pissed off at my new 12 Lodge skillet. The second time i used it i couldn't get it clean. So Im off to Home Depot to buy these items to salvage my new pan i hope. Im an old lady so i hope im strong enough for this project. When did Lodge start making their pans so rough? The lable covered the surface so I didnt notice the change til I was home with this piece of crap. Thanks for the fix info
mine is so old that from 100+ years of use its glass smooth ,, my tip is really simple sesame oil
its thicker and doesnt have palm oil as the cast iron paste does .. i recently moved so my heavy cast irons are packed but i any one wants i can do a vid of it
twice rendered bear grease, is perfect for seasoning. put the pan in the coals of a campfire, then when it is really hot smear it inside and out, set it aside to cool, on a rough pan you might need to do it a couple times, but in the end you have a perfectly seasoned do it all pan.
It helps to understand "smoke points" of various oils.; low temps to high. Cooking works better when you know a bit about the science and chemistry of it. There are charts that can help.
The hundred year old ones were smooth from the get go, time and use had nothing to do with it
I find lard (I use non-hydrogenated lard from pastured hogs) works better than any other oil and is less inclined to gum up.
The old iron pans where smooth on the inside. You could see machining marks on it. The manufactures omitted the final machining. Polished is just as bad as the ruff casting. Smooth yes polished not!
my grand parents used to build a fire , fill the pan with lard, place the pan in the fire and let it stay in the fire until the flames go out, and when the coals completely cool, remove the pan and then clean it.
y u do dis?
I found that the rough surface holds and traps built up grease.. and hardens in the valleys of the cast.. making it much more non stick and better protection when storing
Agree. I actually prefer the rough surface, giving it a grill-pan like feature.
I had one that was like glass and completely non stick... given to me after my Grandmother passed. She never washed it and kept it in the oven and oiled... like 80 yo. My wife washed it and didn't tell me that she soaked it in the sink first. I pan fried eggplant in a little avocado oil and the season seperated from the pan. NTS I fucking lost it. We haven't spoke in years, only when i visit my Grandmother.
Over a fry pan? ?
Ok.
Man, what a bit of beautiful brassy skillet! That old gold color is really amazing!
It is pre-seasoned so that it doesn't rust but it is not ready for use with efficiency.
Find an old Griswald pan, they're made properly from the start Lodge is a budget item that's sand cast, that's why the rough surface. Any decent cast iron pan will be smooth right out of the box
63DIRTY - with smoothness comes a price. Some people would like to save some money.
That's your opinion. I refuse to pay boatloads of money for something I'm only using to cook food in.
I hit mine with 80 grit then went 120 to finish.
Edit: By hand. lol
Was thinking of doing the same. How long did that take?
@@msVanessajay Couple of hours so I would recommend a power tool for the job.
...or you could just buy a Field Company Cast Iron skillet. It’s comes polished from the factory, pre-seasoned twice with Grape seed oil, and Made in the USA!! I’ve got the #10 and #12! Best purchases so far for me in 2020!
I haven't been able to justify the price but I hope to have one, one day for sure.
Repairs & Reviews I understand that, but the value of the tools used in the video would equal a Field Company skillet. If someone already has those tools, then yes, it would make sense to buy the cheaper skillet.
Great video though.
Pro tip, I suggest using Flaxseed Oil or Grape Seed Oil to season your skillets!
@@Senwot2000 yeah I owned all the tools accept for the quick strip which was cheap. Maybe I'll ask for one for Christmas haha
@@Senwot2000 I actually just bought flaxseed oil a couple weeks ago. Wish I had used it originally