CI pan question


 
I am not at this level by any stretch, but I have heard that serious cast iron users have a hierarchy of pans - once a pan develops a finish that really truly doesn't stick, it his tucked away, wiped only with a paper towel, and used only for eggs and pancakes and cornbread with soft tools. Browning meat and such is down on totally separate pans that are scraped down and washed as needed.
 
I am sure you are right. I know I have gotten some pretty good coatings going only to cook something on it that wound up sticking badly and had to be scrubbed and messing up the coating. But, I am not going to collect a dozen different CI pans for every possible use.
 
The only reason we use different pans for different things is for size reasons. Last night I cooked a ribeye steak in a 12" deep pan and this morning we fried our eggs in that same pan instead of the 12" shallow pan. Bacon cooked in a 10" CI pan. Tonight, I'll make corn bread in that 10" pan in the oven. I won't have any issues with muti purposing the pans.
Yes, it did take a long time to get them seasoned so we can do that.
 
Personally, I prefer a flat surface, rather than a sand cast finish. As others have noted, it's easier to produce as there's one complete machining step taken out of the production process. I have a couple of Wagner 1891 pieces with a factory machined finish that are pretty nice to cook with.

I have my mother's early 1950's Griswold, and it's nearly a machined finish, but I think that's more due to wear over time rather than a factory machined surface.

If you do get the urge to sand off the rough finish, observationally, I'd suggest just knocking down the sand casting. I've read reports of people who've gone to a nearly mirror finish and can't get seasoning to adhere any more.
 
Scott Smith said:
My understanding is that in the heyday of cast iron, a fine finish and light weight (thin casting) were the hallmarks of quality. Nowadays, the pebbled finish is passed off as a feature. The pebbled finish is much much cheaper and easier to mass produce and preseason.
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^^ THIS! ^^
 
Bruce said:
Whatever the heck that is, I want some.
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Anytime buddy!
Pretty much but, I was gifted the recipe by a Longtime friend who called them ”Basque pancakes”.
Here in the hinterlands the “Dutch baby” was unheard of until the advent of the hinterweb.
You can call them what you choose, just start enjoying them!
 
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If you choose to grind smooth, be aware there is such a thing as too smooth. Polish ground pans in the mid-20th century exhibited a spiral of fine scratches from the grindstone head, so there was still a kind of a texture for the seasoning to grab onto. Pans polish ground to a mirror finish like you sometimes see on youtube are often difficult to get a good even seasoning applied.
 
I am sure that if I tried to "smooth" out the surface, it would not be a "Polished" like finish. But, I am going to continue to use the pan as is for now and see if a decent seasoning develops. If not, it is a pretty cheap piece and I won't be too hesitant to give the grinder a shot at it.
 
Bruce said:
I am sure that if I tried to "smooth" out the surface, it would not be a "Polished" like finish. But, I am going to continue to use the pan as is for now and see if a decent seasoning develops. If not, it is a pretty cheap piece and I won't be too hesitant to give the grinder a shot at it.
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Curious, how are you seasoning and with what oil?
 
Eric-NH said:
Curious, how are you seasoning and with what oil?
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Bacon works for me.

edit: I should have mentioned avoid bacon with sugar in the cure. The bacon I buy does not have sugar so i forgot to add that.
 
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Vegetable oil is the best for long term storage, any meat grease will go rancid at some point, veggi dries up, I have 1 slick bottom pan that the seasoning won't stick and stay, it's the gravy skillet for that reason.
 
Eric-NH said:
I own nearly 40 pieces of cast iron, mostly pans. I can say with complete certainty that the non smooth pans cook just as well. I cook eggs in them daily and they slide out like Teflon. Actually my milled Wagner occasionally sticks with eggs
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Curious - Which do you consider your coolest or most interesting piece?
 
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