🍳 SMOOTH a Cast iron Lodge skillet to make it function like an antique
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 май 2019
- Mar 28, 2020 - The next video has been released, there will be another released tomorrow which is something I don't think has been done before.
In this video I take a $5 Lodge brand antique shop find and turn it into something worthy of cooking with. This skillet will rival my best antique skillet and my favorite new Kitchen-aid skillet as well. Will we be successful in transforming this pan using ordinary tools that you can find in your home shop. To provide accurate results, we will be performing multiple comparison tests to see which one comes out on top, so make sure you watch the entire video.
Links to seasoning videos
• How to Use Cast Iron: ...
• How to Clean and Seaso...
• Cast Iron Restoration ...
#Castiron
#Lodge
#Season
As an old guy who grew up in the South, I truly hear the ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY in comments like 'I hear people say to NEVER use metal spatulas in cast iron skillets...'...WAKE UP, what do you think they used in skillets along the Mississippi river in the 1920's? EVERY SINGLE SPATULA was simple press-plate steel...wasn't stainless, wasn't plastic, wasn't teflon...IT WAS 1018 STEEL! My wife and I joke all the time, 'oh no, look...I scratched the skillet...'...give me a break...most of our skillets are 50-years old, AT THEIR YOUNGEST! Got a few new Lodge Cast Iron items...but our old 8 and 10 skillets are older than WE ARE! Got HUNDREDS OF MILES of steel spatulas scraped across their surface...which looks like BLACK CHROME! Don't believe the hype, steel spatulas DO NOT HURT CAST IRON! Check your Rockwell hardness, and you'll find that the skillet is HARDER than the spatula...which means the skillet is EATING THE SPATULA, not the other way around! As for 'repairing old cast iron', simply soda-blast the skillet, then take a pneumatic DA (Double Action) sander and work from 80-grit to 120-grit to 220-grit sandpaper...the DA will give you SPIRAL sanding, which prevents grooving during smoothing. I can polish a skillet in 20-minutes, cure it in 2-hours, and make a new-one look like one of my old ones in no time at all...and work just as good...far too many videos by kids who think they understand metalurgy, that's for sure!
Thanks for the thoughts, my most recent video was on this exact subject. I've read quite a few comments saying never to use metal, so I thought I would test it to see what happens. I prefer to test because many people only know what they've been told and do not question these notions.
Since you have lots of experience on the subject, I'd like your thoughts on whether the seasoning is actually non-stick on it's own and also if there is a preferred fat that is more non-stick than another.
I do not profess to have lots of knowledge when it comes to cast iron cooking (about 15 years total and about 5 years of more serious cooking). I'd like to use these comments as a way to understand the best way of cooking with them.
I originally purchased cast iron because I was not happy spending $70 on non-stick every two years, cast iron can save you lots of money over the long-term.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Thank you very much Sir! You sure gave me an insight. Appreciate that.
I am a young man and I knew that you don't have to worry about steel spatulas on cast iron.
wood, they used a slab of wood shaped to a spatula shape, partly because of pan frying. judging by your reaction, you need to have less metals in your diet.
I mean I use wooden a wooden spatula usually, a pair of tongs if I need them, that just how I grew up cooking.
Dude, that writing in the butter at the end was cool!
I print better with butter. More cool original cast iron related vids to come in a few weeks. Thanks for the support!
The ring on the bottom of cast iron pans were originally used to keep the pan seated on old wood stoves that had the removable stove lids...the number or size of the pan corresponded to the size of the hole in the stove top.
That's pretty neat, I had no idea, we used to have an old wood stove with the water heater on the side and removable plates, but we only ever used cast iron with a flat bottom on it. Thanks for the info.
Still does for Amish.. I have many Amish friends.
OP, this is someone who knows a thing or two about cast iron and is absolutely correct. Great job to both of you.
The secret to nonstick eggs over easy is low heat and just a little more fat,oil,butter. I use pam and it works good. The low heat keeps the eggs from sticking.
Yep It’s a fire ring , basically certain pans for certain 🕳 holes
Nice video, Thanks for the information. The final result looks great👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you very much, I wish I had been using smooth skillets sooner, I would have saved so much time cleaning, not to mention that it is much more enjoyable to cook with.
Do you have a favorite brand of skillet? I have a very old Wagner (at least I think, it is not marked) I just picked up 2 more but they are newer, and they are both smooth.
Quality content, thanks for doing this test.
Awesome editing idea at the end with the reverse butter melt!
