Pre-seasoned cast iron skillets

[MotoGuzzi]

I believe my Lodge skillet came  pre-seasoned because there is black flake that keeps coming off if i use it to cook. Is there an easy way to remove this factory preseason and re-season using old world methods? Or is there a brand of cast iron skillet that come raw? Thanks!

[oldbike54]

 Open all the doors and windows , place a fan in a location that will ventilate to the outdoors , and get the skillet smoking hot for a couple of minutes . Let it cool and scrape out the carbon .

 Dusty

[cruzziguzzi]

I like oven cleaner or even brake cleaner then pitch it in a fire out back and commence to season with multiple iterations of non-lipid oils. Steer clear of fatty items which can grow rancid - the worst and most overused is butter.

For me, it's a seasonal, recreational activity and I regularly take in friend's and family member's items to have a go of it in an over-night event.



Todd.

[MotoGuzzi]

Open all the doors and windows , place a fan in a location that will ventilate to the outdoors , and get the skillet smoking hot for a couple of minutes . Let it cool and scrape out the carbon .

 Dusty

Is the pre-season just carbon infused during the manufacturing process? what is it? The skillet was never cooked in before.

[oldbike54]

Is the pre-season just carbon infused during the manufacturing process? what is it? The skillet was never cooked in before.

 In some cases yes . Sounds like you may also be getting some scale or protective coating flaking off. Hmm , maybe a quick scrub with a steel wool pad followed by the smoking hot method might work .

 Dusty

[cruzziguzzi]

Is the pre-season just carbon infused during the manufacturing process? what is it? The skillet was never cooked in before.

Without some form of "seasoning" the items would simply rust-in-transit. Not unlike a Chevy Vega.

Me, I would NEVER trust a manufacturer's "seasoning".



Todd.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Welcome to the world of cast iron fanatics.  I use Lodge cast iron daily and have used corn and canola oil as the 'sealant' after I clean the iron.  People have strongly held beliefs regarding their cast iron (another type of oil thread may ensue).  Here's from Lodge's FAQ regarding their seasoning:

Lodge uses a soy-based vegetable oil to season our cookware. The oil is highly refined, and all proteins that cause soy-related allergies are eliminated. The oil contains no animal fat, peanut oil, or paints. Some cookware may have slight variations in the seasoning finish. These variations do not affect cooking performance, and typically even out with use.

[sib]

I've been a big fan of cast iron skillets for many years.  I've gradually acquired a set (sizes 3-10) of Griswold skillets and lids from the "good" era when they were cast in extremely small-grained sand, so they have very smooth cooking surfaces.  Other brands, like Lodge, have a rougher surface initially, but they'll eventually become smoother as the seasoning builds up.  Cast iron doesn't distribute heat as well as aluminum, but I still prefer these skillets for all types of skillet cooking.  They're nearly indestructible and the seasoning is surprisingly robust.

Since the seasoning process does involve the oil becoming oxidized and polymerized, I wouldn't recommend using "non-lipid oil" like any kind of mineral oil.  Uh-oh, another oil thread begins.

[cruzziguzzi]

I wouldn't recommend using "non-lipid oil" like any kind of mineral oil.  Uh-oh, another oil thread begins.

I really couldn't help myself... even as typing it, any restraint waned completely. Good catch!


Todd.

[Demar]

I use this ... Camp Chef Cast Iron Conditioner

Available from Amazon

[charlie b]

We've had a few of the Lodge pans/pots over the years.  All we've ever done is to treat it with canola oil after each use.

[normzone]

What weight? Dino or synthetic?

 

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've used cast iron for years, it's my go to skillet. To condition it:
Clean it with steel wool inside and out.
Liberally wipe it inside and out with grape seed oil.. this is a high temp smoke point oil.
Put it in the oven at 250F for a long time..
That's it.
After each use, wipe the inside with olive oil. You can clean it with some soap if necessary.. just wipe with olive oil again.

[Moto]

We use almost nothing but Lodge cast iron, old heirlooms and new purchases. I've been extremely happy with the new pre-seasoned versions. The seasoning is equivalent to or better than what I have done on my own. You should just use it as is, but take care of it exactly as you would a home-seasoned one. (As I do it: brush with very hot water, no soap; dry on a stove top burner; wipe with oil occasionally.) These pans are immortal.

[atavar]

The very first thing I do with new cast iron is remove all of the seasoning.  I have no idea what product they used to pre-season so I do not want it in my food. Pre-seasoning is to protect the pan before it gets to you.

The first step is to scrub with steel wool and detergent like blue Dawn.
Then fill the pan with water and boil for 10 or 15 minutes to get all of their stuff out of the pores.
Then wash again with steel wool and detergent again. 
Follow this up immediately with your usual seasoning routine.

[Moto]

The very first thing I do with new cast iron is remove all of the seasoning.  I have no idea what product they used to pre-season so I do not want it in my food. Pre-seasoning is to protect the pan before it gets to you.

Hi Atavar,

I believe your information is out of date. For years Lodge shipped unseasoned pans to stores, but several years ago they introduced a new line of pre-seasoned pans -- to great fanfare and at some extra cost. If you check Nic in Western NC's message above you'll see their claims about this new process. I was leary* leery at first, but after trying the new version I believe it is superior. I believe Lodge has simply discontinued the old line by now. There was never a time to my knowledge when Lodge shipped pans with "pre-seasoning" that was intended only to protect the pan in transit.

