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11-12-2015, 02:48 PM
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Cast Iron Cookware
In the past, we have had some good threads on cooking and cast iron cookware. I found this sight, which I know some of you will find interesting.
The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast
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Wayne
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11-12-2015, 02:59 PM
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All I know is:
Cast iron skillet + cornbread batter = happy Rusty.
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11-12-2015, 06:43 PM
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11-12-2015, 06:58 PM
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It's all I'll cook in.
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11-12-2015, 08:27 PM
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nice knife with that cook set
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11-12-2015, 08:30 PM
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Isn't that knife the Winchester Bowie?
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11-12-2015, 08:48 PM
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It's all I cook in also.
Heck... I've to cast iron skillets hanging over the fireplace for decoration!
I cook my eggs in the same skillet my grandfather cooked his in.
I loves me some cast iron!
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11-12-2015, 09:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustyt1953
All I know is:
Cast iron skillet + cornbread batter = happy Rusty.
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Rusty, try this, cast iron skillet + cornbread batter,+ fine diced red and green bell peppers= really happy Rusty.
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11-12-2015, 10:16 PM
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Remember that you shouldn't cook acidic foods that require long cooking in cast iron. It's not good for the CI or you.
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Wayne
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11-12-2015, 10:46 PM
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We use Cast Iron almost exclusively. Great stuff.
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11-12-2015, 10:59 PM
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Food just tastes better when cooked in cast iron.
What's up with that?!
And with a good and seasoned Dutch Oven, I've cooked ribs and sauerkraut, corned beef and cabbage with no I'll effects to me or the Dutch Oven.
The key is having it well seasoned. It's like non stick, nothing gets to the metal.
It takes a year or two to get it there, though.
Last edited by Jessie; 11-12-2015 at 11:08 PM.
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11-12-2015, 11:18 PM
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Just make sure that it's Lodge Cast iron, not that cheap Chicom junk!
Ask me how I know.....
Have everything from small to large...
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Last edited by STCM(SW); 11-13-2015 at 01:42 AM.
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11-12-2015, 11:37 PM
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I have lots of it and use it. I have a skillet on the stove now that would make teflon hang it's head. Just wipe it out with a paper towel while it's still hot.
My wife hates it. She likes stainless. Maybe like diamonds it's bright and shiny.
Stainless horror story #12. One night while I was talking to my step son my honey and soon to be daughter in law were gabbing while cooking, beer was involved, they forgot about time, had it too hot. Our 3 year old Grandaughter's parents dropped her off for the night. She loves cheese and macaroni. That stuff burned black so bad and stuck. It looked a total loss, tried the internet. Use Coke, failed, try vinegar, it too failed. She said pitch it.
I used my orbital sander. Tuff grit, medium and finally the finest I could get. Saved it. You can still see the swirls in the bottom.
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11-13-2015, 12:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by old bear
Rusty, try this, cast iron skillet + cornbread batter,+ fine diced red and green bell peppers= really happy Rusty.
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And oysters. Add oysters
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11-13-2015, 01:14 AM
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How does that stuff work in a microwave oven?
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11-13-2015, 01:37 AM
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If you like cast iron, check our carbon steel skillets. They have to be seasoned just like iron, they're a little thinner so not quite as heavy. The good thing is that since the are made from a sheet of steel instead of cast, they are smooth. They don't have the rough texture like new cast iron. Mine is real slick after seasoning, scrambled eggs are great in it.
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11-13-2015, 01:43 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by model70hunter
I used my orbital sander. Tuff grit, medium and finally the finest I could get. Saved it. You can still see the swirls in the bottom.
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The salt trick will work on that.
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11-13-2015, 09:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johngalt
If you like cast iron, check our carbon steel skillets. They have to be seasoned just like iron, they're a little thinner so not quite as heavy. The good thing is that since the are made from a sheet of steel instead of cast, they are smooth. They don't have the rough texture like new cast iron. Mine is real slick after seasoning, scrambled eggs are great in it.
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Yea, but the whole benefit with cast iron IS the weight. They distribute and hold the heat evenly better than anything else.
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11-13-2015, 10:44 AM
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I have a cast iron skillet that is as smooth as any other skillet. Not all are "as cast".
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11-13-2015, 12:29 PM
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My wife & I found a bunch of old cast iron pans, skillets, Dutch oven, etc in her grandmother's abandoned stuff after she passed away. Don't know how many years they had been sitting, but they were very rusty & nobody wanted them. I told my wife to bring them home.
We restored them pretty easily. It was a slow process, but not too difficult. Reseasoned them with fresh pig lard. They are like brand new again.
Did some digging around on the 'net, and these pans date from the mid 1880's to the early 1930's. I think we saved 11 or 12 pieces.
Here's the only pic I have.
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11-13-2015, 02:24 PM
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Griswold cast iron is a good one. Seasoned cast iron is an heirloom in many families.
