For years I have a 5 inch lodge that I intended to use mostly for eggs. I never was able to get a good release of a sunny side egg. Tried various preheat temperatures, extra seasonings and practically deep frying the egg without success. Just alot of frustration and exasperation. Not understanding why cast iron has a reputation for being non stick and I'm having so much trouble. This week I finally decided to smooth it. I had some 80 grit sandpaper and hand sanded it smooth in about 10 minutes. Reasoned. My first egg practically slid out of the pan without any effort. YAY!
I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a $1 knife sharpening stone. I filled the pan with a little bit of water, and just used the stone to smooth the bottom out. I primarily did it because the latest pan I got was a second and it had a few big bumps that would stop a spatula. I got it smooth in just a few min. It did seem to ruin the stone for knives but I think I can get a few more pans out of it. The corners of the stone conformed to the corners and that was as far as I felt I had to take it. Cooks like a vintage cast iron pan now!
I don't have any issue with my regular lodge pans, the roughness doesn't really do too much for me. eggs still come out great, and nothing sticks. It just takes a good seasoning.
I really love my vintage Wagner that has a smooth glassy finish. My Lodge has so much of a patina on it, that it got smooth by itself. If i gotta get another lodge i may dabble in this method. Thank you for this!
don't do it . . . . you had it right the 1st time. the slightly pitted surface on most of Lodge's products is meant to fill in with polymerized oil over time. i did this with 2 identical Lodge skillets and the smooth surface added utterly nothing to the performance and in fact inhibited the adherence of polymer . this is why many folks have problems with Stargazer skillets.
I have the 12in too. I was going to re-season the entire thing but decided to give it a shot beforehand. First thing I cooked were pancakes and eggs. I was shocked at just how non stick it was straight from Lodge. They key is to start the burner on a low flame and let it warm up. Also make sure you use lot of butter or some other fat. The pan will smooth out with use. I use simple Crisco to season my cast irons and it works just fine and it's cheap too.
I went out and got the same disc you have and did this to my new pan. Worked really really well. Seasoning with olive oil then cooking with butter makes it non-stick and a joy to cook with.
Melt 2 sticks of real butter and then spread about a quarter inch of salt over the bottom of the pan and then turn it to high heat. Once the salt all turns black, take it off of the heat to cool then clean it out. That will make the pan smooth as ice, once done, oil it and your done.
I've never had a problem with the surface finish on any of my cast iron cookware, even the cheaper non-Lodge imported stuff... I tend to use a stainless steel pot scrubber when washing the pot, so that might act to smooth out any imperfections over the years... I've wondered about using a lathe to put a perfectly flat and smooth surface to the bottom of the pot, but I don't have a lathe that would be anywhere close to the size needed to mount a skillet in it... Maybe some sort of turntable where the skillet was placed on it and which would automatically rotate while using an angle grinder with a sanding wheel in it might work...
I have the same pan, and I've never needed to do this. When I first got it, I washed it in soapy water to get off any loose factory seasoning, maybe 15 mins minimum, 30 mins maximum, (I didn't see much of the factory stuff come off), Then oven seasoned it twice (with regular cooking oil) and it was non-stick. I've made pie filling from scratch in it, berries are highly acidic, spaghetti sauces, high heat searing of steaks (preheating is a must oven or burner. when the water droplets on the rim, and handle evaporate, it's ready, water takes a lot of energy to turn to vapor), baked frozen pizzas in it, without re-oiling, cooked without pre-heating (slow incremental heating) and have never had problems. (Cook them, then remove them immediately and rinse off the pan). If I do I cook a pound of bacon or some kind of meat in it, and it's good as new. I cooked some hamburger helper one day in it, and that was the first time I'd seen anything stick to it, like burnt on stuck, ( I got side tracked kids are good for that, and it simmered too long without stirring I guess), and all I did was scrape it, boil about a quarter inch of water in it, and the stuck food came right up, (without pulling up the seasoning), then stove top seasoned it (just to be sure). Cook with it, rinse it out while it's still warm at the least, oil it, and very little to no problems will be had, if the cowboys of the wild west could use them on open fires, I don't think you'll have much problems in a modern home. You see a lot of people going out to buy expensive oils to season with. Screw that, the seasoning going to flake off, it's going to get worn down, but cooking hamburger, bacon, even veggies will recoat it (Vegetable oil). I've made a lot of cast-iron do not's mistakes, and it is a very forgiving hardy material, if it's non-stick, you've got your temp too high, turn it down, and the food will lift when it's done, meats are about the only time I use high, or above medium. Everything else is medium or below. All this presented in this video is fine if you like making adjustments to a very old technology, but knowing how to cook is more important, it's like any other craft, if your craftsmanship is sub-par, it doesn't matter what kind of tricks you try, or high dollar things you get and try. But the right tools do make it easier. Get a wooden spoon, you can scrape the food, and leave the seasoning untouched, and unlike plastic which melts and can leave pieces of it in the food, you can stir damn near indefinitely (make the roux for a gumbo, you'll see), no visible or taste discrepancies. Oils, Vegetable oil works just fine, all this talk about flaxseed oil and this and that, it's cooking, not rocket science. K.I.S.S, keep it simple stupid. You could probably use motor oil to season with, you're changing the chemical make up of the oil by seasoning, (don't do it, I'm explaining a point.) Look it up, olive oil, is no longer olive oil when you get it to it's smoking temp for extended periods of time, it polymers molecularly, kind of a plastic.
To be fair Lodge used to lap their products like the expensive cast iron companies of today but they began to use coarser sand for molds which is cheaper and faster(makes for a rougher finish), omit the lapping and polishing process, and use cheaper faster season methods(which adds to the roughness). Thus now it falls on the shoulders of the consumer to correct the product and make it like it used to come, like it should still come.
I did this a few years ago and am happy with the result. For me it wasn't about the seasoning, but the experience. I used my rough surface Lodge and a smooth Wagner and preferred the smooth.
If you ever need to re-season a cast iron pan, put it in your self cleaning oven during a clean cycle. Then season it again. Been looking for a way to smooth the bumps out of the pans. One of my mom's cast iron pans was smooth on the bottom, no roughness at all on the bottom. It also held the season very well.
Damn, I did mine the hard way. 40 grit all the way down. Sanding the sides as well, all by hand. Very time consuming but I think final two pans will be really smooth.
Interesting concept. I have many lodge pans. I found just after seasoning several times in a very hot oven and thin layers of saved bacon grease nothing really stuck to them. But, hey whatever floats your boat. after time they do get very smooth. But, just from seasoning and never ever ever ever use anything but water to wash them. I throw a little hot water in the pan just as I finish cooking to steam of any stuck on bits.
Hello there. I bought a Lodge pan and arrived today and while I was watching this video it came to my mind that maybe I do not need to sand it down,maybe over time the pores would fill with the oil and eventually become smooth and I was looking for a comment like yours,saying you don't need to sand it down. So I really don't have to do it? It will become smoother? Another question:do you ever grill vegetables in it?
You don't have to sand your new rough skillet. Some people are already set up with this equipment. So it's quick and easy for us. And it is a little better. Some people enjoy doing this as well. If it's a chore to you, probably not worth it. It is better though. I have seven Lodge and a very large Griswold chicken pan. Of course that's already smooth when I got it. My Lodge are now too.
using a very rough quick strip disc then going to 320 grit paper, what happened to to 120g, 180g, and 220g paper. Ive done this to several pans in grit stages and the pan becomes super smooth on the bottom, sides, and the top. this is definately an easier process to acquire a smooth surface for cooking.
I used an orbital sander only but started at 60 grit and worked to 600. took over an hour but came out very smooth. once seasoned in the oven 3 times was glassy. cooks so much better.
my new lodge 12" is rough like that, i often wondered why its something in the way they cast it obviously... but never has it had a negative impact on cooking, in fact its better than other older pans I have. I cook omlets, eggs, meat, pancakes all successfully on it. I've developed some really good cast cooking practices though... temperature is what its all about for making cast non stick
You should take the time to get yourself a proper pan. I can understand if you haven't' and you dont' know any better I understand. 99% of the stuff on the internet if from the ignorant.
Yes...seasoning is the key...more important than the surface. I take a 40 or 60 grit to them and give them a nice orange peel surface...takes seasoning much better than glassy smooth. I got rid of the Finex I had (sold it to a neighbor) as the Lodge works so much better.
what is the benefit of smoothing a cast iron pan vs just getting a carbon steel pan that is smoother already? well except for the price? will cast iron pan hold more heat for much even cooking? im genuinely curious. planning to get either of the 2. will be using it for steaks and burgers. thanks.
We pretty much did the same method of smoothing out the inside of the new Skillet (Lodge). I started with Arvanti Grind Bush. Afterward, I used Diablo's orbital sanding disk. I recall, 60, 80, 120, 220. I finally finished it off with Dura Gold 600 and 800 grit. Oh yeah VOCITXI Full Face Respirator Mask keeps you from breathing the dust/rust.
I have a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandmother. The skillet must be a good 75 years old and it has the smooth finish and i love it. I always wondered if the skillet came this way or had someone altered the finish. I was gifted 2 new Lodge skillets by my son. After each use I would scrub them down with stainless steal wool. Even after several years the steel wool didn't make much difference. I'm going to try your method to see if I can get some results. Thank you
Man, those Lodge unfinished skillets suck until they get smoothed out. I've always just stayed away from them and am lucky to have a 1908 Lodge number 8, a 1950s Griswold numbers 9 and 6. They all were given to me, I stripped the crud out and re-seasoned them. I'll get another 100 years out of the Lodge, easily.
I used this tool to sand down my new skillet...took a while but worked great. I then seasoned it with flaxoil. Smooth, glasslike surface! Thanks for the tip! P.S. if your pan can't go into the oven (wooden handle) don't sand down the sides...it's hard to get them hot enough on a stovetop for the oil to polimerize all the way up to the rim.
GWHAWK87 It says so on the website. They have modells with both wooden and metall handles...I choose the wooden handle for convenience with stovetop use...doesn't get hot, easier to lift...I have a nice big cast iron casserole with ceramic finishing which I use for stews and roasts and such. Skeppshult pans come preseasoned and I didn't expect to have to mess with them...they are pretty expensive...but I ended up not liking the rough surface. I didn't want to risk charring the handle though!
Rara Avis I just did this to two of my Lodge pans and used flax oil. After the first use the seasoning is flaking and rubbing right off. I’m afraid it’s not sticking because it’s so smooth and I’m worried they’re ruined!
