My el-cheapo ($5 on sale) lattice top cast iron steamer works like an el-cheapo model. It doesn't give off near as much steam as an open pan of water. I think it has a small bump of cast material on the bottom that has been porcelained over which prevents the bottom from siting flush against the stove top and benefitting from the full transfer of heat. I could grind it down, may still do that, but I hate it for more than just that. Instead I realized I had a larger, vintage cast iron dutch oven pan I could use. It seems to liberate the steam quite well. But I'm wondering if I should try to coat the bottom in porcelain paint to help keep scratches and rust down to a minimum? Is this possible?
Porcelain paint to coat my new steamer?
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Season it like a cast iron skillet. Or flash it.
No, do not dance naked around the stove. (otherwise known as the "I tried to add wood while nekkid, and an ember hit me in the ..." dance.
Put pot on stove, with no water. get stove hot. rub olive oil or veggie oil (food grade oil) on pot a little at a time. It will flash (light aflame) and then go out. It leaves a black coating of soot. Do the whole pot, wait till it cools, then rub it off. Do it again. It is now rust proof(relatively), and it is historically correct.
As for scratches, anything that can scratch a cast iron pot, is not something to mess with. wolverine maybe. Diamond, probably. Not much else.
Joshua
No, do not dance naked around the stove. (otherwise known as the "I tried to add wood while nekkid, and an ember hit me in the ..." dance.
Put pot on stove, with no water. get stove hot. rub olive oil or veggie oil (food grade oil) on pot a little at a time. It will flash (light aflame) and then go out. It leaves a black coating of soot. Do the whole pot, wait till it cools, then rub it off. Do it again. It is now rust proof(relatively), and it is historically correct.
As for scratches, anything that can scratch a cast iron pot, is not something to mess with. wolverine maybe. Diamond, probably. Not much else.
Joshua
Ok, laughing at myself. Sorry. I totally misunderstood that, then. Sorry.
Put a couple pieces of tile down, maybe?
Joshua
Put a couple pieces of tile down, maybe?
Joshua
nah, no tile. Anything between the pot and the stovetop will really diminish the heat applied to the steamer. My stovetop will be 500+ degrees but the water won't even boil, just the barest of simmering. I just wondered if there was something to put on the pot bottomside.
Well, looks like I am too late. The rusty bottom of the cast dutch oven left rust marks on the top of my stove. Son of a groan. They aren't scratch marks, they are little rusty spots. Tried to rub them off but no-go. Stove was too hot to really take a close look. I hope they come off without me having to sand the enamel paint.
I had previously cleaned the bottom of the dutch oven so it was mostly bare metal with just a little fine rust. I'm thinking I can hit it with a wire brush on my 4 1/2" grinder, get it bare, then paint the bottom with some stove enamel?
I had previously cleaned the bottom of the dutch oven so it was mostly bare metal with just a little fine rust. I'm thinking I can hit it with a wire brush on my 4 1/2" grinder, get it bare, then paint the bottom with some stove enamel?
Wahoo, should be able to. Stove paint should hold very well. I'd just do 2-3 coats, to make sure.
Use a green scotchpad to take the rust spots off the stove. Won't scratch the paint.
Joshua
Use a green scotchpad to take the rust spots off the stove. Won't scratch the paint.
Joshua
I never did address the rusty water spots that my steamer left on the top of my new Jotul. This is on enamel paint. I am concerned a green scotchbrite pad will scratch the paint as I have screwed up in the past and used scothbrite pads on things like a windshield and a bathroom vanity top and scratched them both. Doh!
Fine steel wool? Scrubfree? I don't want to scratch it. Any ideas???
Fine steel wool? Scrubfree? I don't want to scratch it. Any ideas???
Just get a piece of 1/8" or 1/4" plate steel to the size of the bottom of the steamer and paint it and put it on top of your wood stove , sit the steamer on top of it.
wahoowad said:
for that - I might try the Mr. Clean "magic eraser"... they seem to work pretty well and are not abrasive, if that doesn't work... maybe a little naval jelly, and a soft rag?
I could be wrong, but the I thought it generally dissolves rust, not the paint.... maybe that wasn't the best idea, but since its only surface rust, I don't think it would go into the paint. But I would try the magic eraser first.
Naval Jelly is an acid. It eats the rust. If there is rust under the paint it will push up the paint.
wahoowad said:
Do you need to boil to perspire and have it evaporate?
A simmer over 120 or 130 degrees adds a great amount of moisture to the air, and cuts down on the number of times you need to refill. your pot. I personally would rather have a slow introduction of moisture than a raging pot of pasta on the stove.
wahoowad said:
When stove is cool, take a paper towel and soak it in white vinegar and lay over your spots, leave it for 3-4 hours, but check occasionally. When mark is gone, wash with clean water. Rust will go away. I can do the samew thing with oxalic acid in 30 seconds, but you don't want to buy even a pound. There is also a retail product called Whink, that does the same thing. No rub, no scrup, no damage to the enamel.
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