I have a Calphalon hard-anodized non-stick that seems to becoming
sticky. Instead of buying another pan, I decided to drag out the cast
iron pans and try to revive them.

The problem I had with them some time ago was that even though I
followed the instructions for seasoning them to the letter, they never
got that hard, slick, black coating. The oil sort of turned into a
yellowish lacquer. They're sealed, they don't rust, but the problem
is that 1) food would stick to them and 2) the cooking surface would
build up a layer of charcoal-like carbon that would particulate into
the food.

So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
down to bare metal. What a chore. I stopped at the 2 I would use,
and I'm leaving the third one for another day. Using the stove to dry
them off, I knew they got down to bare metal because of the smell.
Cast Iron has a certain comforting smell to it when it gets hot. It
reminded me of the old radiators in the gradeschool I went to in the
1980s. All the 'dunce' kids had to sit in the back of the room and
get baked by those radiators. My friend Kreg and I got stuck there,
but we spent a good portion of the time drawing WWII planes, cartoons
of our classmates, and farting on each other.

They're now taking a ride in the oven @ 350F for an hour plus. New
internet research suggests that I need to do multiple sessions of
baking and cooling to get them to season properly.

Now, if only they weren't so fuggin heavy...

On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 10:15:53 -0800 (PST), phaeton
> wrote:

> They're now taking a ride in the oven @ 350F for an hour plus. New
> internet research suggests that I need to do multiple sessions of
> baking and cooling to get them to season properly.
>
That should do it. Works well for me when I use that technique.

> Now, if only they weren't so fuggin heavy...

How big are your pans? A normal 10" skillet isn't *that* heavy.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

"phaeton" > wrote
>
> So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
> down to bare metal. What a chore. I stopped at the 2 I would use,
> and I'm leaving the third one for another day.

Put it in the oven on self clean and burn the stuff out. I know people that
toss them into a cam fire or hot fireplace to do the same thing.


> They're now taking a ride in the oven @ 350F for an hour plus. New
> internet research suggests that I need to do multiple sessions of
> baking and cooling to get them to season properly.

Nah, just fry up a pound of bacon in each, then start using them and the
patina will just keep getting better.


>
> Now, if only they weren't so fuggin heavy...

The big ones can be. We have a couple of 12" that my wife has a hard time
lifting, especially with food in them. They make great roasting pans too!

On Nov 28, 3:30*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> "phaeton" > wrote
>
>
> >
>
> > Now, if only they weren't so fuggin heavy...
>
> The big ones can be. *We have a couple of 12" that my wife has a hard time
> lifting, especially with food in them. *They make great roasting pans too!

I have a cast iron wok and frying pan--very, very heavy. Especially
the wok.

"phaeton" > wrote in message
...
>I have a Calphalon hard-anodized non-stick that seems to becoming
> sticky. Instead of buying another pan, I decided to drag out the cast
> iron pans and try to revive them.
>
> The problem I had with them some time ago was that even though I
> followed the instructions for seasoning them to the letter, they never
> got that hard, slick, black coating. The oil sort of turned into a
> yellowish lacquer. They're sealed, they don't rust, but the problem
> is that 1) food would stick to them and 2) the cooking surface would
> build up a layer of charcoal-like carbon that would particulate into
> the food.
>
> So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
> down to bare metal. What a chore. I stopped at the 2 I would use,
> and I'm leaving the third one for another day. Using the stove to dry
> them off, I knew they got down to bare metal because of the smell.
> Cast Iron has a certain comforting smell to it when it gets hot. It
> reminded me of the old radiators in the gradeschool I went to in the
> 1980s. All the 'dunce' kids had to sit in the back of the room and
> get baked by those radiators. My friend Kreg and I got stuck there,
> but we spent a good portion of the time drawing WWII planes, cartoons
> of our classmates, and farting on each other.
>
> They're now taking a ride in the oven @ 350F for an hour plus. New
> internet research suggests that I need to do multiple sessions of
> baking and cooling to get them to season properly.
>
> Now, if only they weren't so fuggin heavy...

