Just picked up eleven pieces of cast iron for 75.

One BSR wedge pan. Makes three BSR for me.
One Taiwan stick pan. My fourth stick pan.
Two gate marked pieces one a flat griddle with sulfur corrosion the other a possible Wagner 8 with the flat ribed handle.
A single notch lodge 8
Two BSR 3 one red mountain one new century.
Two BSR 5 red mountain and new century
Two BSR 7 both red mountain.

All user grade.

Don’t stop?

You need to stop...

Not going to get anything but enabling from me. Sounds like you did well

Probably have a dozen pieces stored in the basement, even gave some away, I'm not using them. My wife will probably give them to goodwill when I tip over, she doesn't grasp the concept of "He who dies with the most pieces wins"

I just got another Griswold waffle iron a couple days ago. I don't really care for waffles and that makes number 5 or 6 I have now. I just got stuff to start cleaning up about 8 or 10 different pieces of CI. Off the top of my head a slant logo rectangle Griswold griddle. A Wagner rectangle griddle. A round small logo Griswold bale griddle that I found in a garbage pit. Two chicken fryers and a Dutch oven with lids. Three gate marked griddles with handles. And a couple frying pans.

What are you supposed to stop? I don't see any problem.

You had better STOP !!!! At every garage sale and antique shop and second hand store you go by....... might miss a bargain !!! Don't want that to happen !!

Idk what any of those words are.

So, since you do, I say keep on keeping on.

Don't stop.
It could be worse. You could be like me and buy or try to buy every '47-'54 Chevrolet pickup truck that you see. I used to have 4 of them. I'm down to just 2 now, so I am itching.

I like cast iron for the historic feel of it. I just like old fashioned things. Is there any reason to use cast iron over something else modern or otherwise? Any difference in old cast iron finds or new offerings?

don't stop , just star giving them as gifts any time it is appropriate.

kids , nieces, nephews , graduation , gifts weddings , ect...

The reverse of stop is pots, just saying.

Keith

The original nonstick once you learn how to season cast iron and maintain the seasoning. Older will be smoother as they were milled after casting to smooth the cooking surface and most often will be lighter as they didn't over compensate material for strength as they knew the end user knew how to care for it properly. Also some say cast iron boosts your iron intake from iron leaching into the food. I'm not sure that I buy that for two reasons. The seasoning barrier, basically a long chain oil based polymer, and if being leached the seasoning is gone due to an acidic food.

That last, acidic foods, is cast iron's one weakness but it is worse for aluminum. But the real world deal is one of exposure. A quick tomato pasta sauce won't hurt it, an all day simmered tomato paste from scratch will strip the seasoning. But that's what enameled cast iron is for.

Cast is also better for holding even heat with less issue with hot spots. And you'll be able to pass it down to your grandchildren.

You're right I don't have enough dutch ovens.

Neat stuff. I look at it in cabelas every now and then but seems too pricey vs a flea market lightweight fry pan for hiking or hunting. I'll look around though.

How do you season (preserve?) the pan? and clean it so you dont hurt the seasoning? I've seen chainmail looking scrubs for it

Seasoning is easier to understand if you are a wood worker and understand oil finishes because it's much the same process. An oil heated to just under it's smoking point to induce polymerization where it forms long chain molecules and hardens into and on the surface of the metal. Except with wood finishes you don't heat it but let it dry naturally.

With cast iron you start with stripped bare metal. Old iron can be stripped using chemical, lye bath or oven cleaner,, or electrolysis. Many will recommend high heat, self cleaning oven or fire, but that runs the risk or warping or cracking the iron. I use a lye bath.

Once stripped I wash it really good with hot soapy water and then tuck it into a medium oven to dry and preheat. Careful at this step as you can get flash rust. Once dry and warmed up you want to apply a THIN coat of high smoke point oil. Some preferred oils are grapeseed, flaxseed, avocado though many use any cooking oil or shortening. Lard or crisco is commonly used. I use grapeseed.

I can't stress enough THIN. It's a wipe on wipe off thing, you want it almost removed with just a residual layer. You're going to build up the seasoning with multiple layers not just one heavy gummy coat. To thick leads to soft gummy residue or caked up carbon deposits. Don't worry if it's splotchy looking on the initial coats just buff it out and continue.

Heat the oven just just under the the smoke point of your oil and let the piece bake for an hour upside down. Shut off the heat and walk away to let it return to room temperature. Upside down the prevent oil pooling on the cooking surface. Some put a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch any drips but if you put it on right, THIN, there won't be any drips.

Repeat this process at least two more times. You're building multiple thin coats. If the cooking surface is grainy or rough to the touch you can lightly burnish it with a dry scouring pad like a scotchbrite pad.

Once initially seasoned you break it in by using into fry up something like bacon or fried egg. More oil. The seasoning will be somewhat delicate so no scraping with metal utensils just let the fats work. Clean up now will be hot water and the mildest scrub pad that'll get it slicked up. As the seasoning builds and toughens with use this can get all the way up to the chain mail or stainless scrub pad the I use. And contrary to popular opinion soap can be used just not alot of it as many soaps are lye based or have similar stripping abilities. I only break out the soap if it's particularly greasy, like after deep frying. Pop it into a hot oven to dry. This prevents rust by getting rid of the water and helping any oils left to harden.

With use it turns a beautiful black that's smoother than a baby's butt. Though most modern non milled will never be as smooth as older milled iron.

You do want to get aggressive with the scrub pad on any carbon deposits and build up, particularly on the bottoms and sides as the seasoning will continue building and carbonizing with use. Particularly with the lower smoke point oils and fats.

Seasoning can be touched up by repeating the oven seasoning or be stripped and redone at any time.

We use exclusively cast iron in our house. My girls and I all use it fine, but whenever somebody else cooks it's a big mess to clean up.

If you are looking for lighter weight but still very useful , carbon steel pans

lodge has some

an 8, 10 and 12

I have the 10 and 12

the 10 is a really handy size and the 12 is a bit bigger

the 10 will do a 3 egg omelet very well or 3-4 fried eggs sunny side up , you just slide them out on the plate no flip.