🍳EXTREME Polish - Smooth a Cast Iron Pan to Reproduce an Antique Skillet then take it way beyond
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- Apr 15th, 2020 - This pan makes another appearance, this time to fix the problems with this pan.
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In this video I take a rough textured cast iron skillet and attempt to reproduce the finish of an old pan. I also take it to the extreme and polish the surface to a mirror to see if it will perform better.
The idea is to be able to figure out whether a smooth surface performs better than a rough one on a new skillet, and if smooth works, how does extremely smooth perform.
0:00 - Overview
0:45 - A bit about the Lagostina 10" Cast Iron Skillet
1:37 - Prepare the Skillet
1:56 - Explain process
2:16 - Sanding
2:31 - Sanding results to 220 grit
2:45 - Extreme process prep
3:13 - Explain Polishing Process
3:40 - Sanding at 600 grit
3:45 - Questions for viewers
4:24 - Sanding at 2000 grit
4:39 - 0000 Steel Wool Polish
5:04 - Strop Overview
5:20 - Polish
5:39 - Results of Polish
6:00 - Prep for Seasoning
6:14 - Seasoning Results
6:56 - Temperature Readings
7:38 - Test Prep
7:58 - Test #1
8:24 - Cleaning with Water
8:42 - Test #2
9:03 - Questions and Results
9:49 - Subscribe
10:05 - Questions
Links to seasoning videos
• How to Use Cast Iron: ...
• How to Clean and Seaso...
• Cast Iron Restoration ...
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nice. Lodge is a favourite brand. fairly inexpensive, bought my 30cm pan prologic preseasoned cast iron when I was in Toronto in 2002 or 2003. Still use it, now on induction. I have taken it to 370 C on induction to season it, induction for safety reasons cut off the operation. very very minimal warping but that could have happened on gas too. I used flaxseed oil once (unfortunately and that gave me a very hard time) I regretted using it. I used steel brushes and sanding paper to make it smoother, not as smooth as yours, seasoning doesn't adhere that well.
It seems that the rough surface is creating hot pockets filled with tiny amounts of oil and that prevents food from sticking. Fissler have some stainless steel pans that are actually griddled surface, creating little squares, their marketing stated that the oil is trapped and food does not stick. The downside of the rough surface in cast iron, is that not only seasoning polymerises, from time to time when I run my fingers, the pans gather some dark matter, that is carbonisation and it sometimes is visible on the egg whites. So with a very mild soapy solution that is cleaned up and I don't like the carbonisation. I realised there were no blackening fingers on my de buyer (black iron pans) due to the smooth surface. Care was the same, washing was the same.
Now when people say this a better cast iron, this is not that good, I am sorry I also own non brand ones, they perform the same. The metal alloy is the same, iron and silicon, so the difference is the thickness. Non brand ones are heavier than lodge. We are not comparing enamelled ones, as there is a difference between French staub and le creuset compared with the Chinese enamel.
Very good video. Thanks
I've heard so many people say they love their Lodge CI, it is a great price too of course, but so many people say they hate it. I expect the people that "hate" it just spent too much money and need to justify the purchase by putting down the competition. The handles are a little shorter, they are hefty also, but with induction that probably doesn't matter and no matter which pan I use, the handles heat up beyond the point that I can hold them. Personally I believe that Lodge skillets are made to last and designed not to fail, they are practical pans. Any new pan can be smoothed out easily with sandpaper if anyone doesn't like the rough texture.
As far as the rough finish in regard to non-stick, I'm still testing this out, I've had rough that stick and smooth that stick. I find that a higher cooking temperature helps (maybe the release of steam) the idea of the oil having a place to sit does make sense to me, however many of the smooth pans I have perform very well and they are incredibly easy to clean.. I literally just use the metal spatula and a little paper towel and done.
I've been researching the types of cast iron, and it is an alloy of sorts because there are other little ingredients they add to make it more fluid during the pour, so there are different types, and I suppose you could kind of say that might be related to the quality. My thought here is that one mix of materials is better for a particular purpose than another. In general what you say is what I believe as well. I've only ever cracked one pan, and that was because I accidentally put the burner on high with nothing in the pan, going from 20C to 300C in a matter of a few minutes without heating the entire pan evenly caused a crack.
An interesting subject, I want to learn more about this. Something very cool that I saw recently was the process of hardening the 'ways' of a lathe bed using induction heating in some type of coolant (looked like water) I never knew cast iron could be hardened.
Thanks for the note I appreciate you thoughts on this very much!
"It seems that the rough surface is creating hot pockets filled with tiny amounts of oil "
the metal machining have the same concept too, the metal surfaces needs to be flat but at the same-time have to rough to contain lubricating oil, if your surfaces were too smooth, two contacted metal surfaces will squeeze out the oil, and you won't get the lubricating effect.
The difference in temperature reading is just an error from the infrared thermometer. This instrument is sensible to surface finish. In thermodynamics, it's called the emissivity of a surface. One way you could test it, with the same equipement, would be to stick a piece of tape, or anything non reflective on each section, and mesure that instead. I bet you the temperature is in fact the same everywere on the pan. Try it!
Will do, what do you think would be a good food safe material to test with?
I need a multi-meter desperately, that would be a really useful feature to have. I have a meat thermometer which I'll try, but I don't think the range is high enough, though I could just keep the temperature low since there was a significant difference no matter the high or lower temps. I wanted to try using something on the pan like a small piece of thin metal, maybe a cross section of a piece of steel rod. Then the sheen would be identical for each piece. I wonder if turning the lights off and taking a measurement in the dark would help.
I'd prefer not to do the "old-school" how long can you hold your finger on it....
I appreciate your input on this, this is pretty cool stuff.
Makes sense, I had been hanging onto a heat shield from an old computer monitor, it's black and fairly thin (0.5mm) that could work. I still like the meat thermometer idea though.
I'm struggling with the readings still, I've tried thin pieces of paper, parchment paper, and computer monitor heat shield, and the original rough finish is still reading much higher. I'm going to check the skillet for a perfectly flat bottom and see whether that may be contributing to the false readings.
Try flipping it over and get a reading from the bottom of the pan since you haven't changed the finish there
Just a tip from someone who has been doing this for decades...I've modified a number of rough cast iron pans and griddles with super success using only 80 grit sand paper. The result was a smooth surface, but the 80 grit sanding left a tiny micro-texture to allow the seasoning to get established and not be lifted off by use. Even the Stargazer company realized they had better results by having a tiny micro-texture allowing seasoning to hold. You will love the results...God Bless.
I agree, I followed up with a separate video on the subject as well. A light texture, like sandblasting would probably be perfect. I've boiled vinegar in teh pan first to etch it and that works quite well also. Thanks for taking the time!