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11-13-2015, 02:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finesse_r
How does that stuff work in a microwave oven?
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Really well, BUT only ONCE
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11-13-2015, 03:12 PM
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And now the American Dietetic Association reports that cooking in cast iron can boost the amount of much-needed iron in any food!
I hope that won't turn off those "gourmands" in our midst who might be skeptical of health organization edicts...
and for those that might; may I suggest using a cast iron skillet to "Blacken" a protein such as catfish, boneless chicken or beef steak using an inordinate amount of butter and one of Paul Prudhomme's excellent "Blackening Spice" mixtures. If it's good for you at all I sure can't tell; it just tastes too good!
P.S. you may want to temporarily disable the smoke detector(s).
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11-13-2015, 07:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie
Yea, but the whole benefit with cast iron IS the weight. They distribute and hold the heat evenly better than anything else.
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The extra weight is definitely important for retaining heat. I got interested in carbon steel because you can't get smooth cast iron any more. I found that for eggs, the carbon steel works very well. I haven't tried searing a steak in it yet, I have a cast iron skillet for that.
My carbon steel skillet is probably 2/3 the weight of my iron skillet, so still decently heavy.
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11-13-2015, 07:19 PM
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Here is a newer manufacturer of a very nice, but expensive cast iron made in Portland, Or.
FINEX | Premium Cast Iron Skillets, Made in USA
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11-13-2015, 08:24 PM
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Absent Comrade
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I have an eight-inch cast iron skillet with no manufacturer's mark that has been in use in my mother's family for at least a hundred years. I use that one exclusively for baking cornbread, which it does superbly.
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11-13-2015, 08:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 307-Niner
My wife & I found a bunch of old cast iron pans, skillets, Dutch oven, etc in her grandmother's abandoned stuff after she passed away. Don't know how many years they had been sitting, but they were very rusty & nobody wanted them. I told my wife to bring them home.
We restored them pretty easily. It was a slow process, but not too difficult. Reseasoned them with fresh pig lard. They are like brand new again.
Did some digging around on the 'net, and these pans date from the mid 1880's to the early 1930's. I think we saved 11 or 12 pieces.
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I have that same vintage Griswold, my favorite skillet.
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11-13-2015, 08:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by klondike
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That looks like some really nice stuff and I really like the useful shape.
But I ain't paying that kind of money when you can find old Griswolds and Wagners pretty easily.
They're easy to restore if they aren't warped, cracked or pitted badly. I just picked up three at an antique store for $25.
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11-14-2015, 07:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceB
I have that same vintage Griswold, my favorite skillet.
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have the 9, 8 (with lid) and 6. All sit on stove and used regular
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11-14-2015, 10:46 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by klondike
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Expensive ain't the word for it Factory must be in the high rent district
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11-14-2015, 11:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johngalt
The extra weight is definitely important for retaining heat. I got interested in carbon steel because you can't get smooth cast iron any more. I found that for eggs, the carbon steel works very well. I haven't tried searing a steak in it yet, I have a cast iron skillet for that.
My carbon steel skillet is probably 2/3 the weight of my iron skillet, so still decently heavy.
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Have you never heard of sandpaper?
Get a DA sander, or a rotary sander on a drill motor, and MAKE that cast iron smooth. Push comes to shove, elbow grease and 80 grit does a purty fair job.
Gotta re-season, of course, but heck, everbody knows how easy that is.
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11-14-2015, 02:29 PM
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Do you preheat the pan before you add the cornbread batter?
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11-14-2015, 02:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wnwitzell
Do you preheat the pan before you add the cornbread batter?
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Heat your bacon drippings in the oven at 400+ while you mix up the batter.
Pretty much everything goes into a hot cast iron pan.
Last edited by soFlaNative; 11-14-2015 at 02:37 PM.
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11-14-2015, 03:48 PM
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They also act as a sleep aid after those "last call" nights.
Ask Ruthie.
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11-15-2015, 10:24 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpo
Have you never heard of sandpaper?
Get a DA sander, or a rotary sander on a drill motor, and MAKE that cast iron smooth. Push comes to shove, elbow grease and 80 grit does a purty fair job.
Gotta re-season, of course, but heck, everbody knows how easy that is.
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My steel skillet was only $28. Definitely worth trying out compared to buying an orbital sander plus the time, mess, and labor.
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11-15-2015, 11:59 AM
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I pretty much do all the cookin' around here, all of it in a cast iron something-or-other. Skillets, griddles, sauce pots, a chicken pan, Dutch ovens, even my Weber kettle has a cast iron grate.
Mostly vintage pieces, Griswold, Wagner, and BSR pots. It's taken several years to amass and my wife thinks I'm crazy, but I've replaced every modern non-stick pot and pan in the kitchen and then some with black iron.
Can't beat it !
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