The Care and Feeding of Cast Iron: Cleaning and Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware

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BUY USED CAST IRON, BUT BEWARE

Used cast iron requires a different approach. Depending on where you acquire it, you are likely to find it coated with everything from paint to crusted-on old food to a thick coating of burned lard. Much of this can simply be burned off by leaving the iron in a very hot fire. There's also the old-time solution of soaking the iron in a mild acid bath (using a very diluted mix of water and battery acid or lye). But given the inherent and very serious dangers of this method (both agents are extremely caustic), it's best left to professional paint strippers, who have the goggles, rubber aprons, respirators, high boots, long gloves — and medical insurance — to work with caustics safely and responsibly.

Less hazardous to the lungs, eyes, skin and environment is to wash the iron in hot soapy water to remove any loose crud, then treat the iron with one of the new benign paint strippers, followed by a putty knife, wire brush, steel wool and some elbow grease. After the iron is clean, merely follow the directions for a new iron. One caveat: Paint can be very messy, so if it's a factor, you may want to work outside.

Some old iron pieces will, after a soapy water wash, look like new. Others will have stains that won't come out no matter how hard you scrub. Don't worry about these; the cure will later hide them. Once the iron is clean, oil and cure it as usual.

You're likely to find a greater selection of styles, sizes and designs in used ware than what is available new. You can find cast iron at flea markets and antique malls, garage sales and farm auctions. But be sure you know what you're buying before plunking your money down. (You might try Ebay, Craigslist and Freecycle, too.)

Cast iron has become hugely popular as a collectible, causing prices to skyrocket. You can easily pay several hundred dollars these days for just about anything that says "Grizwold" on it. Problem is, many pieces of no particular collector value, when found in malls and flea markets, carry inflated prices. A common, everyday corn stick mold, for example, sells new for about $15 just about anywhere. Yet, we've seen them in antique stalls for as much as $35.

Examine used iron very carefully. Much of it is warped or has cracks and pinholes from misuse. This doesn't much matter if an item is destined to be a wall hanger, but you won't want to cook in it. Be especially wary of any piece that has been painted. Unscrupulous dealers often "repair" holes and cracks with epoxy compounds, then use black paint to hide their handiwork. A good welding shop can repair these holes, but it's hardly worth the cost.

CAST IRON COOKING TIPS

When cooking with cast iron, heat the piece slowly. Cast iron works best when there is an even heat source spanning the piece's bottom. Old-fashioned wood- and coal-burning stoves are ideal for this (see Cooking With Wood), but very rarely does a modern gas or electric range provide this type of heat. The solution is to set your burner on very low and allow the cast iron to gradually warm up. You can then turn up the heat to medium or medium-high, as necessary. There is no reason ever to use the highest settings with cast iron, as it collects and conducts heat so readily.

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