Gonna do this with my pan. So 80 grit it is. Not too rough not too smooth
Yep, going past 80 grit has diminishing returns.
Ihave and use a 10” Lodge & Stargazer cast iron skillet. The Lodge holds a seasoning far better. They both work but the Lodge is easier to live with despite the better ergonomics of the Stargazer. Guessing minis pre-microtexture. I seasoned it 7 times and even emailed them when it was new. PITA…
I inherited a Griswold skillet and a Wagner skillet that were both manufactured around 1920. I use one or the other almost every day. Unlike modern cast iron skillets, they are both perfectly flat on the bottom and don't "teeter" on the stove. They too have very slick cooking surfaces. I can only imagine how many great meals were cooked on them before they came to me. They are wonderful skillets. I really treasure them.
The older ones were so much better.
You're mistaken. Modern cast iron skillets absolutely sit flat. I've never seen a new lodge pan that doesn't have a flat bottom. In fact, it's the old vintage skillets that usually wobble/spin. They are thinner and many have been warped over the years.
@@BornIn1500 Not "mistaken" at all.
@@thomassnapp1341most new cast iron pans are as good, and can cook just as good as antiques with minimal effort.
You can buy a $15 pan and sand it with 80 grit, season it a few times and it cooks just as well as a BSR, Wagner, Griswald etc.
I have numerous antiques, and many modern pans. If you want to turn a $15 pan into a $200 dollar pan, spend 15 mins sanding it down with 80 grit.
Hell, I have even done it to my antiques that were heavily rust damaged. Made them good as new....even though collectors that wouldn’t have cooked on them said I ruined them. But I have been cooking on them for decades after saving them from a rusty useless mess.
A useless pan isn’t worth anything to me.
It is the same temperature, The IR thermometer has a worse time with reflective surfaces.
I am an IR newbie, this makes sense, I made a few attempts at adding a different material to the surface, however the readings were still off, not as much, but more time needs to be taken review the temperature reading properly.
Thank you for the comment :)
@@NeedItMakeIt that is fascinating
@Donald Kasper Infrared thermometers have good accuracy when measuring most objects, but shiny, reflective surfaces can be a challenge. ... Putting a piece of non-reflective tape (such as electrical tape) over the shiny surface or applying some flat paint gives you a target from which you can get a better measurement. (From Fluke's IR website)
@@NeedItMakeIt You could always use your meat thermometer and touch the prob to the pan to get the temp. Not as flashy but it'll give better results on shiny surfaces.
@Donald Kasper the black surface would absorb more from an outside source such as the sun or a light bulb, but not from contact from below such as on a burner.
I appreciate your diligence.
Thanks a lot, it is very time consuming to make these videos.
This guy... I subbed because I really like your attention to detail and commitment to hand work and testing. This is a great vid that I’ll share with my cast iron-loving friends.
Thank you very much. Lots of work goes into these videos, I hope to have more time in 2020 for more videos like this one.
The difference in temperature reading is due to the emissivity of the surface being different from a rough to polished surface, rough surfaces have a higher value, eg. rough black iron 0.95, while shiny surfaces can be much lower, eg. polished steel is around 0.07.
Thats interesting
Yep, emissivity but color plays a factor. Black is the color of a material that absorbs all visible wavelengths, white reflects all and bare cast iron is grey. A "black body" is the easiest to measure because it readily emits "black body radiation". I'm not sure if color or roughness is the dominant factor but they are both responsible.
You earned my subscription. Good stuff.
Sir, I liked and subscribed to your channel 10 seconds into your video. It was solely based on how you organized/divided your video into segments in the video description and gave the time so people can skip around as needed. THANK YOU!
That is great feedback, I was doing this and had no idea people were actually using it. I can definitely add this into my newer videos. :)!
Great work, thanks for putting in the amount of time and effort
wet sanding o metal really works, both in quality and time reduction. Great video, thanks!
I bought a set of Lagostina cast iron 2 yrs ago.. I love it
They looks great, they feel solid, but my main issue is the bulge on the inside. Do yours have a 'Belly' so the eggs and oils flow to the perimeter?
Crazy the way these phones listen in. Wife just bought this exact pan last week for $20 at Canadian tire. Upon seeing it, I said it was too rough and proceeded to polish the inside. Turned out great. Certainly did not search up anything related to lagostina, nor grinding a pan, yet this morning, what shows up in my feed? 1984? Yup.
I had the same experience a few weeks ago, a coworker was telling me about a new method of welding pieces of aluminum together, call Friction Stirring. I would never had thought of searching for this and had no idea it existed. That night it showed up on my feed.
I'm going start talking about something I would never have before to see what happens...
BTW, they may have improved this pan's design, but they were manufactured with a bulge in the middle. it might be worth putting a straight edge on the inside to see if you have the same problem as I did. The bottom is also concave by 1/16" and this causes any oils or eggs to move to the outside of the pan.
Also I'm working on a video to fix this right now, but they may have already changed the design because they had a lot of comments from customers on this problem.
I saw that sale also, and I was tempted to buy another, I don't have room for any more!
Yea, I was talking to a friend about her ski trip she took over xmas to Utah last week and i got a ski Utah email two days later.
But nope they are not listening to you! Lol
now wet sand and buff, and you're ready for paint! oh wait.. that's a pan
Hotpockitrockit same thing hit me!
Haha no profile left paint will fall off
Great video, well edited and the narrative is easy to understand.
Thanks for the support. I've been working hard to provide much better audio and visuals on my newer videos as well.
You have amazing super powers! Never seen hands move so fast 😁
Man that was amazing!!!!
Thanks for the comment, much appreciated!
I have a lot of iron skillets, pans and griddles, a mix of Lodge and Griswold all antiques passed down through 3 generations and all are dang good pans. I don't know what anyone has against Lodge, they've stood the test of time for me and mine. Like anything else, if you treat it right, season it and clean it as needed, it'll be here for your great-grandchildren.
I don't understand the prejudice against Lodge either. I have a few really old ones and they work every bit as good as the "expensive" ones...
My lodge is the best of three
Gotta like CT sales eh, lol I bought the 12 inch model a couple weeks ago for $29. I sanded my 12inch Lagostina by hand too, I used a 80 grit then a 120 just to take the roughness / bumps off the thing. I also used a wooden sanding block to make sure I was sanding it flat.
Once it had a few coats of seasoning it was very slippery. Now I use it for all the cooking I do. I have a small no name frying pan from Princess Auto too and a medium 10.25 Wagner that I also smoothed out but it had a machined surface when we bought it new. I used a wire wheel on my cordless drill for the Wagner to start the seasoning process over again because the thing sat on a shelf for 20 years or more and had some rusty spots on it. I really like cooking on the cast iron though... My elderly mom bought the 10 inch model you have and she uses it often also.