Dad joke warning... What butter way to end a video!
considering this was a newly seasoned pan vs. pans that had been broken in, it did a good job. i think a smooth finish to good if you want a pan to perform right away. it also is easier to clean if something does stick. nothing beats a pan that has been well seasoned over time though.
I agree, proper seasoning over time seems to work better every time.
I believe that Lodge started putting their logo on the bottom like that in the 90s. I have some Lodge pans that I was given in the 80s they have a no cast in logo like that. That pan is also factory seasoned. The rough surface is so that the sprayed on oil won't run off quickly.
Great info thank you
Sigh. I own 9 Lodge skillets, 10 camp ovens, pizza pan, wok, loaf pans, corn stick pans, griddles, fajita plates...and a set of my grandmother’s machined Wagner Ware that’s 100+ years old. There is NO empirical difference in cooking performance or nonstick quality. The Lodge sand cast surface does not encourage sticking. I have the same 3SK skillet that’s polished in this video. It’s rough. I cook eggs in it with no sticking. They slip out of the pan with minimal lubrication. Cleaning requires a rinse with hot water. I’m not a fan of Lodge preseasoning; I do apply one additional seasoning coat. It is, however, a myth that Lodge must be ground and polished to be serviceable.
I owned some of this Lodge before the internet and RUclips. In those days, people just used it. They didn’t talk about its surface texture. There wasn’t an audience for skillet grinding.
Hi, I just bought my 10" lodge skillet a week ago. After seasoning, I can fry eggs and bacon using your high temperature method. The only problem I encounter is that burn bits of bacon takes forever to clean. Then, I decided to polish it using 60, 80, and 120 grits sandpaper. Omg, the difference it makes. Everything I cook in it turns out amazing and cleaning takes seconds using hot water. I totally recommend smoothing a new cast iron unless you have access to the antique pan.
Nice! I'm a Lodge fan, they are a bit rough, but there is nothing wrong with them. I do like to smooth all of my cast pans like they used to do. I did find that the bacon was much easier to clean, but I've started cooking bacon in the oven on parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. The cleanup is so much easier and it makes for crispy bacon every time.
Great job!!!
I bought the exact same skillet from lodge in 1999 so at lest the mold yours was produced from was still being used then. It looks the same as the ones that I saw being sold a couple of years ago when I was looking for a set to give to my nephew for his weeding gift. Also, I have been using metal utensils on my cast iron since they were new and have never had an issue, once the seasoning sets good and is blackened, you will have to work hard to scratch or tear it off
I do like the Lodge, they seem like a solid company and they continue to make a good product even today (I just checked the reviews on Amazon). What are your thoughts on how to get the best non-stick pan? Do you think it is the oil, or is it more about the seasoning?
It looks like one I have, and mine was a set of three, bought and given to me as a gift in 93...
It would be nice to have the set, this small pan isn't used so much these days. Thanks, I had a feeling this wasn't too old.
I feel like you should have been a rapper.
Lodge skillets are definitely usable the way they are. I use them nearly every time I cook. Polishing them smooth would drive up the price, but I'd be willing to pay more for one that was polished and had thinner walls like a Griswold or Wagner. The smoother surface is definitely preferred. They should offer their regular budget skillets and a polished "antique" style version. Field Company is one that I'd love to own someday. Made in America and in honor of the irons of old.
I agree, the rough texture works pretty well surprisingly, but I prefer the antique/vintage ones with the thinner walls like you. There is just a feeling of quality that you don't get with the newer ones these days.
An automated sanding setup wouldn't be tough, rotating mag chuck with a light pressure orbital sanding head that comes down, or turn it on a large lathe... if it weren't for the handle, I would love to mount mine on my lathe.
I've never heard of Field Company, I'll check them out. I see they've come out with cast iron with the 'Rock' finish for a non-stick coating, I wonder how they perform (www.starfrit.com/us/the-rock-cast-iron-12-34-fry-pan)
Look into this company. They are amazing. Make iron and stainless.
To avoid warping cast iron cookware, start with a low to medium heat until the pan is thoroughly heated and then proceed to a higher heat setting. Starting with too high of a heat setting causes the bottom of the pan to expand rapidly while the cooler sides resist the expansion, and the resulting pressure difference causes the bottom of the pan to buckle.
It would be interesting to test this somehow. I've found a lot of variation between the different brands of skillets, this may have to do with the chemical makeup, or maybe the thickness of the castings. Do you have any thoughts on this?
