A question for youse cast iron experts ...

[Thumper]

As you all know ... I don't cook, so I don't have a lot of experience in cooking related stuff. As you're well aware, I recently bought a bunch of cast iron cookware. I've always known you're supposed to season cast iron and when you wash it, you do not use soap ... just basically wipe it out under plain water and maybe oil it down from time to time. Well, I decided to clean & season the two pans I've decided to sell first. For the Griswold, I was told to wash it thoroughly, dry it thoroughly, wipe it down with vegetable oil, turn it bottom side up and place it on an oven rack, then "bake" it at 350 degrees for an hour. The Wagner has the seasoning instructions on the pan and it said 300 degrees, so I compromised and set the oven at 325 degrees and seasoned them together.

When completed, I wiped them down and the Griswold (more so than the Wagner) looks pretty good, but a bit "splotchy" ... and it's STICKY! The directions just said to use "vegetable oil", but I didn't see "vegetable or corn oil" in the pantry. We had olive, canola, peanut and maybe something else. I chose canola (that ain't animal or mineral, so in my book, it's vegetable, right?). It's not a major thing and the pan looks good, but it kinda bugs me that it's so "tacky". If you try to wipe it with a paper napkin or paper towel, it just makes a mess and ends up with remnants of the napkin/towel stuck to the sides of the pan.

What (if anything) did I do wrong? I feel like washing it with hot soapy water and just wiping it down with oil as it actually looked a bit better BEFORE I seasoned it. Any ideas or suggestions?

[BarryBobPosthole]

Season it a little longer and it'll get rid of the tacky feeling. You might try following instructions once in a while too.

BKB

[Thumper]

Well, I kinda-sorta did. The Wagner said right on the pan to set the oven at 300 degrees. The instructions I pulled from the internet said 350 degrees. Who's right? I compromised and went for 325 degrees. So, is this a common problem? I mean, is it definitely tacky because it should have "baked" longer? Both pans "look" good ... I just don't like the stickiness. Should I simply re-bake it? Or re-oil it and bake it again. I was afraid to over-do it because I see a lot of discussion on eBay about some cast iron not setting flat as the bottoms sometimes warp. These are perfectly flat. Can I warp 'em by leaving 'em in the oven too long? Or does something else usually cause the warpage? I ain't no dang cook, but this "sounded" pretty easy.

[Chicken Dinner]

I use canola to season mine and they come out fine. I'd suggest two things. First, you may have used too much oil. Sometimes that that can leave it blotchy. IMO, you didn't season at nearly a high enough temp. You really need to get it above the oil's smoke point to do if right. I do mine at 425 with canola. (If my wife and kids aren't complaining about me stinking up the house, I'm not using a high enough temperature.). Also, repeating the seasoning cycle 2-3 times will produce better results. Just let the Ian cool completely in between.

This past Feb. My Mrs. was out if town and I was at home with the kids on a snow day. It got good to me and I decided to reseason my whole "collection". Nothing fancy here -just a bunch of "cookers"...

[Thumper]

Wow! Now that IS a nice set of CI there! (CD's CI!) ;)

Dumb question maybe. You say I may have used too much oil ... I did go pretty heavy, but it didn't seem all that excessive (not that I'd know). Should I leave what's on there and simply re-oil, then re-heat? Or should I wash/scrub and start over? It's really not that bad, I'm just a tad of a perfectionist and I was just hoping for better results. I really don't like the blotchy look, although, again, it's not really that bad. Once I start learning about something new or different (to me anyway), I tend to get very involved in the learning process. I run into CI at estate sales all the time, but the prices "usually" seem mighty high to me especially with the weight involved (shipping). Some is a decent price if I'm planning to be the end user, but for resale, there has to be a cushion. I need a good margin to make a purchase for resale worthwhile. (I have to figure initial item cost, eBay listing fees, PayPal fees, eBay final value fees and shipping/materials costs) That's not even figuring cleaning, repairing, time procuring, transportation, etc. etc) But, if I run across a deal with "room" left for a profit of some sort, I need to recognize what I have.

