scrapbeagle

I don't cuddle any cooking wear. I seasoned it the first time and that was it. I use one of my many varying sized cast iron pans everyday, spray it with non-stick spray cook, clean in hot sudsy water and have never had a problem. I do leave them out to air dry. Love my cast iron.

Val in IN

Most of the new ones are "pre-seasoned" but if you buy a used one at a thrift shp, etc. here's what you do. Wash it (this is the last time you will do it), dry it really well, you can put it in a warm oven for a few minutes to get it really dry, Then get some LARD, NOT OIL, NOT SHORTENING, NOT BUTTER, and ESPECIALLY NOT PAM. Start smearing lard in a thin coat all over the inside and outside of the pan. Plave the pan in a pre-heated, 350 degree oven. I put mine on a cookie sheet to keep the lard from dripping into the oven. Leave it in there for about an hour. Remove the pan. don't turn the oven off. Wipe off the pan with a paper towel. It will be hot, so be careful. let it cool for a few minutes then smear another thin coat of lard all over the inside of the pan only. Back in the oven for about 30 min. Turn off the oven and leave the pan in there till it cools. When the oven and the pan are cool, take it out an wipe it again with paper towel. Store it in the oven. After you actually use the pan, you should just be able to wash it out with plain water. Dry it thoroughly, and using a paper towel, smear a little lard in it, wipe it out with a clean paper towel and store the pan in the oven. After a few times of doing this, you will only have to wipe the lard on again very rarely. Never use soap, NEVER, NEVER, put it in the dishwasher. There's nothing like cooking with cast iron, you're going to love it!

walkerjoanne44

I have quite a few Grizwald skillets, all sizes. we cook in them everyday. I guess you could say I have a collection. I also have many odd shaped ones and specilty ones. any brand will do if they are odd. I used to have them hanging on the kitchen walls but here in this prefab home we don't hang anything, not even pictures because the walls are so thin. BTW if your skillets get rusty, clean them really well, then recoat and heat in the oven, good as new.

Charlee

Billy, you CAN use cast iron on your glass or ceramic top stove! I know LOTS of people that do. The rule is, however, that you NEVER twist or turn the pan ON the burner, you always lift it to turn it so it doesn't scratch the top.

Charlee

Have your fans going...cuz this method works well, but it's gonna smoke and smell up the house! ;)

Charlee

Just for the record, LODGE is the ONLY cast iron cookware still made in the US. Anything else is China/Taiwan...

Robinlee

This is the way I've always done it.

KLO

This is my predicament also. Bought the new glass top stove a couple of years ago when we moved in to the current house. We were going to buy a gas stove but somehow got turned around and bought the glass top. Well, yes, it is easy to clean but I would not buy one again. Scratches too easily even when using the "cleaner" on the top. You cannot shake the pans on top of it when cooking. And of course I cannot use my cast iron pans. Big bummer!

Edit: Just read Charlee's post about being able to use the cast iron on the glass tops. Maybe you can if you are careful but I just know I would end up moving the pan and really scratch that top up worse than it is now. Plus for the glass tops you are suppose to use pans that sit completely flat on the surface. My old iron pans have a slight ridge around the edge so they wouldn't sit flat. Cast iron is heavy and it's easier to "shake" than pick completely up and carefully turn ... at least for me.

ThayerRags

Years ago when we lived in Colorado, we’d wash our cast iron skillets like this:

After supper has been eaten and the campfire is dying down, tie your rope into the hole in the end of the pan handle, throw the pan into the creek, and tie the other end of the rope to a willow bush.

Next morning, after catching and cleaning a few trout for breakfast, pull the clean pan back to shore with your rope, untie and stow the rope, and get ready to make breakfast.

CD in Oklahoma

dlbrandt

Yeah, that's how to do it!!!!
Yummy fresh fried trout!!!!

:thumbup: :-P