[Terra]cotta Paste Uh, that sucks! Maybe you didn't heat them up high enough? It's pretty scary, when they start to smoke and all, I had to force myself not to turn off the heat too soon myself. I let the pan heat up pretty slowly...2min low setting, 2 min medium setting, 2 min medium to high, and then all the way up till there was visible blackening going on. Then I let it cool down for 10 min or so before I started again. And I did this on ceran stovetop on a field slightly larger than the pan, to provide even heat all over the bottom of the pan. It's my first ever real cast iron pan though, so I don't really know what to advice otherwise 😯. Maybe post a seperate comment and hopefully someone else can help. Or just try a different approach. There are plenty of different methods, maybe some work better with certain pans...
Thanks for the response! I put them in the oven on 550 for an hour and then let them cool in the oven for two hours in-between oilings. Did six coats. I read elsewhere that someone else had the same problem and it's probably because the surface is too smooth for the oil to stick. I'm just going to keep using them and hope the seasoning builds back up on it's own.
I bought a lodge 10 1/4” cast iron skillet. It was preseasons but rough on the inside. I seasoned it again and put too much oil in the skillet the baked it for one hour. What can I do to get it smooth?
@@lindafuller4542 just cook with it it’ll all burn off. Or you might be able to heat it up again and wipe off the excess once it’s hot enough to wipe off
@@lindafuller4542 season it again but this time turn it upside down and put a drip tray underneath it, the way you were supposed to do it in the first place.
Why the Scotch Brite wasn't used between the go-around thingies and the pan's surfaces for the final finishing is a mystery. Since any decent pan, when new, is fairly consistent in thickness (the bottom plate, proper, and the height --and, therefore, level -- of that surface up from the presumed-to-be dead level stove-top or element), then polishing a pan's cooking surface should be done in such a way that the entire surface is treated in a fairly uniform way. Even treatment will ensure uniform -- albeit slight -- changes to the thickness and, therefore, heat distribution. If you set things up well, you can polish to a mirror-bright finish -- or stop along the way and leave some 'tooth', according to taste. Since the pan is round, it's a good candidate, when applying machines such as a drill, orbital sander, or angle grinder, to be a participant in the process of changing the cooking surface from factory to any other arbitrary surface. Secure a lazy susan bearing ring (9" or 12") to a solid surface; center the pan on the ring with double-sided tape; put magnets (neo-dymium, preferably) on the outside, opposite the handle, to balance the small extra mass in the handle; run the tool and abrasive surface over the pan bottom lightly, working from the outside edge inward, holding the edge of the abrasive disc in such a way that the contact patch is a crescent shape aligned tangentially to the disc of the pan bottom; as the pan turns -- and you can regulate the speed by altering the contact patch alignment away from tangential -- move the contact patch toward the center of the pan; and, repeat as necessary -- possibly moving through various abrasive grits -- until you've arrived at the desired finish. Someone in these comments suggested that manufacturers provide two finishes for their new CIC. I don't disagree, but suggest instead that they provide it as a custom option, _at no additional cost_ and _arranged for pick-up through retail channels_ . Give the customer what they want. I'd like to see CIC sold with some indication of how dead-flat _and_ dead-level pot/pan bottoms are when shipped. I can see arguments for introducing _slight_ concavity or _slight_ convexity to pan bottoms according to user preference. Dead-flat and dead-level should be the manufacturing standard, though, as this does not violate the principle of least surprise.
@@lordmonty9421 -- The problem with buying a "vintage" skillet is that you don't know what it has been used for previously... I reload my own ammo and cast my own bullets... It is common to use cast iron cookware when either melting the lead for casting the bullets or when smelting the lead scraps (wheelweights, etc) to refine into a more pure alloy for casting into smaller ingots that will be used in your electric casting furnace... I'm pretty sure that I could clean up my cast iron smelting dutch oven to the point where it would not be possible for you to know that it had been used with lead by just looking at it, but you wouldn't probably want to be using it for food... Of course, I don't use any vintage skillets for lead and instead just bought one of the cheap imported brands at Academy, but many reloaders will just use whatever they find at garage sales which sometimes might be a good brand of cast iron cookware that just needs to be restored instead of being used with lead...
@@jakeblanton6853 Yeah, that's an interesting point, and one I hadn't really considered. Though while it's definitely within the realm of possibility, it's....not terribly likely. Guys who are thrifty enough to reload usually know a thing or two about good cast iron. That doesn't keep them from being so thrifty they might try and refurbish a piece they use to melt lead for a sale, but...I think even they would agree the work wouldn't be worth the payout. But, you never know.
@@lordmonty9421 -- More likely the guy who reloads dies (because we're often a bunch of old farts), his wife sells all his stuff for what he *told* her he paid for them, and then the next owner who is not a reloader and has no idea what it was used for decides to refurbish the cast iron pan for a quick buck and resell it to someone who is even less aware of its history... I'm not particularly concerned with elevated lead levels from my casting activities, but I'm not going to use a piece of cookware that has been used to smelt lead for food either... Better safe than sorry...
i use this disc on all my cast iron pieces. the cheap Chinese pans are very very rough all over. a 15 min smoothing with the avanti pro disc ensures the surface is slick and the pan bottom doesnt scratch the glass too stove.
For those of us who are long-time metal workers this is a bit funny. Use a 4 or 4 1/2/ inch angle grinder with a backing pad and 60 grit pad, or perhaps a flap wheel, smooth as a babies bottom in less than five minutes. Finish with a 3/4 worn out pad if you're particular. If you don't have one, you can get a Harbour Freight, et. al. grinder for about $15, it will do the job well and be a handy investment for a "homeowner" in the future.
The problem is that the cheap cast iron is not a uniform density and is not flat to begin with. Grinding smooths the surface but doesn't deal with the straightness of the bottom. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it smooth. Just sayin'.
Ur right exactly what I did , fitter welder ,flap disc on metabo ,till smooth as glass , now high quality like a cross wold, new skillets need some work
I don't know that my pans were turned on a lathe, only that they appear to have been. i'm fairly sure the machining was done at the factory. My good fry pans are Griswold, manufactured between 1910 and 1925 and show very similar machining, honing patterns. The outsides of the pans are also very smooth. The sand used was extremely fine, not like the crap that is used today.
@justthinken1 A cast iron pan could easily be put in a lathe safely. Toe clamped to a face plate. You would need a large lathe to swing the handle however. Your average home machinist could do it with a fly cutter, pan toe clamped on rotary table on a milling machine. You could tip the head of a vertical mill to get the sides of the pan, removing one toe clamp at a time as it would interfere with the spindle, and replacing the previously removed toe clamp. Really not a difficult job, just sayin
@justthinken1 What you said is "I can tell you there is no way to put a cast iron skillet on a ''lathe'' " What I described certainly can be done, and done safely. I didn't say it was faster, I didn't say it was more practical, I said it was possible and not that difficult. It's just tedious . Obviously you would indicate it on the face plate, shim between the pan and faceplate as needed, and would want to affix at least 3 clamps or t-nuts as stops butted up against the side of the pan after it was indicated and clamped down. This would prevent it from being able to walk off the face plate. If you were a home machinist, I would hope you would at least have a lathe or a mill, kind of the right of passage to a machine shop. The lathe setup would be more involved, that's why I said your average home machinist could mill it with a rotary table. It's far more practical to grind it, that's what I would do, but it's definitely possible to machine it. And yes I've cut cast Iron. I worked for years as a machinist before becoming a manufacturing engineer. I currently work on improving automated machining cutting nodular iron to tolerances of less than half a thou. We are well past the skin of the casting however. Depending on how chilled the surface of the pan is you may not be able to get deep enough for a good cut. That's up to the foundry. A tool post grinder would work if the iron was chilled. So getting back to your original statement that I rebutted, yes, it is possible to machine it.
I used a flap disc and a random orbit sander like you on my 10" Lodge skillet. I took the time to grind out most of the pits except a few deep ones. It looked like a mirror when I was done. I also cut off the helping handle that says Lodge and ground off the logo on the bottom. That lightened the pan and also made it my own. I did the same to my 12" and also cut 1" from the sides making it only 1" deep now. The lowered sides makes it easier to get a spatula in it when the food is crowded in the pan. The last time I used it, I cooked 4 sausage patties and 3 eggs in it. Nothing stuck! I cleaned the pan with only paper towels when I was done. I am hooked on cast iron.
I have and use a Lodge 12, 10. & 8 inch cast iron skillet. They are seasoned well. None of the needed work, from the factory all an nearly non stick, not sure what people are doing to have issues, but strongly suggest they are not well seasoned and they have them too hot. Dial it down and season them 5-7 times and they are good forever. I bake mine in the gas Bbq upside down with canola oil.
I have several lodge products and have never come to the point to where I needed a power tool to get smooth surfaces. High heat, solid oil,salt and paper towels. Keep it simple
I bought two Lodge cast Iron cook ware pieces, one was a skillet, the other a round griddle. The round griddle, I had no problem cooking with it.. like seasoning went good and everything. Cook on it no problem. THAT SKILLET THOUGH. . . I did like yourself, I got out the powertools and sanded it down.. lmfao. I'm only on youtube because I was curious if others had the same issues.. looks like that's the case.
i just use a stainless steel scrubber to take out the rough bumps, wash, and then cook a few eggs and throw out the eggs, then i run hot water to rinse the pan and give it a little scrub and rewash and then cook with low heat for the first few meals, i don't go out of my way to season cookware , it works for me
I bought my 10 inch Lodge 2 years ago, I seasoned it 3 times and never had to re-season it. It's not smooth like glass but it's nevertheless non-stick almost like Teflon. I really love the rough finish, because it keeps the food in place and I don't have to chase it with the spatula when I wanna flip it.
What is your process may I ask? I’ve had two lodge pans and I never got the commercial seasoning to be very non stick. And after many months it begins to flake off.
@@mablebird5026 I'll share what I've done that works flawlessly: 1. Use 40 or 60 grit on a sanding mouse and take off the high points of the rough areas (like 10 minutes of work). Like an orange peel texture. 2. Season 3 times with grape or flaxseed oil...super thin/light coating and heat at 450 for 45 mins...let cool to warm in between. 3. That's it...Easy to clean/scrape anything off. Wipe clean, dry on low heat for like 2 minutes. Thin coat of oil and store.
I have a lot of 50+ year old cast iron that is smooth as glass, but I also have the Lodge skillet in the video. The sanding just makes the surface smooth, not non-stick. My experience with the Lodge you are using is that it will get smooth in a fairly quick time with regular cooking. Bacon grease before and after each use will make a cheap skillet as smooth and non-stick as a 60 year old skillet or a brand new $200 "Butter Pat" skillet.
