A good brand of cast iron skillet

[Red71gmc]

Ok, the grilling thread has me hungry and I am cooking inside today as I wish not to brave the bitter cold.
Someone surely is the master of this out there so here goes. I have a cast iron kettle but I need a good cast iron skillet (wish I had my grandmothers old one). What is a good brand of cast iron skillet? Or does it really matter? I still don't have the kettle seasoned like it should be so what is the best way to season one properly when new?

[Getter-Done]

This Thread will probably bring out a lot of good opinions.

An old skillet found at a Yard sale or Swap meet is best.
I love the ones with the Number on the bottom.
If you just want one now the Lodge brand is good.
About the seasoning of the skillet I think Lard is best to use.
You can use Crisco or even vegetable oil.
As for the process
1.Scrub skillet well in hot soapy water.
2.Dry thoroughly.
3.Spread a thin layer of melted Lard over the skillet.
4.Place it upside down on a middle oven rack at 375°. (Place foil on a lower rack to catch drips.)
5.Bake 1 hour; let cool in the oven.

[mingoman]

If you can find an old Wagner or Griswold you'll have a good one. I also have a few old ones with no brand other the USA that are nice.
The older cast iron has a smoother finish than most of the newer types made now.
As far as how to season one, I've always cleaned any older ones to remove all the rust and grime then gave it a good coating of bacon grease, this is Arkansas, we save that stuff. Place it in the oven at low heat for a couple of hours and if you put it in a cooking tray to catch any drippings, your oven won't be a mess when you're finished.
It should have a nice black color after this. The more you use it, the better it will stay seasoned too. I normally can clean mine by just wiping them down, but if you have to use soapy water, make sure it dried before you put it away, no dishwasher!

[Grumpy old man]

Griswold , But be ready they are expensive for the real thing around $1,000.00 . Griswold stopped producing in the 50's so there are a ton of fakes out there . we only use cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans here , NO funky aluminum cookware allowed ever . That stuff can kill you .Best place to find real Griswold are estate sales (Be there first the collectors hunt for it )

[Grumpy old man]

for regular pots and pans we use Copper bottom stainless Revere ware it lasts forever , Toss anything you have that's aluminum or non stick coated .

[FleetsidePaul]

My kitchen is full of cast iron, and I use them almost every day. I do like Getter-Done said. Yard sales and thrift stores. If they look ugly they usually go cheap and it's not tough to clean them back up and get them back in action. I have a couple of Lodge enameled Dutch oven's and they are great too. I don't know too much about the brands, I just look for the weight, I like them heavy. the last one I bought ($10) was huge, it about gave me a hernia when I picked it up. Clean them up, season them, and let em rip. There's some good video's on Youtube on cleaning up nasty ones. And I second what mingoman said. NEVER put one in the dishwasher.

[Indian113]

You shouldn't use Soapy Water. I clean my cast iron skillets with Salt and warm water. Then I season it with Crisco. Soap will get in the pores of the skillet.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

for regular pots and pans we use Copper bottom stainless Revere ware it lasts forever , Toss anything you have that's aluminum or non stick coated .

Grumpy, it's funny you posted that. I just spent the last two days polishing up my copper pans and bowls. (I'm slow) But you're right. Toss that other junk. If you want to cook right, you need the proper tools, just like anything else.

[Red71gmc]

Looks like I'm in the copper pan market know too. I will look up that brand grumpy.
I dug out my Lodge Dutch oven and am just about done reseasoning it. Now I'm looking for a skillet. We have a pretty good relic store in town and will tell him to keep an eye out for a good one. He treats me pretty fair.
I've been looking up how to clean them and it looks like the salt or corn meal trick works good good for scrubbing if needed. I honestly don't remember how grandma did it. I just ate the goods. The first homemade batch pancake always was the dogs before the skillet was just right. Of course the dog got butter and syrup too.

[Indian113]

My Grandma used a coarse Rock Salt, I use the coarsest salt I can buy in the store.

[CG]

I was helping a much older fella move a year or so ago and he had a set of really old cast iron pans. I think there were four, each would nest inside the other for easy storage. He asked if I wanted them ... Sure!

They just sat and sat and sat ... never used them. I took em to Goodwill with a load of stuff. A week or so later a buddy and I were talking and he said he was looking for a large cast iron pan, something well seasoned. Oh man, too bad, I just took a full set to the Goodwill. You would have thought I just shived him in the prison yard lol.

[Getter-Done]

Here is my #5,#6 & 8 .
The #8 is seasoned so good you can barely see the number.
The other two I haven't used enough to get them good and seasoned.
CG I have mine hanging from a beam in my kitchen.
I never though about them stacking by numbers (They fit inside each other). Now I must find a #7. J/K

[72c20customcamper]

Lodge is good and made in the USA. My mom has some that were her moms dont recall the brand but most likely pre war German. Well seasoned. I have a few Straub cast iron the one I use most is the Dutch oven it's got porcelain on the outside and inside. Good for stews and soups Straub is made in France.

[pritch]

I'm a big believer in the joys of cooking with cast iron, also. Here's my rack:



I have some dutch ovens and kettles that stay in a cupboard. When I get a new piece, I scrub it well then put it in the oven cold with either bacon grease or lard and then set the oven to like 500 or so. After it heats up to temp, I turn the oven of until it has cooled back down to room temp, wipe it out and put it to work. I usually cook with almond oil for higher temps or butter for lower temps.

[Snarl95]

Griswold if you can find it. Lodge for new. The new Reverware isn't near as nice as the older stuff. So yardsales, thriftstores, habitat for humanity etc etc.