Cast Iron Pans, Lye Cleaning, Oven Cleaner, Techniques for Restoring an old Cast-Iron Skillet

Techniques for Restoring an old Cast-Iron Skillet
Misc. Questions & Answers

Check out all my web pages on cast iron pots, kettles, and Dutch ovens (just click on the underlined topics):

Main Page:
The Irreplaceable Cast-Iron Skillet

Question & Answer Pages:

Ammonia for Cleaning Cast Iron

Ceramic Top (Flat Top) Electric Range and Cast Iron Pots

Hot Fire for Curing & Cleaning

Iron and Carcinogens in Cast Iron

Misc. Questions & Answers

Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pots

Salt for Cleaning Cast Iron

Sanding Cast Iron Pots

Self-Cleaning Oven for Cleaning & Seasoning

Warped or Cracked Cast Iron Pots

Washing Cast Iron Pots

NOTE: All NEW cast-iron pots and skillets have a protective coating on them which must be removed. American companies use a special food-safe wax; imports are covered with a water-soluble shellac. In either case, scrub the item with a scouring pad, using soap and the hottest tap water you can stand.

Question:
I read your information on cast iron cookware (http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CastIronPans.htm) and I am curious if you have ever tried using mineral oil to season your cast iron. I have read that this is the best oil to use on wooden utensils & cutting boards because it does not become rancid and it is safe for consumption. Thanks, Scott (1/27/08)

Answer:
Definition of Mineral Oil: Made from the same basic feed stock as diesel fuel and gasoline, mineral oil is refined until it is water clear and safe for human consumption - but it's indigestible and should never be used for cooking. Basically, it's a liquid form of Vaseline.

Yes, food grade mineral oil could be used to season your cast iron pans. I, personally, don’t recommend using mineral oil because it is not a vegetable-based oil, and I don’t want this type of oil to be used in my cooking that my family is going to eat.

USP grade mineral oil is used for laxative relief of occasional constipation and as a skin moisturizer in some cosmetics cream. NOTE: I also make an anti-aging cream that I sell, and I would never use mineral oil in my ingredients for skin care.

If you think that you may not use your cast-iron pan for a long time, then use food-grade mineral oil rather than vegetable oil, because vegetable oil can eventually go rancid.

Comments from Sue White from South Africa (1/09/08) on seasoning her old cast iron:

I have a cast iron pot that I used when I lived in the small African kingdom of Swaziland until 2000. I was very wise in giving it a good, thick coating of cooking fat and wrapping it in newspaper the last time I used it. Lo and behold, after being stuck in a corner in my daughter's garage for 7 years until I returned here, it is in immaculate condition.

I knew I'd have to do something with it before I used it again so, as usual, I turned to the web and what do you know, I came across your fantastic web site. After following your tips on re-seasoning, my pot is in use again and I've spied my daughter's rusty old cauldron also in the garage, so I'm going to re-season that one too. We can let that one nestle on the coals on the braai (barbecue). Most of the Swazis use only the cast iron pots for cooking as a lot of them still cook on open fires and they are freely available there on the market, which is where I bought mine for R20.00 (about $3.00).

Just think how you're helping people; half way across the world in Africa. You're now on my favorite list and I'm scouting round for some more pots and am spreading the gospel about your site.

From Mark Overgaard (8/01/07) on using vinegar for removing rust and using suet for seasoning:

I just recently acquired quite a # of rusty corn bread cast iron pieces. I found some writing in a book that said you can clean rusty iron by soaking it in a mixture of white vinegar and water (vinegar 2 parts, water 1 part). It would probably work using straight vinegar but it warns that if you the iron in the vinegar too long the iron will dissolve. The longest I kept the iron in the vinegar was 24 hours. It worked very well and cleaned up the rusty pieces. I just washed with dish soap and hot water to remove residue. Dried the piece well and coated with the following.

I had an old book that said 100 years ago they used suet to cure cast iron. I tried suet from the grocery store and I did not like the results because pieces of meat got baked into the coating. I rendered the fat from the suet by cooking it at a low temperature and pouring the fat through cheese cloth. When the fat hardened I took a rag and just wiped the cast iron with the fat. Pre-heated the oven to 425F and baked the cast iron for 2 or more hours. Turn off the oven and let the iron cool slowly. When it is cooled it has a shiny oily look but it is as dry as a whistle and they say it is like a Teflon coating but is a lot better for you. You can do this several times and build up the coating as much as you want. Much better coating than using oil but a lot more work. This method creates a lot of smoke so make sure you turn on your fan above the oven or your house will fill with smoke.