I absolutely agree, a smooth cast iron pan is the best. I imagine Lodge has a reason for making them with pebbled surfaces, but it escapes me. I would suggest cutting a larger piece of scotch-brite, and place it on the orbital sander's pad. The sand paper will hold it in place fairly well, and you can be more effective on polishing the sides, and especially the bottom, for a smoother contact with your cook top.
It's not complicated. Coarse sand is cheap. Fine sand is expensive. Skip the Lodge and pick up a Griswold off Ebay. They're cast with very very fine sand and most are machined on the inside. You should be able to see your reflection in the bottom of the pan. I no longer waste my time trying to salvage a brand new pan. A 60 year old pan will cost about twice as much, but will last a lifetime
I dont have the grill or an oven so what shoyld i do ? Can i just start cooking on it as it came from the store or can i sand it and remove their seasoning and just pour some bit of olive oil on it while is hot on the stove rub around and cook some bacon ??
You dont need to smooth the pan with power tools however that is faster. I have the exact same pan i cook literaly everything with it and i have never had a problem with sticking. As you use and season the pan, the oils will fill the poors in the casting, it just takes time and a lot of love lol
I was wondering how smooth to get my new pans and you helped me with the answer. I stopped working on mine cause I hadn’t seen someone else take it back to the iron. Mine were really rough by my thoughts, but you did it down to smooth, even did some fine sanding and that’s what I’ll do. Thank you for your nice video.
It's not good to sand it like this guy did. Cast is porous and textured to hold the seasoning. Sanding it will ruin your skillet and cause the seasoning to flake off. The only way to fix it is to have it shot peened. If you properly season it there's no reason to sand it.
@@engineclinic I saw this video and it made me cringe cast iron is supposed to be rough otherwise they would have machined it good for speaking up Mike I even saw some people questioning the quality I love my Lodge there just like old timers
cast iron is addicting. my collection is 20 pc's i have accumulated over 50 years. people admire my griswalds and wagners, but the pan i use daily for everything is a 9'' 1800's unmarked antique with the pour mark and heat ring on the bottom. it even has a crack on the bottom and a crack on the side by the handle. it has seen some use! the old lady who gave it to me told me it was a good pan. she prolly thought i would throw it away, much less ever use it. the bottom crack used to ooze a bit of oil, but i don't deep fry and lately i haven't noticed any oil leakage, the crack seems to have sealed from use. why i use it is because it is far lighter than the others and it holds everything i put in it. i use it with a glass top and can get an onion, garlic, 1/4 head of cabbage, half a microwaved sweet potato, cup of cooked rice, cheese and 2 eggs all at once! i cook that in stages, when the garlic, cabbage and onions cook down i add the rest, and that's breakfast. as soon is i finish cooking i scour it under running water about 10 seconds with a stainless steel springy pad and its clean and shiny ready to cook another meal. now i just made myself hungry..
@@travisleach5916 What is she going to do with 500 pcs much less 50. Sell 490 of them. That's just hording. Get a pan from the 70's or before and you won't have to worry about seasoning - ever! I use an unbranded every day thats probably 50 yrs old at most. Never season it. Works perfectly. Doesn't even have to be a Griswold or Wagner. Please don't make this more complicated than it is. I've got 6 cast pcs and never spent more than 12 bucks from a thrift store on them. Also, most people think their pans are alot older than they are.
You may have older cast iron. The newer cast iron pans come seasoned from the manufacturer because the manufacturer thought it would be better for consumers. Many consumers are not happy about the way the pre-seasoned pans perform and take them down to a "smooth" finish in order to season them the old fashioned way.
@@BriteTap That's why the very first thing I do with new cast iron is put it in the oven with the self clean cycle to burn off the factory seasoning. Then I season them with my own. They come out perfect. All 50 pieces
I've never had a problem with the new ones either but I like to season them myself so I burn off the factory seasoning and do my own. They work fine. No need for anything else.
@@jakoreian Jake, I put the cast iron in a oven and run the self clean cycle for about 4 hours. They come out bare metal. Keep in mind that the cast iron will start rusting almost immediately. What I do is use a green scrub pad and some of the oil I use for new seasoning and scrub off the rust with the oil. Don't use soap and water. Only the oil. Wipe it off with paper towels. I use the blue shop ones because they don't fall apart as much. You basically have your fresh layer of oil on the cast iron. I put it in the oven on 460 for an hour. Rinse and repeat about 4 times or so.
I burned factory "seasoning" off with a torch....I mean I had the whole pan glowing. After it cooled, wire wheel to clean all residue off. After, later off peanut oil, in the oven at 400 for 2 hours, let cool to touch, peanut oil again, another 2 hours at 400. Let cool then ran oil+head process 2 more times on my pot Pit Boss pellet cooker 2 more times. Slick and black solid seasoned surface.
as far as I know the numorous bumpy things on the surface can grap oil when it got heat. and ongoing use of the pan can make shiny and glassy surface you want to make.
I just bought this Lodge 12" skillet a couple weeks ago .. I used it for the first time the other night .. I washed it with soap and water before using it then put it on the stove and heated it on below medium heat setting for about 10 minutes then cooked with it .. Nothing stuck and cleaned up with soap and water .. I applied a thin coat of oil to it wiping the excess off with paper towels .. Looks as good as before I cooked on it... PS it was made in the U.S. .. I've seen some made in China
Lodge is fantastic, and the low price makes it even better. I some expensive Finex and I prefer to use my cheap and heavy Lodge skillets as they just work better and retain heat and cook evenly. Tough to beat Lodge.
I hate new cast-iron skillets. I like the old slick bottom! Been looking for how to smooth out a couple new ones gave me. I won't use them as is. Appreciate finding this video!!!
Thanks for sharing, had to chuckle when I saw the air hose, I have the same "Flex" hose and curse it every time I have to roll it back up, I use it for my goto for my air nailers, but yeah, it twists like a snake.
Lodge back in the day used to make nice smooth cooking surface skillets. But that was when they had to compete with the giants like Wagner, Griswold and BSR etc. Today they're about pushing product out not quality.
I have three Lodge Chef Collection pans, the 8", 10" and the 12". Cooked with them for a few months and now all three are well seasoned and smooth. Very nice pans.
I disagree. Still high quality, just not perfect out of the box. I do not imagine my new cast iron pans breaking in the next 500 years if not left to rust.
I found this method in 2016. It works well. I’ve opted from using the sandpaper as it almost makes it too smooth and more difficult to take seasoning. I’ve shared as much as I I’m asked.
This looks great! Would those Avanti Quick-Strip attachments work to smooth out the outside of an iron tub? I would like to smooth out all the imperfections.
Thanks for the great video. I am wondering if you put water in the pan and use those tools since they're not high voltage Electric that that could keep the dust down and keep your paper from loading up or your grinding wheel.
All high quality cast iron pans have a glassy smooth surface. Vintage pans are always smooth. The bumpy, coarse surface of the Lodge pans are not ideal for taking molecularization (the process of seasoning). It's not an opinion of how you like your momma's food or "just cook in it". Literally science.
You mean polymerization...and The Lodge ones do it fine...I have an old Griswold that is smooth, and a bunch of 10 yr old Lodges..they both are glassy smooth with polymerized seasoning...and both cook exactly the same. I got a set of the fancy/overpriced Finex last year and they are smooth..and the seasoning constantly flakes off...plus they are lighter (a selling point these boutique CI makers always push) which means there's less iron mass and they therefore don't hold heat as well for searing and even heating. Lodge works better than the fancy ones...at over 1/8 the price. Heavy cast iron is the way to go.
@@90whatever Lodge stopped sanding their pans some time ago. They used to. Now they don't. A new lodge pan feels like a truck bed liner and it takes a lot of seasoning to get that smooth, if even possible. I spent hours and hours and hours doing every trick in the book and still have sub-par smoothness on mine. Not to mention a pain to clean constantly. My in-laws on the other hand have an old Griswold that they never season, never use salt or any other method except a simple wash with soap and a sponge (yes, soap), and that thing can fry up a delicious hot egg like a champ. It's not a miracle lodge pans are 1/8 of the price. Maybe the old ones aren't bad.
@@tylermcmichael8515 strange. I have an 80 yr old Wagner that is glass smooth and my Lodges are more non stick. And just about as smooth with the seasoning over the last few yra. In fact I prefer the Lodges as they are heavier. Seasoning didn't take to the smooth Finex I had as good as the Lodges. You might not be doing something right. My Lodges aren't old either.
@Bob Watters The first thing I with the nice heavy Lodge skillets was run 120 grit on a sander all over it for about 10 mins...Got an orange-peel texture...then seasoned it 6 times with grape seed oil. That was some years ago and it became glass smooth pretty quickly. The mass/heaviness makes for great heating and searing. If you have to move the skillet around a lot it isnt' a good choice as it is heavy but if you're mostly using a spatula you can't do much better, especially for the price.
When a pan is new from the factory it's just seasoned enough not to rust. You need to oven season is a bunch, filling in those pits, making it smoother. When you sand the pan you destroy the surface on a micro and mini level. Seasoning will not stick as good. The rough surface of a new pan is a good thing. Just as long as it doesn't have too large pits. Any extreme peak you can always sand off.
Idk why the new pans come this way I have an old Wagner from my Grandma I re-seasoned years ago and it's super smooth and non-stick I love it. Bought a new cast iron from kohl's and seasoned it again even though it was pre-seasoned but it has this bumpy shit and it sticks like a sob. I should sand the finish smooth on my new pan I might now after watching this.
Video and audio was recorded and edited by my Samsung Galaxy s8+. I went from Motorola to Samsung Galaxy and immediately noticed the sound quality difference.
@Repairs and Reviews Great video. I have been sanding my Lodge’s by hand with 60-grit 3M sandpaper. I may just say screw it and buy the BARE Stargazer.
I agree the newer lodge pans are too ruff inside. I contacted lodge about this. They only sand blast the pans then do a paint on seasoning. The last one I bought 8 years ago I gave up trying to season out the ruff surfsce and did the same as the video. Sanded mine smooth, washed then reseasoned the pan. The pan has been great since.
@Allen Loser If you are Buying The EXACT SAME PAN that your mother bought, then your advise may be right. If you aren't then Maybe, Just Maybe YOU WOULD LEARN SOMETHING IF YOU ARE AN OPEN MINDED PERSON. Otherwise just do what your gonna do and live with the results!!!
Flea markets are the best place to find old cast iron. I buy it no matter how rusty they are. I’ve bought sets for a low as 6 dollars. I clean them up really good with oil and a very course salt then burn the crap out of them and then oil it again.
I haven't had the same experience with cooking on a factory new Lodge pan. The rough surface on mine is more of a pebbled surface, and food doesn't stick to them, when properly oiled.
