Cast_Iron_Chris

Soap is safe for cast iron. All of this crust and buildup is from a major lack of cleaning. Crust is not seasoning, it’s neglect. You might be wondering why the outside is WAY more crusty than the inside. That’s because cooking oil spilled over the rim, made its way down the sides, and eventually to the bottom. This skillet was most likely just wiped clean (cooking surface only) which is why the cooking surface is certainly crusty, but not nearly as crusty as the outside. I always recommend cleaning your cast iron with soap. It will not remove or damage your seasoning and it’s much more efficient at cleaning and removing old cooking oil than just water alone. But if for some reason you’re still anti-soap, AT LEAST use hot water. Don’t be gross.

NEVER USE POWER TOOLS TO RESTORE CAST IRON. Grinders and wire wheels can be incredibly damaging. Vintage and antique cast iron is collectible- some pieces aren’t worth much, but others are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Collectors want to be pieces that are as close to perfect as possible. Grind marks bring the collector value down close to 0. True restorers will use methods that are: 1. non-abrasive 2. non- subtractive 3. non-destructive The most common methods are electrolysis and lye bathes (also included is Easy Off and some other rust removers). I understand that the average person doesn’t know about or has never heard of electrolysis or lye, and that grinding off buildup or rust seems intuitive. One of the hopes I have for this channel is to try and educate as many people as possible when it comes to all things cast iron, including restoration.

This is one of the BEST things you can do for your cast iron. I run all of my skillets that I use through stovetop seasoning. When you season cast iron, the oil that you use polymerizes and carbonizes (the dark patina) and the direct heat from the stovetop allows both processes to happen faster and create a (quite) arguably more durable layer of seasoning compared to using the oven (indirect heat). Seasoning cast iron in the oven will absolutely be more even than stovetop seasoning since the temperature of the entire piece will be the same, which is why I don’t use stovetop seasoning to season restorations. But stovetop seasoning is one of the best things you can do for your cooking surface (and bottom). Stovetop seasoning is also a great method if you don’t have an oven. I like to get the pan above 400° before I oil the skillet. In this video, temperatures eventually got anywhere from 580° to the low 600°s (Fahrenheit). Unlike the oven, stovetop seasoning will create a significant amount of smoke so make sure you have your vent on and a window open. On a regular skillet, this process may take you 10 minutes. This skillet was JACKED up so this took over 30 minutes. It’s still unknown what exactly happened to this skillet, but from the marks it looks like food was cut in the skillet or a metal utensil was used at a harsh angle with a lot of force. Whatever happened, it took off some layers of seasoning, but not all. In the end, this skillet had such a strong and glossy finish that the light was reflecting off it so much I couldn’t even record a good angle. The first thing I cooked in this skillet after stovetop seasoning it was eggs. I never have a problem with eggs but this time it was like the cooking surface was an ice rink. Due to algorithmic purposes, this video is under a minute. I have a full length video on my YT channel (link is in bio) where you can see the progress through the entire process.

GORGEOUS