I also bought new pieces and used this curing method and it worked very well.

From M. Deaner (7/12/07) on using Coca Cola for removing rust:

I have a set of pans, that have been in my family for 4 generations. I remember asking my gram about them one day,,, she sort of waddled down to the basement, and came up with a complete set.

I remember doing some research on cleaning them, Most of which I didn't care for. But, accidentally, I have found something that I hope will be posted on your web site. Good ol fashioned COKE. I filled my sink, and let them soak for about a day. WALLA!!!! they looked like new. I reseasoned them with bacon grease.

From Irv on (9/21/06) on removing rust:

I had a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that I overheated and burned off the seasoning in the center of the pan. (Trying to smoke salmon on a cedar plank over a propane fire--the fish was good but it messed up the skillet.) I used the self-cleaning oven method to start over. It appears there was a light coating of rust underneath the seasoning.

Did the surface rust underneath the seasoning from scratches that let liquid through? or...? Any concerns over such rust or a method of avoiding it?

Steel wool with oil: I used steel wool, corn oil, and Kleen King scouring powder to remove the rust. The oil and the scouring powder removed and floated the rust away. I wiped out the oil with paper towels and then washed with soap followed by lots of water to flush away the scouring powder. Using oil for scouring instead of water prevents new rust from forming if you get interrupted.

Copper colored cast iron (mentioned by some other users): - When using corn oil for seasoning, I've found that a newly seasoned skillet turns a golden-brown-copper color. It starts getting darker with extended use but I have one skillet that is still a golden brown after a year of weekly use.

From Maggie of Nova Scotia, Canada (5/22/06) on cooking with cast iron pots:

Your site is so informative and interesting. I love using my cast iron pots and just yesterday I made meatballs and cooked them in the my cast iron skillet. They cooked so uniformly, and tasted so delicious. After they were cooked, I poured in my sauce (same pan) and let that simmer while I cooked the spaghetti. The spaghetti was cooked in my cast iron Dutch oven.

I just read in your information that never to boil water in cast iron pots. I've been boiling my water for the spaghetti and cooking it in the cast iron Dutch oven. It turns out so delicious - best spaghetti we ever tasted cooked that way. So far I haven't had any problems with sticking afterwards as we usually rub---another no,no----olive oil around the pots after use. Now we don't know if we're doing anything wrong here. The spaghetti is soooooooooooo delicious after being cooked in these pots and to do this we have to boil the water first.

From Nick Janes on (2/14/06) on cleaning cast iron pots:

I read through the archive on cleaning and reseasoning, and I have a few additional things to add. I have recently reseasoned several pieces of cast iron. I used a propane camp stove to burn off the coating outside. I followed this with a knotted wire cup brush on a 4 1/2 inch grinder to grind off any remaining carbon and rust. If you don't have access to a sandblaster, a rotary wire brush can work very well for cleaning up what doesn't burn off. It also smooths out the metal a bit as well.

To reseason, I washed the cast iron thoroughly, dried it with a towel, then with a bit of heat. Then I rubbed the hot metal with melted solid Crisco, inside and out. I turned it upside down and seasoned on the propane grill with the lid down and the burner turned down as low as it will go. I did this three times for about 15 minutes each time and it came out looking like black glass. The best part is that all the mess, smoke and smell is outside!

All of the cast iron that I have seasoned this way is easy to clean. It is as slick as teflon, and cleans easily by boiling a bit of water and then wiping out with a paper towel, followed by a wipe down with peanut oil on the inside.

I love my cast iron! It's a joy to cook with!

From Michael on (1/08/06) on cleaning cast iron pots:

Love all of the information you make available for us heavy metal fans!

Oven Cleaner: Just one thing that I'd like to add. I've had luck with Dollar Store type Oven Cleaners, when not in a hurry to clean cast iron. It's used in a plastic grocery bag to prevent goo from flowing everywhere and to keep the cleaner in contact with the surface in need of cleaning. I recently purchased a Griswold frying pan from the thrift store and wanted to be able to read all the information on the bottom. I sprayed the bottom only, and let it sit a few days in the grocery bag. In a few days, I could scrub off all the offending carbon build up, and read everything I needed to know, and never harmed the pan's interior seasoning, which is beautiful. Thanks for a wonderful site!