Thumbs up! 👍🏼
The smooth surface shows a lower temperature because it is more reflective. The colder environment partially shines through. Same thing happens with thermal cameras.
If you took a temperature measurement by direct contact they would most likely all be the same.
Old mountain makes some beautiful skillets!
Not bad, price is right. They have some rivets also.
what i believe the the reason for the different surfacing between old (smooth) and new (rough) pans is all about seasoning grip as pointed out in a few comments. at some point, i think late 70's, don't quote me on that, manufacturers realised that a rough finished surface was easier to blacken and preseason than a smooth finish, so the entire world cast iron pan industry changed its methods and now we have the modern rough finished pan, and apparently when changing they also thinned out the pans and added a ringed base to strengthen the thinner pans. this is visible by flipping your pan and you will see a ringed bottom instead of the flat smooth bottom like that of the older antique pans. but i might be wrong. but but my old pans (from my mom) are as described and my newer ones (that i have bought) are as described. check out your own and see. also try weighing and older v newer of same diameter and notice the difference in weight. happy cooking folks, oh ps. all my new pans, not my moms, i have sanded and re-seasoned, but i have found that going to a 320 grit (i use Klingspor wet/dry auto-paper) is more than enough, any smoother and you just scratch and damage the surface when cooking. The nonstick is more in the seasoning and oiling rather than the smoothness i think. but i guess you got to get both right to be successful.
Griswold is my favorite pan.. plus they are collectable and only go up in value. Oh and the best part is you have to cook with them to maintain there value.
I've heard a lot about the Griswold pans, do you have a particular model or size that you like to use the most? I've never used one myself; I really enjoy my $10..10" Kitchen-aid, it's just a solid pan that performs so well.
From your experience, do you think that the kind of oil used makes a big difference, or is the seasoning more important or the texture of the surface? Maybe something else?
Thanks for taking the time!
@@NeedItMakeIt What Riley said is true about Griswold. But i prefer late production Wagner pans (last produced in late 80's) with machine finish inside for cooking. i have a 10" and an 8". These pans have Wagner 1891 original cast into the bottom as well as 4 step seasoning instructions cast in.They are not as deep as some of the older Wagners that say Sidney with a number designating their size. My 8" measures 1 and 7/16" deep. The older Wagners and Griswolds are deeper and the Griswolds are of a finer grained (ductile perhaps) iron and have a smooth finish all over whereas the Wagners and others (benjamin Medwin comes to mind) have a cast finish on the underside and on handles. The sides on the late Wagners are sloped a bit compared with the steeper sided older pans. That makes getting my spatula under fried eggs easier when they are right up against the edge. They all can be found on Ebay or if you prefer the hunt, thrift stores and garage/yard sales.
NeedItMakeIt I have nearly fifty Griswold skillets and Dutch ovens and more ,, I use olive oil for seasoning , the pan needs to have its pores open so make sure it’s a little more then warm when you season it , don’t over do it either ! When it comes to cleaning I Initially use water then dry it out and clean with coarse salt and a stainless Scouring pad ,,, my pans are like glass inside ,,, PS. Be careful what oil you use to season if it sits too long it can become rancid , that’s why I use olive oil !
@@NeedItMakeIt Over the years I have acquired a #0, and #3-#9 Griswolds. There is no size I like the most. It depends on what I'm cooking, sizing the pan to the food for the most efficient use of the available heat.
I've been wondering about mirror polishing cast irons for years. Finally a video of it!
Thanks for the comment. I don't think I'd do another mirror polish, there doesn't seem to be much benefit, once the seasoning builds up, you can't see the shine anymore. These are so easy to clean now, I really enjoy cooking bacon in the cast iron now.
I've used an angle grinder with a flap wheel to resurface these. It's a lot less elbow grease than doing it by hand.
For sure, check out my latest video, I use your technique and also built a device to spin the pan at the same time to re-shape the inside of it and smooth it also.
Thanks for the comment!
Exactly....
I did this one of my cheap pans a few years ago to try it out, but I'm lazy and used a synthetic abrasive brush in my drill, and an orbital sander. Anyway, I like the difference. For me, it seems to be seasoning faster, and is more non-stick and much easier to clean. Can't see any drawbacks of doing it.
Thanks, I agree as well. I went too far in this video of course, tonight I'll be releasing a video showing a few more reasonable grits to sand to and 1 very unique surface finish.
I have nothing against people using orbitals etc. The main reason I do this work by hand is because I like to do hand-work, I personally prefer the final product to have some type of variation that you'd see with things made by hand.
Do you have any brands of CI that you prefer?
I have been given a number of the cast iron pan cookie kits. It’s a little three inch griddle, and it’s as rough as a rasp. I go at them with grinders, sand paper, whiz wheels, and a polisher when I hang around the shop after work. They come out fairly decently for something you can only cook a single egg on
I have a small lodge pan, it works really well for a single egg, I do find that even though the handle is small it tends to teeter a little until I add the egg into the pan to counter-balance it.
The handles probably get nice and hot on these small pans too?
Good stuff. Seems like like they should definitely be selling with a glass finish!
I think it'd be hard to resist a finish like that. I've heard that the old ones used to come standard with a smooth finish, but I'm not sure, maybe they became smooth with use over time.
If you have the right equipment smoothing a skillet can be pretty quick (die grinder for example)
Thanks for the comment.
Smithey is a beautiful brand of cast iron skillets. Pricey but very nice quality
This is fantastic! Really great content.
My previous experiences with cast iron have been disastrous, but they were all new and I didn't know any better yet.
This spring I splurged on a quality polished cast iron wok and holy moly this thing is an absolute dream to cook with! I use it for everything. It feels kinda weird to make skillet cornbread in a wok, but I can't bring myself to pay so much for a polished skillet.
This will be a great winter project on a cheapo Lodge, and I'm super glad to know that I can do it fully by hand, without having to buy a grinder.
I do have a drill though, but no idea what I should be looking for in an attachment. Any guidance?
Again, this is such a great video. I love the side-by-side comparison. So cool!
vintage Wagner cast iron pans are cheap. You can pick one up for less than a new Lodge.
I bought a 15" Westinghouse for my wife. It was as rough or rougher than what yours looked like. I took a 60grit flap disk on an angle grinder to it and cleaned it out. Took all the ridges out of it and it now works/looks great.
That's a huge pan, it must weigh quite a bit (good for strength training) the flap disk does work well, I've tried the wire wheel, and it struggled to get through the seasoning, which surprised me, seasoning is pretty tough stuff. I've never heard of the Westinghouse brand, have they been around for a while, or is it new? I see they are available on Amazon right now.
@@NeedItMakeIt Not sure how long they've been making pans, but they've been in business since George Westinghouse founded his Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company in January 8, 1886, which was later renamed to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. Yah, it's a big pan. Pretty much unusable until I hit it with the flap disk, then re-seasoned it. Wife is real happy with it now. Fry an entire chicken in that thing :o)
The difference in temp is due to your reflective surfaces. If you can put something non-reflective on it, you'll get even temps across the entire surface.
I always smooth my cast pan then oil bake them this results in one of the best if not the best pans ever.
What do you mean Oil Brake them?
I have to use the barbecue because it smells up our house quite a bit. I've found that leaving the pan in at 450f for about an hour does a great job in setting a hard seasoning layer. The same concept though, the Stargazer website has a great method that is easy to understand.
I think oil, then bake.
@@NeedItMakeIt Could you elaborate oil, then brake is kind of vague! What do you mean by brake?
@@NMETSGChan
I believe he said Oil Bake.
The simplified (Oil) baking process is:
1. Clean your pan with soap and water, dry immediately
2. Place in the oven at around 200f for about 10-15 minutes (removes any residual moisture and "opens the pores") Note: As far as opening the pores, I'm not sure this is what's really happening, but I can't really prove it either way. In either case it works.
3. Take out and apply a coat of Canola/Veg oil to the surface, apparently the higher the smoke point the better... Canola works great.
4. Wipe off the excess thoroughly. Any drips will show up if you don't catch them now. Some people say to wipe everything off... I personally like to leave a thin coating
5. Preheat oven, or bbq to 450C and place pan back in upside down. Some people say place something below... if you wipe off the oil properly, you don't need to. Also, the pan won't crack because it is being heated evenly.
6. Leave in oven/bbq to bake for 1 hour, this part is very important, the purpose is to cause the oil to polymerize, or convert into a carbon structure, both bonding to the pan, and creating a non-stick water resistance surface. I'm not a chemist, but it is similar to the process of Boiled linseed oil being applied as a furniture finish, just much quicker.
7. Turn the oven/bbq off and leave for an hour or so, this will continue to cure the seasoning so that it is not sticky and it should be hard / black and water repellent when it is finished.
8. If the pan is not seasoned, you'll want to do this at least twice, but the more the better, so it can take a while.
9. Clean and oil the pan and you're ready to go.
Troubleshooting: If the finish isn't very dark, you need to leave it at a high heat for longer, if it is sticky, you've applied too much oil or not enough time in the oven at high heat. If it is blotchy that could be an unclean surface before the oil was applied, or too much oil (pre-heating at 200f) seems to prevent this.
You'll know the process is working when the pan is smoking and smelling up you house... again use a barbecue. Normal cooking on the stove top should not produce smoke, if it does, you are cooking too hot, or your seasoning is not set.
I've been researching this process quite a bit and testing as well. Everyone has their own variation, and many methods work well. This works for me and it can be seen in my latest video on an un-seasoned pan.
I hope this helps!
Growing up my mom had the wooden handle cast iron from Taiwan from back in the 70s. I've slowly started amassing my collection, mainly with pan styles that she doesn't have. I keep trying to convince her to give them up as my parents are retired and don't cook at home anymore. Even went so far as to buy them all.
I saw one with the wooden handle, I was really tempted to buy it, but I figured that seasoning it would be a problem, unless the handle could be removed.
People love their cast iron, they are like children... except they can cook!
@@NeedItMakeIt it varies by manufacturer, but most of mine use a threaded rod with washer to hold the handle on. I usually do a initial seasoning with everything torn down. After that I just stove top season with the handle attached as needed.
If your food sticks, I would do this treatment, but your well seasoned area did wonderful. I did this process with with. New pans, they work great now. I can do eggs well. One of them is a dutch oven. I can stir fry in it, just like if it was a carbon steel wok. The seasoning did took a while.
I'm doing some testing right now on Cast iron and there seem to be quite a few factors involved in prevent sticking. Do you think that temperature plays a role in the non-stick properties also? Do you think a thick layer of seasoning would perform better than a thin layer?
Some of the comments on why the infrared thermometer was measuring different temperatures were close to being correct. Infrared thermometers measure the far infrared light that's being emitted by a surface to determine its temperatures.
Surfaces have a property known as emissivity, this is a measure of how well the surface emits far infrared light. Many properties of the surface can change it's emissivity. Black rough surfaces tend to have a high emissivity which means they emits far infrared light well. Silvery smooth or shiny surfaces tend to have a low emissivity which means they do not emit far infrared light well. Low emissivity surfaces will indicate lower temperatures than high emissivity surfaces at the same temperature. High-end infrared thermometers have an emissivity setting so the thermometer can be calibrated for the particular surface you are measuring. Infrared thermometers are good for non-contact measurements but they're not very accurate. Nothing beats a physical contact measurement.
That is excellent information. I was in the shop last night working on another testing project and I was seeing a similar temperature differential, the rough surface read higher values than the smoother/lighter surfaces.
I agree that a contact measurement method would be better, I have an instant read thermometer, which works great for meat, not so good for hard surfaces.
Thanks for your thoughts on this!
@@NeedItMakeIt Back at university we tested this with a block of aluminum on a stove. The aluminum was everything from sandblasted to polished holed with different diameters and some with thread. Conclusion was that to get an accurate measurement on a surface with an unknown emissivity you want to measure a threaded hole at least three times the depth of the diameter. or use some special tape with a known emissivity.
@@rasmusegeolesen Alright, excellent advice. I had attempted using black thermal paper from a computer months ago. That didn't work because it refused to sit flat on the surface, so I'll go ahead and look up this thermal tape and use this in a follow up test. I may also try to source a direct method of reading temperature. I may have to make something to house an instant-read thermometer, however even that comes with it's own set of problems.
I know that an infrared thermometer will read different from a shiny surface as compared to a mat surface. My question is, how much difference does surface area make? In my lay opinion, the more surface area you have, the higher the temperature. If you sand away the highs aren't you losing surface area?
@@christopherbronson748 it's hard to say how much the emissivity will change for any given physical change to a surface. In order to calibrate your infrared thermometer you're going to have to make a physical measurement with a more accurate contact thermometer. The best way to do this is to make a single contact measurement near the temperature that you intend to measure. Then use your infrared thermometer to measure the temperature. You can use these two temperatures to create a correction factor for your infrared thermometer. As long as you don't change the surface again you should be able to use your infrared thermometer to make more accurate measurements. Although the repeatability of your measurements will depend upon the quality of your infrared thermometer and how closely you're repeating the physical arrangement of your infrared thermometer and the surface your measuring.
Overall infrared thermometers are very limited on how accurate they are. They're really not good for making high accuracy measurements. They can be used for making comparative measurements on surfaces that are similar in situations where it is difficult or impossible to make a contact measurement. They will also give you a rough idea of how hot something is within a few degrees.
Just out of curiosity, why did you finish up with steel wool? IIRC, 0000 steel wool is roughly equivalent to 400 grit sandpaper - if you've already polished to 2000 grit, wouldn't steel wool introduce scratches instead of polishing?
There is different grit of steel wool. Some of it is very very fine and great for polishing
So close to the magic 1k subscribers. Good luck my dude.
Awesome, thank you so much for the support!
The struggle is real.
@@TrollFalcon Especially right now...
Ya, it's disappointing that they changed the rules.
Got a nice collection of old Wagner pans, they are awesome and very non stick. Have some new lodge pans as well, sanded them down partially semi smooth and work quite well. Tend to use my lodge pans for rougher cooks like steaks and burgers to save the beautiful seasoning and nonstick quality of the old smooth skillets.
Very nice, I like the Wagner pans I have, but I wish I had some larger ones. The ones I have are also nice and smooth and very non-stick as well. I have a lodge and I like it, they have a completely different feel than the Wagner pans. A lot of people don't like the lodge, but I don't have anything against them, especially at their price-point.
You'll have to keep an eye out for my next few videos, I've built something that can take a defective new pan and turn it into something that looks like it would cost $100+
Do you have any seasoning tips? Or do you have any common problems that you'd like to see tested in future videos?
Thanks for the note!
I have a Lodge 12 inch pre-seasoned. I threw it in the oven on self-clean to remove all the pre-seasoning, took it to the woodshed for some angle grinding time (wire brush, flapper disk) then sanding sponges. Then it was seasoned with lard.
And how does it cook?
I’m in the middle of stripping/sanding down a couple cast iron pans, and I’m using a couple of different hand sanders. Not the hardest task, but watching you do it by hand, how long did that take you? I’m curious.
the temperature gun (IR) works by sending a lazer beam down and seeing the light bounce back to it. the surface reflectivity can afffect it. for example a mirroir surface will never read right compared to a mat surface.
My favorite pans are the old ones. Have a Wagner from around 1960 that is awesome. Also bought the Lodge brand flat griddle. You can flip it and have a side for steaks or a flat side for bacon works great too. Either use that in the oven or on the oven top. The Lodge stuff is not Griswold but it is not bad and affordable.
I do really like my Wagners, but they are too small, I need the 10" to do any real cooking on it. I'll check out that Lodge griddle, I don't remember seeing that one.
@@NeedItMakeIt Wagner made a 12" pan.
loved the video!
Thanks a lot, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Love my griswolds. If new, the stargazer and the field co. pans are nice.
I'd love a Griswold, I do like the wagner pans, but on the glass cook-top I find that any I find are a little too irregular. Glass cook-tops weren't a thing back then. The machined pans are really nice. I think an investment into an induction top might be a great thing for cast iron, or gas, the electric coil or glass top just don't do them justice. Which type of stove to do you use?
I like to season mine in my pellet grill, makes me feel like I’m cooking flavor into the pan😆. Something I’ve also done is deep dish Chicago style pizza in my pellet grill with the lodge, it’s a home run. My six year old year old takes great pride in making his own in a small skillet...
I have the little cast iron box for smoking on my BBQ, but I don't find it works well at all. I did the same thing with my son a week ago (actually twice) because it was such a hit. We pre-heated the pan in the oven as well and made it a deep dish too! What I found with the cast was that the crust wasn't as crispy as it was with the pizza stone, I wonder if that's because it didn't allow a place for the steam to go, did you have this problem? In either case, the pizza was great, we make 14" pizzas for ourselves and they don't last too long and look very "artistic" or hand-made.
How about a video of making pizza in your pellet grill?
Rub butter all over inside of cast iron skillet & sides, coat butter with fine shredded Parmesan sides as well, place in dough up to top of sides, add lots of mozzarella, add toppings, sauce over toppings, sprinkle Parmesan on sauce. Bake in pellet grill or oven until crust edges are golden brown at 375. Parmesan will caramelize on outer crust with the butter👍🏻 your welcome!!! Or you could just oil the pan....
Cool video, how did you do your seasoning?
I like to season in the Barbecue, unless you have a great exhaust fan or you can open all of your windows, I find this to be the best method.
Here is a link to some good info on seasoning: www.lodgemfg.com/sites/default/files/2019-09/All%20About%20Seasoning_Download_DIGITAL.pdf ,
and here is one to a simple process: stargazercastiron.com/pages/use-care?=page=clean#usecare_tabs3
Many people have told me that you can just season your pans on the stove top, and I have tried it and it works well for just the bottom of the pan, if you need to season the entire pan, you'll want to use the oven or barbecue so you heat the sidewalls also.
I have plans for future videos to show the process in detail as well as explain what exactly is happening, and how to achieve the best final result in the least amount of steps.
I polished several cast iron pans with poor results. Like you they would not hold the seasoning. I eventually had to rough it up with some sand paper to get them to hold it. I eventually came to the conclusion that the rougher surface of the modern skillets hold the seasoning better and hold up better to use with things that need to be boiled.
It makes sense to me now as well. A little bit of rough texture would be the best. I recently finished a follow up video showing how lower grits of sandpaper would hold the seasoning, and along with a good process for apply the coating, each of them worked out very well. It was a neat experiment, but there is no way I'll be polishing another pan, anywhere from 100-220 grits work very well.
I've not really tried to boil anything in my pans, and I don't own any pots, but that might be a good method of testing as well.
Awesome!
Thanks! I have a few more on a related subject coming out within the next 2-3 weeks.
The newer pans with rough surfaces smooth out with use. The "pores" fill over time. I had one newer pan that I wasn't happy about because it had the rough bottom. Fast forward a year or two, I got a new larger pan. When I went to compare them, I noticed the first pan was smooth, not as perfectly flat as the one I got passed down to me, but it is smooth.
I wouldn't waste your time sanding. Focus on seasoning the pan, that's what fills the voids. When washing, I basically just wipe it with an oily rag, if it needs scrubbing, I'll add coarse salt with a bit of oil and use that as an abrasive. If it needs more, sometimes I'll rinse with warm water, maybe scrub with a plastic brush. I've never used soap on my castviron pans. The key is leaving more seasoning to make a thicker coating. I have pans I can fry an egg in as if it was Teflon coated.
I agree, after some time testing and researching, I've come to the same conclusion. Seasoning builds up over time after repeated applications of fats. I have heard from other viewers that a metal spatula also speeds this process along, I switched to metal and so far it has no harmed my pans at all, it is a pleasure to use since it glides under food so easily.