Ok, as usual, I went off on a tangent here .. thanks for the advice. I'll play with it. In hindsight, I think I was worried about possible warping and maybe went a bit too conservative with the heat.

[Chicken Dinner]

If it was me, I'd just take a stiff nylon brush and water as hot as I could stand it in order to get the sticky build up off. Then dry it and coat the while thing with a real thin coat of oil. That way you're not starting from scratch. Then I'd reseason a couple of more times. If you're thinking about getting into CI from a business standpoint, check out the Cast Iron Cooking FB page. There's like 50k members and it's a busy place most of who know way more than I do. Lots of different opinions on how to clean and reclaim CI, but you'll be amazed how rusty and crudded up a pan can be and still be salvaged. Short of cleaning with fire, I don't think you can hurt them with temps up to 500. When stripping old pans back to bare metal, lots of folks put them in the oven and run the self cleaning cycle.

[Thumper]

I did study up on the methods for a while and it seems the most involved is electrolysis, but it comes out looking like new. Thanks much for the input.

[Chicken Dinner]

Yeah, electrolysis is popular and so is coating it with oven cleaner, sticking it into a black garbage bag and sticking it out in the sun for a few days. Both of these methods seem like they're for really gunked up pans or folks who just want to take one down to the bare metal and start over. I've never had a pan that was that bad off. Even though a couple of my pans were gifts from my step mother who picked them up at yard sales, etc., I've never been a big fan of totally stripping off 50 years of seasoning/history.

I'd love to see a pic of your finished product.

[HideHunter]

Can't add much tp what CD has written - except - I won't use anything but lard to season. More is not better.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I've always used crisco too when I season mine. And I just set the oven on an even 400 and cook it about an hour. It helps to fry a tater in it soon as it coolscoff but that might just be my imagination. Takes the burnt taste of the lard out of the pan or something. But it works.
There ain't much in this world that frying a tater won't make better come tothink of it.


BKB

[DeputyDog]

I have a question for you that are in the know about cast iron. My Mom is selling off a bunch of her stuff because she is moving out of her house into an apartment. She has some old cast iron skillets. The ones with markings are a Griswold #3 6.5", a Griswold #6 9", and a Wagner #11 that is 12".

She is selling the stuff through an online auction site. I've never used cast iron to cook, but after reading all you talk about it recently, I'm wondering if I should try to get them or not, and if so, what is a good price for them? They haven't been used in a looong time, but are in pretty good shape, with no rust or any other major issues.

[Captain]

You should never allow "family" cast iron to leave the family.
That said I have no clue on what to pay for them. Maybe Thumper, CD or Posty can help with that.
I have my Great Grandmothers frying pan and it's used regularly.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[DeputyDog]

I kind of feel the same way about family things leaving the family, but I don't really want to buy things that I won't ever use just to keep them in the family. It's different to me if it had some sentimental value, but if I remember right, those skillets were in the lake cottage my parents bought when they bought it, and I don't remember them being used that much as I was growing up. On the other hand, I don't want to see someone come in and get a great deal on something that is worth something. If that's going to happen, I'd rather it be me that gets it.

[Captain]

Understandable.
I don't know how someone cooks bacon without a cast iron frying pan... :D

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[Chicken Dinner]

I'm not really onto the collector side of things enough to give you an opinion as to value. Depending in age, the Griswald's and Wagner's seem like the most sought after. There's a website, something like thecastironcollector.om, that might be helpful. Or, check eBay and see what they're going for.

[Thumper]

They're all over the map price-wise and the models vary greatly ... adding or detracting from value. That said, I'd try to hang onto the Griswolds and Wagners as they are the biggies as far as "collector" value. Neither of my grandmothers would EVER consider cooking in anything but cast iron ... heck, even if it was just to bake cornbread in the oven, it still went into a cast iron skillet. My mom was the same way and I don't think I've ever in my life had my mom's fried chicken cooked in anything but cast iron. The limiting factor is the weight ... once my grandmothers, as well as my mom, got up in age ... they simply couldn't handle the heavy skillets very well.

