Katra wrote:
> In article >,
> "james a. finley" > wrote:
>
>
>>"Alex Rast" > wrote in message
. ..
>>
>>>at Wed, 12 Jan 2005 03:31:43 GMT in >,
(tenplay) wrote :
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'm looking for a good quality skillet. The saleswoman at a local
>>>>department store recommended Lodge iron skillets even though they don't
>>>>sell them. That was impressive in itself. Does anyone own one? If so,
>>>> what do you think? I see them on sale at Amazon for just $14.99.
>>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>>They're OK, but get the un-preseasoned ones. The preseasoned ones go by
>>
>>the
>>
>>>moniker of "Lodge Logic". The problem with a factory "seasoning" is that
>>>you get no indication whatsoever as to how this was done. What oil did
>>
>>they
>>
>>>use (probably the cheapest possible)? What process did they use?
>>>
>>>Seasoning is plenty easy to do at home anyway. Just smear the whole thing
>>>with lard (preferably not the packaged varieties) and bake in a 350F oven
>>>for an hour or 2. It should look dark and uniform when it emerges,
>>
>>probably
>>
>>>with a few areas of brown where the melting fat collected. Be sure to put
>>
>>a
>>
>>>drip pan under the skillet (on the lower rack).
>>>
>>>The inside surface can also be effectively seasoned by frying a bunch of
>>>bacon, several large steaks, or a bunch of salt pork. I find that the
>>>frying method actually gets more even results, at least on the inside. But
>>>for the outside you'll want to do an oven preseasoning anyway because
>>>there's no easy way to to that on a stovetop.
>>>--
>>>Alex Rast

>>>(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)
>>
>>What is to be gained by seasoning the outside of a pan?
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>
>
>
> Keeps it from rusting...
>
> Gee Jim, I thought you were the expert on cast iron?
>
> You sure try to give that impression! <lol>


Perhaps you may be confusing the two different jims. I'm lowercase, he's
up and down. But, I am not an expert by any means, just a well-seasoned
user (pun intended).

I have some seasoned inside and out, others inside only. Depended on my
mood when I was doing them and what was available. I plan on re-doing
the inside only pans as I am not always as diligent as I should be in
drying the outsides.

By "what was available," I mean I did some way back when a friend that
owned a restaurant allowed me to use his deep-fat fryers to season the
pans I had at the time (some of the inside-outside pans), others in an
oven (likewise) and some on the stove top (inside only). One of my
inside only pans has a wooden handle and I'm not comfortable with
removing that, so inside only it will remain.


jim