@@NeedItMakeIt - I think it's reasonable to suspect that everything you mentioned has the potential to be a contributing factor. Plus, a lot of stoves aren't level. ;^)
Generally when cooking with cast iron, I always turn a burner on low and set the pan down to warm up before I even think of adds foods, oils or anything to it.
Beautiful job! ...and well explained. I just purchased the American-designed GreaterGoods 10-inch cast iron skillet ($39.95) on Amazon. It has a milled cooking surface and is outstanding. It passed the egg test on the first try. It might be worth a try for you.
I must have missed this comment, I've never heard of this brand, so I will check it out! not a bad price at all. Do you think these being milled will stay flat, I have a few pans with a concave bottom and they seem to do a good job of staying flay on the cooktop heat or no heat.
My Lodge cast iron was purchased in the 60’s. It does not say Lodge or made in USA. You can tell it as Lodge because the ring on the bottom has three small notches. Mine has an 8 on the bottom of one, and a 5 on the smaller one. It is not easy to see the notches, but they are there.
Has the design changed much over the years? I like them personally, I like that they are made to last, they may not be the most beautiful, but they are functional and that's what counts most... I think.
Lodge released the inset round logo in 93 I believe. So that's the oldest it could be.
How fine do companies like field or stargazer grind down their pans?
You used so much butter anything would slide off! lol! but you did a great job on the restoration!
the reason you had some sticking with the eggs has nothing to do with oil and butter, that will always help. The reason is your eggs were straight out of the fridge and too cold. Allow eggs to come to room temp, zero sticking. Great video man, keep up good work!
I will definitely be trying this method. I'm not sure I can wait long for the eggs to warm, so maybe putting them in some hot water would do the same job?
@@NeedItMakeIt when making any dish with eggs, the first thing to do is pull butter and eggs and sit on the counter. The mere time it takes for your iron to heat up will be sufficient. Fridge temp eggs will stick every time to anything, except nonstick. Great work on the videos man!
@@NeedItMakeIt I would avoid the warm water, I believe it would be unnecessary and may cause a problem. If the water were too hot it may even begin to cook the egg.
I got it figured out, you do all this so that you........................
can have a massive breakfast
Making videos about cooking makes me hungry... it happened again last night while making another cast iron video, so what better way than to eat this delicious food used for testing right?
There have to be some perks to doing this.
That's a newer lodge but probably pre 2010's maybe even 90's if you go to lodge they can tell you how to identify them.
Since it says USA i think that means its bewer that 1960 ish? When they passed the law that product's must have the origin. Hope you find out! Great vid! Thanks!
Whats for breakfast 😋
Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast.... and BACON. What could be better?
What I have heard is that butter has impurities in it, that’s why it has bubbles. If you use clarified butter, it doesn’t stick as much.
The impurities are milk solids and water, but I have been testing and I have found that regular butter sticks less than clarified... more testing is needed I think, my only explanation so far is that the steam generated creates a small barrier until the food solidifies, again tough to prove this unless I could examine it close up while it is happening. Lots of butter or clarified also does prevent sticking, but that's a bit of a waste. Switching to a metal spatula seems to get under the food better than plastic.
Love clarified butter!
Have you tried a wire brush for the grinder
I have not, I've seen a video showing this recently and I suppose it would knock off some of the high spots. It may do less damage than a flap wheel around the inside corners also right?
I use a metal spatula all the time on my lodge. I have never had an issue with it.
After trying it in one of my videos, I'm not going back. I'm not really sure why I ever thought it'd be a problem. Seasoning is tough stuff.
@@NeedItMakeIt I use an old slotted fish turner spatula made by pedrini. Very versatile.
But doesn't the rougher finish produce a better searing on steaks and meat in general? Maybe something inbetween (not too smooth but not too rough) would be best?
I don't really know... yet. I have been planning a follow up video which will answer some questions on how the various finishes compare. I think the idea of not smooth and not too rough may be the right answer though. I have a pan which had a small amount of texture and I find it works very well... but they all do, so it's really tough to compare.
The texture of the cooking surface only has very minor effects on the cooking performance. It's all about the right temperature and cooking time. The seasoning also is part of the equation but to a lesser degree. Even a very rough Chinese made cast iron skillet will release the food without any problem when used correctly.
A smooth cast iron skillet is more fun to use (less noisy) and easier to clean. But if you go crazy and overpolish it, it will become more and more problematic to season. A certain texture helps the seasoning to stick to the surface. That's why smooth, drawn carbon steel skillets behave a little different in terms of seasoning compared to cast iron.
