background preloader

The best advice for seasonong a CAST IRON pan (+usage tips)

Facebook Twitter

Sheryl's Blog » Blog Archive “Black Rust” and Cast Iron Seasoning. My previous post on the chemistry of cast iron seasoning focused on fat polymerization – the transformation of an oil into a hard, slick glaze.

Sheryl's Blog » Blog Archive “Black Rust” and Cast Iron Seasoning

After I posted that, someone sent me some links that talked about two other elements in cast iron seasoning: carbon and magnetite. Carbon is the black stuff that’s left after something is burned. A certain amount of carbon gets bound up in the polymerized fat when food is cooked in the pan. This may darken the pan, but does it make it more nonstick? Some say it does, though I don’t see the mechanism. More interesting to me is the third element: magnetite. Black Rust is Protective Magnetite is an oxidized iron, also called “black rust” or “black iron oxide”. Well, that may not be what it is chemically. “…it is not Fe3O4, but rather FeO. Here’s a good overview of the different types of rust (from the perspective of car bodies): Water + Steel = Rust.

Unlike red rust, black rust is protective and prevents corrosion. Non-Collectible Cast Iron Cookware - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast. Non-Collectible Cast Iron Cookware There is quite a bit of cast iron cookware that you may see presented as vintage in the collectibles marketplace that is, well, neither vintage nor collectible.

Non-Collectible Cast Iron Cookware - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast

Much of this non-collectible iron is comprised of cheap imports, celebrity TV chef-endorsed cookware (also imported), cast iron produced strictly for promotional purposes, and "major U.S. brand in name only" cast iron manufactured after 1960. Listed here are those you are most likely to encounter. Click on any item with a icon for a gallery of photos: Benjamin & Medwin American-sounding name, Chinese import.

Griswold not marked "Erie, PA, USA" or "Erie, PA". Pieces not marked Erie were made after Griswold was acquired by the company who had already aquired Wagner. Classic Korean import. Cast Iron Cookware Finishing - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast. Cast Iron Cookware Finishing Another reason vintage cast iron cookware is coveted by collectors and cooks alike-- in addition to the fineness and lightness of castings typically seen prior to the advent of factory automation-- is the extra effort manufacturers put into finishing their products.

Cast Iron Cookware Finishing - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast

"Finishing" in this case refers to mechanical, post-casting, value-adding processes, as opposed to "a finish" such as plating or a hammered surface texture. Various finishing techniques were employed, and were often dependent on the type of pan. Some makers offered nearly their entire lines in more than one finish, which the consumer could then choose from based on cost. The following are descriptions of the various levels of cast iron cookware finishing. The Truth About Cast Iron Pans: 7 Myths That Need To Go Away. [Photographs: J.

The Truth About Cast Iron Pans: 7 Myths That Need To Go Away

Kenji Lopez-Alt] If you haven't noticed, I 'm a big fan of the cast iron. When I packed up my apartment last spring and had to live for a full month with only two pans in my kitchen, you can bet your butt that the first one I grabbed was my trusty cast iron skillet. I use it for the crispest potato hash and for giving my steaks a crazy-good sear. I use it for baking garlic knots or cornbread or the easiest, best pan pizza you'll ever bake (just kidding, this might be the easiest pizza). Point is, it's a versatile workhorse and no other pan even comes close to its league. But there's also a mysterious, myth-packed lore when it comes to cast iron pans. In the world of cast iron, there are unfounded, untested claims left right and center.

Sheryl's Blog » Blog Archive Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To. The post after this one on “black rust” describes why you should heat the pan before applying oil for seasoning.

Sheryl's Blog » Blog Archive Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To

This helps the seasoning to adhere and makes the pan pleasantly black. In a previous post, I illustrated how I cleaned and reseasoned an antique cast iron popover pan. This was my first attempt, and my seasoning technique was somewhat haphazard because I couldn’t find consistent, science-based advice. I used a combination of organic avocado oil and strained drippings from organic bacon. This worked pretty well on the popover pan, which doesn’t have a polished surface. I wanted to understand the chemistry behind seasoning so I’d know how to fix this, but there is nothing that addresses this issue directly. The pictures below are both of the same antique cast iron skillet. Start With the Right Oil (It’s Not What You Think) I’ve read dozens of Web pages on how to season cast iron, and there is no consensus in the advice. They are all wrong.

Now rub it all off. Editorial Note: