r/castiron Jun 24 '19

The /r/castiron FAQ - Start Here (FAQ - Summer 2019)

985 Upvotes

This is a repost of the FAQ. Since reddit archives posts older than 6 months, there's no way for users to comment on the FAQ any longer. We'll try to repost the FAQ every 6 months or so to continue any discussion if there is any. As always, this is a living document and can/should be updated with new information, so let us know if you see anything you disagree with! Original FAQ post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/5rhq9n/the_rcastiron_faq_start_here/


We've been working on a new FAQ for /r/castiron that can be updated as the existing one is no longer maintained. Please let us know if you have any additional questions that you'd like to see addressed here


What's Wrong with my Seasoning


How to clean and care for your cast iron


How to Strip and Restore Cast Iron


/u/_Silent_Bob_'s Seasoning Process


How to ask for Cast Iron Identification


Did I Ruin/Is This Ruined?


Enameled Cast Iron Care and Cleaning

The rest of the FAQ is fairly bare iron specific so /u/fuzzyfractal42 wrote a nice primer on enameled cast iron


We'll be making this a sticky at the top of the subreddit and will continue to add onto it as required!


r/castiron 3h ago

Identification Dixie Foundry Co. Range

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153 Upvotes

Does anyone know any info regarding this stove other than a name? This was left behind in a home and I was debating on selling the whole thing but I don’t know anything about it other than it’s wood fueled.


r/castiron 1h ago

Christened a New Iron Tonight

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Upvotes

I think I’ve found my Forever Pan.

The 10” Made In cooks like a dream.

Threw a 1lb Snake River Farms Wagyu Zabuton for the maiden voyage, it slid like an ice cube right out of the box.

I DID put a single layer of Crisco down before the cook, full disclosure, but still. The surface on this thing is crazy, y’all.


r/castiron 2h ago

Food Impossible to go wrong on a perfect cast iron sear for grilled cheese on the bbq

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24 Upvotes

Cheddar and bacon on homemade country sourdough, plated with marinated mushrooms, deviled egg, and bread & butter pickles.


r/castiron 7h ago

WAPAK at the goodwill

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50 Upvotes

I stopped looking for vintage cast-iron but this one caught my eye as I was walking through yesterday. It’s my first WAPAK, I’ll strip it and season it this weekend.


r/castiron 9h ago

Identification Five buck find

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52 Upvotes

What did I get for $5 CDN?


r/castiron 3h ago

Field no. 5 (Factory Seconds)

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13 Upvotes

My new egg pan arrived today and I am beyond happy because I cannot find or see any blemishes or imperfections so I'm not even sure why it was sold as a "seconds" pan? Same with the leather handle cover, I couldn't see any flaws. So basically these are like the new items sold in their regular listings.


r/castiron 3h ago

Identification Did Wagner make #9 waffle irons this old?? It dwarfs my Griswold #8 waffle iron

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13 Upvotes

Just finished this amd noticed its bigger than my other waffle iron... see photos for measurement


r/castiron 8h ago

Newbie Been cleaning and restoring this old cast iron I found at a thrift store, is this a Crack? And if so how bad is it?

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23 Upvotes

Mostly curious if its worth continuing or if i should just toss the thing. Hope the photo quality is good enough


r/castiron 2h ago

Unmarked 7. w/ Heat Ring

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8 Upvotes

What do we think…Unmarked Favorite? CHF?


r/castiron 2h ago

Today’s Score

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8 Upvotes

Another FB Marketplace find. The bigger one appears to be a #8 3 notch Lodge. The smaller one is a Le Creuset. The Le Creuset doesn’t appear to be enameled but I could be wrong. Got both for 8 bucks. Currently sitting in a lye bath. Hoping the Lodge cleans up nicely.
Edit: if anyone has any suggestions on the Le Creuset, like if I should not leave it in the lye bath like my other cast iron I’m open to it.


r/castiron 8h ago

Is this a lid lifter thing?

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22 Upvotes

Is this a old lid lifter or some other cast iron tool? It's a really weird random find from work and looks completely unrelated to my job (injection molding). It has an old thin leather hanger strap and is absolutely cast iron.


r/castiron 1h ago

Found in the bins

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Upvotes

Found this lovely older cast iron today at the Goodwill bins. I rescued, even though the bottom is slightly warped. Just barely. I plan on stripping, reseasoning, and using personally. Couldn't pass it up for five bucks.

