Suggestions on restoring a cast iron griddle

[sammi357]

The dutch oven folks have tons of information on cast iron:

IDOS - International Dutch Oven Society

There's a forum similar to this one for Griswold:
Griswold and Wagner Cast Iron Collectibles

If you're interested in a chemistry class experiment for cleaning up really bad cast iron stuff:

WoodCentral Articles & Reviews (I'm dying to try this.)

and don't forget the Boy Scouts sites.

Once it's cleaned, the trick is to season it with the high heat treatment. I prefer rendered bacon grease to the oil, but that's me.

Dh's grandad's griddle, that had been at the cabin forever, was in hubby's camper trailer when we cleaned it out. It had been sitting for years. I don't EVEN want to know what was on that griddle...omg, it was filthy, and lord only knows what had crawled on it.

It was black and crusty, had two shinier circles where the pancakes had been cooked! I took the wire wheel to it, outside, clamped it down and cleaned all the old build up off of it.

I about fell about the place laughing when hubby came out of the garage and said, "I smell pancakes!" ;-) lol!

Found out later, tho, that wire wheels aren't recommended for cleaning up the cast iron.

Loving dutch oven/cast iron cooking! Somewhere in this forum are some of my photos of dinner, with and without S&W's and in cast iron.

sammi

 

[gizamo]

Ok Giz heres a couple pics of the markings.

Looks like a Block/Erie PA U.S.A. logo 1930-1939. I couldn't open your attached thumbnail for some reason so maybe someone else can 2nd my guess...

 

[Beemerguy53]

Just a thought about how to clean it up: Perhaps have your nearest machine shop bead blast it? I would think that would remove the rust and leave a nice even-textured surface.

 

[Cracker American]

My first post here.

I have used cast iron to cook with for close to fifty years and it was only about seven years ago that I found out it is a build up of vegetable oil that makes the cast iron "crusty". After cooking, and cleaning with very hot water, I now let mine dry slowly on the burner as it cools and wipe on some bacon grease or lard. I keep the lard on hand just for maintaining the seasoning.

And I maintain that good use is the best way to season.

 

[Beemerguy53]

My first post here.

I have used cast iron to cook with for close to fifty years and it was only about seven years ago that I found out it is a build up of vegetable oil that makes the cast iron "crusty". After cooking, and cleaning with very hot water, I now let mine dry slowly on the burner as it cools and wipe on some bacon grease or lard. I keep the lard on hand just for maintaining the seasoning.

And I maintain that good use is the best way to season.

Cracker, welcome to the Forum. You're gonna love it here...this is one of the best sites on the Internet, on any topic!

 

[gizamo]

My first post here.

I have used cast iron to cook with for close to fifty years and it was only about seven years ago that I found out it is a build up of vegetable oil that makes the cast iron "crusty". After cooking, and cleaning with very hot water, I now let mine dry slowly on the burner as it cools and wipe on some bacon grease or lard. I keep the lard on hand just for maintaining the seasoning.

And I maintain that good use is the best way to season.

Lard and Bacon grease is all I use. We cook on a wood cookstove and I keep the top seasoned. Love to cook our toast every morning by throwing it on top of that stove.

 

[zoom6zoom]

I'd bet that the folks at Griswold would be glad to recondition that beauty for you. I consider that your best COA, IMHO.

Sure, if you could get it back to before 1957, when they shut their doors.

Putting cast iron in the oven while the self cleaning cycle runs is another effective way of removing years of junk.

 

[arch stanton]

Thanks Gizamo and everybody else for all the info and advice. I'll get me some lard and get to work!

 

[rhetlaw]

I've been cooking in a cast iron Dutch oven and skillet while camping for several years now. I've also "cleaned up" some very old, rusty, gunked up pieces of cast iron.
Here's what has worked for me: While camping, I set the cast iron piece close to the fire or on the hot coals and fry up some bacon on it. I don't want to eat the bacon at this point, I want the bacon grease to begin the cleaning process. When finished cooking, throw the bacon away and pour the bacon grease into a metal cup to be used later in the "seasoning process". With a waded up paper towel, coat the entire griddle with the bacon grease.
Now, while the griddle is still hot, begin scrapping the areas where the rust and gunk are with a putty knife or the sort. As the griddle cools you're going to notice that the scrapping is more difficult. Put the griddle back in the fire and get it hot again. Heat it up and scrap for as many times as needed.
When the piece is finally cleaned, take the bacon grease and a waded up paper towel and put a coating of bacon grease all over the griddle - top and bottom. Set the griddle aside to cool.
The seasoning process should be done every time you use the griddle.

 

[sammi357]

'throwing bacon away' ?!

at almost four bucks a pound for bacon, that's not happening....

cook the bacon in something not as grungy, and then use the grease.

 

[bummer]

I don't think I would use steel wool on it. You might have tiny particles left behind that would rust or get mixed in with your food. Don

Hell, thats just extra roughage

 

[mtgianni]

Since it is a labeled Griswald I would cut the cord off a wire wheel before I would let it come near it. Treat it as you would your child and give it to your great-Grandchildren.