Lodge Skillet Sanding Smooth & Seasoning with Crisbee

[@missionpreparedness1533]

Just a tip from someone who has been doing this for decades...I've modified a number of rough cast iron pans and griddles with super success using only 80 grit sand paper. The result was a smooth surface, but the 80 grit sanding left a tiny micro-texture to allow the seasoning to get established and not be lifted off by use. Even the Stargazer company realized they had better results by having a tiny micro-texture allowing seasoning to hold. You will love the results...God Bless.

Wooooordd ;)

[@jaysmith6013]

I’m a Kent Rollins fan! He’s got such a great on camera presence and is a wealth of knowledge! One thing I found worked better for me than what Kent advises is when I got my new Lodge cast iron skillet, I hand sanded with 80 grit sandpaper then 150 grit. After I was satisfied with the smoothness, I then washed and dried it, and did 5 seasoning episodes with avocado oil in the oven at 530 degrees for 2 hours. It came out beautifully black and smooth and is as nonstick as a new Teflon pan. I’ve now said goodbye to all my Teflon pans for good

[@berniem.6965]

You really did your homework in terms of sanding a seasoning the skillet. Great job and great result. Now please also do your homework about cast iron myths. The first myth you should forget about, is the dish soap myth. As long as you're not using vintage soap from great grandmother's secret stash, you can wash the skillet with soap whenever you feel it's necessary. Back in the old days, soap was made using lye. Lye removes seasoning. Today's dish soap no longer is lye based. Therefore, it's perfectly safe to use on cast iron and carbon steel. It will remove all oil (and thus all kinds of misflavors) but not the seasoning (which no longer is oil). Due to all oil being removed, you have to reapply a thin layer of oil (or Crisbee wax) after cleaning with soap to protect the skillet from rust.

[@m2003h]

Yes I have learned Alot from Kent rollins. I now am learning to use a cast Iron Griddle........cadt iron is a great way to cook.

[@CitizenKate]

I really appreciate how you've done your homework before presuming to tell everyone the best way to do this... I've sanded a couple of my newer pans completely smooth to make them like the old-school cast iron we used to get back in the 1970's and prior. I love them and I won't do anything at this point to change them. But modern cast iron is made differently and much better left a little more gritty, so I agree that just sanding them lightly gives the best balance of old/new cast iron. It smooths it out just enough to produce a nice satin patina and give good cooking performance, but leaves enough grittiness to make it easy to keep perfectly seasoned.

[@3nineteen319]

I used Kent Rollins method. It worked well. That smooth finish really makes flipping your eggs easier. Thanks for the video.

[@techguy3507]

I bought a Lodge skillet. The surface was so rough it actually had sharp points on it. I tried using it for a while but it was not good. I took it out and sanded it just like you did. I didn't do the edges, just the bottom. Now I wish I would've sanded the edges and maybe even the outside, because why not? Anyway, a year later the pan is amazing. To all those naysayers about sanding down the pan, whatever. You do you and I'll do me.

[@peterc.anderson1840]

Greatest informative video I have seen. Seen tons of em. Wish I would have watched this on first! Great job👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@maggiereese1053]

I have only vintage and antique cast iron but the prinicple is the same. I learned to cook in and clean cast iron from my Grandma, a farm woman all her life born in 1891 so she was old school. I still season my cast iron with plain old lard and clean it with salt and a rag just like she taught me. You don't need to put more seasoning on it after you clean it if you don't use water (Grandma would come back from the dead to haunt me if I used water on my cast iron LOL). It continues to season itself as you go along cooking in it.

[@ericmonse2165]

Great video....also for hard to remove baked on stuff you can use salt and a wadded up piece of aluminum foil to scrub it clean

[@stephenwilder3525]

Best video I’ve seen on the topic. Thanks

[@obi-wantpastrami8745]

I just used mine like it was. Never had a problem with cleaning or food sticking. The center of the skillet is almost smooth now

[@mikerobertson4041]

You are very wise. No need for all of this smoothing, unless someone just wants to.

[@Nazka1108]

FYI...Per Lodge Customer Service. Steam self cleaning oven is not advised as too much moisture will cause cast iron to rust.