Using Lye: Find a large plastic container. I cut the bottom off of a plastic 55 gallon drum for this (large enough to put everything you wish to clean into). For every 5 gallons of cold water, add one can of "Red Devil" brand lye. Wearing long rubber gloves, gently stir to mix with a wood spoon. Tie a strong piece of string or twine to some point of the cast iron piece and gently ease into the solution. Let stand for a few days, checking progress every two days. Before you know it, your item will look as if it just came from the store. Keeping the gloves on, remove, and place on newspaper to drain off any excess lye solution. Rinse well and wash with hot water and soap before re-seasoning.

I've done all my cast iron in this manner and several pieces my neighbors, including one pan that looked horrible before cleaned. The solution turns black as tar, yet keeps on working so it really keeps forever in order to clean over and over any cast in need of a new finish.

Water-soluble shellac finish:

Question:
I recently bought a set of three black iron skillets that were made in China. I washed them in soap and hot water then dried them. I set my oven on 400 degrees and proceeded to oil them down with Crisco and baked them for one hour in the oven, one at a time. After I took them out of the oven, they had a dark shiny copper-colored bottom finish. Is this normal? I don't think so!

The skillets were a steel grey color before I put the oil in them. After the seasoning, they took on a dull copper-yellowish hue both bottom and sides outside and inside. Looks a little like a dark gold finish when you shine the light on them. All three skillets had the same results. The bottoms were not a copper bottom finish. They just had that color after I seasoned them. Did not look like copper at all, just had an unusual color that I had not seen before.

Please give me your thoughts and advise on this. Should I use them like that or what. Thank you very much. I'm 77 yrs old and still active. Love to cook. Thanking you in advance. - Warren (1/13/06)

Answer:
I’ve never heard of or seen cast iron pans with a copper bottom finish before. Are you sure they are cast iron, as cast iron pans are usually a silver color after deep cleaning of cast iron, but not copper color? I am curious about the color or your pans.

Feedback:
They are indeed cast iron! Bought from Sears on line. Three-piece set by American Origins of Keller LTD. A Division of Columbia Home Products, Terre Haute, In., Made in China.

I think I've found the answer. After reading some information on your cast-iron web page, you said that company's outside the United States coat their product with a water-soluble shellac. If I remember my wood-working days, some shellacs have an orange tint to them. Even though I washed my pans with soap and hot water, I guess I did not scrub them hard enough to get rid of the varnish! Evidently I baked the shellac into the pot along with the seasoning! That would give it an orange tint.

This morning, I rescrubbed my skillets with Bon-Ami, using SOS pads, steel wool scrubbers, and coiled steel scrubbers. Then I washed them with hot soapy water, rinsed them and put them on the stove to heat a little before reseasoning them. The first skillet just came out of the oven and the orange hue is gone. Has a nice silver color to it.

Question:
I just purchased a cast iron skillet which was not seasoned. I scrubbed and scrubbed to get the protective coating off as the manufacture states. I think it is paraffin - I hope anyway. Do know what they use to protect the Iron? And If I can't get it off will it have any bad effects? - Frank (12/14/05)

Feedback:
I called the manufacture and I was told that wax is used in the molding process. They state that you don't really need to wash it off. They recommend to wipe it down with peanut oil and place it in the barbecue because it will smoke a little.

Smoke points of different oils:

Question:
I have a question about my cast iron skillet. I have 3 skillets, all over 50 years old (my mom's and grandmother's). My husband had to clean them as they were full of rust and layered with grease, rust, etc. We finished them off by putting them in the oven to burn off the excess accumulations and then seasoned them.

He fried fish in the smaller one with no problems. Last night, he began to fry fish in the larger skillet (10 in.) but had a major problem. My husband breaded the fish, and put some vegetable oil in the pan in order to fry the fish. He said that the oil began smoking to a point that the fish burned and the entire house filled with smoke. He fried the fish in the same manner as previously but this time there was smoke and oil all over the place. What did he do wrong, or could there be a problem with the skillet. Please help! He was so disappointed as he had just caught the fish (snook, we're in Florida) and couldn't wait to eat it. - Cathy (9/09/05)

Answer:
If it started smoking and the fish burned, your pan had to be too hot. It doesn’t sound like anything is wrong with your cast iron pan. Clean the pan well and then re-season. The generic term "vegetable oil" when used to label a cooking oil product refers to a blend of a variety of oils often based on corn, soybean or sunflower oils.

