Oct 16

I left a damp cast iron frypan on my formica and have iron stains, how can I get it out?

The make a cleanser called Zud that works great on rust stains. You might also try other cleansers like Barkeeper's Friend or Bon Ami (all available at Walmart). Or, you can try hydrogen peroxide. First, clean the area with Windex. Then soak 4-5 cotton balls with the peroxide, let them sit on the stain for 10 minutes, and then scrub with cotton ball. Repeat as necessary.

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Oct 14

Cast Iron Skillets are the original non-stick “Teflon” coating. An iron skillet seasoned properly will keep food from sticking, is great for browning and easy to care for. And good cast iron cookware will last a life time. Cast iron skillets have been handed down from generation to generation. Rita’s favorite cast iron skillet was handed down from her mother and is at least 100 years old.
This video shows you how to season cast iron skillet using a bit of vegetable oil and a few hours in a warm oven. Rita also shows you how to care for your cookware, clean your skillet and re-season it.

Duration : 0:5:18

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Oct 14

I saw some polished cast iron skillets that were very shiny and pretty, but I'm wondering, besides the fact that they are better looking, do they perform any better?

Unpolished has a grainy surface that needs to be seasoned w/ oil in a very hot oven for hours so it doesn't rust. The polished should be non-stick and non-rust. lol

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Oct 14
Oct 13

My mother's vintage home burned recently… it had solid pine car siding on the interior walls and ceilings. Anything that wasn't consumed by the fire was left coated with a mixture of black soot and pine oil that cooked out of the car siding. It was a particularly hot fire since her home also had a solid tin roof and that held the fire and heat in rather than allowing it to burn through and vent out. The fire was so hot that even the china and earthenware dishes incinerated turning to a powder. So I am concerned that the cast iron she salvaged might be contaminated. It is porous and I am concerned that it might have absorbed chemicals from the fire that would be at best unpleasant if they seeped into her food and at worst might be poisonous. Can anyone advise me about this?

Cast iron is not porous. It does not absorb contaminants.

What you need to do is make certain that the surface is clean.

That means heavy-duty scrubbing with a brillo pad. If you have a dishwasher, run the pans through several times. After that, I recommend rust remover, like naval jelly. Finally, rub it all over with vegetable oil, let it sit overnight, and then wash with soap and water.

This kind of cleaning is kind of sad, because old cast iron cookware is usually well-seasoned, and it takes many years to do that. The methods I just described will destroy the seasoning. But the seasoning is the part that might hold contaminants.

To season the pan again, never use soap on it and and rub cooking oil on the inside before you store it. Some people speed up the process by putting the oiled pan on a burner so it gets hot–but not hot enough to burn the oil.

I would never go through this to save a pan, but I understand why somebody would if it is all they could salvage.

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Oct 13

Staub its titanium color, new to the U.S. in several cast-iron pieces. Also see bestselling grenadine and basil colors with charming handles, and an ingenious cast-iron teapot. Interview at the 2008 International Home & Housewares Show by Ann Volkwein for Cooking.com.

Duration : 0:1:38

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