I've been using the same 12" cast iron lodge Pan for 20 years and when I bought it it was a little rough but now it is smooth as glass never once sanded it
Mine is terribly rough. I'm thinking of returning it since I don't have a sander! Nevermind purchasing something that needs all that work! How long before it became smooth in your case?
If seasoned properly you shouldn’t need to go through this. I use flaxseed oil and heat the oven up to 400. Use a lint free towel and rub the pan down with the oil and bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and leave the pan in until it comes down to room temperature. I do this five times and then I’m good to go. The oil fills in all the pours and adheres to the iron and leaves you with a fantastic cooking surface. Basic maintenance after that!
I can understand why people do this, but after owning and using several Lodge pans I've never found a need to do this. Like with a stainless steel pan, food will let go when it is ready to. Plus I find I like the texture as it keeps the food in place better when I slide the spatula underneath. I hate having to chase sliding stuff around a pan just because I want to flip it.
The only thing I noticed is that if you are cooking delicate foods like mushrooms it will grind them into little bits if you aren't careful when stirring. But I will NOT be sanding my skillets
I agree with you...I'm new to cast iron and cooking period.. I just cant see myself grinding the pot down to a smooth finish...It'll get there naturally!
mine is so old that from 100+ years of use its glass smooth ,, my tip is really simple sesame oil its thicker and doesnt have palm oil as the cast iron paste does .. i recently moved so my heavy cast irons are packed but i any one wants i can do a vid of it
twice rendered bear grease, is perfect for seasoning. put the pan in the coals of a campfire, then when it is really hot smear it inside and out, set it aside to cool, on a rough pan you might need to do it a couple times, but in the end you have a perfectly seasoned do it all pan.
It helps to understand "smoke points" of various oils.; low temps to high. Cooking works better when you know a bit about the science and chemistry of it. There are charts that can help.
The old iron pans where smooth on the inside. You could see machining marks on it. The manufactures omitted the final machining. Polished is just as bad as the ruff casting. Smooth yes polished not!
I see a lot of these videos, but I haven’t had a problem with any of my Lodge cast iron pans. I cook eggs, steaks, bacon etc. temperature and oil are the key.
I got 2 of my Lodge skillets super smooth. But now the seasoning won't stick. I've tried flaxseed oil 3 times. 1st with moderate heat on the stove then in the oven at 375 fir 30 minutes, eventually it started peeling off. Took it back down to bare metal and seasoned it with high heat, it peeled again. Then I did the whole process again with low heat. I did it at least 3 more times with canola oil. I have plenty cast iron skillets, baking dishes, and meatloaf pans. I'm only having trouble with the two I got super smooth.
@@howardfrankfort, I tried putting it on thin, very thin. Last time I thought I had it perfect, worked great for about 4-5 weeks then one little spec came off and it started peeling off again.
A note of caution to everyone...if you do this to your pan, dont be suprised if the seasoning has a hard time sticking. Youll notice it flaking off, even with very mild cleaning. With that said, its easy enough to correct. Even with a single coat of sessoning, you can get a great nonstic surface. I decided to try polishing/sanding again but this time I did it gradually. I started with a new pan, sanded with 200 grit, seasoned it, tried the egg test & had moderate success. I sanded the seasoned pan some more with the 200 grit. Seasoned it again, *AND* now works great! Passed the egg test. The seasoning sticks, its durrable as hell, & (if you care about this...) the pan surface is black. Not the copper brown color you get fom seasoning polished cast iton.
Nope...it is Lodge cookware that flakes all the time. Seasoning will infuse into the smooth surface properly. The smoother the better yet Lodge has no reason to make their pans better...they still sell Ask you great grandma what she thinks of a rough cooking surface...
Sure this works if you want "right now" results. My almost 5 year old lodge pan is almost smooth as glass from normal use. So is my dutch oven. I have a bunch of current production lodge, and several Birmingham Stove and Range from the 40's - 50's. They all work the same. Just use the crap out of them
6:46 You should definitely be wearing a mask. A fan blowing in one direction in a ventilated place is only going to create a turbulent environment, but you're getting a ton of small particles in the air near where you're stripping/sanding. Wear goggles as well.
scotch brite makes a ball that you can use in your drill. it works faster and i feel better than a pad on the side walls of the pan. Also a bit of trivia about why the pans are rough it makes the factory seasoning stick faster and better. i feel this is a mistake but the manufacturer is trying to do it cheaper and faster.
It's not for them to make it stick better in the factory it just costs them more to polish the skillets, when you buy expensive or old cast iron it's almost always smooth
I found that the rough surface holds and traps built up grease.. and hardens in the valleys of the cast.. making it much more non stick and better protection when storing
I know exactly what you mean ...cause im so pissed off at my new 12 Lodge skillet. The second time i used it i couldn't get it clean. So Im off to Home Depot to buy these items to salvage my new pan i hope. Im an old lady so i hope im strong enough for this project. When did Lodge start making their pans so rough? The lable covered the surface so I didnt notice the change til I was home with this piece of crap. Thanks for the fix info
You just wash it with a little bit soap or DAWN. After you clean it , you use paper towel to dry it thoroughly and then put it on the cooktop. Using small-midi fire to dry it thoroughly meanwhile put some cooking oil with a paper towel to wipe the whole body of the cast iron pan twice. Then turn off the fire; let the oil get into the pan completely. That is, you are done. Please do not put the cast iron pan in dishwasher after you use it. Just use the above way to clean it and maintain it.
I had an antique lodge with a smooth interior. The handle broke off after it hit a brick floor. The replacement with the as cast finish is NOT the same as far as non-stickines.....even after years of use...
@@drigondii Cast Iron is difficult to weld not impossible but not easy. You also don't need a blacksmith to be able to weld. You just need a welding machine. But as I say welding cast iron can be a challenge depending on where the joint broke.
@@nancyjane285 I don't have an old one to compare it to, and I've only just gotten into using cast iron this year, but my new lodge seems to be getting very nonstick with grapeseed oil after just 2-3 months of use. does it really make that big of a difference? ill do an egg test on mine soon and if it doesn't do well, maybe I'll see about smoothing it out. the lodge was pretty terrible at first, but lately it seems great, though I've only cooked chicken and burgers really
@@drigondii cast iron is not like regular metal, it's very brittle and can crack easily in extreme temp changes and it's because of these qualities that it can be difficult to repair
Ghee butter is the healthiest option to fry with. Much healthier than any seed oil. And it has a high smoke point. I'm not sure if it's good to season with. Going to look it up
The oil used to season cast iron should be a 'Drying' oil, like raw linseed (flaxseed) oil, avocado oil, or cottonseed oil. drying oils will polymerize and become a tough, hard coating. Many vegetable oils will just get sticky and go rancid. Olive oil does NOT polymerize.
I'm a chef and use cast all the time. All I do to season is veg oil and salt. Heat till smoking. Pour off oil. Then some elbow grease with a rag to grind it in. Then rinse with hot water. Then heat again with oil on paper towel to coat the cast. Then use a oven after to heat the cast to finish setting the seasoning.
Your first pad is clogged up with whatever seasoning they use and not the iron. A good scrubbing with a steel wool pad (SOS or Brillo) would get the coating they put on off. Happy cooking!!!
For years I have a 5 inch lodge that I intended to use mostly for eggs. I never was able to get a good release of a sunny side egg. Tried various preheat temperatures, extra seasonings and practically deep frying the egg without success. Just alot of frustration and exasperation. Not understanding why cast iron has a reputation for being non stick and I'm having so much trouble.
This week I finally decided to smooth it. I had some 80 grit sandpaper and hand sanded it smooth in about 10 minutes. Reasoned. My first egg practically slid out of the pan without any effort. YAY!
I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a $1 knife sharpening stone. I filled the pan with a little bit of water, and just used the stone to smooth the bottom out. I primarily did it because the latest pan I got was a second and it had a few big bumps that would stop a spatula. I got it smooth in just a few min. It did seem to ruin the stone for knives but I think I can get a few more pans out of it. The corners of the stone conformed to the corners and that was as far as I felt I had to take it. Cooks like a vintage cast iron pan now!
I don't have any issue with my regular lodge pans, the roughness doesn't really do too much for me. eggs still come out great, and nothing sticks. It just takes a good seasoning.
I really love my vintage Wagner that has a smooth glassy finish. My Lodge has so much of a patina on it, that it got smooth by itself. If i gotta get another lodge i may dabble in this method. Thank you for this!
don't do it . . . . you had it right the 1st time. the slightly pitted surface on most of Lodge's products is meant to fill in with polymerized oil over time. i did this with 2 identical Lodge skillets and the smooth surface added utterly nothing to the performance and in fact inhibited the adherence of polymer . this is why many folks have problems with Stargazer skillets.
I have the 12in too. I was going to re-season the entire thing but decided to give it a shot beforehand. First thing I cooked were pancakes and eggs. I was shocked at just how non stick it was straight from Lodge. They key is to start the burner on a low flame and let it warm up. Also make sure you use lot of butter or some other fat. The pan will smooth out with use. I use simple Crisco to season my cast irons and it works just fine and it's cheap too.
I totally agree I have a vintage cast it's slippery my new lodge is rough but if you know what you're doing it's non stick and the food stays put ..
A solution in search of a problem.
I went out and got the same disc you have and did this to my new pan. Worked really really well. Seasoning with olive oil then cooking with butter makes it non-stick and a joy to cook with.
@unapologetic truth don't show everybody that you're such a jerk.
Melt 2 sticks of real butter and then spread about a quarter inch of salt over the bottom of the pan and then turn it to high heat. Once the salt all turns black, take it off of the heat to cool then clean it out. That will make the pan smooth as ice, once done, oil it and your done.
I've never had a problem with the surface finish on any of my cast iron cookware, even the cheaper non-Lodge imported stuff... I tend to use a stainless steel pot scrubber when washing the pot, so that might act to smooth out any imperfections over the years... I've wondered about using a lathe to put a perfectly flat and smooth surface to the bottom of the pot, but I don't have a lathe that would be anywhere close to the size needed to mount a skillet in it... Maybe some sort of turntable where the skillet was placed on it and which would automatically rotate while using an angle grinder with a sanding wheel in it might work...