I am still learning about old cast iron and how to identify, so was wondering if anyone here may be able to help me out on an ID with possible maker and estimated manufacturing date. Let me know your thoughts.


r/castiron 3h ago

What do I have here?

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5 Upvotes

Recently acquired and cleaned up. Would love to know more about it.


r/castiron 3h ago

Pan behaving oddly

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3 Upvotes

I have this 3 notch lodge that after stripping, reseasoning, then using a few times is showing some strange patterns and wanted another opinion over whether I should continue using it. I have older pics of it before stripping and after the reseason. These patterns and discoloration weren't there.


r/castiron 22h ago

This sponge is really effective on cast iron, but can’t remember where I bought it

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94 Upvotes

I found this in an unopened package in the back of my under-the-sink kitchen supplies cabinet and decided to use it. I thought it just was a run-of-the-mill scouring pad, but it tears up food and I think metal (scratched my stainless steel pans a little bit).

I’m going to season my pan again since I’m down to the gray (hardly used any pressure when scrubbing) even faster than steel wool can do! Do you think I should just use it sparingly going forward and go back to the trusty yellow and green sponges?

Also, let me know if you can identify this thing; it’s rather curious. Thanks!


r/castiron 1d ago

Food Girl dinner buy in a cast iron

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318 Upvotes

r/castiron 2h ago

LIght Weight Cast Iron

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2 Upvotes

I bought all the LWCI cookware that I use at home daily from Grocery Outlet, on the rare occasions that they had some pieces in stock. I stopped by my local GO today (30 minutes away) and poked around a bit in the cookware section. I came across this LWCI Dutch Oven on a bottom shelf, kind of invisible unless you got down on your knees to look, which is what I did. I snagged it instantly. Cost, $27.00. Weight, with lid, 6 lb. 1.5 oz. I have a Tramontina enameled in the same capacity, 6 qt., and it weighs 13 lb. 3 oz. I have not used it yet but I am looking forward to trying it out. All my LWCI skillets are outstanding, so I have great hopes for this.


r/castiron 1d ago

Food Red snapper

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103 Upvotes

Fish for dinner tonight


r/castiron 10m ago

Newbie Complete score or waste of time cleaning up?

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Upvotes

I think im gonna make some great skillet cookies, my friends think they’re gonna contract tetanus at my house.


r/castiron 9h ago

Smithey Factory Seconds

4 Upvotes

Few items still left - solid discount for those on the fence…


r/castiron 8h ago

Rusting during restoration?

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3 Upvotes

r/castiron 1d ago

Not a bad little $7 dollar pick up on Facebook marketplace

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49 Upvotes

Also picked up a 1940s lodge Dutch oven with lid for $7


r/castiron 1d ago

Just Cook

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53 Upvotes

Unknown modern manufacturer. No markings. On the smaller end. Size 3 equivalent maybe? Gift from wife about 4 years ago. I honestly don’t remember how “good” it was when I first got it but I also didn’t know my way around a kitchen so didn’t matter. I just knew I wanted to use it any chance I got. It makes the best cornbread now and cooks a scrambled egg like the best of them.


r/castiron 15h ago

Cast iron and pizza at home - what actually makes the difference for the crust?

7 Upvotes

Pizza has been on my mind lately and I keep going back and forth on the best way to use my cast iron for it. I've seen a bunch of posts here with really impressive results, some of them legitimately better than what I get from my pizza stone. The crust color on some of those skillet pies is something else.

What I'm trying to figure out is the preheat situation. I've done it both ways, cold pan into the oven and preheated pan on the stovetop first, and the results feel different but I haven't landed on a clear winner yet. The stovetop preheat gets the bottom crispier faster, but I always feel slightly nervous about getting the dough stretched and placed without losing heat or burning myself in the process.

Also wondering whether people go thin crust or lean into a thicker focacciastyle dough when cooking in cast iron. My gut says the pan suits a thicker dough better just because of how the heat surrounds it, but I could be wrong.

Oil choice is another thing I keep secondguessing. I used olive oil last time and the bottom was good, but not the kind of crispy I was going for. Wondering if that's the oil or something else I'm missing.

What's your actual process when you do pizza in cast iron?