Those are all good points, I also have been using salt on occasion, it works very well.
If you can't wait, I don't think there is any harm in knocking off the high spots, there is no point in polishing the surface, in fact it does not allow the seasoning layer to bond as well.
I've just finished recording tonight for 2 more videos related to this one, they are both starring this Lagostina pan again, so I hope you'll weigh in on those when they're released within a week.
Thanks for sharing!
@@NeedItMakeIt
Now that you mention it, I've been using a metal spatula, I guess that may have helped.
Hopefully I remember to check for your new videos. I love cast iron, it's all I cook with.
Considering you tried measuring the temperature of other things than just the pan surface, maybe it's a mix of the bare metal transfering the heat to the air more freely in a direct sense but also the divot grooves make it so the air has to expand more before it rises/other circulation blockage. Then again, I'm just a 20 grit scrub.
This is a hot topic, so I think I'll make a follow up video under more controlled circumstances to show what is happening. When I originally saw these readings I thought the rough finish would release more heat due to surface area that is hot in contact with ambient air temperature. Great comment, thanks for adding your thoughts on this.
I find that a light "dusting" of cooking spray (Pam, or something similar) after every use is all that's required to keep my cast iron in tip-top condition. Spray lightly and then wipe it off. You don't need bacon grease or any fancy oil. The cooking spray is ideal.
Hey, Clarance: I have one smoothed Lodge that I've been experimenting on using the spray coatings. It seems quicker and appears to do a good job. I'm still in the initial stages with that one so time will tell.
I have my grandma's corn bread skillet from around 1900. It does cook differently from the pan I got when I married. It is heavier for one thing and slick smooth inside. The bottom is flat and it holds heat better.
They used to smooth pans and left the seasoning to the user, but these days they're pretty rough. The smooth does look nice and does give me the impression of a higher quality, I still don't know if it is more non-stick, but it is much easier to clean. None of my pans are that old, would be nice to have an antique at some point.
I have been wondering a bit about the thickness, and whether it has any impact on cooking. I know it takes longer to heat evenly, which is a bit of a drawback these days. Any advantages you can think of?
@@NeedItMakeIt The biggest advantage is that the pan holds heat longer and heats more evenly across the surface. Once up to temp you can reduce the heat and still cook well. I think the original advantage was that many people cooked on wood stoves or coal stoves. The cookware had to be very robust to take that kind of heat. Also in cooking outside over a wood fire a thin pan would burn the food very quickly. When using a Dutch oven or covered skillet the lid is very heavy which reduces evaporation and allows for longer simmering time. As an added bonus you can cancel your gym membership. Nothing like pumping cast iron to build those muscles.
Leave it as it is. No need to change anything about it. I have a cheap unbranded one & after seasoning it it works perfectly.😂
Good video. I bought vintage Griswald and Wagner pans for 20-40 bucks a piece. Great pans.
Thanks, I have another coming out shortly with a more dialed-in finishing process. I'd love a Griswald, I've heard a lot of good things.
You are the best!
Thanks! I have more videos.... but better, coming very soon.
I've got 2 faves. My daily driver is an 8" (I think) skillet that actually says Martha Stewart on the bottom. Someone gave it to me. I have the seasoning so thick that it looks wet with oil all the time but isn't sticky or anything. Just midnight black and shiny. I can slide eggs off it. Love it. My other is a massive 14" lodge skillet I meal prep with. It was also a used pan, so not sure the history on it. I actually got frustrated with it. Eventually I stripped it with the easy off method and put 4 coats of flax seed, and have been using olive oil since. Performs much better now.
You have WAY more patience than I do.
Thank you! Sometimes I don't know when to give up.
Smooth surfaces reflect the light of the temperature gun, rough surfaces give a more precise reading, a contact measurement would reveal this, use a little oil for heat transfer to the contact pickup, temp guns work well for checking temperature differences , ie checking for a bad bearing, or hydraulic rams where one has a leak inside, fluid leaking causes a temperature rise due to the energy being released.
Freakin great man! Thanks!
Great to hear, thanks for the comment!
IR thermometers have a hard time reading temp from shiny or reflective surfaces while flat black is the perfect surface for them
It's tough to understand something we can't see. But it is picking up light, so it makes sense that a "mirror-like" surface would cause incorrect readings. This is a cheap model also so I'm not certain the readings are so accurate no matter where I take the measurement. I've been in the shop testing this lately and it's consistent in reading higher for a dark flat black surface compared to the lighter highly polished surfaces.
the color is not important, it could be black or white or orange. just the reflectivity matters for infrared thermometers :)
Awesome video thanks!
No problem, more coming soon (I hope to release another tonight)
You can’t use a temp gun on a shiny surface. It’s essentially measuring how bright it is in the infrared spectrum. You’re getting a lot of IR from the environment bounced off the surface and washing out the color of the pan.
That's right, thanks for the info.
imissivity of the pan: the surfaces emmit IR diffrently.
there is a calibration for this in the thermometer.
I use a 24 inch cast iron Dutch oven with a multy use cover for cooking just about every night.
That's HUGE! I once bought a 24" cast iron pan as a gift from a surplus store, but it was so heavy nobody could lift it.
Do you have a favorite brand? What kinds of things do you cook in this Monstrous dutch oven?
Great idea! Keep it simple.
Wow! I have a 15 inch Lodge skillet and I thought that was a beast.
I used an orbital sander up to 2000 grit and then hit it with a paper wheel and polishing compound. Once seasoned it really does reduce any sort of food stick.
Did you find the orbital dug in around the edges? It would be a very quick way to get the job done, but 2000 on an orbital... oh my, that would be a thing of beauty. At some point I'd like to try to polish the surface and try to use it without any seasoning. I'd assume instant rusting, but maybe the oil would protect it.
The pan had the same temp along the entire bottom, but shiny objects radiate less IR energy than dull objects at the same temp. So if you're using an IR thermometer, it has to be calibrated to the emissivity of the material you're measuring.
I sanded a new Lodge and it was a challenge to season. I thought the preseason was too coarse. My favorite is my old Griswold. Second fav is the 12 in mystery skillet. It looks like a Lodge but it has no markings at all. Thanks!
Respect
That's some elbow grease. Honestly I have no complaints with rough texture pans, especially my pan that has built up over the years. I'm experimenting with two used yard sale pans. I polished the first with 60 grit and called it good. Still in the process of seasoning. Ultimately I'd like to see if I can use less oil or fat. Like to see how it performs frying meat and clean up afterwards. Most of my pieces are Lodge.I have a Wagner USA , Wagner China and some Chinese knock off . Don't think I'll take my pans to the level you went to. Interesting video but nothing conclusive for me. Thanks for posting.