I found everything around 60 to 120 grit sandpaper to work fine. The slightly scratchy surface holds the seasoning very well. I also don't sand my CI down to an even surface. I remove the 'sharp' high spots but leave those tiny 'pits'. They fill with seasoning over time anyways.
The ring on the bottom adds structure to keep it from warping...
I can see that helping a bit, like the concept of an I-beam. I have heard that they would fit into the old wood stove perfectly with this ring also.
I'm going to smooth the inside surface of a couple I own, but is there any functional reason so smooth the outside of the skillet? I mean I like the idea of getting the entire surface smooth, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort.
There is no good reason to smooth the outside of the pan that I can think of, just looks. I don't believe any manufacturers are doing this either, it would be very tough to do... however with machinery these days it is much more possible with 5 axis robot arms etc.
If I can give any advice on this it would be to smooth it out only to 100 or 120 grit, the seasoning bonds really well to the slightly abraded surface and you'll have much better success. I did a follow up video on this because I found the polished surface didn't hold onto the finish very well. ruclips.net/video/4mLL0-tXR-A/видео.html
@@NeedItMakeIt thanks!
It doesn't hurt to polish the outside too. It makes cleaning the skillet easier as it no longer tears apart the paper towels. Taking off the 'spikes' of the surface is all it needs, so it doesn't require the same effort the cooking surface needs (which I also don't over polish).
I've had that oil/butter issue with my carbon steel and haven't found an answer as to why it happens. Eggs slide around the pan with butter, but always stick when using oil.
My best theory on this is that the water in butter creates a layer of steam that keeps the egg away long enough to solidify, if you make clarified butter, it removes most of the moisture and I've found that I have more sticking. It needs more research I think, but it is the best explanation I have so far.
I've had good experience with small amount of olive oil and a pat of butter,keep the heat low to med-low.
Could eggs sticking be the result of slightly too high heat?
I've always heard "Hot pan, cold butter", I can't say I really understand the science behind it. With eggs, there seems to be a temperature that is just right to keep the yolk runny to achieve the best dipping experience, but still have the whites cooked all of the way through.
These days I like to use my plate as a lid; I find that it cooks the eggs better and it keeps them warm longer.... I'm starting to get a craving for eggs right now :).
There's two churches of egg frying in iron cookware:
- The brotherhood of low and slow
- The disciples of the purgatory of eggs
The holy cookbook of the brotherhood demands cooking the egg on medium low heat for quite a while. At one point it should more or less self release. The brothers end up with an only slightly browned egg.
The sacred scrolls of the disciples on the other hand praise cooking the egg on higher heat. After a short while, it again should more or less self release and bless you with a nicely browned, crispy egg with lots of roasted flavors.
Me being an egg atheist, I found both methods to work. But in my experience, the low and slow method requires a well seasoned skillet. Newer skillets tend to produce a sticky mess that way. Therefore, I prefer the other method. I also enjoy the roasted flavors of those crispy eggs.
what i heard once is that an original cast iron comes in 9 inches the rest come at 9 1/2 or larger and even smaller
That’s pretty cool! But I bet it took along time to do it.
It does take some time; for me, the most time is in making the videos. I have another pan in desperate need of some rust removal, we found it in a forest, maybe a future video?
@@NeedItMakeIt oh yes that would be educational and good to know. Awesome find!
@@NeedItMakeIt Fill it up with acetic acid and let it sit for a few days. 30% works best.
If I'm not mistaken, if it has USA or Made in USA, it most likely was made after 1960.
Would you please list the tools you used for this. Thank you.
It's a wire cup brush then sand paper from 60 to 220 grit the grind wheel will be 60 or 80 grit wheel. I'd suggest some foam blocks for corners and grooves and a file for the rough edges where the cast was.
Thanks for answering the question. Bang on! I used a granite calibration stone for leveling the bottom, but that's overkill, anything flat hanging around the house would work just fine.
Excellent video,,, starting to look usable!,,,, pretty sad we have to put that much work into an american made product to get it to perform the way it was intended!,,,, thanks for sharing your hard work.....
For sure, I've since baked it at a higher temperature to get that nice rich black coating, but it works well. Can you believe that this small skillet makes the best bacon... the oil pools and it seems to cook the bacon evenly in the oil.
Thanks for the comment and support!
