Don't Throw Out That Ugly Cast Iron Skillet

If you see one of these at a yard sale grab it!

Step 1: Burn Off the Gunk

Turn the skillet upside down in the oven and run the self cleaning cycle

Step 2: Scrub the Crude

This is the only time you should ever use soap on a cast iron skillet.

Using an SOS pad or other scrubber and soap clean off the crust.

Dry completely

Step 3: Start the Seasoning Process

Heat in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes

Brush on a thin coat of crisco

Then rub it in and off until it looks dry

Step 4: Bake on the Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and bake the skillet upside down for one hour

Step 5: Keep Going

Repeat Repeat Repeat Repeat!

Yep 5 times

Ta Dah!

You have a beautiful vintage cast iron skillet.

Nothing cooks fried chicken like an old cast iron skillet

Comments

[Pittiemama]

This is solid... Thank you so much I have been dying to find something that works for my cast iron. 😊

[shootfilm]

There's nothing wrong with using soap on seasoned cast iron. The seasoning can withstand baking, scraping, and open flame; a little soap isn't going to hurt it. I have my wife's family's century-old skillet, and I use soap and water on it all the time with no ill effects.

[RobR2]

Love my Cast Iron set!! I got it from my dad when he inherited grandmas old house. The set was siting out in the humid Florida garage for a few decades as grandma started using nonstick cookware. I used a first step of rust removal by using a wire brush on a drill, before steel wool, then heated on grill and used for seasoning.......BACON GREASE!!

[stechi]

Nice job, but I don't know what you mean by "self-cleaning cycle", "SOS pad", and "crisco". Are they trade names? Can you describe the actual materiasl so we can find something similar in other places? Thank you!

[eekanif]

The self-clean cycle on most (American) ovens is a timed, very high temp (usually the max temp the oven can attain) program that "super bakes" all of the cooking mess from the inside of the oven. Mine runs for 4 hours. "SOS" is another American brand, it's a medium and fine guage steel wool pad infused with cleanser. "Crisco" is American vegetable shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil) - typcially used as a replacement for lard. I hope this helps.

[Silly Suzzy Sez]

My stove has a “self cleaning” feature, for the oven. You just turn the knob to self clean and in about 2 hours or so the oven will be clean. SOS pads are a brand of steel wool pads impregnated with soap, and crisco is a brand of solid vegetable shortening. If your stove doesn’t have a self cleaning feature you can accomplish the same effect using an outdoor grill or a fire pit.

[steveastrouk]

"Self cleaning mode" is a mode in many electric ovens where the oven can get to an unusually high temperature to burn off carbon.

An "SOS pad" is a scouring pad from cleaning ovenware. They can be made of metal wires, or a material called ScotchBrite.

Crisco is a kind of vegetable oil, often made with Canola or Corn. Flax oil is considered the best oil to season with.

[carlos66ba]

Nice! Some people say that flax oil provides the best seasoning. I have no experience.

[Silly Suzzy Sez]

I didn’t achieve the results I expected using Flaxseed oil. It takes several more rounds of the seasoning process to get a good finish. I am patient enough for 5 rounds, not so much when it’s taking 8-10 rounds. I use the Flaxseed oil after I have cooked in the skillet as an ongoing seasoning. After cleaning my skillet I put a couple of drops of the oil on my hands and rub it all over the skillet, then rub it off with an old washcloth.

[pliska]

I use my outdoor grill instead of my oven. No fumes or heat in the house.

[Iamm1ckser]

Would this work on an Aluminium skillet ?

[steveastrouk]

Kind of. Alumnium is very soft though, and its easy to gouge. There is no known toxicity issue with aluminium oxide.

[raphan]

No only on iron or steel. Avoid aluminium as its oxydes are really dangereous.

[Kink Jarfold]

My dear ol' mammy used to say, "Waste not, want not." Great instructable.