Lynn is a gourmet cook (literally) and has all sorts of fancy-schmancy pots & pans, but she uses a cast iron skillet for 90% of what she cooks. When I came home from a recent estate sale with that chrome set of Griswolds, she confiscated them and I'm going to have to secretly list them on eBay when I get ready. She'll simply open the cabinet some day and they'll be gone! ;)

I'm not a cook and my idea of cooking is warming something in the microwave ... but the true cooks that I've known, will always go for the cast iron ... except of course, those dufes on the Cooking Channel who are promoting their own cookware lines.

As for value ... like CD said, look at eBay (on the SOLD listings). I'll admit, prices are all over the map and you'll see a pan go for $9.00 and the same exact pan go a week later for $50 ... so you just have to try recognizing the trend. There are also various styles ... the old "fire ring" models bring a premium. There are large logos and small logos ... the large brings more money. Some have warped bottoms and don't sit perfectly flat on a smooth surface, that detracts a bit. If you have a skillet with a lid ... that brings a premium. A Dutch Oven (with lid) is solid gold as far as resale is concerned. Study up a bit and take a good look at what she has. I'd say as a rule of thumb, if it says Wagner, or better yet, Griswold ... grab 'em up.

As for condition ... they may get rusty and nasty looking ... but they don't "wear out" ... depending on how much work you want to put into it, a rusty old cast iron skillet can be made to look like it's never been used. A lot of guys are getting into using electrolysis to make 'em look like they just came from the factory (google it). I've been learning a lot myself recently as I've just become interested in this stuff. There's actually a group called the Wagner and Griswold Society and I did quite a bit of reading at their website, but I've been having trouble getting it to load today (they may be doing maintenance ?).

http://www.wag-society.org/

[HideHunter]

Just your luck. Cast is enjoying popularity not seen before and selling for prices - well - high. Really tough coming up with a price unless you do a lot of research. Some pieces of cast are really valuable. I have a Dutch Oven I've been offered $750 for and the guy who offered told me it could bring a thousand. I have several other pieces of Gris I use almost daily.

Kind of cool - I just gave my Great Grandmother's skillet to my son - because he said he couldn't make his deer steaks taste like mine. Swore it had to be the skillet. ;) And (Thump you'll like this) I have an old cabin sitting on my property that was abandoned after the 93 flood. People just walked away and left everything. Getting to the point it needs to come down so I figured I'd go in and see what "wouldn't" burn. In a drawer in the old range - under a truly magnificent mouse nest - I found two cast griddles. One is a round Gris - the other a square BSR. They need a little TLC - but they'll make great "users".

[Thumper]

Wow! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a griddle or two. Some of those Gris griddles are bringing an easy $100-$200. It's all about condition and model of course.

[HideHunter]

I've got the Gris in a vinegar bath as we speak.. had some pretty good rust build-up along one edge of the rim. Nothing on the cooking surface thankfully.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Bassdog gave me a round griddle/fry pan many years ago that he'd got for $2 at a flea market. Its a Wagner Ware Sydney and I think its prolly from the 40's or 50's. I use it for an omelet pan. As non stick a surface as I've ever seen on a pan or griddle.

BKB

[HideHunter]

This griddle has diamond-shaped Griswold emblem I haven't seen (I only have a few pieces). It is marked "Griswold Extra Finish Ware" inside the diamond. There's going to be some pitting along the one edge but by the time it's seasoned it will be hardly noticeable. Plan to use it - not sell it anyway.

[Thumper]

Is that the griddle you mentioned Hidey-ho? This one just sold for $113.00 on The Bay.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTU5OVgxMjAw/z/wCAAAOxy2CZTamlS/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNTk5/z/NWoAAOxyeglTamlb/$_57.JPG?rt=nc

[HideHunter]

Yup - That's her.. except mine is a 739 - #9. Cool.. thnx