There is more information about care of pans, the use of pure vegetable oil in the factory seasoning, etc., on lodgemfg.com .

Moto

*Must have had a psychedelic flashback there...

[Dean Rose]

Hi Atavar,

I believe your information is out of date. For years Lodge shipped unseasoned pans to stores, but several years ago they introduced a new line of pre-seasoned pans -- to great fanfare and at some extra cost. If you check Nic in Western NC's message above you'll see their claims about this new process. I was leary at first, but after trying the new version I believe it is superior. I believe Lodge has simply discontinued the old line by now. There was never a time to my knowledge when Lodge shipped pans with "pre-seasoning" that was intended only to protect the pan in transit.

There is more information about care of pans, the use of pure vegetable oil in the factory seasoning, etc., on lodgemfg.com .

Moto

Some people are just paranoid.


Dean

[atavar]

My concern is just that they do not specifically identify what products they use to do the pre-seasoning.  If I don't know what it is I don't want to cook with it.  Therefor I remove all pre-seasoning before my first use. 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I like oven cleaner or even brake cleaner then pitch it in a fire out back and commence to season with multiple iterations of non-lipid oils.

  Phosgene gas anyone?

[sidmonsters]

If the Skillets were a baseball team they would do pre-season conditioning in Florida or Arizona...

[Perazzimx14]

To strip old seasoning off CI, spray it down with oven cleaner, place in a plastic trash bag and the next day scrub with a nylon bristle brush and dish soap. To season cover with a thin layer of Crisco, put in the oven a 350 degrees for 2 hours. Let cool wipe up any pool and repeat another time or two. You CI is not seasoned yet but it is starting to get there. Subsequent heating/cooling and oil cycles will continue to add layers of seasoning. 

Everyday cleaning if there is stuck on food residue heat the pot/skillet over the stove burner until everything is dry and warm, pour in about 1 TBLS of kosher salt and use a piece of balled up aluminum foil as a scrubber and the salt as the abrasive. Wipe out with a paper tower and coat with a thin film of shortening while warm.

[acogoff]

     An awfully snooty subject for a bunch of old tight wad guzzi drivers. Don't over think it, just put some king of edible oil in it and heat the supreme crap out of it, preferable out side. Gas grill comes to mind.

[atavar]

If the Skillets were a baseball team they would do pre-season conditioning in Florida or Arizona...

You laugh but when I lived in Az I would season pans by coating them in lard and setting them out in the sun.  Worked perfect.

[Muzz]

Oooh, I love oil threads!

I use rice bran oil to season. High temp oil, I think about 20degC over Canola.  Don't know it's weight but I think it may be Dino.

[canuguzzi]

     An awfully snooty subject for a bunch of old tight wad guzzi drivers. Don't over think it, just put some king of edible oil in it and heat the supreme crap out of it, preferable out side. Gas grill comes to mind.

 :1:

Watch out, now there will be a cooking oil thread.

[atavar]

Actually, the important part of seasoning a cast iron grill is the cooling.  You want it coated while heating so that any moisture in the metal boilse out as steam and escapes through the coating of grease, then you want to maintain the coating as the pan cools so it draws the grease in to the pores of the metal, thus making it non stick.  It's not about putting a coating on the thing, but about getting grease in to the metal. 
This is the same reason that in the days before o-ring chains we used to have chain parties and boil our chains in axle grease and let them cool in the pot to suck oil in to the metal and the links.

[toaster404]

This is the same reason that in the days before o-ring chains we used to have chain parties and boil our chains in axle grease and let them cool in the pot to suck oil in to the metal and the links.

I had actually forgotten the hot chain treatment!!  Amazing lapse.  I must be getting old.  It's really great to catch a chain on fire.  Suspect alcohol was involved!

Cleaning while pan still hot with running water, brush, and no soap has mine super smooth.  Some were old when I started using them in the 1970s.

[MotoGuzzi]

Thank you all!

[cwiseman]

Crisco and 350 works for me.
But there's not much better than biscuits & sausage gravy made over a open fire to drawl in the smoke flavor. Our favorite family breakfast when camping with my girls!

[boatdetective]

My concern is just that they do not specifically identify what products they use to do the pre-seasoning.  If I don't know what it is I don't want to cook with it.  Therefor I remove all pre-seasoning before my first use.

This.

Personally, I'm a snob and look for Griswold (you want the large logo/pre war pieces). Beautifully made with mirror finish interiors.

I clean pans initially using oven cleaner- stick them in a plastic bag from the grocery store and let them sit for several days.  This will obliterate any preexisting coating and get you down to "gray iron". Then I put the skillet in an oven and bring the temp up to 400. toss in a dollop of Crisco and coat the inside of the pan. Turn the heat down to 250 and let it sit in there for 15 minutes or so. Pull the pan out, wipe out the excess Crisco and let it sloooowly cool.  You're done. For the firast few time you use it- cook something greasy like sausages or bacon- it will help to build your finish quicker. Avoid cooking eggs for a while.  I never use soap to clean the pan. I never coat the pan after each use.