Thread: Large Cast Iron Skillet ADVISE!

Most of the old hardware stores sell a good selection of cast iron cookware. They need to be "seasoned" properly first. We really like the GrandPappy electric fryer for quick fish meals at home.

Someone finally said the right word...."Seasoned". You can do it yourself, or, in certain instances, buy them that way. Most people selling cast in a yard sale fall into one of 2 classes. 1. They never learned how to season and cook with one (80&#37 and 2. They are getting too fraile to lift it on and off the stove.
You can look at one and tell if the person that owns it knows about cast. I have 3 skillets (one was my great grandmothers, one was grammys and one was my moms) and all 3 cook like they were just bought and seasoned. They are the worlds first Non-stick cook ware and, to me, are the best.
Now to the meat of the situation. Look for smoothness. Lots of cheaper cast is rough and had forge marks. This will cause hot spots with the metal being thinner or thicker in places. The smoother the better. If it looks like it was poured into the mold, then dumped out and put on the shelf, save your money and walk away. You may spend more on quality, but, you get a good one and your grandkids will love you for it.
Dusty

The Lodge variety on Amazon.com look good, too, and are preseasoned. They have a fry basket that you can order extra. The 9 quart dutch oven and basket which fits it really looks nice.

Having said that, I inherited all my cast iron except for a dutch oven that I bought from a really small country store at Crumrod, Ark.

Tip: Pre-seasoned or not, once that baby is seasoned well, you never expose it to dish washing detergent. Hot water only. The detergent will remove the seasoning and all you have is the cast iron surface. Food will stick to it.

Always wipe it dry after you wash it and then spray some oil (Pam or others) onto the surface, then wipe that smooth with a dry paper towel.

Its ready to cook again.

Griswald cast iron is the best and smoothest I have found . I was given all the Griswald pieces that I have except for some i found at the trash dump sitting on the compactor.

someone help me with 192667115?????????

Seasoning tip for cast iron cookware... and I believe I read here on CDC. Coat the cookware with shortening, then, instead of smoking yourself out of the house by heating it up in the oven - use a gas grill outdoors. Crank the grill up on high, put the pan on the rack, close the lid, and come back to turn it off when smoke starts pouring out of it.

let it cool, then rinse with hot water. dry immediately with paper towel, then coat with veg oil (spray-on works, but any veg oil will do).

Once it's seasoned - like mentioned above, keep the dish detergent away!

If you get stuff stuck to the pan, heat it up on the burner, toss in s little water to de-glaze it, and scrape well with a flat-tipped metal spatula. Speaking of spatula's, steer clear of plastic ones and only use ones that are flat on the end. over time, using a flat spatula will help make even the ridged surface of a cheap skillet smooth as silk.

For fish-fries, I like to deep fry, and that's where the dutch oven comes into play!

Originally Posted by Big Crappie 2

someone help me with 192667115?????????

... I banned him for life, and deleted all his posts. If I missed one, report it, and I'll get it off asap.
Got a few of his buddies, too (other multiple number user ID spammers)

... cp

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

... I banned him for life, and deleted all his posts. If I missed one, report it, and I'll get it off asap.
Got a few of his buddies, too (other multiple number user ID spammers)

... cp

I was wondering wht the heck that was all about. so that long number is the name of a spammer and Big Crappie 2 was looking for help?

Originally Posted by joejv4

I was wondering wht the heck that was all about. so that long number is the name of a spammer and Big Crappie 2 was looking for help?

... that's pretty much it.

We get hit with these mass mailer spambot programs, every now & then. They're usually pretty easy to spot, as their User ID is in a foreign language, a nonsensical jumble of letters, an Advertisement title, or a series of numbers. The programs can register as a member, but don't provide any "personal" data. The mods catch some of them, before they can even post once ... but, occasionally some do get in and activate. Only a Supermod can ban them, and remove their posts ... but, all mods can delete/close their posts, on their respective forums. ALL members can "report" these posts, when they see them, and are encouraged to do so as it alerts the moderators to their presence.

... cp