Smooth is not better. The rough ones hold seasoning better and if you oil them after you are done and leave the oil until it starts smoking then wipe it off they become smooth over time.
I will be spending some time testing the seasoning method on the stove top, it is much more convenient.
Do you think seasoning is more important than the type of oil you cook with?
@@NeedItMakeIt I think both. I season with the same oil I cook with. I use deodorized coconut oil because it has a high smoke point and is healthier I think. I add the flavoring oil closer to the end. I cook on a glass top thats the same size as the pan and turn it up to max 8 out of 10 otherwise it will start burning the seasoning off. It depends on your stove top's power to be honest. A good way to season on the stove top is to grease the pan and control the temperature to where it is slightly smoking, but not too much. When the oil gets polimerised it will stop smoking but you dont run the risk of burning off the seasoning. The sides take a little longer than the bottom. If I am cooking something a little more saucy and it burns I just deglaze the pan with water after it cools down a bit and everything just lifts off the bottom. You can also use a gas stove but on the lower settings otherwise the point where the flame touches the pan will be a charcoal color and your seasoning will burn off. I use woks too and they are glass smooth. Its a nightmare seasoning those because the oil turns to droplets. I hope this helps. Thank you for the video.
Idk how you season but it's phenomenal
It is nothing more than very light coats. I like to use canola oil, but you can use vegetable oil, basically the same. I've tried seasoning on the stove top, but it's just not as successful in my exp. The BBQ seems to give the best result for me. I'm sure I can whip up a quick video if that is something that would help people. One note about seasoning is that directly afterward the process isn't complete, it requires a 'cooking in' people say bacon fat works the best, I'd agree, except don't actually cook bacon, just use bacon fat and cook the pan with the grease in it. I have a few other tricks for a super rich deep colour for new pans, or sanded pans too with minimal effort.
@@NeedItMakeIt thank you. I would appreciate a video. Thank you for the reply. All my pans are seasoned great and I wouldn't change my method at all. I love seeing everyone's methods tho. Cheers, James!
I have to say, I restore a lot of cast iron and cook every day with it. I can take a brand new rough Lodge and not have sticking. I have a new 8 inch that within 30 days of purchase you could already see the seasoning layer build and start to smooth. If you have sticking, that means your cooking process is wrong. Has nothing to do with the iron.
I would tend to agree, since making this video I've investigated this quite a bit more. I have gone so far as to test pans with no seasoning, both with oil and without. At the right temperatures and with a little oil, they are also non-stick. I've removed all residual oil from my seasoned CI pans and tested them to see how non-stick the seasoning is, and that's where is gets interesting. It really comes down to the cooking temperature and the starting temperature of the food. Cold eggs for example cooking in a pan at 100C will stick terribly, they also tend to stick to the pan even with a bit of oil. When I tested warming the eggs first, that made a big difference. The pan has to be beyond 100C, for steam to form and that seems to be the major factor in preventing the food from sticking. the layer of seasoning seems to do more to protect against rust than it does preventing food from sticking.
What are your thoughts?
@@NeedItMakeIt I noticed this video was over a year old so didn't doubt you had some knowledge on the matter since you put this one out, but you nailed it in the last 19 words of your statement. A lot of folks say seasoning is exactly good for that, to prevent rust. Also, the more seasoned a pan is, the easier it is to clean after those mishaps or anything out of the ordinary that does stick. Now, I don't doubt it helps with cooking and adds to the properties of being non-stick, but when it comes to cooking, I can strip a pan, season once, and cook without sticking. But there's nothing like cooking on Mom's 45 year old seasoned skillet lol...
@@NeedItMakeIt I just viewed your video. The one thought I had with your eggs, are they cold, or room temp? I've found cold eggs dumped into even most nonstick skillets will stick rite in the middle of the egg!
One aspect of cast iron that is overlooked is the lid
I love a fried egg with a cooked top and no caramelised underside.
So what I do is heat up the cast iron lid.... Le creuset and then on the lowest level of my gas cooker gently heat the pan with a little olive oil and then put the eggs in with the hot lid on for 70 seconds and I get a fabulous almost poached egg with a runny yolk that will slide around like a marble on a frozen lake
The lower heat is not degrading the cold pressed olive oil aspect either
That's a great point, normally I take my plate and place it on top, it heats the plate, keeps your food warm afterward and also helps to cook the top of the egg. Your idea takes it much further, I never thought of pre-heating the lid.
Nice EGG-HACK!
