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Questions tagged [cast-iron]

Questions about cookware made out of cast iron

294 questions
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10 answers

What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?

I just purchased a new cast iron skillet. What's the best way to season it? And if I need to re-season an old pan, is the process any different?
notpeter
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How do you clean a seasoned cast iron skillet?

I have a seasoned cast iron skillet, and I don't want to mess up the seasoning when I'm cleaning it. What do I use and what don't I use to get it back to clean? I've heard not to use soap and to make sure it is dry, but nothing beyond that.
plor
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What does a healthy cast iron skillet look like?

I've read plenty about how to restore and season cast iron, but I have no clue whether any of the old cast iron I've inherited could benefit from this. Is healthy cast iron black? or should it be somewhat metallic looking (ie. a bit silvery, like…
Colin K
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What is the function of this shallow, 19-divoted, eared cast iron piece?

This piece was given to me a few years back by someone who picked it up at an estate sale. At the time I cleaned it up, re-seasoned it, and promptly forgot about it. At first blush I thought maybe it was an escargot pan, but on further attention the…
rheone
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What oil is best for seasoning a cast-iron skillet

I just cleaned up a rusty cast-iron skillet and I would like to season it. The thing is that I don't have lard handy and I'm wondering whether any of my other oils and fats would do. I have: canola, olive, sesame and almond oil. Also, I've heard…
ddimitrov
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23
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What is this old "lemon-squeezer" shaped pan

We found this odd pan at the family's summer cottage. The cottage is in Central Finland, and used to be a croft before my grandfather bought it. This thing has been on the edge of the stove for a while, and nobody seems to know what it is. By the…
HAEM
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What are the advantages of seasoned cast iron vs enameled cast iron?

I have a 10" Lodge skillet that I enjoy using, but would like a larger (~15") version for using stove top, on my BBQ (gas weber and big green egg), and in the oven as a large roasting pan. I'm looking for the widest that will work in all these…
John
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4 answers

What is the purpose of seasoning a skillet?

I've seen a couple questions on how to season a skillet, and this may be a dumb question, but why do you season a skillet? Does it impart flavor onto the food? For how long? (which I guess is one way of asking, "How often do I need to do it?" Do…
cgp
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5 answers

How to use a ridged cast iron griddle?

While shopping the other day, I purchased a cast iron pan that has ridged griddle lines in it. I thought "oh, this might be nice for cooking meat!" but I'm not actually sure that's the case. How to use a ridged cast iron griddle? Or rather, is meat…
swashbuckler
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5 answers

Seasoned Cast Iron NOT being Non-stick

I've seasoned my cast iron for about 6 times after I got it. It is a 10" Lodge skillet. I used flaxseed oil for seasoning the cast iron pan. Followed every step found on the web, thin layer, baked at 400 degrees F for about an hour. There was no…
XTCK
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Why did my attempt at pan-searing beef filets fail miserably?

Background: I am very much an amateur cook; I would consider myself a novice at best, so pardon my ignorance! I decided to try to cook a nice dinner for my family recently. Part of that dinner included some small (~6-7 oz., 1.5-2" thick) beef…
Jason R
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Is it safe to cook wine or vinegar in cast iron?

I want to cook a beef brisket, following a recipe that suggests baking it on a bed of onions and red wine, or red wine vinegar. I'd like to use a cast iron dutch oven, but am concerned about the interaction between the wine and the iron. I've read…
raven
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Why does rapeseed oil turn sticky but coconut oil doesn't?

Whenever I season my cast iron pan with canola/rapeseed oil it turns sticky after a few weeks. It also gets sticky on the bottle and glues the cap on sometimes. When I season it with coconut oil, it doesn't get sticky and looks beautiful. Why does…
Chloe
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How do I fix improperly seasoned cast iron pans?

I'm quite new to cooking as a whole. A few months back I bought a set of VonShef cast iron pans. When seasoning them, I unfortunately made two errors. First, in my naïveté, I used vegetable oil as the seasoning; and second, I didn't remove the…
Chris
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13 answers

Using cast iron on a glass range

I currently rent, and the only problem I have with the house we're in is that it has a glass-top range. I absolutely love my cast iron cookware, and use it as often as possible. I've heard a few reasons not to use cast iron on glass,…
stephennmcdonald
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