I have the same pan, and I've never needed to do this. When I first got it, I washed it in soapy water to get off any loose factory seasoning, maybe 15 mins minimum, 30 mins maximum, (I didn't see much of the factory stuff come off), Then oven seasoned it twice (with regular cooking oil) and it was non-stick. I've made pie filling from scratch in it, berries are highly acidic, spaghetti sauces, high heat searing of steaks (preheating is a must oven or burner. when the water droplets on the rim, and handle evaporate, it's ready, water takes a lot of energy to turn to vapor), baked frozen pizzas in it, without re-oiling, cooked without pre-heating (slow incremental heating) and have never had problems. (Cook them, then remove them immediately and rinse off the pan). If I do I cook a pound of bacon or some kind of meat in it, and it's good as new. I cooked some hamburger helper one day in it, and that was the first time I'd seen anything stick to it, like burnt on stuck, ( I got side tracked kids are good for that, and it simmered too long without stirring I guess), and all I did was scrape it, boil about a quarter inch of water in it, and the stuck food came right up, (without pulling up the seasoning), then stove top seasoned it (just to be sure). Cook with it, rinse it out while it's still warm at the least, oil it, and very little to no problems will be had, if the cowboys of the wild west could use them on open fires, I don't think you'll have much problems in a modern home.
You see a lot of people going out to buy expensive oils to season with. Screw that, the seasoning going to flake off, it's going to get worn down, but cooking hamburger, bacon, even veggies will recoat it (Vegetable oil).
I've made a lot of cast-iron do not's mistakes, and it is a very forgiving hardy material, if it's non-stick, you've got your temp too high, turn it down, and the food will lift when it's done, meats are about the only time I use high, or above medium. Everything else is medium or below.
All this presented in this video is fine if you like making adjustments to a very old technology, but knowing how to cook is more important, it's like any other craft, if your craftsmanship is sub-par, it doesn't matter what kind of tricks you try, or high dollar things you get and try. But the right tools do make it easier. Get a wooden spoon, you can scrape the food, and leave the seasoning untouched, and unlike plastic which melts and can leave pieces of it in the food, you can stir damn near indefinitely (make the roux for a gumbo, you'll see), no visible or taste discrepancies.
Oils, Vegetable oil works just fine, all this talk about flaxseed oil and this and that, it's cooking, not rocket science. K.I.S.S, keep it simple stupid. You could probably use motor oil to season with, you're changing the chemical make up of the oil by seasoning, (don't do it, I'm explaining a point.) Look it up, olive oil, is no longer olive oil when you get it to it's smoking temp for extended periods of time, it polymers molecularly, kind of a plastic.
To be fair Lodge used to lap their products like the expensive cast iron companies of today but they began to use coarser sand for molds which is cheaper and faster(makes for a rougher finish), omit the lapping and polishing process, and use cheaper faster season methods(which adds to the roughness).
Thus now it falls on the shoulders of the consumer to correct the product and make it like it used to come, like it should still come.
Never wash! Cast iron is porus
It's not "adjustment to old technology", pre 1950s all lodge cast iron were pre polished as part of the manufacturing process
I did this a few years ago and am happy with the result. For me it wasn't about the seasoning, but the experience. I used my rough surface Lodge and a smooth Wagner and preferred the smooth.
Me too. I did mine about a year ago. Mine are black now and is so non stick!!!
If you ever need to re-season a cast iron pan, put it in your self cleaning oven during a clean cycle. Then season it again. Been looking for a way to smooth the bumps out of the pans. One of my mom's cast iron pans was smooth on the bottom, no roughness at all on the bottom. It also held the season very well.
Ghost Writer101 it can potentially warp the pans. You wouldn't want that on an older expensive piece.
Ghost Writer101 spot on.
I have oven cleaned some of my newer pans and then sanded ! Huge difference for better !
Damn, I did mine the hard way. 40 grit all the way down. Sanding the sides as well, all by hand. Very time consuming but I think final two pans will be really smooth.
Interesting concept. I have many lodge pans. I found just after seasoning several times in a very hot oven and thin layers of saved bacon grease nothing really stuck to them. But, hey whatever floats your boat. after time they do get very smooth. But, just from seasoning and never ever ever ever use anything but water to wash them. I throw a little hot water in the pan just as I finish cooking to steam of any stuck on bits.
Hello there. I bought a Lodge pan and arrived today and while I was watching this video it came to my mind that maybe I do not need to sand it down,maybe over time the pores would fill with the oil and eventually become smooth and I was looking for a comment like yours,saying you don't need to sand it down. So I really don't have to do it? It will become smoother?
Another question:do you ever grill vegetables in it?
Dish soap doesn't have lye anymore, like in the old days, so we don't have to worry about stripping the seasoning.
You don't have to sand your new rough skillet. Some people are already set up with this equipment. So it's quick and easy for us. And it is a little better. Some people enjoy doing this as well. If it's a chore to you, probably not worth it. It is better though.
I have seven Lodge and a very large Griswold chicken pan. Of course that's already smooth when I got it. My Lodge are now too.
using a very rough quick strip disc then going to 320 grit paper, what happened to to 120g, 180g, and 220g paper. Ive done this to several pans in grit stages and the pan becomes super smooth on the bottom, sides, and the top. this is definately an easier process to acquire a smooth surface for cooking.
I used an orbital sander only but started at 60 grit and worked to 600. took over an hour but came out very smooth. once seasoned in the oven 3 times was glassy. cooks so much better.
my new lodge 12" is rough like that, i often wondered why its something in the way they cast it obviously... but never has it had a negative impact on cooking, in fact its better than other older pans I have. I cook omlets, eggs, meat, pancakes all successfully on it. I've developed some really good cast cooking practices though... temperature is what its all about for making cast non stick
You should take the time to get yourself a proper pan. I can understand if you haven't' and you dont' know any better I understand. 99% of the stuff on the internet if from the ignorant.
@@davidanderson5005 you seem overly confident.
I found the 'as cast' surface on my 14" griddle even more nonstick than machined cast iron, both when properly seasoned.
Yes...seasoning is the key...more important than the surface. I take a 40 or 60 grit to them and give them a nice orange peel surface...takes seasoning much better than glassy smooth. I got rid of the Finex I had (sold it to a neighbor) as the Lodge works so much better.
what is the benefit of smoothing a cast iron pan vs just getting a carbon steel pan that is smoother already? well except for the price? will cast iron pan hold more heat for much even cooking? im genuinely curious. planning to get either of the 2. will be using it for steaks and burgers. thanks.
We pretty much did the same method of smoothing out the inside of the new Skillet (Lodge). I started with Arvanti Grind Bush. Afterward, I used Diablo's orbital sanding disk. I recall, 60, 80, 120, 220. I finally finished it off with Dura Gold 600 and 800 grit. Oh yeah VOCITXI Full Face Respirator Mask keeps you from breathing the dust/rust.
I have a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandmother. The skillet must be a good 75 years old and it has the smooth finish and i love it. I always wondered if the skillet came this way or had someone altered the finish. I was gifted 2 new Lodge skillets by my son. After each use I would scrub them down with stainless steal wool. Even after several years the steel wool didn't make much difference. I'm going to try your method to see if I can get some results. Thank you
Man, those Lodge unfinished skillets suck until they get smoothed out.
I've always just stayed away from them and am lucky to have a 1908 Lodge number 8, a 1950s Griswold numbers 9 and 6.
They all were given to me, I stripped the crud out and re-seasoned them. I'll get another 100 years out of the Lodge, easily.
Then you didn’t do your seasoning right.
What are the ingredients in that cast iron protectant you use? Thanks
: )Tyler
I used this tool to sand down my new skillet...took a while but worked great. I then seasoned it with flaxoil. Smooth, glasslike surface! Thanks for the tip!
P.S. if your pan can't go into the oven (wooden handle) don't sand down the sides...it's hard to get them hot enough on a stovetop for the oil to polimerize all the way up to the rim.
Rara Avis why can't you put a wooden handle in the oven?
GWHAWK87 It says so on the website. They have modells with both wooden and metall handles...I choose the wooden handle for convenience with stovetop use...doesn't get hot, easier to lift...I have a nice big cast iron casserole with ceramic finishing which I use for stews and roasts and such.
Skeppshult pans come preseasoned and I didn't expect to have to mess with them...they are pretty expensive...but I ended up not liking the rough surface.
I didn't want to risk charring the handle though!
Rara Avis I just did this to two of my Lodge pans and used flax oil. After the first use the seasoning is flaking and rubbing right off. I’m afraid it’s not sticking because it’s so smooth and I’m worried they’re ruined!
[Terra]cotta Paste Uh, that sucks! Maybe you didn't heat them up high enough? It's pretty scary, when they start to smoke and all, I had to force myself not to turn off the heat too soon myself.
I let the pan heat up pretty slowly...2min low setting, 2 min medium setting, 2 min medium to high, and then all the way up till there was visible blackening going on. Then I let it cool down for 10 min or so before I started again. And I did this on ceran stovetop on a field slightly larger than the pan, to provide even heat all over the bottom of the pan.
It's my first ever real cast iron pan though, so I don't really know what to advice otherwise 😯.
Maybe post a seperate comment and hopefully someone else can help. Or just try a different approach. There are plenty of different methods, maybe some work better with certain pans...
Thanks for the response! I put them in the oven on 550 for an hour and then let them cool in the oven for two hours in-between oilings. Did six coats. I read elsewhere that someone else had the same problem and it's probably because the surface is too smooth for the oil to stick. I'm just going to keep using them and hope the seasoning builds back up on it's own.
I have a 12” like that, bought it 20 years ago. Mine is like glass, but it’s from the seasoning.
I bought a lodge 10 1/4” cast iron skillet. It was preseasons but rough on the inside. I seasoned it again and put too much oil in the skillet the baked it for one hour. What can I do to get it smooth?
@@lindafuller4542 just cook with it it’ll all burn off. Or you might be able to heat it up again and wipe off the excess once it’s hot enough to wipe off
@@lindafuller4542 just keep using it
@@lindafuller4542 season it again but this time turn it upside down and put a drip tray underneath it, the way you were supposed to do it in the first place.
@@gusf8451 you don’t need to put it upside down if you wipe the oil out before you put it in. You’ll live longer if you’re not such a Richard. 😉
Great idea to smooth the surface. I never knew it could be done. Thanks for a great video.
Why the Scotch Brite wasn't used between the go-around thingies and the pan's surfaces for the final finishing is a mystery.
Since any decent pan, when new, is fairly consistent in thickness (the bottom plate, proper, and the height --and, therefore, level -- of that surface up from the presumed-to-be dead level stove-top or element), then polishing a pan's cooking surface should be done in such a way that the entire surface is treated in a fairly uniform way. Even treatment will ensure uniform -- albeit slight -- changes to the thickness and, therefore, heat distribution. If you set things up well, you can polish to a mirror-bright finish -- or stop along the way and leave some 'tooth', according to taste.