Following are the Smoke Point of various fats:

Fat	Smoke Point °F	Smoke Point °C
Unrefined canola oil	225°F	107 °C
Unrefined flaxseed oil	225°F	107 °C
Unrefined safflower oil	225°F	107 °C
Unrefined sunflower oil	225°F	107 °C
Unrefined corn oil	320°F	160 °C
Unrefined high-oleic sunflower oil	320°F	160 °C
Extra virgin olive oil	320°F	160 °C
Unrefined peanut oil	320°F	160 °C
Semi-refined safflower oil	320°F	160 °C
Unrefined soy oil	320°F	160 °C
Unrefined walnut oil	320°F	160 °C
Hemp seed oil	330°F	165 °C
Butter	350°F	177 °C
Semi-refined canola oil	350°F	177 °C
Coconut oil	350°F	177 °C
Unrefined sesame oil	350°F	177 °C
Semi-refined soy oil	350°F	177 °C
Vegetable shortening	360°F	182 °C
Lard	370°F	182 °C
Macadamia nut oil	390°F	199 °C
Refined canola oil	400°F	204 °C
Semi-refined walnut oil	400°F	204 °C
High quality (low acidity) extra virgin olive oil	405°F	207 °C
Sesame oil	410°F	210 °C
Cottonseed oil	420°F	216 °C
Grapeseed oil	420°F	216 °C
Virgin olive oil	420°F	216 °C
Almond oil	420°F	216 °C
Hazelnut oil	430°F	221 °C
Peanut oil	440°F	227 °C
Sunflower oil	440°F	227 °C
Refined corn oil	450°F	232 °C
Refined high-oleic sunflower oil	450°F	232 °C
Refined peanut oil	450°F	232 °C
Refined Safflower oil	450°F	232 °C
Semi-refined sesame oil	450°F	232 °C
Refined soy oil	450°F	232 °C
Semi-refined sunflower oil	450°F	232 °C
Olive pomace oil	460°F	238 °C
Extra light olive oil	468°F	242 °C
Soybean oil	495°F	257 °C
Safflower oil	510°F	266 °C
Avocado oil	520°F	271 °C

Seasoning a cast-iron pan with wood handles:

Question:

I found your web site while looking for an answer to a problem I have and it is wonderful! However, it doesn't address my particular cast iron problem. I am just starting to cook with cast iron and a friend gave me one she had. She has collected them over the years and cooks in them almost exclusively. I used one that had a wood handle and loved it since I have a really bad tendency of grabbing skillet handles while I cook and burning myself. It had a great finish and nothing stuck to it. She told me to take it with me when I left but I forgot it. She started using other pans and since we live in humid Florida it rusted before I got up there the next time. She doesn't remember where she got it or how old it is. I have read about removing the rust on your site, however I am concerned about putting it in the oven to season it because of the wood handle. Is there any alternative method of seasoning it that you can recommend? - Lisa, Naples, Fl (4/05/07)

Answer:

To season on your stovetop, just coat the inside of your cast iron pan. Just be careful that the wood handles are not over the heat or flame. Since you can’t put the pan in the oven, you will only be able to season the “inside” of the pan. I would use a medium-high heat, but please watch carefully because of the wood handles. Don’t forget to turn on your exhaust fan or your smoke alarm might go off!
Another excellent way would be to do the seasoning on your outdoor BBQ. This way you could do both the inside and outside of the pan. I, personally, would do this first.

Feedback:
Ah ha! I have a gas grill. I could just keep the handle outside the grill! I think that's my best starting place. Thank you very much. I really want to salvage this pan and wasn't sure how. I appreciate your help.

Question:
I am about to receive a 5-piece set of cast iron from a friend. But the set has wooden handles. There for I cant season the set in the oven so I can I season it on the stove top. If I season it on top of the stove wont the lard catch on fire on the outside of the pan? And what setting do I put it on to season the pan high, medium or low. Thank you for your time. - Charidy Wilson (6/21/05)

Answer:
You can season it on the stove top, as you said. Just be careful that the wood handles are not over the heat or flame. Since you can’t put the pan in the oven, you will only be able to season the “inside” of the pan. I would use a medium-high heat, but please watch carefully because of the wood handles.

Cleaning using your barbecue grill:

Max Brunelle (2/24/05) sent the following information on cleaning on the barbecue grill:
The easy way to clean old crusty cast skillets: When you preheat your barbecue grill, put the skillet in for 20 min. on high. This burns off all the old crust.