I like the older brands like Wagner and Birmingham Stove (lots of unbranded pieces are BSR). Lodge bought the molds when BSR closed. BSR is heavier than many other old brands, much like Lodge. I ran across a brand out of South America called Victoria which I like very much. Not quite as heavy or rough as Lodge and a better design than the basic Lodge. It is in a similar price range unlike the new brands made in the US. Knocking down the high spots might work better than polishing. Using a heavy steel spatula over time will do that. Also, frying bacon after seasoning but before cooking eggs seems to finish the seasoning pretty well.
I'm a Wagner fan, we have plenty of vintage ones in my area and they are usually around $10. I have a lodge as well, but I personally think the Wagner's are better designed, with the exception of the handle length since they tend to be quite short and get pretty hot. I have a Kitchen-aid 10" which is actually really good, stays flat and is pretty hefty... with a longer handle, and the Lagostina pans are not good at all in my experience.
I'd like to try using a metal spatula, I originally thought it was a bad idea, but I'm hearing from quite a few people that it works really well.
How long did it take you? I'm thinking of taking some sub-100 grit to my Lodge skillets.
By hand probably an hour, you can get really good results with an aggressive grit. Using an orbital sander would make it a lot quicker. A less polished surface seems to hold the seasoning better.
Thank you for showing us your process done by hand. I’ve done it this way to 10 skillets. My husband did one and he used a wire brush. I much prefer the result of the hand procedure.
I know that an infrared thermometer will read different from a shiny surface as compared to a mat surface. My question is, how much difference does surface area make? In my lay opinion, the more surface area you have, the higher the temperature. If you sand away the highs aren't you losing surface area?
Just for reference, those IR thermometers have a super hard time registering shiny surfaces, and if it is, will almost surely be in accurate. Great video though, very thorough. Thank you.
Lodge and no name are my favorites.
I like Lodge also, some people do seem to have a hate on for them, I think it is because they bought the expensive pans and have to justify it by putting down the cheaper pans. No name is just pans older than the requirement to have a 'made in' so they would be fairly old?
The temperature difference comes from the reflectivity lecture of the IR thermometer according to the surface finish.
The Lodge oil is light and super convenient, just a little spray inside a dry clean pan and wipe it inside and out, I use the blue shop towels. Then I heat pan just until it smokes and they store nice. This also builds and repairs seasoning easily in pan as you use them.
I find old kitchen towels and socks work well, but I've heard of a few other people using the shop towels with good success, so that's a good tip. I'll try the just heating until it smokes a bit, I usually season in the barbecue because it smokes up the house and I leave it for an hour then to cool in the BBQ also.
The temperature is not different. Use a thermocouple to verify. The infrared sensor is extremely sensitive to shiny surfaces and will often read most true on black / diffuse surfaces. Shiny surfaces tend to show very cold.
I'm convinced that a light sanding with 80-100 grit will do the job. You will eliminate the high points on the surface that cause the sticking. Just reseason to cover the bare metal exposed. At least it worked for me. If you want to make it smooth, that works too but is it worth the effort since it is mostly an aesthetic issue?
I completely agree, I've done follow up tests and the best results came from 100 grit sanding, the seasoning bonds best to a surface that has this level of abrasion. I don't really recommend polishing a cast iron pan, it is counterproductive, the seasoning doesn't bond too well and like you say, it is a waste of time, this was an interesting experiment though. I have a few more videos on the subject which really dial it in.
Thanks for the great comment!
coming from a guy that has only cooked in old cast iron the reason you want a smooth buff on it is simple rly once you take a day and carbon coat it RIGHT and not half ass'd you will never have to worry about cleaning it and a simple wipe while hot will do then a little re oil and your set if you have a textured finish you still need to / will have to sctub it if you bake or something all my old things can get stuff caked on and its just a wipe away with little to no effort where my wife's pan needs scrubbing if you cook in it regardless of how well you season it.
It is difficult to understand what you are writing. Try interpunction, add some commas and stops.
I got a lodge one as a gift, I use it pretty often nowadays but i have no other pans to compare to and mine is just the regular finish, I didn’t sand it down at all
I don't think there is anything wrong with the Lodge, I'd like to test how using a metal spatula on a rough cast iron pan improves the finish over the course of 6mo-1 year. It would seem that you don't need to sand if you don't want to, a rough surface will perform very well also. There is no question that the smooth surface is easier to clean.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Impressive
Thank you so much!
Would a wire wheel brush on a die grinder do the same thing? Bought a new skillet and going to try smoothing the bottom tomorrow.
A 100 grit sandpaper on a die grinder would work best, after making a follow up video, I found that 100 grit worked the best for adhesion of the seasoning. Also make sure to clean it well afterward and then I like to boil vinegar in mine to etch the surface in prep for the seasoning. It also darkens the surface just a bit to give it a more vintage look from the start.
I’d say the smooth side would’ve taken about 150 years worth of cooking to achieve so I’m curious to see how it holds up and if the metal fatigues! Great vid !!!
So a bit of a problem did come up with the bond between the seasoning and that polished surface. It did not seem to adhere well. The rough surface holds it so well so what I have done in some more recent videosua-cam.com/video/I1DaEke6sPQ/v-deo.html is test to see which grit of sanding would provide a good bond, and that grit was down as low as 120 grit. Those tiny abrasions allowed the seasoning a place to lay, this pan is now my favorite pan to use, looks great, performs well, heats up fairly quick, flat on the inside and doesn't rock around on the glass top. I have a few more videos coming out in a few weeks, and the completely smooth surface may not be as good as we all think.
Love the comments, keep them coming, and thanks for the support!
@@NeedItMakeIt I was going to say I found the same thing. Cast iron can be too smooth. The seasoning flakes off. I have vids flipping eggs in smooth cast iron but washing the pan removes about half the seasoning and won't build a good layer. Great job on the hand sanding. I used tools myself. I've now come to the same realization as you on light sanding with heavier grits to get the best of both season retention and cook ability. BSR is my favorite vintage cookware.
cool video Im gunna do that with my lodges. I was stoked to see the compound! I was thinkIng of doing that too but hadent seen anyone do it. The temp difference may be because the rough part has more surface area? Im not a scietist but one side did look red hot.
I was thinking of making a video on the subject of exactly which grit would be the best to prepare for seasoning. The highly polished surface if more difficult to season. There might just be something to a slightly textured surface.
Apparently the temperature difference was because if thermal dismissiveness.... basically the reflective surface was causing an incorrect reading according to the other viewers.
Thanks for the support.
NeedItMakeIt I polished out one of my pans to a mirror finish and it really doesn’t work well. I recommended just knocking the high spots or imperfections in the rough surface and seasoning from there.
