CI Skillet

homecook

homecook

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I've got a 12" CI skillet. I've had it about 20-25 years now. I used it the other night, cleaned it and when it was dried I noticed some bubbling on the bottom surface and it's turning silver in areas. It's seasoned to where it's like non-stick and I've never had a problem with it. Could it just be build-up??

Can I use my Dremel to sand it down and then re-season it??
 
No idea, Barb. I'm not sure if you can spot season or not, but that's what I would probably do. I would use a wire brush to clean the bubbled area, but I'm sure sanding would work, too.
 
I took a couple pics but when I go to upload them nothing comes up. LOL I think John changed something on my laptop. Heather is on her way over and she'll figure it out for me. I'll try to get them posted soon.
 
I just re-did a couple for a friend of mine. Put it in a bucket with liquid or spray oven clean and let it sit preferably out doors. You can also do it with the oven cleaner in you oven but be aware it will really smell bad and you will need to have the kitchen well ventilated to do this (this is how I did it). Another way is to put it in the oven with a course salt at 350 then remove after it gets really hot and use a pad, rubbing the salt well into the pan. All of this simple loosens the previous layers of seasoning. Once that is done you can use wire brush either a hand type or power (I have a grinder with a wire brush as well as a dremel). This will remove everything at once done making it look like a new unseasoned pan which it is. Now coat the out side of the pan with lard and place it in a 350 to 400 degree oven for about 1 hours. Turn off the oven and let it cook down, I also suggest you use a sheet pan under it. Now once it cools simply do the inside and repeat that step which will season it. Over time and use it will season the inside even better, especially with bacon or other pork fat items. After 20 years or so you will need to do it again unless you wash with soap in which case plan on doing it every time you wash it. Some oils will work also in place of lard such as peanut or oils with higher smoke points. My preference has always been lard though.
 
I understand that in olden days people simply buried their cast iron pan in the coals of the fireplace and left it there for several hours until all the gunk was burned away. Voila! Like-new pan, ready to re-season.
 
Yes Doug that would work too. Actually any method to remove the previous seasoning will do it as long as it doesn't poison you after wards.
 
Here are some pics of what it looks like........
 

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Now that I see it not a big deal at all. Simply wash it in hot soapy water with a Brillo pad then dry it. Now once dry you can run a dremel over it if you like simply put it in the oven with a but a little course salt like Morton's Kosher then take it out and rub it with a rag using the salt to clean the surface. Now to be honest I would simply wash it and re-season it as that is really not much there.
 
That is really weird. I've never seen one bubble and peel in that area, where the bottom meets the side, and certainly not turn silver. Are you scraping that area with your metal spatula or whatever you are using? I'm wondering if 1) you loosened the seasoning with the tool and 2) you are leaving bits of metal from the tool in the CI?
Now that I see it, I'd go ahead and reseason the whole thing. You're missing a lot of seasoning. Get that silver outta there and make some cornbread in it.
Arrr ;^)
 
the chine area (bottom to side transition) is where you'll see any changes in thickness. thick to thin changes can cause a temperature buildup.

that the bottom is bubbled and the edges 'bubbled off' makes me wonder if the pan was over-heated in a dry state.

the shiny bit looks like plain ole polished cast iron - the rest looks like a good mechanical cleaning (I'd go with the wire wheel approach) and rebuilding the seasons should be the ticket.
 
Barb, once you scour off the crud, re-season the skillet. Put it in a 250 degree oven for 15 -20 minutes. Swipe it with a paper towel coated with some plain vegetable shortening and return it to the oven for anothe 1/2 hour. Turn off the oven and allow to cool slowly.
BTW, hows the foot?
 
That doesn't look much like my cast iron skillets, and it may be important to determine exactly what it is before going ahead and doing anything to it. I'd be particularly careful about Dremeling the pan.

My CPI pans have no silvery parts (they would quickly rust if I scraped down to the bare metal), they're much thicker than the one pictured, they're quite rough on the surface, and they're jet-black all over, inside and out.

Do your pans have a brand on them? On mine, the name is one the bottom -- Wagner's or Lodge, although the biggest one is a no-name.
 
Older CI pans had a smoother finish to them, Doug. It's what makes Griswold pans (and others) so desireable. And they're thinner, too, but like I said earlier, the shiny surface has me wondering, too. I've wire brushed older CI appliances and never ran into a silvery looking area, but those were only thirty years old and not Griswold or similar.
 
chowhound said:
Older CI pans had a smoother finish to them, Doug. It's what makes Griswold pans (and others) so desireable. And they're thinner, too, but like I said earlier, the shiny surface has me wondering, too. I've wire brushed older CI appliances and never ran into a silvery looking area, but those were only thirty years old and not Griswold or similar.
Click to expand...
LOL griswold i see chevy chase on vacation at wally world or vegas!!! sorry i am sleep deprived and my mind is silly tonight.
 
