Seasoning cast iron?

[Winterrider]

Avocado oil used here.

 

[clifish]

Avocado oil here too, but mainly because it is the only oil in the house. Seems to work pretty darn good....but I also have not had the need to try all the other methods mentioned here.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yes, many oils mentioned...and all seem to work. Just make sure to wash with soapy water after each use lol!

Ryan

 

[clifish]

Yes, many oils mentioned...and all seem to work. Just make sure to wash with soapy water after each use lol!

Ryan

and scrub it down with steel wool as well....lol

 

[JIMSMOKES]

I bought some cheap CI 8" pans at dollar store near me four of them for 8.00. Coated with some kind of sticky stuff. So I soaked the in some lye and then soaked them in vinegar along with my CI 20X14 griddle. I seasoned them with duck fat on my grill. LoL
These are only used on my grill or smoker and that's where I store them also. Their so smokey now anything you cook in them picks up some smoke flavor.

 

[Inscrutable]

These are only used on my grill or smoker and that's where I store them also. Their so smokey now anything you cook in them picks up some smoke flavor.

I wondered about that. I too will only use my bare CI outdoors (have an induction range, and will use enameled CI on that). Most things cooked outdoors wouldn’t suffer from a very light smoke flavor, but I’d prefer to be in control of that.

 

[Retired Spook]

I bought some cheap CI 8" pans at dollar store near me four of them for 8.00. Coated with some kind of sticky stuff. So I soaked the in some lye and then soaked them in vinegar along with my CI 20X14 griddle. I seasoned them with duck fat on my grill. LoL
These are only used on my grill or smoker and that's where I store them also. Their so smokey now anything you cook in them picks up some smoke flavor.

Best way to clean cast iron - build a large fire and put the cast iron in the fire for a few hours. Not over the fire, IN the fire.

Careful, it will rust faster than you'd believe once its clean so keep it dry until you season it.

 

[ej0rge]

Just the other day i used my GMG to season some bare steel detroit style pizza pans (from restaurant equippers) with crisco. fyi if you want legit detroit style equippers sells them for $17 only unseasoned and the detroitstylepizza website sells them for $32 seasoned or $22 unseasoned. It's a 14x10 folded thin-wall sheet steel pan w/ wire rim that was originally designed as an oil drain pan, and the browning you can get with them is miles ahead of aluminum pans.

For the one of the three that was stacked on top it worked awesome. For the other two i had to do another run.

Yes I think a pellet grill that can be turned up high is an ideal heat source for this.

Should be pointed out that Camp Chef offers cast iron "conditioner" in both a squeeze tube or a spray bottle. Somewhere - I couldn't find it - i have a squeeze tube that is maybe 12-13 years old. They must have changed the formula because the one i have has so much coconut or other heavy vegetable oil in it that i have to thaw it out first, but the tubes in the store are pretty soft.

I haven't used the spray product which is slightly more expensive. The label says it is canola free and i can't fathom why they feel the need to point that out.

In the past I have used soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, bacon grease, etc, and it seems like the main thing is getting a thin layer on.

The camp chef product from the tube, the older stuff i have anyway, seems to work a little better. But any oil for initial seasoning + use over time will be good.

 

[JWFokker]

The expensive oils are a waste of money. Butter, bacon grease, peanut oil, canola, many cheap and effectively options. Use super thin layers and you want to see light smoke coming off the pan. Simple as.

 

[Plinsc]

I used to fret over mine, then I thought about the Wild West.
Those were seasoned over a fire with bacon grease or lard.
Now it’s lard or Chrisco here

 

[gmc2003]

I have a question. My son used one of my grandmothers old cast iron frying pans a couple of years ago for an oil change on his car. The oil was immediately drained into a bucket, but the pan wasn't cleaned. Is there any way to make this frying pan safe to use again or is it hopeless. The cast iron pan is probably 70 years old so I really don't want to toss it.

Chris

 

[chp]

I have a question. My son used one of my grandmothers old cast iron frying pans a couple of years ago for an oil change on his car. The oil was immediately drained into a bucket, but the pan wasn't cleaned. Is there any way to make this frying pan safe to use again or is it hopeless. The cast iron pan is probably 70 years old so I really don't want to toss it.

Chris

You can get back to the original cast iron with a few hours of high heat. I have put a pan in an oven and run the self clean cycle. Old school is to let it set in the coal bed of a fire for a few hours. Bottom line is high heat will burn seasoning off. It stinks and smokes during the process. Then you get to decide how to start the seasoning process again.

 

[gmc2003]

You can get back to the original cast iron with a few hours of high heat. I have put a pan in an oven and run the self clean cycle. Old school is to let it set in the coal bed of a fire for a few hours. Bottom line is high heat will burn seasoning off. It stinks and smokes during the process. Then you get to decide how to start the seasoning process again.

Thanks, putting it in the wifes oven is definitely out of the question - she'd kill me. However I could put it in one of my bon-fires or in my kettle running the Vortes for a few hours. How would I know if the oil is completely burned off?

Chris

 

[Marknmd]

With mine, I cook with it and I usually use it with high heat. When done, I scrape it with a steel spatula as needed and then if necessary scrub it clean and I use a steel scrubber if needed. No soap. Then I dry it on the gas stove top, full flame, 4 mins. When the timer goes off, I turn off the heat and add a bit of avocado oil and gently rub it in with an already-avocado-oil-soaked cloth napkin which I keep in a quart zip lock. Let the pan cool. Replace cloth napkin in zip lock for next time. Put pan away.

 

[chp]

Thanks, putting it in the wifes oven is definitely out of the question - she'd kill me. However I could put it in one of my bon-fires or in my kettle running the Vortes for a few hours. How would I know if the oil is completely burned off?

Chris

It is a clean bare metal. Not black at all. However, it will rust quickly, so I would suggest starting the seasoning process right away.

 

[Marknmd]

Thanks, putting it in the wifes oven is definitely out of the question - she'd kill me. However I could put it in one of my bon-fires or in my kettle running the Vortes for a few hours. How would I know if the oil is completely burned off?

Chris

If you google it, the word is, the motor oil will ignite and burn off at 400 F. How many hours should you leave it in at 400 F? I don't know but I'd err on the side of a lot. Good luck

 

[gmc2003]

Appreciate it chp. I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

Chris

 

[gmc2003]

If you google it, the word is, the motor oil will ignite and burn off at 400 F. How many hours should you leave it in at 400 F? I don't know but I'd err on the side of a lot. Good luck

Thanks Mark, I'll probably wind up burning it off a few times.

Chris

 

[Retired Spook]

I've cleaned many old abused cast iron Dutch ovens, frying pans and loaf pans in a fire as chp describes - build a good fire and get a good bed of coals and the cast iron will come out so clean it will rust almost instantly - it will be bare metal. Best to coat it with some warmed/liquified Crisco if you cannot season it immediately.

 

[gmc2003]

Ok here's a dumb question. After I do the burn off and am satisfied. Do I let the pan cool off completely before seasoning it, or do I season it when it's cool to the touch.

Chris