Cookin' With Coal

Photog200 wrote: ↑

Sun. Feb. 14, 2021 10:58 am

I too have not been happy with the flaxseed oil and I used the organic in a bottle. As you said, it worked well to give a hard surface but over time it has all flaked off. I will let you know how the Buzzywax works out.

Randy

Paul

Photog200 wrote: ↑

Sun. Feb. 14, 2021 10:58 am

I too have not been happy with the flaxseed oil and I used the organic in a bottle. As you said, it worked well to give a hard surface but over time it has all flaked off. I will let you know how the Buzzywax works out.

Randy

Please let us all know on this post. I am interested to hear.

I have a Wagner bacon and egg griddle coming that will need cleaning and seasoning after I receive it.
I will be using the following method as i saw on the web.

1. Initially clean pan using self clean setting on oven and allow to cool off. Assuming you have a self cleaning oven.
2. Wirebrush, scotchbrite, steel wool as necessary to clear rust or stubborn bits.
3. Heat pan to 200 degrees
4. Rub thin coating of crisco on pan surfaces.
5. Heat pan to 300 degree for 15 minutes.
6. Wipe pan to remove any excess oil off pan surfaces.
7. Heat pan to 400 degrees for 2 hours.
8. Repeat steps 3 thru 7 a second or third time or when desired finish is achieved.

If this isn't to my satisfaction, I will try something else.

Reid

FYI, we covered this back in these threads. The Crisco made now is not like the high smoke point Crisco recommended in some old cast iron pan seasoning advice found on line. It's just vegetable shortening and vegetable oil works as well.

Vegetable oil will work, but I found that you really have to wipe off the excess oil very well, or the pan will just get gummy rather than build up layers of carbon.

Paul

Yes, I did read the posts with interest regarding Crisco changing formulation way back in Cookin' with Coal. I also saw the post where flax seed oil was tested and then failed. All interesting stuff. There still appears to be more art than science to it.
With that in mind, I feel I need to test it and see for myself. If it is unsatisfactory, on to another technique.
In the past,I have used and seen a few ad hoc ways of "seasoning" cast iron pans.

I recall the old cast iron pan my mother had when I was a kid. It never went through a seasoning regimen. It did on occasion get to a point of seasoning from frying ground beef and onions a few times a week. Then some disaster would befall it, usually us kids cooking/burning a meal in it. Then, it would have to start all over again.

Reid

My ex-brohter-in-law John, owned a commercial sandblasting company for awhile.

At a famly holiday dinner my ex mother-in-law asked him if he could "clean up " a cast iron fryng pan she'd used for decades.

Seems she didn't believe in washing it it, just wiped it clean with a paper towel after each use. The carbon layers had built up over the years to where it took a long time to heat up and she could get it hot enough to do frying the way she liked.

At the next family gathering, John returned the pan, still with over a 1/4 inch thick layer of carbon inside it. He said he tried but the sand blasting hardly touched it.

Paul

After doing more research and watching more videos on Youtube (gotta believe those videos ), part of the problem I may have been having with the flaxseed oil was this. On my Lodge's pans, I sanded down to make them smoother and then there was not much there for the oil to adhere to. I saw an interview of one of the owners of the Field company who make some awesome new smooth pans that I do love. He was saying that he did the same in his early years and that is why the oil did not adhere very well. In that interview he said they use grape seed oil on the Field skillets.

I started cooking for my family at the age of 12 when Mom got a job outside the home. Dad was a cook for the captain quarters in the Air Force and he always showed me to use Crisco on the cast iron. I used Crisco for years to season and to keep up the seasoning...until recently. As Paul already mentioned and also in previous pages, the formula changed a few years ago and I really did not care how it was working anymore.

I really did not want to re-open discussion about how to season pans. I was wondering if anyone had used some of the new seasoning pastes with Bee's wax in them.

Randy

Since my last response I have been doing more research on seasoning oils. I believe I have found the reason that we had issues with the flax seed oil flaking off. Flax seed has a smoke point of just 225ºf. When we are cooking on the stove top we are usually using temps at 300º or higher, causing the flax seed to break down. One other thing I was doing wrong was leaving too much oil on the pan before putting in the oven to season. You have to wipe off the oil so that it looks dry...like you didn't put any oil on the pan.

As I mentioned earlier, I ordered a carbon steel omelette pan. The pan is made by DeBuyer from France. They mail their pans coated in bee's wax. They claim to be the ones who discovered that using the wax with oils in the seasoning process gives better adherence to the metal. This has led to companies making the pastes on the market that include bee's wax. Two of the brands that I am now familiar with are Crisbee® and Buzzy Waxx® (DLapan on here sells the latter). I ordered two cans of the Buzzy Waxx from Dana but before they arrived, I did some experimenting. I had the ingredients to try to make my own. I used bee's wax, avocado oil, & grape seed oil. The avocado oil has a smoke temp of 520ºf and the grape seed oil has smoke temp of 421º. I poured the mixture into silicon mold to make a puck like block. I stripped and re-seasoned 4 cast iron pans 3 times with this batch. I did the fried egg test on my Field skillet & the carbon steel pans with a pat of butter, the egg slid around in the pan like it had ball bearings under it. I have a couple more pans that I am going to strip and use the Buzzy Waxx® on to see how that compares to my experiment and will let you know how that compares. I am sure there will be similar results. Now, only time will tell how long will this will hold up to everyday cooking. Photo shows the wax puck that I made.

