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I also love cast iron cookware. I'll side with Steve when comparing the more modern Lodge stuff (heavy!) to the older stuff I inherited from both grandmas (Wagner, I think is the brand). The old skillets are lighter, deeper, easier to handle, and smoother on the inside.

If you guys have to worry about using soap to wash your iron, it just isn't 'seasoned' deeply enough. My old skillets are blacker than coal, and the coating is about as thick as pour-on bartop epoxy. These things could take a few trips through the dishwasher with no danger of rust!

My "cleaning" process consists a quick dip in hot soapy water (usually while the pan is still scorching hot), wipe with a rag or sponge, and rinse with more hot water, and drain until dry. NEVER scrub a cast iron skillet clean!

A light coat of iron oxide (rust, that is) actually helps form a more protective barrier on initial seasoning. Sort of like the 'browning' used on old firearms.

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I have issues cooking on my cast iron stuff. I think I need to learn to use it better. But it's also a thing where.. I don't use it for 12 months then try to remember the ways of cast iron and fub it up then give up for another 12 months. I remember trying the Alton Brown method of cooking steak on a cast iron pot, the smoke detector went off immediately, and the house was just completely full of smoke.

We do have several Le Creuset pans that are cast iron coated with ceramic I think. They are fantastic. 

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My wife had a co-worker who complained her cast iron rusted.  When questioned about it, she put it in the dishwasher!  That is a no-no! I sold restaurant equipment and supplies.  Chefs will take an aluminum saute pan, rinse it out with very hot water, wipe it clean and hang it up.  No soap as this removes the seasoning!  I scrub cast iron with a wet paper towel under very hot water, rinse it thoroughly, and put it on the gas stove to dry.  After about two minutes, I take it to the sink and spray it with Canola oil and let it cool on top of the stove.

We gave my parents a four piece set of cast iron cookware.  My mother gave it away as everything stuck to the cookware.  She would scour the inside each time she used it and ruined the seasoning.

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3 hours ago, Cliff said:

I have issues cooking on my cast iron stuff. I think I need to learn to use it better. But it's also a thing where.. I don't use it for 12 months then try to remember the ways of cast iron and fub it up then give up for another 12 months. I remember trying the Alton Brown method of cooking steak on a cast iron pot, the smoke detector went off immediately, and the house was just completely full of smoke.

We do have several Le Creuset pans that are cast iron coated with ceramic I think. They are fantastic. 

Same thing happens at my house when doing steaks in a cast iron skillet. The is exhaust fan in our kitchen is terrible. We are scheduling a kitchen remodel in the next year and I have two requirements: 

1) Gas range

2) An exhaust fan that will suck the damn hat off your head.

14 hours ago, wdwerker said:

Many years ago an ice storm knocked the power out at my last apartment. I lit my little Big Green Egg , grabbed my cast iron skillet and a copper coffee pot. Within 30 minutes the smell of bacon drew attention. Several neighbors joined me with food they had no way to cook.

Had the same thing happen in San Diego several years ago. One guy doing maintenance took out power for a couple million people. We had an Omaha Steaks truck pull through the complex trying to sell steaks. He was a commercial dealer and restaurants were refusing to buy anything due to not knowing when power would be restored. We bought $250 worth of meat for $25. Dumped all but two in the deep freeze and fired up the Weber Kettle. Neighbors were jealous. 

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14 hours ago, lewisc said:

Cast iron is great. I’ve got one frypan that I use most. It holds heat, gives a great sear and if seasoned properly, is non stick. 

I’ve been going through a steak phase over the last 6months using the reverse sear method. Low heat in the oven for about 30-40mins and then into a hot frypan for 1min each side. When you flip the steak over, throw in a few garlic gloves, butter and thyme and baste. If you get the timing right, you get a perfect steak. Cast iron is great for this method. 

 

I use this method quite a bit. Trying adding some rosemary to the thyme and butter.

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14 minutes ago, legenddc said:

You all are making me want to try our cast iron pan again. Couple of questions though:

  1. How do you clean it if it has some surface rust on it?
  2. What's the best way to initial season them? It's cold outside so keeping my oven on all day sounds pretty good.

1)Baking soda paste scrub.

2)I wipe the pan with oil, then turn it over in the oven. It smells so keep a hood or evac fan on. I seem to remember a call for north of 500° F and experienced some “blister” burst on my first attempt. I sanded the rough edge and subsequent treatment cared for that area. 

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20 minutes ago, legenddc said:

You all are making me want to try our cast iron pan again. Couple of questions though:

  1. How do you clean it if it has some surface rust on it?
  2. What's the best way to initial season them? It's cold outside so keeping my oven on all day sounds pretty good.

i have used a stainless scotchbrite scrubber

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron

this sounds like a good ideal way to season never tried it. I usualyl just throw some oil on it with high heat.

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18 minutes ago, legenddc said:

You all are making me want to try our cast iron pan again. Couple of questions though:

  1. How do you clean it if it has some surface rust on it?
  2. What's the best way to initial season them? It's cold outside so keeping my oven on all day sounds pretty good.

1. scrub the surface with steel wool until the surface rust is gone. I would go ahead and give it a good cleaning if this is a restore.

2. Tons of how to's on this. Preheat oven to 350, light coat of oil ( I have used EVOO, vegetable oil and lard). Place in oven up side down and let soak for an hour then turn oven off to let cool. Repeat a few times and you should be good to go. Other option is to just start cooking a butt ton of bacon.

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3 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

i have used a stainless scotchbrite scrubber

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron

this sounds like a good ideal way to season never tried it. I usualyl just throw some oil on it with high heat.

I haven't tried flax seed oil. May give that a go next time.

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My beautiful bride bought a UE Mini-Boom for listening to podcasts while she does her thing in the kitchen. Pricey but the sound is fantastic and easy to link up to a phone with Bluetooth. Highly recommended.

When I get a shop, WiFi, a monitor, streaming device, and speakers will be requirements. That way I can watch/pause/rewind instructional vids without having to hover over a laptop.

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I have seen plenty of bent lamination exposed beam churches that go back 40 - 50 years.  Before that they probably did whatever the local boat builders did.  

There is a house up in the northeast that was built from the scavenged hull framing of an early historic ship. Like the Mayflower or something of that era. It was reassembled upside down. Seems like someone recognized the markings on the beams and had to do a bunch of research.

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1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

I was at a wedding over new years and it was in a barn. I don't really bother trying to stay up with trendy stuff but it was interesting that they didn't cover the inside of the studs/rafters. I couldn't help but staring at how similar they all were and they looked like bent lamination beams.

How did they build this stuff 100 years ago? The forms for these must have been huge. There was a floor below where i'm sitting to take the picture that had 10' ceilings and then this room.

5a52801bb859e_NewYearsWedding003Share.thumb.jpg.09e12bf3a0580481b7e630cffa3df060.jpg

5a52801d75ddb_NewYearsWedding002Share.thumb.jpg.bcb644a1156484cd249b861e7e40ea80.jpg

Thought some of you might find it interesting.

I love grand old buildings like that, especially when the construction is visible. I bet all that exposed wood gave it a very warm feeling for this cold time of year. 

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36 minutes ago, Isaac said:

I love grand old buildings like that, especially when the construction is visible. I bet all that exposed wood gave it a very warm feeling for this cold time of year. 

It was -25 air temp the wind chil was estimated around -40. They had heaters running full tilt it was like 75 inside it felt great.

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