[@Alyosha-nm4io]

I've cooked with lodge products for years and I'll tell you what works for me, Pam cooking spray. After I cook I clean the pan with only water and lightly scrub with a brush, then put pan on gas burner heating it up. When the pan is hot I spray lightly and let continue heating till smoke point then turn off the burner and wipe like I never wanted the oil there. I hope this method helps someone if not cool it works for me all my cast iron pans are non stick.

[@577buttfan]

I do the same thing with spray vege oil from walmart

[@samgibson684]

You've obviously never read the ingredients of pam .....

[@577buttfan]

@samgibson684 Really funny I just finished using mine again this time i used olive oil.I used veg oil last time and avocado and flax before that.I use whatever I have and my pan is sweet!!

[@dkidl2000]

Did the same thing to my cast iron skillet, basically non-stick now!

[@martinfinster9899]

Excellent vid. I sanded several vintage pans down to very smooth and I seasoned them carefully on stovetop for about eight times and they tirned beautifully mirror-shiny black. Then I cooked with them. The polymerized oil started flaking off. I had a suspicion the surface was too smooth, so I’m going to roughen them up a bit and start over. We have my wife’s mother’s 12 inch pan that is over seventy-five years old and it’s truly amazing.

[@jerryknox2043]

You ruined any value your vintage pans had

[@martinfinster9899]

@@jerryknox2043 Monetary value or cooking pan value?

[@drea4373]

Why didn’t you season them in the oven? That would’ve made a difference.

[@TheWtfnonamez]

Good skills. I like CSR, and I think he knows his stuff. Good that you developed the science on it.

[@Schon1Kevin]

the thing about the soap is so wrong... that was the case like 50+ years ago when soap contained lye. nowadays soaps are usually lye free. the coating is literally burned oil. ever tried to clean burnt oil from your oven with a bit of soap and a 30 second wash? doesnt really work, does it? same with the coating on ur pan.

Exactly, such a common misconception...

[@ShaunPaget]

I sanded my Lodge 12" liked it so well I sanded the rest of them down too.

[@chad_griffiths]

Try cast iron cornbread. It's awesome! Preheating the pan will get the outside nice and crispy.

[@walterbordett2023]

Just relax and cook in your skillet regularly. Soap when needed is ok. Never soak an iron pan. Dry and lightly oil pan after washing. I have old Wagner and Griswold pans and contemporary Wagner and Lodge pans. They all cook well. Just learn by doing.

[@caitlinhiggins860]

I’ve got a cast iron that was never very “non-stick”, going to try reseasoning! This is great info

[@m2003h]

I have a Lodge 10" skillet i re season every time i cook and it has made it do so much better Every time.

[@MrRShoaf]

You said "Never put hot water in to a cold pan". Think about this, the maximum temperature you can get water to is 212°F. I suggest that no damage will occur if you pour boiling water into a cast iron pan straight out of your freezer.

[@turdferguson5300]

I don't know that I don't want to see that for myself. What time is breakfast in the morning? lol I'm really getting into cast iron cooking and frankly don't know how we got away from it over the years. I'm learning to identify cast iron from different time periods and companies. The older I get the more I appreciate the old ways, the old folks were a lot smarter than they are given credit for.

[@adrianedhouse5175]

Nice video. Keep em up.

[@reedadams4207]

I also exclusively use a metal spatula on my cast iron. It’s great for scraping those little crusties off the pan after cooking. And I’ve got a running theory that it also removes some of the ‘weaker’ seasoning and leaves the harder stronger seasoning that you want.

[@smspain09]

Very nice! I season with regular vegetable oil and I cook just about everything in my 12 inch Lodge - the family favorite lately, though, is spatchcock chicken. I start it over mid-high heat on a burner then transfer into a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Just salt and pepper (but I like to salt it the morning I'll cook it, and leave it uncovered in the fridge until maybe 20 minutes before cooking, helps dry the skin out to get it super-crisp.)

[@paulhughes3961]

The best oils to use are oils that don't have fiber in the description , as fiber in food is why it sticks in your pans. Also flax seed oil is fine but over time it can become very hard and brittle, and it can flake. That's why all of the pre-made cast iron seasonings are a mixture of grape seed, sunflower and bees wax.

