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I may should have placed this in the Food Talk section. If so, I apologize.

I just want to get a recommendation from everybody on a GREAT skillet (one that you would fry bacon in). Before you say cast iron, I do have my grandmothers and will only use it for cornbread. I have bought others and tried to "season" them, with no luck.

Anyway, I have purchased all kinds and they have all warped. BTW, I have a smooth top oven.
At this point, I couldn't care less about the cost...I just want a skillet that will last!!!
Thanks!
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ULF,

Before you waste money on new stuff, the old cast iron remains my favorite. The heat dispersion is excellent and they're indestructible.

Try this for seasoning one. Clean it thoroughly, remove all rust and scale and other crud. Brillo pads will work.

Cover it all over, top, bottom, handle, everywhere, with vegetable oil. Be generous.

Put it in a hot over, say 400 degrees, for 45 minutes, then turn the oven off. Do not remove the skillet.

The next morning, take it out, wash it thoroughly, and apply a little more oil. Wipe off all the oil you can.

That should do it. Repeat yearly.


DF
i thought this was gonna be about somebody takin' an ass whippin' with an iron skillet! Big Grin
i love my cast iron also deep! nothing better. i usually buy mine at yardsales. really cheap and come home clean it and season just as you describe! i have a HUGE set. i bet i have less than $50 in 20 pieces! Big Grin i can even use them in the fireplace if the power goes out!! Wink
Thanks DP.

Got a question, though. Are these instructions just for an old skillet, maybe from a flea market that has been used? Or can I use this same method on a new one that I bought a few years ago? I tried to do the grease thing on it and it is now a sticky mess!!!
I guess what I'm asking is....can the brand new ones even BE seasoned like the old ones that you can find?
quote:
Cover it all over, top, bottom, handle, everywhere, with vegetable oil.


I find that to be a far less superior than Crisco. The problem is that I never have Crisco in the house. That stuff will kill ya, ya know.

I season mine in a 350 degree over for an hour.

I suspect bacon grease would do as well as Crisco but haven't tried it.
quote:
Originally posted by UNA LIONS FAN:
Thanks DP.

Got a question, though. Are these instructions just for an old skillet, maybe from a flea market that has been used? Or can I use this same method on a new one that I bought a few years ago? I tried to do the grease thing on it and it is now a sticky mess!!!
I guess what I'm asking is....can the brand new ones even BE seasoned like the old ones that you can find?


YES!, the main thing is to CLEAN it well. sos pads, brillo pads, even some relly fine sandpaper if need be. (only on cast iron!!!!) or i use a steal brush sometimes!! then season up and ready to go! the sticky is from it not seasoning well. if you have kept it clean. just heat the thing up like deep said! and it will be ready to go!!
Well, ULF, you have some experiments to do. I have seasoned yard sale skillets successfully, but I repeat you have to clean them thoroughly first. When you thrash is with the Brillo, don't worry if you go right through the black patina. Got a sandblaster?

Try the Crisco, what the heck. I think at 350-400 degrees it's all the same. Don't worry if it smokes a bit, it's all good. But, be sure to scrub and cover every part of the skillet.

I have one or two thin skillets, one or more of them covered in Teflon.... they're useful for omelets which require low heat, not much more.

DF's Texas Omelet:

In your omelet pan, fry up
small handful each of polish sausage, onion, bell pepper in a small amount of oil. drain.

Three beaten eggs, cooked in the pan over low heat until a bit firm. Your spatula should slide under it easily, and be sure to keep it loose that way. Add other ingredients. Throw in a small handful of cheese. Raise heat a bit, flip omelet in half, brown one side, then the other. Easy does it. It won't take long.

Serve with toast and Earl Grey tea.......


OK, just kidding! Coffee!



Serve with salsa or Tabasco.

Let me know when you do so.


DF
Be sure to check your range's instruction manual before using cast iron! Mine says absolutely no cast iron on the surface. Besides, you should cook your bacon in the oven on a broiler pan. I'm told I make terrific bacon. :-) For everything else I use mostly Calphalon and a few copper bottomed stainless pots. Love them.

As for warping pans... make sure you NEVER put cold water in a hot pan. It'll warp.
Find a Lodge brand cast iron skillet. They are pre seasoned. Don't wash your skillet with soapy water...wash it with plain hot water and a brush or clean dish rag only. Then lightly apply a coat of oil before storing.

To season a skillet, place it in an oven with a auto clean cycle. Run the auto clean cycle on the skillet, then remove and wipe down with a quality oil, such as canola or peanut oil. Do not leave oil standing in the skillet, just barely wet it. Store where it can get air to it.
For anything other than cornbread or catfish, the best is ENAMEL COATED cast iron. It has all the good characteristics of cast iron, but is less of a hygiene or maintenance issue. I have an old set of Le Creuset that will last forever. I use the skillets for everything except eggs (small non-stick) and large batches (HUGE double-bottomed Revere that covers two eyes). I have also found that the best SOURCE for cookware is the aisle at TJ Maxx; if you're shopping for function and don't need a matching set of something, it's unbeatable.
quote:
Originally posted by raine:
I have copper bottom stainless steel pots, pans, and skillets. We love ours. I don't do a lot of BIG cooking, just a meat and 3 veggies everyother night so these may not do if you cook big meals and such, I am not sure. Mine have held up nicely.


Funny story here--About 16 yrs ago, before we were married, we were invited to one of those cooking parties. Kind of like Tupperware, but they were selling stainless steel cookware. The meal was awesome, we loved that you could stack your pots on top of each other while cooking, that you would have no heartburn or indigestion from food if using the cookware, and most importantly, the fried chicken that they cooked WITH NO GREASE was fabulous.
Of course, we were sold on it and forked out the $2500 (through a loan....we were young).
Anyway, We still use that cookware and it is great. Although, I've never been able to fry chicken in it (definitely could not do it without grease), still have indigestion, and when I tried to stack it, the food on top was cold and the food on the bottom was burned.
A small skillet did come in the set, but through the years, it has warped just like the teflon.
Looking back, we CAN NOT believe that we spent that much money on cookware! Although, I do cook big meals every evening and every single time I pull one of those pans out of the cabinet, I think about our first BIG purchase together......and how stupid we were for doing it.......! I did forget to mention that they have a lifetime warranty....I guess, only if you can find a dealer near you Wink

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