Since the pan is round, it's a good candidate, when applying machines such as a drill, orbital sander, or angle grinder, to be a participant in the process of changing the cooking surface from factory to any other arbitrary surface.
Secure a lazy susan bearing ring (9" or 12") to a solid surface; center the pan on the ring with double-sided tape; put magnets (neo-dymium, preferably) on the outside, opposite the handle, to balance the small extra mass in the handle; run the tool and abrasive surface over the pan bottom lightly, working from the outside edge inward, holding the edge of the abrasive disc in such a way that the contact patch is a crescent shape aligned tangentially to the disc of the pan bottom; as the pan turns -- and you can regulate the speed by altering the contact patch alignment away from tangential -- move the contact patch toward the center of the pan; and, repeat as necessary -- possibly moving through various abrasive grits -- until you've arrived at the desired finish.
Someone in these comments suggested that manufacturers provide two finishes for their new CIC. I don't disagree, but suggest instead that they provide it as a custom option, _at no additional cost_ and _arranged for pick-up through retail channels_ . Give the customer what they want.
I'd like to see CIC sold with some indication of how dead-flat _and_ dead-level pot/pan bottoms are when shipped. I can see arguments for introducing _slight_ concavity or _slight_ convexity to pan bottoms according to user preference. Dead-flat and dead-level should be the manufacturing standard, though, as this does not violate the principle of least surprise.
I'll definitely be doing this to my lodge, the stock coating sticks like crazy
Here's my tip: throw your Lodge skillet in the garbage and buy a vintage one with a smooth cooking surface. It's a great hack.
@@lordmonty9421 -- The problem with buying a "vintage" skillet is that you don't know what it has been used for previously... I reload my own ammo and cast my own bullets... It is common to use cast iron cookware when either melting the lead for casting the bullets or when smelting the lead scraps (wheelweights, etc) to refine into a more pure alloy for casting into smaller ingots that will be used in your electric casting furnace... I'm pretty sure that I could clean up my cast iron smelting dutch oven to the point where it would not be possible for you to know that it had been used with lead by just looking at it, but you wouldn't probably want to be using it for food... Of course, I don't use any vintage skillets for lead and instead just bought one of the cheap imported brands at Academy, but many reloaders will just use whatever they find at garage sales which sometimes might be a good brand of cast iron cookware that just needs to be restored instead of being used with lead...
@@jakeblanton6853 Yeah, that's an interesting point, and one I hadn't really considered. Though while it's definitely within the realm of possibility, it's....not terribly likely.
Guys who are thrifty enough to reload usually know a thing or two about good cast iron. That doesn't keep them from being so thrifty they might try and refurbish a piece they use to melt lead for a sale, but...I think even they would agree the work wouldn't be worth the payout.
But, you never know.
@@lordmonty9421 -- More likely the guy who reloads dies (because we're often a bunch of old farts), his wife sells all his stuff for what he *told* her he paid for them, and then the next owner who is not a reloader and has no idea what it was used for decides to refurbish the cast iron pan for a quick buck and resell it to someone who is even less aware of its history... I'm not particularly concerned with elevated lead levels from my casting activities, but I'm not going to use a piece of cookware that has been used to smelt lead for food either... Better safe than sorry...
i use this disc on all my cast iron pieces. the cheap Chinese pans are very very rough all over. a 15 min smoothing with the avanti pro disc ensures the surface is slick and the pan bottom doesnt scratch the glass too stove.
I have 4 cast iron pans.....3 smooth and 1 real rough....the rough one is the one that sticks the least. And i season them all often !
Yeah I guess if they are too smooth, the seasoning can't accumulate anywhere. There must be a sweet spot halfway between rough and shiny.
For those of us who are long-time metal workers this is a bit funny. Use a 4 or 4 1/2/ inch angle grinder with a backing pad and 60 grit pad, or perhaps a flap wheel, smooth as a babies bottom in less than five minutes. Finish with a 3/4 worn out pad if you're particular. If you don't have one, you can get a Harbour Freight, et. al. grinder for about $15, it will do the job well and be a handy investment for a "homeowner" in the future.
The problem is that the cheap cast iron is not a uniform density and is not flat to begin with. Grinding smooths the surface but doesn't deal with the straightness of the bottom. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it smooth. Just sayin'.
Ur right exactly what I did , fitter welder ,flap disc on metabo ,till smooth as glass , now high quality like a cross wold, new skillets need some work
I don't know that my pans were turned on a lathe, only that they appear to have been. i'm fairly sure the machining was done at the factory. My good fry pans are Griswold, manufactured between 1910 and 1925 and show very similar machining, honing patterns. The outsides of the pans are also very smooth. The sand used was extremely fine, not like the crap that is used today.
@justthinken1 A cast iron pan could easily be put in a lathe safely. Toe clamped to a face plate. You would need a large lathe to swing the handle however.
Your average home machinist could do it with a fly cutter, pan toe clamped on rotary table on a milling machine. You could tip the head of a vertical mill to get the sides of the pan, removing one toe clamp at a time as it would interfere with the spindle, and replacing the previously removed toe clamp. Really not a difficult job, just sayin
@justthinken1 What you said is "I can tell you there is no way to put a cast iron skillet on a ''lathe'' " What I described certainly can be done, and done safely. I didn't say it was faster, I didn't say it was more practical, I said it was possible and not that difficult. It's just tedious . Obviously you would indicate it on the face plate, shim between the pan and faceplate as needed, and would want to affix at least 3 clamps or t-nuts as stops butted up against the side of the pan after it was indicated and clamped down. This would prevent it from being able to walk off the face plate. If you were a home machinist, I would hope you would at least have a lathe or a mill, kind of the right of passage to a machine shop. The lathe setup would be more involved, that's why I said your average home machinist could mill it with a rotary table. It's far more practical to grind it, that's what I would do, but it's definitely possible to machine it. And yes I've cut cast Iron. I worked for years as a machinist before becoming a manufacturing engineer. I currently work on improving automated machining cutting nodular iron to tolerances of less than half a thou. We are well past the skin of the casting however. Depending on how chilled the surface of the pan is you may not be able to get deep enough for a good cut. That's up to the foundry. A tool post grinder would work if the iron was chilled.
So getting back to your original statement that I rebutted, yes, it is possible to machine it.
I used a flap disc and a random orbit sander like you on my 10" Lodge skillet. I took the time to grind out most of the pits except a few deep ones. It looked like a mirror when I was done. I also cut off the helping handle that says Lodge and ground off the logo on the bottom. That lightened the pan and also made it my own. I did the same to my 12" and also cut 1" from the sides making it only 1" deep now. The lowered sides makes it easier to get a spatula in it when the food is crowded in the pan. The last time I used it, I cooked 4 sausage patties and 3 eggs in it. Nothing stuck! I cleaned the pan with only paper towels when I was done. I am hooked on cast iron.
The problem is that cast iron castings are not flat or of uniform density. The best way is to turn it on a lathe, then stone it.
I have and use a Lodge 12, 10. & 8 inch cast iron skillet. They are seasoned well. None of the needed work, from the factory all an nearly non stick, not sure what people are doing to have issues, but strongly suggest they are not well seasoned and they have them too hot. Dial it down and season them 5-7 times and they are good forever. I bake mine in the gas Bbq upside down with canola oil.
I have several lodge products and have never come to the point to where I needed a power tool to get smooth surfaces. High heat, solid oil,salt and paper towels. Keep it simple
Man, what a bit of beautiful brassy skillet! That old gold color is really amazing!
I look for old Lodge or Griswolds at the antique stores or look at new Field Company or Stargazer skillets.
I bought two Lodge cast Iron cook ware pieces, one was a skillet, the other a round griddle. The round griddle, I had no problem cooking with it.. like seasoning went good and everything. Cook on it no problem. THAT SKILLET THOUGH. . . I did like yourself, I got out the powertools and sanded it down.. lmfao.
I'm only on youtube because I was curious if others had the same issues.. looks like that's the case.
i just use a stainless steel scrubber to take out the rough bumps, wash, and then cook a few eggs and throw out the eggs, then i run hot water to rinse the pan and give it a little scrub and rewash and then cook with low heat for the first few meals, i don't go out of my way to season cookware , it works for me
I bought my 10 inch Lodge 2 years ago, I seasoned it 3 times and never had to re-season it. It's not smooth like glass but it's nevertheless non-stick almost like Teflon.
I really love the rough finish, because it keeps the food in place and I don't have to chase it with the spatula when I wanna flip it.
What is your process may I ask? I’ve had two lodge pans and I never got the commercial seasoning to be very non stick. And after many months it begins to flake off.
@@mablebird5026 I'll share what I've done that works flawlessly:
1. Use 40 or 60 grit on a sanding mouse and take off the high points of the rough areas (like 10 minutes of work). Like an orange peel texture.
2. Season 3 times with grape or flaxseed oil...super thin/light coating and heat at 450 for 45 mins...let cool to warm in between.
3. That's it...Easy to clean/scrape anything off. Wipe clean, dry on low heat for like 2 minutes. Thin coat of oil and store.
I have a lot of 50+ year old cast iron that is smooth as glass, but I also have the Lodge skillet in the video. The sanding just makes the surface smooth, not non-stick. My experience with the Lodge you are using is that it will get smooth in a fairly quick time with regular cooking. Bacon grease before and after each use will make a cheap skillet as smooth and non-stick as a 60 year old skillet or a brand new $200 "Butter Pat" skillet.
Old skillets came pre polished from the lodge factory.
I absolutely agree, a smooth cast iron pan is the best. I imagine Lodge has a reason for making them with pebbled surfaces, but it escapes me. I would suggest cutting a larger piece of scotch-brite, and place it on the orbital sander's pad. The sand paper will hold it in place fairly well, and you can be more effective on polishing the sides, and especially the bottom, for a smoother contact with your cook top.
It's not complicated. Coarse sand is cheap. Fine sand is expensive. Skip the Lodge and pick up a Griswold off Ebay. They're cast with very very fine sand and most are machined on the inside. You should be able to see your reflection in the bottom of the pan. I no longer waste my time trying to salvage a brand new pan. A 60 year old pan will cost about twice as much, but will last a lifetime
@@stevehanson279 Skip the Griswold, and get whatever skillet you want.
@@stevehanson279 Any cast iron skillet will last a lifetime, if properly cared for.
I dont have the grill or an oven so what shoyld i do ? Can i just start cooking on it as it came from the store or can i sand it and remove their seasoning and just pour some bit of olive oil on it while is hot on the stove rub around and cook some bacon ??
You dont need to smooth the pan with power tools however that is faster. I have the exact same pan i cook literaly everything with it and i have never had a problem with sticking. As you use and season the pan, the oils will fill the poors in the casting, it just takes time and a lot of love lol
I just recently added a 12 inch Lodge to my cast iron collection. That purchase was overdue.