[@wreckingopossum]

Definitely do Cornbread You will need 1 x 10.25" skillet 2 Cups Self-Rising Cornmeal Mix 2 Cups Buttermilk 6 oz Jalapeños, 6 oz shredded cheese 1 x Mixing Bowl 6 Slices of Bacon Steps 1. Preheat skillet on stove and oven to 350°F 2. Add bacon to skillet and cook 3. Dice Jalapeños 4. Mix dry ingredients (self-rising cornmeal mix), shredded cheese, jalapeños, crumble the bacon into the mix and mix again 5. Add the buttermilk and mix 6. Pour off some bacon grease but leave a good layer 7. Pour the batter into the hot skillet on top of the bacon grease 8. Put in the oven for 35 - 45 min. (Times may vary based on altitude so a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and you should have a nice, brown crust over the whole top of the cornbread)

[@chrisw411cp]

A whole recipe for some good cornbread done correctly and only 3 likes?

[@danagrauke5761]

How about some tips for the Dutch oven?

[@patwarmack678]

I enjoyed watching this video. Thanks so much for these helpful tips. I have 1 Lodge cast iron piece and just like you demonstrated its surface is rough. It needs to be sanded. 😞

[@karlsmith2570]

You can also get Lodge Skillets at the following places as well: Academy Sporting goods stores Walmart Target Bass Pro Shops

[@Bodomi]

There should be no need to remove the old seasoning, there's nothing wrong with it. They seasoning they put on them is usually canola oil. The thing that causes the horrible rough surface is that after the pans are molded in the sand molds they do not sand/polish them down. They did this before but don't anymore nowadays most likely to save as much money as possible. If you look you'll see that the rough bumps are all about the same size a grain of sand, because that's what it is from, it's imprints of sand.

[@mikerobertson4041]

You are 100% correct.

[@BuzznSuz]

The pebbled surface on a Lodge need not be sanded to make it nonstick. It’s all about seasoning. I think it’s more about appearance than actual use. I have a couple of older Lodge skillets (40) with factory smooth finish so Lodge knows how to do but find it unnecessary and I find no difference in performance.

[@nomad90125]

Indeed" you are 100% correct in what you say.

[@BrianT175]

I think you're right...eventually the seasoning on top will be smooth if you build it pass any roughness originating from the pan. I do admittedly like a pretty pan though.

[@berniem.6965]

It's not really about making the skillet nonstick. That's mainly a matter of temperature, preheating and time. But a smooth surface makes cleaning the skillet so much easier. Stuck on food releases much easier and the skillet no longer tears apart the towels.

[@preblewtf]

Soap will not remove the season. I can’t believe you did all that research and believe the oldest wives tail in the book.

[@adashofjokester2026]

It's hard to know what to believe when doing research. I watched videos of people using soap and their seasoning was coming off, perhaps it was not a very good seasoning. Thank you for leaving a comment. I'm still learning.

[@ericmonse2165]

If you use dish soap and scrub hard it will remove the seasoning in areas making more likely to stick. If you clean with salt and wadded aluminum foil there is no need for Soap in the first place.

[@preblewtf]

@@ericmonse2165 if soap removes your season it was weak and needed to be reseasoned anyways. Both salt and foil are both very abrasive, they would remove you season before soap would. I’m not speaking of old wives tails told by old wives like you are. It’s a SCIENTIFIC FACT that soap and water will not remove the season.

[@luiswhisky]

Indeed, it use to be true in the old days when all soap have lye on it. Today is quite rare that a dish soap have any lye on it, So as you correctly said it… its the oldest wives tail.

[@WanderingBobAK]

@@preblewtf Then you should be able to let your pans sit in water. Neck, just throw then in the dishwasher. Ha!

[@ahmadshoka]

I have a question if you don’t mind. You said sand it and the another tip is to put in the oven cleaning program. Should I put I the oven and not sand it or sand it then put in the oven? Should I sand it front and back and handle or just the front only?

[@joshlujan3318]

Hello, I just sanded a 13 inch Lodge pan I just bought from Target. Putting it in the oven first helps get off the old/factory seasoning before you start sanding. I didn't remove the seasoning first and the sanding took FOREVER because I was spending most of my time going through the factory layer. I probably went through more sanding disks (orbital sander disks/pads/paper) than I probably needed to. When you're sanding, PLEASE wear a respirator or a N95 mask. I was blowing metal colored snot out for about 3 days. For your last question, I don't see any point to sand the bottom of the pan, only the cook surface and the inner sidewalls. If you want to pretty up the handle, it won't hurt the pan, it'll just add more time to your sanding. I hope that helps!

