Cast Iron Skellet Cleanup Question

Jerrybo66 wrote:

robsouth wrote:
I have been washing cast iron pans and pots with liquid dish washing soap for nearly 50 years with nary an ill result. I don't get the "don't wash it" thing. :h

Does fried food stick? Does it not look shiny black? Does it show signs of rust if not heat dried? Does eggs have black on them? If so, yep, your skillet's not seasoned... But yes, it will still cook but missing the advantages of cast iron.. ;) .. We're 100% cast iron here but would still like to try one of those "as seen on TV" no-stick skillets......

I wipe mine clean then add some oil and table salt on low heat to scour the pan if anything is stuck. Wipe clean with paper towels oil and wipe again.

Go Dogs wrote:
My mother had a big cast iron skillet. She used it a lot. Mom couldn't remember how old it was, as she got it from her mom. When Mom passed, my older sister wanted that skillet. She put it in her suitcase and flew from Pennsylvania back to Arizona with it. Must have weighed 15lbs! That was before 9/11. Sis still uses it. It's better than ever.

This is funny. The same incidence with me. After 911 it caused a major problem with flying. .. With them, not common sense....Anyway, the Griswold has a good home... :) Griswolds rule...

My mother had a big cast iron skillet. She used it a lot. Mom couldn't remember how old it was, as she got it from her mom. When Mom passed, my older sister wanted that skillet. She put it in her suitcase and flew from Pennsylvania back to Arizona with it. Must have weighed 15lbs! That was before 9/11. Sis still uses it. It's better than ever.

According to my late grandmother, however, she swore up and down that the heat ring was called a smoke ring back then. When they would cook on a wood burning stove, the heat ring would seal against the stove in order to help minimize a lot of wood smoke entering the kitchen.

That is what I heard. If you've ever cooked on a wood stove you know that there was always a little wisp of smoke sometimes coming from around the lid.

Wishbone51 wrote:

I love my Wagner items. My son does too.. I'm thinking about giving him my set as a wedding present, so I'll have to start looking at another line to collect.. Ether Griswold EPU, or the older Wagners with the heat rings. My son is 13 now, so I have a few years to collect.

What a great gift.

The Wagner's with the heat rings are the best, imo. I think I have five or six pieces with the heat ring, but anyway, I think they cook a lot more evenly because the heat ring holds it up just a bit.

According to my late grandmother, however, she swore up and down that the heat ring was called a smoke ring back then. When they would cook on a wood burning stove, the heat ring would seal against the stove in order to help minimize a lot of wood smoke entering the kitchen.

To this day, I can picture her cooking with her cast iron on this old, clunky stove with this big nasty bucket of lard with a wooden spoon sticking out. Despite the lard, she lived to be 96. :)

Mocoondo wrote:
For those not aware, Wagner as a brand continues to survive today and you can actually purchase new Wagner cast iron direct from the manufacturer through American Culinary. Sadly, many pieces are now stamped "Made in China" and are not nearly as high quality as the vintage pieces.

Wagner quality started suffering around the '60s when they came out with the dual Wagner/Griswold logo items, but anything before that is fantastic!

The sad thing is that when all the brands started putting "Made in the USA" on their items in the '60s, this was the start of the decline in quality.

I love my Wagner items. My son does too.. I'm thinking about giving him my set as a wedding present, so I'll have to start looking at another line to collect.. Ether Griswold EPU, or the older Wagners with the heat rings. My son is 13 now, so I have a few years to collect.

SWMO wrote:

Wagner's are often overlooked, but they are fine pieces in their ow right. The bottom line in my opinion is that it is hard to beat American cast iron, new or old.

I think a lot of dyed in the wool collectors feel some resentment because Wagner was the surviving marque after Wagner and Griswold were acquired by Randall around the time quality went south. Either way, the vintage pieces of both brands are among the best cast iron you can find. Despite being under appreciated, I love my Wagner Ware.

For those not aware, Wagner as a brand continues to survive today and you can actually purchase new Wagner cast iron direct from the manufacturer through American Culinary. Sadly, many pieces are now stamped "Made in China" and are not nearly as high quality as the vintage pieces.

SWMO wrote:


Wagner's are often overlooked, but they are fine pieces in their ow right. The bottom line in my opinion is that it is hard to beat American cast iron, new or old.

Double ditto. Wife loves her Wagner d.o.s for the stove top and home oven. She says she never has to go to the gym and lift weights after using them.:W

Mocoondo wrote:
Oh, and great set of iron in the photos above. I have a modest collection of about a dozen Wagner pieces circa early 1900's that is an absolute delight to cook with. I wouldn't part with it for a million bucks.

Wagner's are often overlooked, but they are fine pieces in their ow right. The bottom line in my opinion is that it is hard to beat American cast iron, new or old.

Oh, and great set of iron in the photos above. I have a modest collection of about a dozen Wagner pieces circa early 1900's that is an absolute delight to cook with. I wouldn't part with it for a million bucks.