I was wondering how smooth to get my new pans and you helped me with the answer. I stopped working on mine cause I hadn’t seen someone else take it back to the iron. Mine were really rough by my thoughts, but you did it down to smooth, even did some fine sanding and that’s what I’ll do. Thank you for your nice video.
It's not good to sand it like this guy did. Cast is porous and textured to hold the seasoning. Sanding it will ruin your skillet and cause the seasoning to flake off. The only way to fix it is to have it shot peened. If you properly season it there's no reason to sand it.
@@engineclinic I saw this video and it made me cringe cast iron is supposed to be rough otherwise they would have machined it good for speaking up Mike I even saw some people questioning the quality I love my Lodge there just like old timers
cast iron is addicting. my collection is 20 pc's i have accumulated over 50 years. people admire my griswalds and wagners, but the pan i use daily for everything is a 9'' 1800's unmarked antique with the pour mark and heat ring on the bottom. it even has a crack on the bottom and a crack on the side by the handle. it has seen some use! the old lady who gave it to me told me it was a good pan. she prolly thought i would throw it away, much less ever use it. the bottom crack used to ooze a bit of oil, but i don't deep fry and lately i haven't noticed any oil leakage, the crack seems to have sealed from use. why i use it is because it is far lighter than the others and it holds everything i put in it. i use it with a glass top and can get an onion, garlic, 1/4 head of cabbage, half a microwaved sweet potato, cup of cooked rice, cheese and 2 eggs all at once! i cook that in stages, when the garlic, cabbage and onions cook down i add the rest, and that's breakfast. as soon is i finish cooking i scour it under running water about 10 seconds with a stainless steel springy pad and its clean and shiny ready to cook another meal. now i just made myself hungry..
Bob S 20 pcs.. pffft... my mother has about 500.
@@travisleach5916 What is she going to do with 500 pcs much less 50. Sell 490 of them. That's just hording. Get a pan from the 70's or before and you won't have to worry about seasoning - ever! I use an unbranded every day thats probably 50 yrs old at most. Never season it. Works perfectly. Doesn't even have to be a Griswold or Wagner. Please don't make this more complicated than it is. I've got 6 cast pcs and never spent more than 12 bucks from a thrift store on them. Also, most people think their pans are alot older than they are.
I’ve never had a problem with my cast iron skillets, never have tried to make them smooth. Just season every time after using.
You may have older cast iron. The newer cast iron pans come seasoned from the manufacturer because the manufacturer thought it would be better for consumers. Many consumers are not happy about the way the pre-seasoned pans perform and take them down to a "smooth" finish in order to season them the old fashioned way.
@@BriteTap That's why the very first thing I do with new cast iron is put it in the oven with the self clean cycle to burn off the factory seasoning. Then I season them with my own. They come out perfect. All 50 pieces
I've never had a problem with the new ones either but I like to season them myself so I burn off the factory seasoning and do my own. They work fine. No need for anything else.
@@jburr36 how do you burn off the factory seasoning?
@@jakoreian Jake, I put the cast iron in a oven and run the self clean cycle for about 4 hours. They come out bare metal.
Keep in mind that the cast iron will start rusting almost immediately. What I do is use a green scrub pad and some of the oil I use for new seasoning and scrub off the rust with the oil.
Don't use soap and water. Only the oil. Wipe it off with paper towels. I use the blue shop ones because they don't fall apart as much.
You basically have your fresh layer of oil on the cast iron. I put it in the oven on 460 for an hour. Rinse and repeat about 4 times or so.
I've had no trouble with mine sticking. Then again, I washed mine with soapy water and then seasoned it a few more times.
I burned factory "seasoning" off with a torch....I mean I had the whole pan glowing. After it cooled, wire wheel to clean all residue off. After, later off peanut oil, in the oven at 400 for 2 hours, let cool to touch, peanut oil again, another 2 hours at 400. Let cool then ran oil+head process 2 more times on my pot Pit Boss pellet cooker 2 more times. Slick and black solid seasoned surface.
as far as I know the numorous bumpy things on the surface can grap oil when it got heat. and ongoing use of the pan can make shiny and glassy surface you want to make.
I just bought this Lodge 12" skillet a couple weeks ago .. I used it for the first time the other night .. I washed it with soap and water before using it then put it on the stove and heated it on below medium heat setting for about 10 minutes then cooked with it .. Nothing stuck and cleaned up with soap and water .. I applied a thin coat of oil to it wiping the excess off with paper towels .. Looks as good as before I cooked on it... PS it was made in the U.S. .. I've seen some made in China
Lodge is fantastic, and the low price makes it even better. I some expensive Finex and I prefer to use my cheap and heavy Lodge skillets as they just work better and retain heat and cook evenly. Tough to beat Lodge.
I hate new cast-iron skillets. I like the old slick bottom! Been looking for how to smooth out a couple new ones gave me. I won't use them as is.
Appreciate finding this video!!!
would 600 grit polish that pan like glass of would it be over kill ? Great video Brother!
Great job! Amazing! :) I think the little remaining texture would help the seasoning stick to it. (a good thing)
Thanks for sharing, had to chuckle when I saw the air hose, I have the same "Flex" hose and curse it every time I have to roll it back up, I use it for my goto for my air nailers, but yeah, it twists like a snake.
Lodge back in the day used to make nice smooth cooking surface skillets. But that was when they had to compete with the giants like Wagner, Griswold and BSR etc. Today they're about pushing product out not quality.
I have three Lodge Chef Collection pans, the 8", 10" and the 12". Cooked with them for a few months and now all three are well seasoned and smooth. Very nice pans.
I disagree.
Still high quality, just not perfect out of the box.
I do not imagine my new cast iron pans breaking in the next 500 years if not left to rust.
I found this method in 2016. It works well. I’ve opted from using the sandpaper as it almost makes it too smooth and more difficult to take seasoning. I’ve shared as much as I I’m asked.
This looks great! Would those Avanti Quick-Strip attachments work to smooth out the outside of an iron tub? I would like to smooth out all the imperfections.
Thanks for the great video. I am wondering if you put water in the pan and use those tools since they're not high voltage Electric that that could keep the dust down and keep your paper from loading up or your grinding wheel.
All high quality cast iron pans have a glassy smooth surface. Vintage pans are always smooth. The bumpy, coarse surface of the Lodge pans are not ideal for taking molecularization (the process of seasoning). It's not an opinion of how you like your momma's food or "just cook in it". Literally science.
You mean polymerization...and The Lodge ones do it fine...I have an old Griswold that is smooth, and a bunch of 10 yr old Lodges..they both are glassy smooth with polymerized seasoning...and both cook exactly the same. I got a set of the fancy/overpriced Finex last year and they are smooth..and the seasoning constantly flakes off...plus they are lighter (a selling point these boutique CI makers always push) which means there's less iron mass and they therefore don't hold heat as well for searing and even heating. Lodge works better than the fancy ones...at over 1/8 the price. Heavy cast iron is the way to go.
@@90whatever Lodge stopped sanding their pans some time ago. They used to. Now they don't. A new lodge pan feels like a truck bed liner and it takes a lot of seasoning to get that smooth, if even possible. I spent hours and hours and hours doing every trick in the book and still have sub-par smoothness on mine. Not to mention a pain to clean constantly. My in-laws on the other hand have an old Griswold that they never season, never use salt or any other method except a simple wash with soap and a sponge (yes, soap), and that thing can fry up a delicious hot egg like a champ. It's not a miracle lodge pans are 1/8 of the price. Maybe the old ones aren't bad.
@@tylermcmichael8515 strange. I have an 80 yr old Wagner that is glass smooth and my Lodges are more non stick. And just about as smooth with the seasoning over the last few yra. In fact I prefer the Lodges as they are heavier. Seasoning didn't take to the smooth Finex I had as good as the Lodges. You might not be doing something right. My Lodges aren't old either.
@Bob Watters The first thing I with the nice heavy Lodge skillets was run 120 grit on a sander all over it for about 10 mins...Got an orange-peel texture...then seasoned it 6 times with grape seed oil. That was some years ago and it became glass smooth pretty quickly. The mass/heaviness makes for great heating and searing. If you have to move the skillet around a lot it isnt' a good choice as it is heavy but if you're mostly using a spatula you can't do much better, especially for the price.
I was surprised by Target's selection of Lodge skillets, griddles etc.
Dunham's Sports and Bed Bath and Beyond got Chinese products.
When a pan is new from the factory it's just seasoned enough not to rust. You need to oven season is a bunch, filling in those pits, making it smoother. When you sand the pan you destroy the surface on a micro and mini level. Seasoning will not stick as good. The rough surface of a new pan is a good thing. Just as long as it doesn't have too large pits. Any extreme peak you can always sand off.
Can we get a link for your first disc you used from home depot?
“Because I know it’s just gonna piss me off” 😂😂😂😂
Idk why the new pans come this way I have an old Wagner from my Grandma I re-seasoned years ago and it's super smooth and non-stick I love it. Bought a new cast iron from kohl's and seasoned it again even though it was pre-seasoned but it has this bumpy shit and it sticks like a sob. I should sand the finish smooth on my new pan I might now after watching this.
They had to change the manufacturing process because the fine sand that they used to use causes severe lung problems in the workers.
u have to remove the pre season then season it.
What microphone are you using? The sound in this video is great.
Video and audio was recorded and edited by my Samsung Galaxy s8+. I went from Motorola to Samsung Galaxy and immediately noticed the sound quality difference.
@Repairs and Reviews Great video. I have been sanding my Lodge’s by hand with 60-grit 3M sandpaper. I may just say screw it and buy the BARE Stargazer.
I agree the newer lodge pans are too ruff inside. I contacted lodge about this. They only sand blast the pans then do a paint on seasoning. The last one I bought 8 years ago I gave up trying to season out the ruff surfsce and did the same as the video. Sanded mine smooth, washed then reseasoned the pan. The pan has been great since.
Everyone should check out Chuck Wagon Chef Kent Rollins video about "Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware"!!
@Allen Loser If you are Buying The EXACT SAME PAN that your mother bought, then your advise may be right. If you aren't then Maybe, Just Maybe YOU WOULD LEARN SOMETHING IF YOU ARE AN OPEN MINDED PERSON. Otherwise just do what your gonna do and live with the results!!!
He is doing a similar thing getting that pre-seasoning off. I have a lodge i haven't used yet because I haven't taken it off
Flea markets are the best place to find old cast iron. I buy it no matter how rusty they are. I’ve bought sets for a low as 6 dollars. I clean them up really good with oil and a very course salt then burn the crap out of them and then oil it again.