The seasoning on the pans is where the magic happens and the surface has to be rough enough for the seasoning to adhere.
@@White000Crow I agree, a highly polished surface does not allow the seasoning to bond properly. Knocking off the high spots would work just fine and using a metal spatula after that may help to smooth that surface even further.
Nice one!
Thank you so much :)
For the last several years I've loved my Finex cast iron pans. They actually have a milled surface which makes them very smooth (though not mirror) from the factory.
finexusa.com/product/cast-iron-grill-pan/ Those are some beautiful skillets, a little pricy, but if they last a lifetime (or a few) it would be worth it. They look hefty. Would you say that they are completely non-stick?
I just bought the same pan (from Canadian tire for $20) and the first thing I cooked was bacon. Now I have brown stains that won't come off no matter how much I scrub. Thinking of smoothing it out just for easier cleaning. My other pan is an old smooth bottom and really easy to clean. Problem is the bottom has warped over time and is now more on the concave side. If I had a gas stove that wouldn't be a problem but the wife insisted on one of those glass top models.
I have a video coming out tomorrow on that exact subject with this very pan. When I bought mine it was already warped and bellied in the middle, I just didn't know anything about cast iron at that time... (i went to return it and the ones in the store were also)
Have a watch for the video tomorrow night, then if you still have some questions just let me know, it will address your bacon staining question also.
Looking forwards to it.
@@thatguyoverthere555 ua-cam.com/video/I1DaEke6sPQ/v-deo.html So there are timestamps in the description to bring you to the various parts that apply to your problem. So now you know you're not alone with your struggle with this pan. Also The very end of the video shows how I corrected most of the problem with the discoloration.
Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls
Great to hear. I have another interesting video coming out tomorrow. Not pans, but it is still 'cooking' of sorts.
Awesome I'm looking forward to watching it
It is from the more reflective surface, it is a known thing using a IR gun like that. The best surface to get a temp from is a flat black surface, the more reflective it is the more the temps are thrown off.
Some people suggested attaching a small piece of metal painted black to the pan in these areas with thermal paste, that would removed the variable. Another good idea was to heat it in the oven to an even temperature, those were both good ideas I think.
You guys have helped me a lot in understanding the pitfalls of the IR measurement method.
Thank you.
Great sharing
Thank you kindly!
I own 8 cast iron skillet. I bought then second hand, and found that the only way to reach metal is to put them in a wood fire until red hot. I tried sand paper and then a power drill with a metal brush attachment to no effect. I tried caustic soda, with partial success.
That factory black finish is bullet proof.
I have a Lodge grill pan. It has ridges in the bottom for cooking steaks. The black factory coating has started to flake off. I have been coinciding throwing it in a fire.
Get some thermal paste and a small bar of aluminum, copper, cold or hot rolled steel with consistent surface finish. Cut three identically sized pieces, slather one side of each (weigh it for consistency) and attach in each sector at equal distances from the sides. Take your readings after heating for awhile. Should do the trick, even moreso than if you had an adjustable emissivity IR gun. Great vid, tho I think I’ll stick with my 20-year old pan and save the arthritis-inducing work for another one of the 85 projects I’ve got going on here :-)
I have all of those materials already, great ideas, thanks.
The difference in temperature readings is due to different emissivities of black, rough and polished surfaces. It looks like your IR thermometer is very similar to mine, a cheap model I bought from AliExpress.
It is possible to change the emissivity setting in mine, and for most uses the default setting of e = 0.95 is pretty accurate. But for shiny surfaces like my stainless steel pan, I have to change the setting to e = 0.16 to get correct readings. I found this by putting the pan in the oven at a known temperature and let it sit there for an hour to warm up completely. Then I measured the temperature with the IR thermometer and adjusted the emissivity setting until I got a correct reading.
Good tip, I plan on trying this in a few minutes.
To get better results, measure the actual temperature in your oven with an ovenproof thermometer. The thermostat in the oven is usually very inaccurate, so it is better to measure it.
@@anderseriksson1945 My most accurate measurement tool is the instant read thermometer www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/kitchen/measurement/thermometers/73812-javelin-instant-read-thermometer, I just need a way to insert it into something. I have another one that can go into the oven, but the scale is tiny and won't be good enough. I'll test what I have and maybe I need to buy something.
I was surprised to see the rough section out perform the others, but it was only by just a little bit. I can only wonder that if the other two sections had as much seasoning if they wouldn't have done much better.
Do you think it performed well because there are more places to hold the butter? I was thinking a little bit about how an old machine holds lubrication to prevent galling of the surfaces. They have tiny scraping marks which allow the oil to be held and re-distributed. Maybe the same is true for a rough surface of a pan? Some food for thought.
@@NeedItMakeIt I have no idea. I just wish I could afford an old Wagner or Griswold.
@@joesanders6898 I know the Griswolds are very expensive, but in my area the Wagners are so common. I do visit the antique shop weekly, so maybe that's why I've seen so many. They don't look like much but they are worth every penny. Since switching to cast iron, we've not needed to buy any replacement non-stick pans, the way I see it, they're equal to an investment (with an incredibly low return :| )
Good video.
I have an approximate 10 year old Calphalon 10” pan and I just purchased a 12” Lodge.
The Calphalon is now smooth from natural use and the new Lodge is rough. I intend to take the Lodge and smooth down to about 1000grit to match the Calphalon. Preliminary cooking tests show the older Calaphalon out-releases the Lodge.
I had never heard of the Calphalon, it sounds expensive. Since the video, I have experimented more with different grits, and found that you really don't need to go higher than 220 grit. the surface becomes too polished and the polymerized coating does not adhere as well over time.
I have 2 small Wagners now which are quite old, they were both smooth from the factory (as you can see from the machining marks in the interior of the sidewalls) they are my favorite by far.
Did you use a metal spatula on your Calphalon to smooth it?
Thanks for the comment!
I’m enjoying all the cast iron videos.0
More to come, I'm currently working on cast iron related videos, but I have plans for a few more cast iron skillet vids in the coming weeks & months.
Your laser temperature sensor is probably not measuring actual temperature differences between the different finishes, but is getting a different reading due to the different finishes. This affect is increased because you are not point the device at a 90 degree angle to the surface. The surface finish of the metal has a large impact on the measured temperature using this kind of device.
Just a thought on the temp readings. Could the rougher side be holding a more boundary layer of hot air vs the smooth and polished surfaces?
Anyway I have been cooking on cast iron for decades daily and never bought into the smooth is better crowd, some of my no mane pans are very smooth but I do use a lot of Lodge textured surface pans. There's a lot of old myth surrounding the care of cast iron and cooking with it.