[@adashofjokester2026]

@@joshlujan3318 That is an excellent idea, to oven clean the old/factory seasoning to remove it before sanding. I did sand the bottom of the pan just a little to take off ay rough edges that might scratch my glass stove top. My handle had a couple sharp spots so I sanded that as well. Thank you Josh for your comments and thank you Ahmad for your question.

[@laylayalda9465]

@@adashofjokester2026 great 👍 Thanks again and keep up the good work!

[@deltacompeticion]

Excellent

[@drummer90099]

I sanded mine down to super smooth then used flaxseed oil to season. I hope that it doesn’t go rancid. Do i need to strip it and use the oil in video. Hmmm

[@adashofjokester2026]

Some oils used right after you cook and clean your cast iron to apply a very light coating to help maintain your pan in-between cooking can go rancid if you don't use the pan for a long time. The actual seasoning doesn't go rancid because it's a hard coating. The product used in the video has been great for maintaining my seasoning and would probably work with any seasoning.

[@MrDWCallahan]

Very useful, thanks.

[@janean3773]

I didn’t know I could cook with my cast ir[n skillet on my glass top stove! 😳 Whoa!

[@canadiansparky64]

I do it all the time, just set it on carefully and don't slide it around, I haven't had any issues.

[@Cacheola]

Remove the seasoning and THEN sand the pan ;)

[@christ4613]

Good job

[@dylnfstr]

FYI you can use soap. Every single wash. Modern dish soaps don’t contain lye, old soaps did. Which is why people never used soap back in the day and why people still believe you can’t use soap. I use dish soap every time I use and clean it and eggs are a breeze

[@elsinorebrewing3841]

Like given and thanks for the information as it was good.

[@Timeforchangenow]

Mr.Cast iron is good as well.

[@KevinCook370]

You can use mold soap. It does not affect the seasoning at all.

[@ghidfg]

I feel like chain mail will scrape off the seasoning as it is harder than the baked on oil..

[@adashofjokester2026]

The chain mail is used with light pressure along with the hot water to quickly remove the food particles and has not damaged my seasoning. Plastic scrapers work nicely, but it's harder to handle sometimes with the big gloves.

[@BFRandall]

great video - but there was zero reason to remove the seasoning after sanding. Just re-season the sanded areas and you're good.

[@canadiansparky64]

If I have to re season an old pan, I just cook it in the BBQ outside, quick seasoning, then make pizza. (The pizza has nothing to do with the seasoning, I just love making pizza in the cast iron pan).

[@treelinehugger]

Cycling the cast iron through a self-cleaning oven provides several benefits with no downside. After sanding/polishing the skillet, raw iron will be exposed. This raw iron is highly susceptible to the damaging effects of red rust. To protect the raw iron, cycle it through your oven's self-cleaning cycle. This will form a protective layer of Black Rust (Fe3O4) that is harder and thicker than red rust. Black rust will stay tightly bound to the base iron substrate. Black rust also accepts seasoning more readily than raw iron. Allow the cast iron to cool slowly after the completion of the oven's self-cleaning cycle. Don't open the oven door for a few hours after the cycle ends. I usually let it cool in the oven overnight. This slow cooling will anneal the metal and make it less prone to cracking or breaking.

[@nunya_123]

perfect

[@shannoncombs3036]

Modern soap will not harm seasoning. In the old days soaps contained lye. Lye will eat away organic material. Seasoning is organic material. Modern dish soaps do not have anything in them that will remove polymerized seasonings.

[@fredwiley3731]

Cast iron. Just to much trouble and work. I tried several times to season mine but still could not get a nonstick finish.

[@SpitfiretheCat16]

Honestly, I just use cast iron because it's basically impossible to destroy one. Anything you do to it is reversible. You can't un-fuck a nonstick film.

[@Benroe-yz1nz]

Just keep cooking with it. It makes a huge difference if you preheat your pan before putting food in it

[@MrBullet888]

No real need to sand it down smooth. If you want to, that's fine but a proper seasoning 2-3 times will work even with the Lodge rougher surface. My Field and Stargazer are smooth and cook nicely being basically non stick and my Lodge does too and I didn't touch the surface.

[@adashofjokester2026]

I agree with you, I just prefer a smoother surface, plus making the bottom smoother may help reduce the chance of scratching my glass stove top. Thanks for the comment!

[@Shadowsers123]

The "sand" finish is actually made on purpose to get the seasoning to stick better, so indeed I think there's generally no need to sand the inside.

