# Cast Iron Skillets - the facts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220 "2016-12-20T13:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/21 "2016-12-20T17:11:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, it looks also like it has to do with the polish grinding final step of many vintage cookware pieces. According to the article linked, they stopped doing that in the 60s due to cost. There’s some pictures at the very bottom of the article, too, if you click. So, it’s not so much the casting process as the finishing. Thanks, learn something every day. Makes sense that they polished and/or ground the surfaces flat instead of actually casting them in a different mold. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/22 "2016-12-20T17:13:32Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Sand casting versus die casting, I believe. Modern cast iron has a pebbled surface that comes from being cast in a sand mold. Older cast iron was cast in a steel mold which gave it a much smoother cooking surface. Some people swear by the pebbly surface, and of course once your seasoning builds up enough it doesn’t matter. I don’t know… sand casting has been around for hundreds of years, and seems like the appropriate technology for the 19th and early 20th century. I imagine they just machined the cooking surface flat after casting, as that’s what the market required. Die-casting isn’t typically done with ferrous alloys either. Nowadays, cast iron pans aren’t really a highly competitive market, so Lodge pretty much does what they want, under the theory that you only have them, or a cheaper, rougher Chinese knockoff to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/23 "2016-12-20T18:23:13Z")
Can anybody explain why they put those tiny handles on the frying pans? It’s the main reason I don’t use cast iron pans. I would have thought someone would have come up with a more ergonomic way to lift something that heavy. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/24 "2016-12-20T20:02:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Can anybody explain why they put those tiny handles on the frying pans? It’s the main reason I don’t use cast iron pans. I would have thought someone would have come up with a more ergonomic way to lift something that heavy. The longer the handle, the higher the moment, the harder it is to hold or carry. It’s hot cast iron, so you’ll need a pot holder to move it anyway, might as well hold it close. It’s far less cumbersome to hold it close to its center of gravity than off to one side with a long handle. And anyway, my cast iron pans all have what I would consider “normal sized” handles. Though they often do have an extra short handle on the other side so that you can use two hands. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/25 "2016-12-20T20:24:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I don’t know… sand casting has been around for hundreds of years, and seems like the appropriate technology for the 19th and early 20th century. I imagine they just machined the cooking surface flat after casting, as that’s what the market required. Die-casting isn’t typically done with ferrous alloys either. correct, cast iron is nearly always sand cast. a steel die would be trashed by molten iron in short order. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/26 "2016-12-21T05:38:53Z")
[waves hand] Ooh, ooh, over here please, cast iron frying pan people! My question: What can I put under a cast iron pan to protect my glass cooktop? My landlords don’t want me using the pan directly on the cooktop, so no point arguing with me if in fact it doesn’t actually damage it. Even a heat diffuser of some kind would be fine, or a silicone pad, I just want a recommendation for what would work. ---
**Author:** ![Homo\_litoralis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homo\_litoralis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homo_litoralis)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/27 "2016-12-21T06:33:33Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > What can I put under a cast iron pan to protect my glass cooktop? I use this diffuser to avoid scratching the glass: > **[Amazon.com: VonShef Induction Hob Heat Diffuser Stainless Steel, Medium...](https://www.amazon.com/VonShef-Induction-Diffuser-Stainless-Medium/dp/B00DOZXK4Q)** > > Shop VonShef at the Amazon Cookware store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%. They’re marketed for nonmagnetic cookware on induction tops, but they work very well on electric. I got both sizes, but the larger one should suit most of your needs. They’re thick and heavy, so they stay put and conduct heat evenly. The handle stays cool. Should last forever. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/28 "2016-12-21T08:31:07Z")
The trick to seasoning, is the pan has to get really hot, past the smoke point of the oil being used. For some inexplicable reason a lot of the directions given for this suggest setting the oven temperature to something lame like 250F. The end result over time will be a rancid, sticky yet rusty mess. 400F + temps are necessary. I use bacon grease. I’d think Canola would work well, as it naturally turns to a glue or varnish like substance. Another reason the oldtimers seasoned their pans was in part simply an effective protection against corrosion, they’d season the entire pan, handle, bottom and sides as well as the cooking surface. It takes a little experimentation (and makes a bit of smoke) and is sort of like laying a decent paint job. Preparation is most of it, and laying down 5 or 6 thin coats versus 1 or 2 thick ones. If you’ve ever “spit shined” a boot, it’s kind of like that, lots of seemingly futile applications but eventually a mirror layer of wax builds up. When done correctly though it is surprisingly durable and as nonstick or better than any teflon. It’s a layer of carbon, a properly seasoned pan will be black as coal. I use detergent now and then, and even a steel scrubbie, albeit gently. Usually just a quick rinse with hot water is all that’s needed. The seasoning is important, because without it foods cooked or baked (as in a dutch oven) for long periods would take on a strong iron flavor. Not good. The older pans are noticeably smoother castings, and so take a lot less effort to get a good finish ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/29 "2016-12-21T08:52:47Z")
