sf wrote:
> On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 18:43:22 -0400, "Bob (this one)"
> > wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > A cast iron skillet can never be "ruined"..and letting it lay with
>> > grease certainly won't hurt it...only water can damage it but even that
>> > is fixable....
>>
>> Baloney. Deeply pitted cast iron ware can, indeed, be ruined. Cast
>> iron cookware that has had petroleum distillates in it is ruined. Cast
>> iron heated and rapidly cooled can warp or even crack, and either of
>> these mean it's ruined.
>
> iquill is right that sitting in grease won't ruin a cast
> iron pan...
I didn't dispute that directly, but it does depend on the sort of
grease we're discussing. Culinary grease wouldn't damage it because
residual flavors would be acceptable. I doubt it would be good to sit
it full of lithium grease.
> you're right that water damage can't be
> repaired, but you're living in a world of extremes if you've
> actually had experience with a cast iron pan warping or
> cracking due to heating and cooling,
Dunno how extreme it is. We used to serve various dishes in cast iron
skillets in my restaurants, ranging from blackened foods to
slower-cooked items. They were used every day, rather intensively.
Occasionally they warped or cracked. We usually had 50-60 of them on
hand at any given moment. We had to buy maybe 10 a year.
Pastorio