cast iron pans IN the woodstove.

[Microduck17]

So I found a pair of cast iron pans while cleaning up some junk at my dads place. These things had a thick layer of crud and grime burnt on the outside and inside along with plenty of rust. After tons of scrubbing they didn't look much batter. The burnt on grease and grime didn't really come off much. I remembered hearing you could put cast iron in the oven on the self clean setting and it woulf loosen the gunk. My oven doesn't have self clean. So I figured what the heck they're not really antique pans being newer Lodge products so I'm not out much if they get ruined. Last night I put the largest of the two into the wood stove on top of my overnight load of wood. This morning when I went to reload the stove there it sat on top of the ashes looking matte balck and dull red. Everything is either gone or turned to dust. It didn't warp or crack in the heat so it looks like after a good washing and re-season it will good to go!

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[Montanalocal]

I used to put a cast iron pan permanently in my outdoor grill to throw burgers on and cook them in the pan inside the covered gas grill. Did not hurt them in the least. When the grim got too much, I would take my angle grinder with a wire wheel and grind everything out back to the metal.

 

[blades]

I cheat - blast cabinet & crushed Walnut shells

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Being Lodge pans, a random orbit sander and a handful of sanding pads working down to a finer grit will make it as nonstick as the old pans of your grandparent's era.

 

[Microduck17]

Being Lodge pans, a random orbit sander and a handful of sanding pads working down to a finer grit will make it as nonstick as the old pans of your grandparent's era.

I have a few older ones I use daily they are slick as Teflon. Nothing better for making eggs than the cast iron griddle. Of the ones I cleaned up today one is a griddle and the other is a deep sided frying pan. Its probably 10 or 12 inches in diameter. It's kind of big for my small family but would be great for making sausage or hamburger gravy or for browning the large amounts of ground venison and beef I use for my huge pots of chili. The griddle I use daily was sanded down smooth with an air DA sander and reseasoned about 7 years ago. There is a whole set of antique frying pans in the barn at dads house. He told me I can have them im thinking of getting them and restoring them as a winter project.

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[SpaceBus]

Man, I tossed some old nasty cast iron pans I found in the woods near our house after we moved in. I didn't know they could be brought back so easily.

 

[Microduck17]

Man, I tossed some old nasty cast iron pans I found in the woods near our house after we moved in. I didn't know they could be brought back so easily.

If they are badly pitted by heavy rust they might not be worth restoring. Keep your eye out at yard sales, flee markets, good will, and second hand stores. You can find some good ones pretty cheap.

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[semipro]

I know first hand how an electric oven on the cleaning cycle will make a cast iron pan look like new.
My concern with doing it in the wood stove would be if the pan weren't to heat up evenly which may lead to cracking. You may want to place it on a nice bed of coals so that the whole pan is heating evenly. You may even want to place some coals on top of it.

 

[festerw]

Too high of a heat will damage the pans. While it works for newer heavier weight pans I'd steer clear of it for older pans.

For them a lye bath is the safer method for removing crud. Rust would be better removed with electrolysis or a vinegar solution.

 

[peakbagger]

I think the collectors use the lye technique. It seems to work real well but its potentially very hazardous. The person doing it needs heavy rubber gloves that goes well up their sleeves and a rubber apron.

 

[PaulOinMA]

... There is a whole set of antique frying pans in the barn at dads house. He told me I can have them im thinking of getting them and restoring them as a winter project …

Great!

Maybe just use a lye bath or electrolysis to clean them prior to seasoning, if they are antique pans and may have value. Other methods (fire, sanding, grinding, etc.) turn potentially collectible pans into users.

How to Clean Season Cast Iron pot skillets cookware. Griswold Lodge wagner

How to Clean Season Cast Iron. Step by Step instructions to properly clean and season your cast iron cook ware. Griswold, Lodge and Wagner Cast Ironware.

panman.com

Wagner and Griswold Society

www.wag-society.org

I use a lye bath and season with Crisco shortening.

The folks on the WAGS forums (I'm cooking moderator) can help date and value the pans after you get them. Cheers!

Wagner and Griswold Society (WAGS) Forum - Maintenance Mode

 

[PaulOinMA]

Too high of a heat will damage the pans. While it works for newer heavier weight pans I'd steer clear of it for older pans.

For them a lye bath is the safer method for removing crud. Rust would be better removed with electrolysis or a vinegar solution.

They're known as fire-damaged skillets, and the iron is changed and takes on a reddish hue. There are threads with pictures on the WAGS forums.