> [@Homo\_litoralis](#): > > I use this diffuser to avoid scratching the glass: > > [https://www.amazon.com/VonShef-Induction-Diffuser-Stainless-Medium/dp/B00DOZXK4Q](https://www.amazon.com/VonShef-Induction-Diffuser-Stainless-Medium/dp/B00DOZXK4Q) > > They’re marketed for nonmagnetic cookware on induction tops, but they work very well on electric. > I got both sizes, but the larger one should suit most of your needs. They’re thick and heavy, so they stay put and conduct heat evenly. The handle stays cool. Should last forever. **BeachMan** , you are an ignorance-fighting god, this looks like just what I need and I have wishlisted it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/30 "2016-12-21T10:35:06Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > 100 years ago I doubt there was all this debate about what oil to use for seasoning, how to clean the pan, etc. You cooked in it every night and the seasoning naturally built up over time. And that’s still one of the holy grails of thrift shop finds - an old cast iron pan that someone’s grandmother got from her grandmother and has been in constant use for decades. Heh, yeah. I season my cast iron pans once when I get them. If I mess up the season after that, I just keep using them. I clean them by getting the remaining oil hot enough to start to scorch, then quench when cleaning. The season on the bad spot builds up quick enough that it’s unnecessary to re-season the whole thing. I think the older pans smoother cooking surface is probably due to ages of utensils scraping across them. I’ve got a cast iron skillet that I inherited from my mom when she got a glass cook top. The handle, and what of the sides that you can see under it’s heavy patina are pretty rough, but the bowl transitions smoothy from a Lodge-type finish near the bottom of the sides to a nice glassy cooking surface. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/31 "2016-12-21T12:58:34Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > [waves hand] Ooh, ooh, over here please, cast iron frying pan people! > > My question: What can I put under a cast iron pan to protect my glass cooktop? My landlords don’t want me using the pan directly on the cooktop, so no point arguing with me if in fact it doesn’t actually damage it. > > Even a heat diffuser of some kind would be fine, or a silicone pad, I just want a recommendation for what would work. Just be aware that cast iron takes a long time to get to temperature on a glass cooktop, even longer than an electric coil cooktop. And the diffuser will make it even longer. Start heating a good 10 minutes before you actually plan on cooking. But otherwise it’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/32 "2016-12-21T12:59:43Z")
Okay, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/33 "2016-12-21T13:54:47Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I think the older pans smoother cooking surface is probably due to ages of utensils scraping across them. I’ve got a cast iron skillet that I inherited from my mom when she got a glass cook top. The handle, and what of the sides that you can see under it’s heavy patina are pretty rough, but the bowl transitions smoothy from a Lodge-type finish near the bottom of the sides to a nice glassy cooking surface. Perhaps there is an element of use but, as the link I provided before states, the old pans actually were machined to a much smoother finish than more contemporary pans. And only the cooking surface is finished, som yes, the rest of the pan would be coarser cast iron, ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/34 "2016-12-21T16:57:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Perhaps there is an element of use but, as the link I provided before states, the old pans actually were machined to a much smoother finish than more contemporary pans. And only the cooking surface is finished, som yes, the rest of the pan would be coarser cast iron, Makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to point it out to me. For those who are worried about the finish of the pan [a heavy jar and some emery paper can get you a mirror finish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mbv0_npHNg) on any old Lodge pan. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/35 "2016-12-21T17:13:47Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > When done correctly though it is surprisingly durable and as nonstick or better than any teflon. I agree with your whole post, but I don’t think cast iron seasoning is as nonstick as teflon. I’m not picking on you, a lot of people say that for some reason. Cast iron is _better_, it that it is nonstick _enough_, in addition to being far more durable and long-lasting. But you can crack an egg in a cold, dry teflon pan and slowly bring it up to heat without it sticking, and you’re going to find that cast iron just can’t do that. But it doesn’t matter, nobody cooks eggs in a cold, dry pan. Still, teflon is demonstrably better at nonstick, even while it is worse in literally every other measure of what makes good pan. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/36 "2016-12-21T18:35:51Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I don’t know the science but I’ve had much better results with animal fat like lard or bacon grease than with vegetable oil, though that might be a saturated versus unsaturated thing instead of animal vs vegetable. Bacon grease works for me. But cleaning it is a breeze. Pour boiling water in, let soak, then scrub with natural bristled brush. (Plastic is OK). Wipe, heat, add oil, let is get hot, wipe, turn off heat. But only clean when there are bits and heavy crust. It does not need to be cleaned after every use. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/37 "2016-12-21T18:36:58Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I agree with your whole post, but I don’t think cast iron seasoning is as nonstick as teflon. I’m not picking on you, a lot of people say that for some reason. > > Cast iron is _better_, it that it is nonstick _enough_, in addition to being far more durable and long-lasting. But you can crack an egg in a cold, dry teflon pan and slowly bring it up to heat without it sticking, and you’re going to find that cast iron just can’t do that. But it doesn’t matter, nobody cooks eggs in a cold, dry pan. Still, teflon is demonstrably better at nonstick, even while it is worse in literally every other measure of what makes good pan. You are correct. Not as non-stick as a _good, new_ teflon pan. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/38 "2016-12-21T18:43:01Z")
Ok, but cast iron has never killed any parakeets… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220/39 "2016-12-21T18:43:32Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Ok, but cast iron has never killed any parakeets… Ever hit one with a fry pan?😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-skillets-the-facts/775220.md?page=1)