I heat up the barbecue for about half an hour. Rub oil on the pots. Put
upside down in the barbecue. Turn heat off in one hour. Let cool. Do it
again if needed. A good glazing takes a long time. Why would you want to
scrub it down to bare metal and then put it back again?

Steve

In article
>,
phaeton > wrote:
> So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
> down to bare metal. What a chore.

I've cleaned mine by putting them in the oven during a cleaning cycle.
Pretty easy.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
New York trip posted 11-13-2010; http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 10:15:53 -0800 (PST) in rec.food.cooking,
phaeton > wrote,
>The problem I had with them some time ago was that even though I
>followed the instructions for seasoning them to the letter, they never
>got that hard, slick, black coating. The oil sort of turned into a
>yellowish lacquer.

Too much oil, not enough heat. If any of the yellowish oil is still
soft enough to scrape away easily with a metal scraper, do that. If
you can scrape away any lumps to smooth the surface, do that.
Then back in to the oven until all is black. If you can leave them
on an unused oven shelf for a week while you use the oven, that
would be ideal. Going back to bare metal is counterproductive.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:24:07 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article
>,
> phaeton > wrote:
>> So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
>> down to bare metal. What a chore.
>
>I've cleaned mine by putting them in the oven during a cleaning cycle.
>Pretty easy.

Many years ago when the cast iron pans got to much buildup on them,
Mom used to build a fire out back and put the pans in the fire to burn
it off.

- Mark

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:28:49 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Mark A.Meggs > wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:24:07 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >In article
>> >,
>> > phaeton > wrote:
>> >> So using oil, salt and tons of elbow grease, I started rubbing them
>> >> down to bare metal. What a chore.
>> >
>> >I've cleaned mine by putting them in the oven during a cleaning cycle.
>> >Pretty easy.
>>
>> Many years ago when the cast iron pans got to much buildup on them,
>> Mom used to build a fire out back and put the pans in the fire to burn
>> it off.
>>
>> - Mark
>
>My mom did it the same way.
>
>I just use Easy Off Oven cleaner and stick them out in the sun.
>Strips them completely, then you have to re-season.
>
>I do the evil thing tho' and actually wash my cast iron between uses
>with soap and water. That minimizes the buildup and it does NOT damage
>my seasoning!

Dad's able to do the same thing. At the end of washing the dishes -
with not very soapy water - he'd wipe the cast iron skillet with the
dishcloth. It never affected the seasoning. I can't manage it myself
- probably use too much detergent.

- ark

On Dec 1, 11:58*am, Mark A.Meggs > wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:28:49 -0600, Omelet >
> wrote:
> >I do the evil thing tho' and actually wash my cast iron between uses
> >with soap and water. That minimizes the buildup and it does NOT damage
> >my seasoning!
>
> Dad's able to do the same thing. *At the end of washing the dishes -
> with not very soapy water - he'd wipe the cast iron skillet with the
> dishcloth. *It never affected the seasoning. *I can't manage it myself
> - probably use too much detergent.

If you can wash the coating off, then it's not the real thing - just a
greasy coat that you can easily replace.

The real thing is a fused-on layer of who-knows-what alloptropes of
carbon, and it's pretty hard to remove as previous posts have
mentioned.

LW

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:27:59 -0800 (PST), Lyndon Watson
> wrote:

>On Dec 1, 11:58*am, Mark A.Meggs > wrote:
>> On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:28:49 -0600, Omelet >
>> wrote:
>> >I do the evil thing tho' and actually wash my cast iron between uses
>> >with soap and water. That minimizes the buildup and it does NOT damage
>> >my seasoning!
>>
>> Dad's able to do the same thing. *At the end of washing the dishes -
>> with not very soapy water - he'd wipe the cast iron skillet with the
>> dishcloth. *It never affected the seasoning. *I can't manage it myself
>> - probably use too much detergent.
>
>If you can wash the coating off, then it's not the real thing - just a
>greasy coat that you can easily replace.
>
>The real thing is a fused-on layer of who-knows-what alloptropes of
>carbon, and it's pretty hard to remove as previous posts have
>mentioned.
>
>LW

Yes - I'm aware of that. The skillet I was refering to has the slick,
black coating that builds up over the years.

