CHOW.com - How to Deal with Rusty Cast Iron

[firecracker999999]

bacon fat?

[superrswalkthrougn]

I like it better when they just leave rusty pans in a bucket of Coca Cola for a few hours. Less complicated and saves, money, electricity and... Hey, wait a minute! What does the coke do to my intestines!

[jacktheripped]

I learned to toss the really thickly coated grungy ones into a wood fire first to burn the crust off then the steel wool/oil treatment. I did this to all my pans including a Erie, Penn 10 1/2 inch fry pan that I have seen for sale for about $150. A 4" small toy or sample pan from Erie, PA can go for more than $3000

[CDMVette]

The only things that can kill a cast iron pan are dunking a hot one in cold water or a century of rusting in a field. I just got a 10 inch one a few months back, and now I'm searching garage sales for bigger ones people might be throwing out.

[harryvonlipwig]

@CDMVette they can shatter when thye are cold too if you left one out on a winters night you could smash it against a rock

[midpipps]

Probably one of the better videos from chow. It is not so much for me that it is all natural it is that it basically has its own non-stick coating when seasoned well and cleanup is the easiest fastest out of any pans in my kitchen. They hold heat like you wouldn't believe so when you want a constant temp there is nothing better. Do not throw away cast iron skillets there is basically nothing that can kill them unless they are rusted through. Little cleaning and some care to re season is all

[thyd360pop]

what if my pan has a plastic handle

[kbview1]

thank you so much for that video! I just got a cast iron pan that I wanted to restore and season, but it seemed a little intimidating. thanks for clearing up the mystery.

[WeTheLibertyLovers]

@kbview1 For a much easier and through way...watch this video..."Eat The Weeds: Episode: 114: Cast Iron and Pig Weed" About half way through the video he shows a better way. Just thought I'd spread the knowledge.

[busybuzzbuzz]

brillo pads have chemiclas and detergents. And why don't you get some more cutlery? Jezuz

[hugsnkisses603]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[dumb7890]

got one $2 at garage sale cleaned it up , haven been using it 10 years and counting

[sgartner]

Excuse me? Use cast iron because it's "natural"? As opposed to what? Unnatural copper, aluminum, steel? Don't get me wrong, I love my cast iron, but don't blow smoke up my knickers.

[wagyu52]

@sgartner products like teflon. coatings that can chip or flake off in your food

[mescher07]

Mine was rusty and I used iron wool just like that to clean it, only I scrubbed it so hard there's silver metal exposed, I wonder if it's done for.

[FarmLifeDreamer]

i dont think so, i think you just went down to the iron. from what i understand cast iron pans are black because of the seasoning/ patina of use. the lodge pans come pre-seasoned, and old ones are usually found already seasoned, but damaged, or rusty. we dont get to see the raw iron pan. just season as normal. it may take longer to build up the dark patina in that spot, but it will happen with time/ use.

[Mommyladyx2]

@mescher07 No its not...just reseason

[peterdumplin]

A little half water half white vinager for only a few minutes eats the rust right off. Keep an eye on it though because it will eat the metal. That is a nice Griswold BTW. Cool vid.

[rommeldude1]

Lol, just throw you're rusty old pan if you dont want to get the sickness condition called Tetanus.. so buy new one..

[Frankenpalin]

@rommeldude1 tetanus comes from agricultural dirt, not rust

[BraveWomanCandy]

the surface is never as slick again though :(

[mmaier2112]

Can't you just use finer sand paper and get it smooth?

[Deseonfire]

If its cheap why not just throw it out and get a new clean one?

[jbbui]

@Deseonfire because you're not thoughtless and wasteful and don't mind doing a tiny amount of work to restore something?

[bamababy4913]

@jbbui AMEN!!!! :D

[bamababy4913]

@Deseonfire You would much rather have a generations-old cast iron skillet than one that's brand now, because the more one is used, the more well-seasoned it is. :-) Of course, a new cast iron skillet is better than none at all.

[VNSeraphin]

The way easier thing to do it's to put some Coke (without bubbles) and to let that 20-30 minutes...

And it's more cleaner

[sinatra711setzer]

nice

[GRILLBUOY101]

wow i didnt think it was possible to get it like new like that.

[TWILIGHT34H5YU8T138T]

cool lol but werd

[D4rk3z]

do all that OR buy a new 1

[BlackMambaPANIC]

I heard that little slip-of-tongue bacon... BACON FTW

[derekbegins]

ermmm.... i still prefer to buy a new one;

[td000]

throw away economy.... leads to nice environmental consequences

[Ahkmedren]

Wow, that... that is actually extremely helpful!

[XGexDirector]

Best video of chow?..

[sensangsun]

this is one of the more informative and practical videos I've seen, not like the one about how to cook rice...

[boot17]

@sensangsun LOL! im about to watch that one next!

[garygoyle]

great tip thx

[breadeaterfrompl]

wow

[shifttradition]

wow i would have tossed that thing if it looked like it did in the beginning

[nivsha]

better than filling the land fills humans are so lazy

[harryvonlipwig]

@nivsha they should recycle those peoples pans into bullets, and use them too shoot those terrible terrible people.

[n4v32x]

third

[n4v32x]

i can't count.

[adorkable32]

cool!!