It is obvious that Lodge makes a fine product!
You're a Lodge employee, right?
No
I haven't had the same experience with cooking on a factory new Lodge pan. The rough surface on mine is more of a pebbled surface, and food doesn't stick to them, when properly oiled.
I've been using the same 12" cast iron lodge Pan for 20 years and when I bought it it was a little rough but now it is smooth as glass never once sanded it
So how many years into it that it became smooth as glass?
Does that mean you ate some of the pan ?
Mine is terribly rough. I'm thinking of returning it since I don't have a sander! Nevermind purchasing something that needs all that work! How long before it became smooth in your case?
@@joew4202 Yep, that's how cast iron works. I've heard doctors recommend cooking with cast iron cookware if you're anemic.
If seasoned properly you shouldn’t need to go through this. I use flaxseed oil and heat the oven up to 400. Use a lint free towel and rub the pan down with the oil and bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and leave the pan in until it comes down to room temperature. I do this five times and then I’m good to go. The oil fills in all the pours and adheres to the iron and leaves you with a fantastic cooking surface. Basic maintenance after that!
Thank you
I just season mines in the oven 3 r 4 times 🙃 even the ones from target Walmart dollar general. Never want to do all of that thxs 4 showing yr way,,,
I can understand why people do this, but after owning and using several Lodge pans I've never found a need to do this. Like with a stainless steel pan, food will let go when it is ready to. Plus I find I like the texture as it keeps the food in place better when I slide the spatula underneath. I hate having to chase sliding stuff around a pan just because I want to flip it.
DefMunkyYT There are also some cooking methods where you want the food to stick a little and leave bits behind. That’s how you make pan sauces.
The only thing I noticed is that if you are cooking delicate foods like mushrooms it will grind them into little bits if you aren't careful when stirring. But I will NOT be sanding my skillets
I agree with you...I'm new to cast iron and cooking period.. I just cant see myself grinding the pot down to a smooth finish...It'll get there naturally!
@alternate account Thanks so much for that information...Helps me out a lot! I appreciate it! Have a nice holiday!!!!!
yeah, but i'd recommend a stainless steel pan for that. that's what the pros prefer. @@karlrovey6580
No problem about iron dust, we all have masks now.
lol
And we all know how to cook now
I use a flap-disk on a mini angle grinder. I only grind the cooking surface. My Lodge pans work great.
Really like this idea
mine is so old that from 100+ years of use its glass smooth ,, my tip is really simple sesame oil
its thicker and doesnt have palm oil as the cast iron paste does .. i recently moved so my heavy cast irons are packed but i any one wants i can do a vid of it
twice rendered bear grease, is perfect for seasoning. put the pan in the coals of a campfire, then when it is really hot smear it inside and out, set it aside to cool, on a rough pan you might need to do it a couple times, but in the end you have a perfectly seasoned do it all pan.
It helps to understand "smoke points" of various oils.; low temps to high. Cooking works better when you know a bit about the science and chemistry of it. There are charts that can help.
The hundred year old ones were smooth from the get go, time and use had nothing to do with it
I find lard (I use non-hydrogenated lard from pastured hogs) works better than any other oil and is less inclined to gum up.
The old iron pans where smooth on the inside. You could see machining marks on it. The manufactures omitted the final machining. Polished is just as bad as the ruff casting. Smooth yes polished not!
I see a lot of these videos, but I haven’t had a problem with any of my Lodge cast iron pans. I cook eggs, steaks, bacon etc. temperature and oil are the key.
I got 2 of my Lodge skillets super smooth. But now the seasoning won't stick. I've tried flaxseed oil 3 times. 1st with moderate heat on the stove then in the oven at 375 fir 30 minutes, eventually it started peeling off. Took it back down to bare metal and seasoned it with high heat, it peeled again. Then I did the whole process again with low heat. I did it at least 3 more times with canola oil. I have plenty cast iron skillets, baking dishes, and meatloaf pans. I'm only having trouble with the two I got super smooth.
mine does that if i put the oil on too thick. i never got it the way i wanted till i watched a wok seasoning video. they are slick to start with.
@@howardfrankfort, I tried putting it on thin, very thin. Last time I thought I had it perfect, worked great for about 4-5 weeks then one little spec came off and it started peeling off again.
A note of caution to everyone...if you do this to your pan, dont be suprised if the seasoning has a hard time sticking.
Youll notice it flaking off, even with very mild cleaning. With that said, its easy enough to correct. Even with
a single coat of sessoning, you can get a great nonstic surface.
I decided to try polishing/sanding again but this time I did it gradually. I started with a new pan,
sanded with 200 grit, seasoned it, tried the egg test & had moderate success.
I sanded the seasoned pan some more with the 200 grit. Seasoned it again, *AND* now works great! Passed the egg test.
The seasoning sticks, its durrable as hell, & (if you care about this...) the pan surface is black.
Not the copper brown color you get fom seasoning polished cast iton.
Nope...it is Lodge cookware that flakes all the time. Seasoning will infuse into the smooth surface properly. The smoother the better yet Lodge has no reason to make their pans better...they still sell Ask you great grandma what she thinks of a rough cooking surface...
@@geraldhenrickson7472 she said season it and it will be fine.
Thrice rendered hummingbird lard is the ultimate cast iron seasoning- nothing else comes close!
@Flatus Antiquitous Nothing else comes close, but I'll stop. I still have some Dodo lard left.
@@chuckcurtin I'm partial to human lard myself
Chuck before you use the hummingbird lard you should wash the pan very thoroughly with prop wash, which you can get at a small local airport.
How many hummingbirds have to die to get 1oz of lard. I'm reporting you to PETA save the hummingbird 😜😜
Not to kill your joke, but Flax oil is the right oil for a very empirical scientific reason.
First! Can't wait to get my own cast iron skiller and make me some eggs
Hi there,
how would you season enameled skillet ? would it be the same way or we cant drop it in the oven ? thank u
Enamel does not need seasoning. Enamel is the coating.
whoah! your audio is amazingly eerie...s
vincent buaya was listening with my headphones & thought he was in the room with me.
Yes cowboy Kent rocks. I’ll be using a mouse sander like Kent did. You need to go deeper.
Much much deeper.
Sure this works if you want "right now" results. My almost 5 year old lodge pan is almost smooth as glass from normal use. So is my dutch oven. I have a bunch of current production lodge, and several Birmingham Stove and Range from the 40's - 50's. They all work the same. Just use the crap out of them
Maybe you can post a picture of your reflection int he pan?
6:46 You should definitely be wearing a mask. A fan blowing in one direction in a ventilated place is only going to create a turbulent environment, but you're getting a ton of small particles in the air near where you're stripping/sanding. Wear goggles as well.
scotch brite makes a ball that you can use in your drill. it works faster and i feel better than a pad on the side walls of the pan. Also a bit of trivia about why the pans are rough it makes the factory seasoning stick faster and better. i feel this is a mistake but the manufacturer is trying to do it cheaper and faster.
It's not for them to make it stick better in the factory it just costs them more to polish the skillets, when you buy expensive or old cast iron it's almost always smooth
I found that the rough surface holds and traps built up grease.. and hardens in the valleys of the cast.. making it much more non stick and better protection when storing
Agree. I actually prefer the rough surface, giving it a grill-pan like feature.
You’re really making more work than necessary. I’ve got the same cookware and mine smoothed out just by using it.
I know exactly what you mean ...cause im so pissed off at my new 12 Lodge skillet. The second time i used it i couldn't get it clean. So Im off to Home Depot to buy these items to salvage my new pan i hope. Im an old lady so i hope im strong enough for this project. When did Lodge start making their pans so rough? The lable covered the surface so I didnt notice the change til I was home with this piece of crap. Thanks for the fix info
Don’t you have problems getting the seasoning to stick right after using that drill??
You just wash it with a little bit soap or DAWN. After you clean it , you use paper towel to dry it thoroughly and then put it on the cooktop. Using small-midi fire to dry it thoroughly meanwhile put some cooking oil with a paper towel to wipe the whole body of the cast iron pan twice. Then turn off the fire; let the oil get into the pan completely.
That is, you are done.
Please do not put the cast iron pan in dishwasher after you use it. Just use the above way to clean it and maintain it.
I've never had a problem with the Lodge finish.
I had an antique lodge with a smooth interior. The handle broke off after it hit a brick floor. The replacement with the as cast finish is NOT the same as far as non-stickines.....even after years of use...
Nancy Jane why didn’t you just have a blacksmith weld the handle back on?
@@drigondii Cast Iron is difficult to weld not impossible but not easy. You also don't need a blacksmith to be able to weld. You just need a welding machine. But as I say welding cast iron can be a challenge depending on where the joint broke.
@@nancyjane285 I don't have an old one to compare it to, and I've only just gotten into using cast iron this year, but my new lodge seems to be getting very nonstick with grapeseed oil after just 2-3 months of use. does it really make that big of a difference? ill do an egg test on mine soon and if it doesn't do well, maybe I'll see about smoothing it out. the lodge was pretty terrible at first, but lately it seems great, though I've only cooked chicken and burgers really
@@drigondii cast iron is not like regular metal, it's very brittle and can crack easily in extreme temp changes and it's because of these qualities that it can be difficult to repair
FYI you can buy pads for your sander that will allow you to use that scuff pad on the sander.
Ghee butter is the healthiest option to fry with. Much healthier than any seed oil. And it has a high smoke point. I'm not sure if it's good to season with. Going to look it up
The oil used to season cast iron should be a 'Drying' oil, like raw linseed (flaxseed) oil, avocado oil, or cottonseed oil. drying oils will polymerize and become a tough, hard coating. Many vegetable oils will just get sticky and go rancid. Olive oil does NOT polymerize.
correct!...at last someone who knows the science...
Actuall Pam works great, after a wash, put it on hot surface spray a little pam, rub it in with paper towel, works great, I have no sticking problems.
All I've ever used to season my cast iron is bacon grease. Heat it till it starts to smoke and then let it cool, repeat as needed.
I did the same thing with just an angle grinder. Makes a mess, though. Iron dust everywhere.
I'm a chef and use cast all the time. All I do to season is veg oil and salt. Heat till smoking. Pour off oil. Then some elbow grease with a rag to grind it in. Then rinse with hot water. Then heat again with oil on paper towel to coat the cast. Then use a oven after to heat the cast to finish setting the seasoning.
Your first pad is clogged up with whatever seasoning they use and not the iron. A good scrubbing with a steel wool pad (SOS or Brillo) would get the coating they put on off. Happy cooking!!!