@@NeedItMakeIt
Thanks. My mom used to do the plate thing. She was obsessed with having her plates hot for her food. My wife's the same. But yes a soft fried egg is my favourite. No crunch underneath. But a little more flavour than a water poached egg
BE well
Cool. I’ve done the plate and lid method to help cook the egg white without cooking the yolk. I’ve also found that room temperature eggs work better than those right out of the fridge. Such a clean pan afterwards. Love my CI.
@@DonaldDump2024
Bacon grease helps also, especially if you keep the heat a bit low initially and then spoon the hot grease over the egg. You will get the upper part of the whites cooked with out killing off the runny goodness of the yolk.
All cast iron after 61 will be stamped where it was made. Usa. China ect. If no stamp it's pre 61
Good to know, thanks for this info.
I've see some with no markings at all on them, to me they looked to be poor quality, so who knows who/where/how they were made.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I have another one coming in a few days which really dials it in and shows a few interesting techniques.
Eggs tend to like lower heat and cooking spray not butter in my experience
But what is an egg without butter! You're probably right, but I was raised on eggs with butter and I love that taste.
@@NeedItMakeIt
The best fat to cook a fried egg in is bacon grease. I like to lay out the bacon on a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. Cook it low and slow and the renderings are free of any burnt bits. Also, cooking the bacon slow allows the fat to just melt and drio without warping the strips too much.
If you really like butter, you might want to try ghee, AKA clarified butter. Just the butterfat without the water or the milk solids.
@@MrRShoaf - i have used a combo of 1/2 bacon grease and 1/2 butter works well, also 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter works well too.
The French have been using butter and oil in their carbon steel skillets (which behave pretty identical to cast iron) to cook eggs for more than a century. Give it a try. But butter should also work fine alone. It's usually more about the temperature. New cast iron skillets tend to require a little more heat for eggs to release. With the seasoning becoming better over time lower temperatures will work fine too. Simply play around with the temperature settings and give the egg time to self release and you will find the sweet spot for your skillet.
There's also a nice video about cooking eggs on the YT channel of 'Uncle Scott's Kitchen'.
Would like people in these non-stick test videos to cook something that will actually test the surface. Eggs, pancakes, French toast all have lots of butter first. Cook some bacon, pork chops or chicken fried steak to test for nonstick. There will always be crud left behind that requires scrubbing.
I will put this on the list, I have a few CI videos coming up testing some of these topics, I think this would be a great one. Thank you for this.
The first misconception of people is to think polishing the surface of a cast iron skillet makes it nonstick. It doesn't. Polishing simply makes it easier to clean and more fun to use.
If food sticks to your skillet, there's something wrong with your cooking technique (and maybe the seasoning). Try a different cooking temperature and give the food time to self release. Pre-heat the skillet until the whole thing (including the side walls) is at cooking temperature, then add the oil and then the food. Play around with the variables and you will find the right settings for your skillet and your stove over time.
And don't expect your CI skillet to become nonstick like a brand new Teflon skillet. It won't. A little oil / fat is required for most food types. But due to the seasoning actually absorbing a little oil (which expands when the skillet heats up and then forms a microscopic thin layer of oil), you still can cook many things without using oil in a well seasoned skillet. But if you remove that oil by cleaning the skillet with dish soap, most food will stick without oil the next time you cook. That's why you should always reapply a very thin layer of oil after cleaning with soap (which is perfectly fine).
Seasoning is a coating. The roughness of the pan is irrelevant. In a seasoned pan, the food never even touches metal. It touches a vegetable polymer.
That's irrelevant.
The smoother the pan, the flatter the seasoning coat.
Seasoning isn't remotely "non-stick". Therefore, the smoother the better.
AND it takes a good long time to fill in all those dimples from the sand molds.
There's a reason why the old cookware was made smooth. It was better.
There's a reason only cheap cast iron is left unsanded. It's cheaper......
If it has a rough surface interior, it is a “modern” lodge.
Cast iron is cast iron there’s no noticeable difference if the composition is the same
I think you're right, it really comes down to surface finish, seasoning and temperature of cooking. Surface finish may not have as much to do with it as I thought, a rough finish can still perform well, but they aren't as easy to clean.
Thanks for the comment!
Heat your pans up slowly and they will not warp.
A good tip, the old Wagner pans have thin walls and heat up quicker so I am a little more careful with them, the Lodge is much thicker and it takes longer to heat up at the same settings.