[@MrBullet888]

@@Shadowsers123 I have 2 Lodge skillets and 1 griddle. Neither have been touched and the surface is original. All of them are excellent. I have to actually admit that the Stargazer was a pain to get seasoned and cost ALOT more than the Lodge. The Lodge pans were GTG after like 3 seasonings.

[@agentg96]

Great video!

[@nomad90125]

Many things shown on cast iron pans today are wrong or misleading to say the least, but isn't that just Google being Google.😂

[@77trashman]

I tried this on my lodge 10.5,......aaand because the pan was cursed from the start i gave up and bought a stargazer 10.5.

[@TheShumoby]

I just use a stainless steel spatula and it will eventually smooth out.

[@achobrother7128]

nice gloves

[@Shadowsers123]

Why not get a carbon steel instead? Regarding the soap, it's a myth -- unless you use lye-based soap it should be OK! I use soap on my carbon steel pans all the time and the seasoning is just fine. If it does remove any seasoning, then that seasoning hadn't polymerised well anyway. Regarding food safety, I definitely recommend soap.

[@sidewyndersshed1676]

You hit the nail on the head! Not using soap to clean a pan came about because most soaps used to be made with lye, so "back in the day" it was good advice. Nowadays, it is not really an issue.

[@577buttfan]

Cast iron rules.

[@maybeparadigm8816]

Basic physics from high school. The more surface area you have the better the hold. So burn off the original seasoning. Re-season with butter, bacon greases, olive oil. Canola not good. Cook and season as you use. Then you will have a durable FLAT surface. DO NOT SAND YOUR PANS!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mikerobertson4041]

Kent Rollins is a great cowboy cook, but he is far from being THE authority on cast iron. All of this stuff is so unnecessary. Lodge cookware works perfectly fine straight from the factory. I have nothing but Lodge, and I've never had any problems. Of course, if you want that very smooth surface it's perfectly fine to do what you're doing... or why not just invest a couple of hundred bucks for one of those very smooth skillets.

[@karlsmith2570]

Growing up in Alabama, I was always taught to NEVER use soap and water when cleaning Cast Iron cookware, because you'd get the taste of soap in any food you cooked in the Cast Iron you're cooking your food in

[@arotom]

thats just a old myth . i use soap regualarly and have never tasted any soap, u just rinse them well with hot water

[@sidewyndersshed1676]

@@arotom Never using soap and water to clean cast-iron came about because almost all "soaps" ( even dish detergents) used to contain lye, and it would remove the seasoning as well as permeate the cast-iron. ( if used to clean after every use) Modern detergents are different. Once a good initial seasoning is aquired, there is usually no issues with a quick wash using dish soap. I would still not soak the pan in soapy water though. I hope this helps explain how this avoidance of using detergents got started. 👍😁

[@GilaMonster971]

Sanding the skillet really isn’t needed, a well seasoned rough cast skillet will cook just as well as a smooth one. I have compared antique skillets to modern cast ones, and the difference is negligible. Not worth the time or effort.

[@wtipton]

Please do NOT use that self cleaning method, it's a fire hazard especially when the old seasoning (crud) is thick. It's also pushing heat damage on the cast. I would also strongly advise you not sand your skillet, it may never season up properly again after sanding. Just get a good vintage one, they're out there cheap. Soap is fine, won't hurt a thing. Don't have to reseason after each use either.

[@CreachterZ]

Are you in my apartment? Not cool! Thanks.

[@frankmorris4790]

A hundred different ways to clean, smooth and season. The learning curve is short. If it don't rust and don't stick. Winner! Ignore purists.

[@DrSee-mm3zw]

You paid $50 on Amazon when you could have gone to Walmart and paid $30? And you believe Lodge to be a “high quality” cast iron skillet? You got taken twice.

[@Benroe-yz1nz]

Lodge does make a good product. They hold on to seasoning like no other pan does. I have several different makes of cast iron, carbon steel, and have sanded some cast iron pans myself. Nothing holds on to seasoning like a factory spec Lodge.

[@sportsonwheelss]

Yeti, $400

[@kimberly1567]

How many of us thousands upon thousands have done sanding job for them. And why did I? Why should I? It taught me to convert all my skillets to carbon steel and never buy the brand ever again.

[@robueleubor]

Do not ever sand your skillets