Cleaning cast-iron barbecue grates:

Question:

My mother gave me a Char Broil Bar-B-Que grill that was about 37 years old, it is in pretty good shape. It has 2 sets of cast iron grates; a set of 3 smaller grates to hold the charcoal at the bottom and a set of 3 larger grates to grill the food at the top. I have cleaned up the grill but the grates have rust on them. I used a drill with a wire brush to try to get the rust off, but that did not work well and I could not get the rust from in between each section. What can I do to get the rust off? how do I know when it is ok to cook on the grates? do I need to season the grates? I have read that I am supposed to clean them after each use and put oil on the grates to keep them looking good, is this correct Please help, I would like to use it as soon as possible but, I don't wan't rust getting into the food that I am preparing for my family. - Sabrina (8/10/06)

Answer:

Heat your barbecue grill to the highest heat possible and burn off most of the rust and junk from the grates. Then scrape or sand the best you can to remove the remainder. It really doesn’t matter that much if you have some rust left on the bottom or ends of the grates. The top of the grates is the most important to be clean, as that is where the food sits.

As we have a outdoor grill with cast iron grates, my husband scrapes them with one of those stiff wire grill brushes before using each time. He then sprays the top of the grates with a non-stick cooking spray before adding the food he want to grill. This works great for maintain our grill.

Question:

I found the article on cast iron very helpful! I have a new charcoal grill with cast iron grates, seasoned them and have grilled twice in two weeks. I'm not new to grilling, but am new to cast iron. As with other grills, I leave them uncleaned until my next use since I grill at least once a week and it seems recommended to help protect the cast iron between uses. My question is I like to use a grill brush just before the food goes on while the grill is hot with some non stick spray,. Is this safe for cast iron grates? and I have been told to use a steel brush instead of copper bristles. I love the way the grates cook and just don't want to hurt them and I grill to often to bring them inside every time. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks! - Robert Venable. FL (6/20/06)

Answer:

I also have a barbecue grill with cast iron grates. My husband does just what you do and leaves them uncleaned until he is ready to grill again. He also uses a grill brush. It works for my husband and it works for you, just keep doing what you are doing.

Feedback:

Thank you! Thats all I needed to hear! Now, about those pesky hurricanes and Grilling here in Florida! Just have to cook between those feeder bands of rain!!!

Cleaning cast-iron gas burner grates:

Question:

I'm trying to find out how I can restore the finish on my cast iron burner grates for my gas range. A friend was helping me clean and used a cleaning product (Easy Off Bam) on the grates, then soaked them, and now they are mottled looking and rusting on the underside... aaaggg! The cost to replace the grates is ridiculous- would any of the methods you have on your site for restoring a cast iron pan, work with the grates? Thank you, - Windsor Easley (8/1/05)

Answer:

According to Fridigaire at: http://www.frigidaire.com/support/FAQ-New_Gas_Range.asp#5

The bottom surfaces on cast iron grates are often unfinished to allow the gases that are present in iron to escape during the manufacturing process.

To minimize rusting, do not allow grates to stand in water for long periods of time. After washing, dry them thoroughly to prevent rust oxidation from forming. You may also coat the bottom surfaces with a vegetable oil, or a non-stick cooking spray, but remember to wipe off excessive oil before placing on range. There may be a slight amount of smoke from any extra vegetable oil residue left on the grate when the burner is first used again.

Le Creuset cast-iron cookware:

Question:
I found your website online, and I thought it was extremely useful. I recently acquired a cast iron skillet, and I needed to know how to clean and care for it. I have a question, though - all the references to skillets are about gray & black skillets. My skillet is orange!! Have you ever heard of this before? It seemed bizarre to me, but it was free, so who was I to argue? Thanks for your help!! - Jason Crayne (1/01/04)

Answer:
If you are not talking about an Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet that has a coating over the cast iron, you have me baffled! I've never heard or seen an orange one. If you have an digital camera, how about taking a photo of it and sending it to me?

Feedback:
After tracking down the website containing pictures of the Le Creuset merchandise, it appears my orange "flame" skillet is very similar to what is sold there. If I have already cooked on it without seasoning it, can I still clean and season it as described in your website? I've been cooking on the Le Creuset skillet, and now there is baked on crud on it. What should I scrub that off with and what is the best way to cook on the skillet?

Answer:
You don't need to season Le Creuset skillets. Le Creuset skillets, with the enamel surface, are easy to clean. They are dish-washer safe. If you've burnt something in the skillet, just fill the skillet with hot, soapy water and let it soak for an hour or two. Then wipe it with a sponge and you're done.

Check out the following web site on caring for your pans (just click on the
underlined): http://www.lecreuset.com/new/productcare.php?material=castiron