I have cracked a 12" pan in the past by heating it too quickly, I accidentally turned the stove too high. As far as warpage, cast iron isn't as prone to this as people think, a sudden uneven change in temperature - such as welding will cause the pan to become permanently warped. Heating the pan on the stove can cause a temporary deformation as the bottom becomes hot, but the sidewalls are still quite cool, when the sidewalls warm and expand, the bellied bottom will flatten out again.
Really nice turnout, smooth as a woman's ass. I don't care what anyone says. Stay away from that olive oil in cast iron. Has a low burning point doesn't like to play nice, can get sticky, get a funny smell, turn on ya like dead corpse and make your cast iron stink, especially if you put it away an don't use it for a while, I don't know... great-Grandmother & great- Grandpa didn't use it so...
I don't use it in my cast iron, not saying you can't ..but.. I don't. It's great for Italian dishes but not in cast iron, it's fine for stainless steel or carbon steel. Thanks for sharing. Tips: butter fat lard Crisco all great for cast iron skillet but make sure that pans warm first. You probably already knew that, never grease a pan when it's cold. Treat a cast iron skillet like a woman you got to get her warmed up first.. hehe.. Give it lots of love it'll love ya back, treated like shit and it'll work like shit. 👍🏻👍🏻
I think the olive oil smells amazing when it first hits the pan. I usually use avocado oil, as it has a higher smoke point. I got my pan to where it is with bacon, which I cook in the microwave any more.
You're right, he sure got that pan smooth! Using a metal spatula exclusively got mine good and smooth.
To get the seasoning to stick, try abrading it a bit rather than leaving it with a mirror-smooth finish or perhaps shot-peening it with fine shot, to give it a satin texture. I suggest this because two coats on this shot-peened satin-finish carbon steel pan gave it a dark black color:
ruclips.net/video/zb6d9Xm7i3o/видео.html
The microscopic increase in surface area due to peening or sanding to a satin finish will help the finish go black rather than that dark brown color.
Great idea, thanks for the tip. I was thinking of a very similar concept just this morning.
@@NeedItMakeIt Another thing worth considering: ruclips.net/video/2Pvf0m9jTeE/видео.html
His seasoning method has some critically insightful tips. Make each coating as thin as possible. Wipe the oil off as if you never wanted it on there to begin with. The thinnest possible coatings is what results in the best seasoning. If you see any splotches or pooling, you're using too much oil.
@@Berkana Hello! I'm also not that much in favour of a complee glass smooth finish. Could you please tell me how can I replicate (if possible) this satin finish? I have a brand new Lodge that is preseasoned. Will sand paper be enough? Want grade sand paper should I choose?
Thanks in advance!
@@monobgantonina5577 A brand new lodge will be hard to put that kind of satin finish, because you would need to grind away all the pits and bumps. But once you're down to a smooth surface, abrading it in small circles using 800 to 1000 grit sandpaper on some rubber or neoprene backing will give it a satin/matte look. Basically, you're giving it randomly oriented scratches at the microscopic level, and this has a satin appearance.
@@monobgantonina5577 If you want a pan that already has that finish, consider the Field brand cast iron pan. Those pans are gorgeous. fieldcompany.com/p/cast-iron-field-skillet/
This trend is baffling to me. I've got old Griswolds, Lodges, Wagners, BSRs and a Volrath. I also have several modern Lodges. Nothing sticks to any of them because I keep them well seasoned and use fat/oil when I cook. Suddenly, there's this obsession with making new Lodges smooth on the bottom, as though they don't work right otherwise. It's ridiculous. The first thing I do with _every_ pan I get - new or old - after ensuring it's seasoned properly, is drizzle some oil in it and cook some eggs. Over two dozen pans that span nearly a hundred years in age and _none_ of them give me any problems. Not even the "icky, rough" modern Lodges.
If you want something like a vintage pan, just buy a vintage pan. They're lighter weight than new Lodges, anyhow and there are thousands upon thousands of them out there to choose from. Sanding down an already perfectly good pan to pretend it's something else is just an exercise in futility.
Just buy a Star Gazer one
Those are really nice, but they are pretty dear too. I paid no more than $10 for any of my vintage pans.
Just checked out their website and they have excellent ratings... maybe an upcoming birthday or x-mas gift?
There's really no need to make the outside smooth, just focus on the cooking surface
No argument there, this was just to give a little closer match to my old cast iron. Thanks for the comment.
