lupinfarm
Almost Self-Reliant
If you have a kitchen supply store near you (specifically a restaurant one!!) like Hendrix we have in Peterborough, buy through them as they're usually professional grade and season well.
Are all cast iron pans created equal?
- Thread starter miss_thenorth
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opiemaster
Lovin' The Homestead
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Hello ON and welcome. I have a couple quick questions.
1, I have a Griswold #8 Dutch Oven I received from my mother when she passed away, she used it all the time and so do we. I found a hairline crackin itthoughgoing from the rim down about 6 inche almost to the bottom. if I pull on itit separates a little, but I still cook in it (and dont try to pull it apart anymore) it doesnt leak. Is there a fix for this or should I retire it?
2. I have a glass top stove I use my cast iron on it and it seems to work ok. Do you think a griddle would work ok on a glass top?
Down at our property we have a camper and I have an long oval deep cast iron fryer with a lid that doubles as a griddle. It says "sportsmans fryer" on it. I saw the exact one sell on Epay for $385.00!! I paid $80 for this one at an auction and its in perfect shape, we use it and love it!!
1, I have a Griswold #8 Dutch Oven I received from my mother when she passed away, she used it all the time and so do we. I found a hairline crackin itthoughgoing from the rim down about 6 inche almost to the bottom. if I pull on itit separates a little, but I still cook in it (and dont try to pull it apart anymore) it doesnt leak. Is there a fix for this or should I retire it?
2. I have a glass top stove I use my cast iron on it and it seems to work ok. Do you think a griddle would work ok on a glass top?
Down at our property we have a camper and I have an long oval deep cast iron fryer with a lid that doubles as a griddle. It says "sportsmans fryer" on it. I saw the exact one sell on Epay for $385.00!! I paid $80 for this one at an auction and its in perfect shape, we use it and love it!!
Organics North
Power Conserver
opiemaster,
Too bad about the crack. I am unaware of any way to repair cast iron. Since grinding it up and recasting it is not a option.
I would just continue to use it until it does not function any more. Those dutch ovens sure are handy....
Thinking about glass top stoves.. I would think a griddle would work too as long as it has a smooth bottom to make contact with the stove top. Your question got me thinking that many old and some new cast iron cookware pieces have a raised ring on the bottom. (I would think the raised ring would be bad for use on a glass top stove, because you would not get enough contact for heat transfer.)
By the way that raised ring around the bottom of old cookware is called a "smoke ring". Manufactures changed their castings to remove it when the "gas" stove came out and people did not cook on wood stoves anymore...
The sportsmans fryer sounds cool! Yep "good" cast iron is better than having money in the bank.. I look at my wall above the stove, and know if we get in a tight financial bind, I can get a thousand by selling my cookware...
ON
Too bad about the crack. I am unaware of any way to repair cast iron. Since grinding it up and recasting it is not a option.
I would just continue to use it until it does not function any more. Those dutch ovens sure are handy....
Thinking about glass top stoves.. I would think a griddle would work too as long as it has a smooth bottom to make contact with the stove top. Your question got me thinking that many old and some new cast iron cookware pieces have a raised ring on the bottom. (I would think the raised ring would be bad for use on a glass top stove, because you would not get enough contact for heat transfer.)
By the way that raised ring around the bottom of old cookware is called a "smoke ring". Manufactures changed their castings to remove it when the "gas" stove came out and people did not cook on wood stoves anymore...
The sportsmans fryer sounds cool! Yep "good" cast iron is better than having money in the bank.. I look at my wall above the stove, and know if we get in a tight financial bind, I can get a thousand by selling my cookware...
ON
sufficientforme
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Wow that seems like a great deal on that, I saw a similar one at Lehman's.com and this is what it said about it.
Cast by hand in the same U.S. foundry for over 100 years!
Traditionally used for boiling maple sap down to syrup. Also popular for butchering, heating water on laundry day, or for cooking over an open fire.
* Primitive casting method creates a thick walled, heavy piece without smooth, machine-made consistency
* Optional bails of heavy hand-forged iron available
Product Options Pricing Qty Add Item
6 Gallon Good Iron Kettle
10"H x 16"OD, 58 lb.
ITEM# 205
$499.00
And that is the small size for that price, yours looks bigger.
Cast by hand in the same U.S. foundry for over 100 years!
Traditionally used for boiling maple sap down to syrup. Also popular for butchering, heating water on laundry day, or for cooking over an open fire.
* Primitive casting method creates a thick walled, heavy piece without smooth, machine-made consistency
* Optional bails of heavy hand-forged iron available
Product Options Pricing Qty Add Item
6 Gallon Good Iron Kettle
10"H x 16"OD, 58 lb.
ITEM# 205
$499.00
And that is the small size for that price, yours looks bigger.
I've seen them go for around $250 at other auctions....so I was pretty sure it was a good deal.
I made out like a bandit at that auction... it was an outdoor auction, it was sleeting all day and the ground was a foot of mud.
I don't know why they didn't cancel it, but I stuck it out till the end and scored piles of neat stuff for hardly any $.
This was the auction where I got my tractor, a 1965 JD 1010 for $1800 - not a thing wrong with it!
I made out like a bandit at that auction... it was an outdoor auction, it was sleeting all day and the ground was a foot of mud.
I don't know why they didn't cancel it, but I stuck it out till the end and scored piles of neat stuff for hardly any $.
This was the auction where I got my tractor, a 1965 JD 1010 for $1800 - not a thing wrong with it!
Organics North
Power Conserver
meriruka
To season it build a fire, get yourself some thick insulated gloves. Toss it in the fire, pull it out when smoking hot and rub lard or oil on the inside and outside with a piece of steel wool. Be prepared the steel wool can catch on fire! (You want the iron that hot) move your hand fast, apply thin coats. Toss back in the fire and repeat, until the depth of finish desired is reached..
I vote for no plants in it.. Season it and treasure it. It can be fun to use and will only go up in value!!!
Good buy!
To season it build a fire, get yourself some thick insulated gloves. Toss it in the fire, pull it out when smoking hot and rub lard or oil on the inside and outside with a piece of steel wool. Be prepared the steel wool can catch on fire! (You want the iron that hot) move your hand fast, apply thin coats. Toss back in the fire and repeat, until the depth of finish desired is reached..
I vote for no plants in it.. Season it and treasure it. It can be fun to use and will only go up in value!!!
Good buy!
freemotion
Food Guru
I use my old griddles on my glass-top stove with great results. I always preheat my cast iron pans on "3" for a few minutes.
Be careful when seasoning in fire, as metal can actually burn and get brittle. You don't want to see it glow at all, so don't put it in there and walk away, even for a few minutes.
Boy, did I love working with a coal-fired forge years ago....that was so much fun.
Be careful when seasoning in fire, as metal can actually burn and get brittle. You don't want to see it glow at all, so don't put it in there and walk away, even for a few minutes.
Boy, did I love working with a coal-fired forge years ago....that was so much fun.
I learned a lot about cast iron from Jackie Clay's article here:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay118.html
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay118.html
