Cast Iron pan seasoning Question

[2002_HR_Endeavo]

I have a new in box Lodge skillet that was sent from Lodge as a replacement to one I previously bought and had problems with.

I had done exactly as the Lodge instructions said .. never used soap or scrubber .. purchased the Lodge brush .. and still food stuck...
Scrubbed with steel wool no soap and re-seasoned in oven 3 times but still food stuck. Lodge customer service simply sent a replacement.

Now am wondering if there is a 'foolproof' way to season that you personally suggest ?

Thank you in advance .. Very much

[JRscooby]

A not often practical, but effective way to clean DO;
One Christmas we had most of the ovens cleaned, but had only heated and dumped water out of the one that had baked the Turkey in. (As cleaning other ovens, dump dirty water in that one) Got dark, so left it set full of water. Next morning, it was froze solid. I built up the fire, and set the oven on firewood a few feet back. Still drinking coffee, hear a clunk.Lift DO off block of ice, and take block to vault. That oven was Clean! Just give a heavy grease and put away.

[2002_HR_Endeavo]

Thanks all for the responses. .. I think the issue was it was pitted to begin with. I did every recommended way of seasoning - multiple times - to no avail, which was why I contacted Lodge customer service. Edited to say That's probably why they simply sent me a replacement Pretty sure it was the pan and not my cooking LOL If I were able to post photos here I would so y'all could see what I meant .. I would never purchase cast iron not made in the USA 🙂
Thanks again!

[Sjm9911]

Thats the problem with todays stuff its manafatured differently. So you get the pits I mentioned. You may need to sand it. Its not a griswold, not even close. If you sand it and season it it will be good. My griswolds are old also and salvaged. They had rusted together in a basement. I fixed them up like new. I never regrease them after im done using them. But i never scrub or soap them eaither. Rinse, air dry or a paper towel and done.

[Wanderlost]

TexasShadow wrote:
...spray a light squirt of PAM or any brand oil, then wipe that all over the cooking surface and then put a fresh paper towel in the skillet and store away as usual. I wouldn't call my skillets totally stick-free, but mostly they are and it does depend on how hot I get them.

The reason yours are not totally stick-free is because you're using spray oil, which contains sticky stuff.

After cleaning, we use a paper towel to smear a very, very light coating of bacon fat or Crisco, let sit a while, wipe the excess and store. Every few weeks, we grease, heat in the oven to 400 degrees, turn off stove and let cool. Wipe any excess away and store. This method been working over 100 years in our family, and all our CI is non-stick, whether Lodge, unmarked CI from who knows where, Wagner or Griswold.

OP, the key is proper seasoning and proper heat. You pretty much never need to use high heat, as CI holds the heat so well. As for seasoning, grease, heat in oven, let cool, repeat at least six times before you use the new pan. That will give the pits a chance to fill in. Then be sure to cook with a fair amount of oil/grease the first few times to further season the pan.

Or, if you're a DIY type, look on YouTube for the techniques used to smooth out that pan's interior to more like CI was produced before 1958. Once it's as close to baby bottom smooth as old Wagner and Griswolds were, clean and season and you'll be astonished at how non-stick it will be.

Good luck.

[ferndaleflyer]

Every one of mine is Griswold and NOTHING sticks to them. I am almost 80 and most of these belonged to my Grand Mother. Spent the last 2 weeks in Western North Carolina and Knoxvill TN and saw 5 used Griswolds for sale in flea markets from $100 to $150. Not cheap but they are good.

[BarabooBob]

I frequently buy really nasty cast iron pans at garage sales. The first thing I look for is a nice SMOOTH pan that rings like a bell when you hit it with your finger. Most new pans are rough which makes it tough to cook.
When I buy an old pan, I first build a nice hot fire in the charcoal grill and place the pan on top and let it burn out the junk that is cooked into the pan. When the fire is out and the pan is cooled, all of the baked on junk is gone.
Next I melt a big block of lard, yes, lard in the pan and make myself a batch of old fashioned fry cakes (grandma's term for doughnuts.) I let the lard cool and repeat the process three or four times over the next week.
I get great old fashions fry cakes, my pan get well seasoned, and my wife gets mad.
I don't worry about using soap in my pans. I wipe them out, wash them with whatever dish soap I happen to have and wipe on a thin layer of cooking oil.
I have been using my pans like this for 45 years just like my mom did for 65 years. Many of my pans belonged to my great grandmother and date back to the 1870's. The pans are mostly, Griswold and Wagner brands. If it says China or Korea on it, I give it away after cleaning it up.

[Tyler0215]

Grandma taught me long ago: hot pan, hot oil, food won't stick.
Get the pan hot but not smoking, add the oil or butter. Get the oil hot, add food.

[TexasShadow]

my cast iron skillets are old and have been used a lot over the years.
when I'm through cooking whatever in them, I pour off any excess grease and sit the skillet in the sink while still hot, and fill it with HOT water. Then when the water cools off a bit, I rinse and scrub with plastic scrubber, if necessary,
and then wipe dry with paper towels and spray a light squirt of PAM or any brand oil, then wipe that all over the cooking surface and then put a fresh paper towel in the skillet and store away as usual. I wouldn't call my skillets totally stick-free, but mostly they are and it does depend on how hot I get them.

[ppine]

There are really two issues with cast iron when it is new. First is the seasoning concept. You can heat them up in an oven to open the pores and add fat to season them. Cooking things like chicken, bacon, or other fatty ingredients helps the first few times you use it.

The second thing that happens, is over time the ovens develop a kind of hard crust on the surface that repels everything. You can tell when this happens because things like pancakes will never stick even without using oil.

Using Dutch Ovens makes them better. I have bought used ones and avoided a lot of problems. When you buy a new one, use it and take care of it and you will be fine.

[Lwiddis]

“they are heavy, but I still pack them in the trailer (in the oven)”

Camping without cast iron? Never!

[Dick_B]

At some point when dealing with the CI pan gets too much try the Blue Diamond pans. They are the best nonstick pans that we have found after a lifetime search.

[Trekkar]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Season by wiping a light layer of vegatble oil......all sides
Place in 450*F oven upside down (aluminum foil underneath to catch drips)
Cook for 1 hour
Allow to FULLY Cool


WHen cooking don't attempt to lift food too early as it WILL stick
Food will naturally release from pan when it is ready to flip/turn

Clean up....
Allow pan to cool
rinse with HOt water, wipe dry
Wipe a thin layer of veg oil and place back in HOt oven to cure

After several usages pan will be like an non-stick pan but w/o the chemical coating

X2. The only thing I would add is use a high-heat oil to season with, and heat the pan BEFORE the hot water rinse.

[Old-Biscuit]

Season by wiping a light layer of vegatble oil......all sides
Place in 450*F oven upside down (aluminum foil underneath to catch drips)
Cook for 1 hour
Allow to FULLY Cool


WHen cooking don't attempt to lift food too early as it WILL stick
Food will naturally release from pan when it is ready to flip/turn

Clean up....
Allow pan to cool
rinse with HOt water, wipe dry
Wipe a thin layer of veg oil and place back in HOt oven to cure

After several usages pan will be like an non-stick pan but w/o the chemical coating

[OkieGene]

Quit reseasoning and just cook in it.

Cook in it.

Rinse and repeat.

Just keep cooking in it.

[Sjm9911]

Some of the new cast iron has pits. Its not made like the cast iron of old. Have you seasoned it in the oven with oil in it? Or cook off a lot of bacon? If so and it still sticks some sand it down a bit. But seasoning will work it takes more time foe the newer stuff. I will admit , i dont have new cast iron.