I've never cleaned this with soap. I just use a scrubby thingy. I have used salt before also, depending on what I had cooked and it didn't come off easy.

Ok I've gotten different solutions here...........which do I go with?? Try to clean as best as possible and then use the dremel sander and re-season??

Here's the bottom of the pan. I think it's a no-name. lol
 

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To me, that looks like the bare metal of the pan where the seasoning has come off. Are you using metal utensils to cook and stir in this pan?

I’d say just strip it, and then re-season and you’re good to go.
 
Nope, no metal utensils, don't even own any. lol

Ok, I'm going to strip it down and re-season and hope for the best!! Damn this is my favorite pan...

Thanks everyone, you've been a big help and I'll let you know how it turns out.


Mr. Green Jeans..........the foot is good! Thanks for asking.:flowers:
How's the knee??
 
homecook said:
I've never cleaned this with soap. I just use a scrubby thingy. I have used salt before also, depending on what I had cooked and it didn't come off easy.

Ok I've gotten different solutions here...........which do I go with?? Try to clean as best as possible and then use the dremel sander and re-season??

Here's the bottom of the pan. I think it's a no-name. lol
Click to expand...
Well, that's just like my 14" one, even down to the "SK" logo. But even that one isn't as smooth inside as yours.
 
The surface is still non-stick and cooks awesome. I just didn't like the look of the silver showing through.

I've got to get this done this week cuz I have to make cornbread in it next weekend for my sil's b-day dinner. lol
 
I may be doing this entirely wrong as I simply followed (or thought I did) the instructions that came with my cast iron pans when I bought them several years ago, and I don't use them very often, mostly for pan broiling meat.

Nonetheless, for comparison here are some photos of my two main CI pans, a 12-inch "SK" (I guess "SK" is the brand -- anyone know? I previously incorrectly said it was 14 inches) and my 10-inch Wagner's, which I use more often. Both are about 20 years old, I think.

BTW, contrary to what many people recommend, I have always washed them with dish detergent and a plastic brush, rinse very well with hot water, then dry them on the fire, give them a light coat of oil, heating until smoking.

In any case, here are the photos:

655220414_QC5DX-O.jpg


12-Inch SK Cast Iron Frying Pan

655220401_ehYKj-O.jpg


10-Inch Wagner's Cast Iron Frying Pan
 
FryBoy, that's what my skillet used to look like. lol

BTW, contrary to what many people recommend, I have always washed them with dish detergent and a plastic brush, rinse very well with hot water, then dry them on the fire, give them a light coat of oil, heating until smoking.

I follow the same procedure except for the dish detergent. I just don't know what happened.
 
Here's mine. And it's dry, because after searing that tuna steak yesterday, all I did was rinse it with hot water and wipe it out. I usually give it a coat of oil as it's drying on a burner, like you said, Doug, but I don't get it smoking.
It's smooth as a.... well, it's smooth.

CI skillet.jpg

And I looked into my Lodge DO that I bought last year. I've used it at least a dozen times for stews, chili, Keltin's veggie, sausage and beer dish... the bottom is smoother looking than when I first got it, and much smoother than the lid which receives no cooking foods touching it, but nowhere near like my Griswold pans. Maybe with age it will become smoother, because it looks like it already has.
 
I just thought of something.......does anyone use theirs on a grill?? I use it on my charcoal grill and over a wood fire when we're at the cabins. Could that have caused any problems?

I'm reaching here...........LOL
 
Like mentioned before, I think overheating it might have caused the problem. I've read where to burn the old seasoning off, set it on an outside grill and let it burn itself off. I don't think simply grilling with it caused the problem unless you let it get too hot. I used my camp DO and lid on fires all the time when younger and never had the seasoning bubble or flake.
 
Interesting to see the differences. I assumed all CI pans were rough, like mine, which I believe are cast in sand, which accounts for the rough surface.

I imagine the grill COULD remove the seasoning if the pan is allowed to get hot enough. I clean my gas grill that way, turning on all three grill burners and the rotisserie burner full blast and letting it run for about an hour. Probably gets well over 500 degrees. All the gunk on the grill turns to ash and falls off.
 
Thank you Keltin!! At least I know what kind it is.

Well maybe I've had this longer than I thought. I know I got it shortly after I got married. Geeze, the older I get ...................oh hell, never mind. lol

Thanks for that tutorial also!
 
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