Randy

Good to know, Randy. Thanks for the update.

I know you have seasoned and used cast iron cookware a lot!!!!! Do you think it was easier (faster) using the beeswax version than any seasoning methods that you've used before ?

After the flax seed oil failure, and I stripped the pan to bare cast iron again, it took about six times coating, wipe dry, then bake the pan to build up enough seasoning with vegetable oil to start cooking with. But now, same as you said, just a pad of butter and the eggs slide around in that pan like they are on ball bearings.

It's just that, I find using the more commonly found seasoning advice that does not include beeswax, it took a lot of time to get to that level of performance. I'm wondering if beeswax saves some steps ?

Paul

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑

Fri. Feb. 19, 2021 3:37 pm

Good to know, Randy. Thanks for the update.

I know you have seasoned and used cast iron cookware a lot!!!!! Do you think it was easier (faster) using the beeswax version than any seasoning methods that you've used before ?

After the flax seed oil failure, and I stripped the pan to bare cast iron again, it took about six times coating, wipe dry, then bake the pan to build up enough seasoning with vegetable oil to start cooking with. But now, same as you said, just a pad of butter and the eggs slide around in that pan like they are on ball bearings.

It's just that, I find using the more commonly found seasoning advice that does not include beeswax, it took a lot of time to get to that level of performance. I'm wondering if beeswax saves some steps ?

Paul

The skillet I used to do that test I mentioned was a new skillet from Field company. They are making these skillets in the U.S. and are just as smooth as the old ones like Griswold. I stripped it to bare iron and then applied three coats of the bee's wax/oil that I made. That was enough to make the skillet non stick as mentioned. The same thing happened with the carbon steel skillets. The only thing I cannot vouch for is the longevity of the seasoning yet. So far I am impressed!

Randy

The DeBuyer and the Field look like great pans.
Will be interested to hear how the seasoning oil blends work out, but it will take time
I see that fields seasoning blend is Grapeseed oil, sunflower oil and beeswax

Reid

Three time through is a lot fewer steps than I've ever been able to achive seasoning cast iron starting from bare cast iron,... no matter what oil I used for seasoning. And that includes doing antique Griswald & Wagner pans and Dutch ovens, a newer lodge, plus some modern import pans.

Now,..... if it holds up, then it's a sure winner !

And I see by our Ch 9 Syracuse weather station that you have lots more snow coming. Great weather for Cookin' With Coal !

Paul

ReidH wrote: ↑

Fri. Feb. 19, 2021 5:48 pm

The DeBuyer and the Field look like great pans.
Will be interested to hear how the seasoning oil blends work out, but it will take time
I see that fields seasoning blend is Grapeseed oil, sunflower oil and beeswax

Reid

I fried some potatoes in the Field skillet tonight and I could clean up that pan with a paper towel...nothing stuck. I fried a pork chop in the carbon steel pan and it took the seasoning off where the pork chop was. Having said that, they say that is normal until the pan get a really good seasoning on it. As you said, it will take time to see how it holds up.

I love the Field skillet, they are pricey or I would have the whole collection. LOL
Randy

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑

Fri. Feb. 19, 2021 5:54 pm

Three time through is a lot fewer steps than I've ever been able to achive seasoning cast iron starting from bare cast iron,... no matter what oil I used for seasoning. And that includes doing antique Griswald & Wagner pans and Dutch ovens, a newer lodge, plus some modern import pans.

Now,..... if it holds up, then it's a sure winner !

And I see by our Ch 9 Syracuse weather station that you have lots more snow coming. Great weather for Cookin' With Coal !

Paul

I had to buy a new snow blower today...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. LOL

Photog200 wrote: ↑

Fri. Feb. 19, 2021 5:55 pm

I fried some potatoes in the Field skillet tonight and I could clean up that pan with a paper towel...nothing stuck. I fried a pork chop in the carbon steel pan and it took the seasoning off where the pork chop was. Having said that, they say that is normal until the pan get a really good seasoning on it. As you said, it will take time to see how it holds up.

I love the Field skillet, they are pricey or I would have the whole collection. LOL
Randy

Good to hear the Field pan worked out. Look out vintage Griswold and Wagner pans.
I didn't see any griddle/crepe pans in the Field website.
Yes, they are pricey. The DeBuyers appear decently priced.

Did you try the new seasoning blend on the carbon steel pan or did you use it as supplied?

Reid

ReidH wrote: ↑

Fri. Feb. 19, 2021 8:14 pm

Good to hear the Field pan worked out. Look out vintage Griswold and Wagner pans.
I didn't see any griddle/crepe pans in the Field website.
Yes, they are pricey. The DeBuyers appear decently priced.

Did you try the new seasoning blend on the carbon steel pan or did you use it as supplied?

Reid

I used the mixture that I made on both pans that I used for dinner tonight.

Randy