Dad - before they moved into assisted living - would clean it with a
dishcloth and not very soapy water. It did not destroy the coating.

- Mark

On Nov 30, 7:22*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> In article >,
> *Mark A.Meggs > wrote:
>
>
>
> > >> Many years ago when the cast iron pans got to much buildup on them,
> > >> Mom used to build a fire out back and put the pans in the fire to burn
> > >> it off.
>
> > >> - Mark
>
> > >My mom did it the same way.
>
> > >I just use Easy Off Oven cleaner and stick them out in the sun.
> > >Strips them completely, then you have to re-season.
>
> > >I do the evil thing tho' and actually wash my cast iron between uses
> > >with soap and water. That minimizes the buildup and it does NOT damage
> > >my seasoning!
>
> > Dad's able to do the same thing. *At the end of washing the dishes -
> > with not very soapy water - he'd wipe the cast iron skillet with the
> > dishcloth. *It never affected the seasoning. *I can't manage it myself
> > - probably use too much detergent.
>
> > - ark
>
> Hm, interesting... *I tend to pour about 1/2 tbs. of dishwashing liquid
> into a greasy pan and go after it with the soft nylon brush I have.
> Rinse and dry with a paper towel. *I then lightly re-oil it with
> whatever I have handy. *Olive oil, Coconut oil, or Grapeseed oil is the
> best! *I've found that Grapeseed polymerizes the best for me for a
> non-stick surface.

While not part of the cast iron cult, I do have a carbon steel wok
which needed seasoning. I always wash it and put back on the stove,
burner set on high, to evaporate all the water. Then I may wipe it
down with oil (peanut), depending on how I think it looks.

On Wed, 1 Dec 2010 09:37:48 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>While not part of the cast iron cult, I do have a carbon steel wok
>which needed seasoning. I always wash it and put back on the stove,
>burner set on high, to evaporate all the water. Then I may wipe it
>down with oil (peanut), depending on how I think it looks.

If using cast almost exclusively puts me in a cult then count me in.
IMO many of the things said here about cast are just plain silly. I
use soap and water. If the pan is bad enough I'll even soak is for
awhile. I don't waste time with salt either. My favorite and most
used piece is a big griddle that spans two burners. A couple weeks
ago it got pretty gunky and I took steel wool to it and oiled it and
tossed it in the oven for half an hour and it was just as non-stick as
before I scrubbed it. I've got an old Griswold that gets used mostly
for eggs and it gets soap every time I use it and it's perfectly
non-stick.

Lou

"Lou Decruss" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 1 Dec 2010 09:37:48 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>While not part of the cast iron cult, I do have a carbon steel wok
>which needed seasoning. I always wash it and put back on the stove,
>burner set on high, to evaporate all the water. Then I may wipe it
>down with oil (peanut), depending on how I think it looks.

If using cast almost exclusively puts me in a cult then count me in.
IMO many of the things said here about cast are just plain silly. I
use soap and water. If the pan is bad enough I'll even soak is for
awhile. I don't waste time with salt either. My favorite and most
used piece is a big griddle that spans two burners. A couple weeks
ago it got pretty gunky and I took steel wool to it and oiled it and
tossed it in the oven for half an hour and it was just as non-stick as
before I scrubbed it. I've got an old Griswold that gets used mostly
for eggs and it gets soap every time I use it and it's perfectly
non-stick.

Lou




Me too Lou. I wash mine with soap and put it on the burner to dry. Of
course I would never put it in the dishwasher. I have the 2 burner grill
and one morning I forgot to turn on one burner and it cracked, really loud.
I can still use it but I may replace it one day. I have a Griswold too that
belonged to my grandmother. In fact I have a lot of cast iron stuff and the
one I use the most is one of those things you cook tortillas on.