I'm sorry man. Any authenticity this video could have had was completely lost on me when you sanded the outside of the pan and filed the edges etc. As a person who suffers from OCD, I can recognise this whole video is an exercise in obsessive behaviour. Unless you cook on the underside of the pan this was just ridiculous to watch. I suppose now one has to sand and file down the stove top to make sure that's flat.
Furthermore, the seasoning is what gives the non stick surface you want in a pan. When the grit of the food-contact surface of the pan is too rough, then the incremental film deposition takes a long time to fill the troughs and lay a glaze over the bottom of the pan. So I can see the purpose of knocking the grit of the bottom of the pan down a bit. But polishing it right down to bare metal, you realise you have made it slick. Your new seasoning layer has nothing to grab onto. So I now expect your new seasoning layer will come off far quicker than people who just did the ten mins of light sanding work that was actually needed. The seasoning bonds to the metal but the grit helps it last longer before sloughing off. Yours will slough off far quicker.
I'm sorry man but in my opinon you took this job way too far. Maybe you enjoyed doing it and good for you. But this should not be an advice page for others in my humble opinion.
A quick ten min sand on the bottom surface to soften the grit is all that was needed here.
You lost me when you filed the inside of the hole in the handle. You aren't ever going to be cut by that sharpness during cooking and normal handling, and you aren't going to hang that pan on a plastic hook where that sharpness would cut it. The heavy duty metal hook you are going to hang it on would have softened that naturally. At that point I knew I was watching somone obsess.
Thanks for your opinion, I certainly appreciate your detailed comment.
I have performed quite a bit of testing since this video and I have found that the non-stick properties of the polymerized coating is not very good, it requires a coating of oil and relies on the generation of steam to prevent food from sticking. A good way to test this is where residual oils were removed from the surface and food was cooked directly on the seasoning. I have tested a pan with no seasoning for example and I have had good non-stick results using oil. Cooking temperature, the type of food and the temperature of the food being added to the skillet also play vital roles in whether it will stick or not.
The seasoning does do a good job of preventing rust from forming when the pans are washed out, or if water is left in for too long.
Videos like this will not please everyone, some people hate them, some people love them. In any case it was a fun project, the pan looks great and performs well even now.
I filed the inside of the handle because I hang my pans and it slips on the hook a little easier, doesn't need to be done for any other functional reason.
Have a good one.
@Visakan - Any value your opinion held was forfeit, in my lofty opinion, when you wrote about lost "authenticity".
Things you need to learn and remember:
1. Just because you haven't figured out how to make seasoning stick well to a slick surface doesn't mean it can't be done. (I happen to know from personal experience it *can* be done.)
2. Seasoning alone doesn't give the non-stick properties you want.
3. The internet is full of incorrect information.
4. Suffering from OCD doesn't qualify you to diagnose obsessive behavior in others. (Too bad your OCD didn't force you to pay closer attention to the video.)
5. Stating "in my humble opinion" does nothing to mitigate or correct a bad attitude. False humility only makes things worse.
Wow you don't have anything better to do then criticize....if you want even and uniform heat in a cast iron pan all surfaces need to be cleaned and sanded and seasoned...it does make a difference
Love cast iron video too boring for me
What kinds of things do you like?
I despise Lodge cast iron. People who defend it say, "Well, it gets the job done," but I don't accept that reasoning. The obvious superiority of vintage cast iron should be an embarrassment to the people at Lodge, sending their products out into the world as they do. Their crude sand casting is ridiculous, and the mere fact people have to spend hours with power tools as you have done to bring their product up to snuff is disgraceful.
Okay, that's a different take on it. My personal opinion of the Lodge is that it is not very refined in comparison, so I do have a preference toward using the vintage Wagner... The Lodge price-point is so low that I can also see also see the attraction to CI noobs. As far as new CI, my Kitchen-aid at $10 has performed very well, but it also is a little chunky and lacks that quality feel of the vintage ones.
In an upcoming video I will be taking a new cast iron pan to 'beyond-snuff" using an incredibly tedious method I don't believe has been used anywhere.
this is completely unnecessary. you are ruining your pans. i have no idea why all of the sudden so many videos of people ruining their pans are popping up in my algorithm.
There is no such thing as ruining pans. My pans all work extremely well, use them every day. I don’t understand the Allure of molten metal poured into a sand mould, very little craftsmanship compared to something like a wood kayak, really anything.
@@NeedItMakeItyou ruined it lol
6:07 heat your C.I. On a low temp & it won’t warp..
Awesome job!!!
Hey, thanks for the comment!