Restoring Cast Iron
As many of you know, Shannon and I lost our home to the recent wildfires in New Mexico. We were fortunate that no one was home and no one was hurt, but the home was a total loss.
The fire burned so hot that it melted glass in the oven that was supposed to hold up to extreme temperatures. Still, we held hope that some things might be spared. I’ve been cooking on cast iron for decades, and I have a good collection. I hoped that some pieces might have survived the fire in good enough condition to be restored.
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Assessing Cast Iron for Restoration
1. Check for Lead
Before you start to restore any cast iron that was in a house or garage fire, you want to make sure there were no lead based chemicals or paints around that might have burned into the metal. Don’t guess – find a test. You can get a simple lead testing kit at Amazon, like this one here: https://amzn.to/3Wo6drU
2. Check for Cracks or Warping
Inspect the iron closely looking for any cracks, no matter how small. In our fire, some cast iron pieces were shattered, so we checked carefully. Some cracks may be hidden under rust and will be discovered after rust removal, but don’t wait until then to check. It will save you a LOT of time and needless work. If you do find a crack, it’s best to retire the piece, because when cast iron gets hot, it can make the crack worse.
Cast iron can also be warped. If it isn’t too bad, I’ve used some warped skillets to bake in. However, if it has a bad warp to it, it’s best to retire the piece.
Note: If the bottom of a skillet is slightly warped and it wobbles some, it can still be used for baking or cooking over hot coals. Don’t use it for deep frying or on any flat cooktop.
3. Rust/Debris Removal – Assess the Situation
If the cast iron piece isn’t in too bad of shape, you can often remove minimal rust or debris with some coarse sea salt and a rag. Simply buff the piece. If you need a little more than that, you can get some 200 -grit sandpaper and sand it. You can also do this with an electric sander.
However, if you have a piece in really bad shape, like ours were in, I recommend using a right-angle grinder with a heavy-duty wire brush attachment. This is what I used: https://amzn.to/3WDVOJP
Be sure to use an even pressure across the piece to remove the rust, debris and old seasoning. You want to get the piece back to bare, silver cast iron. It’ll take some elbow grease but this tool sure does save some time! This step will expose any cracks you may have missed upon first inspection.
The above attachment is called a paddle wheel or a polisher – this will get any remaining rust or debris that the wire brush failed to remove. This will also get deep down into the edges of the skillet where a wire brush may not have adequately reached. The paddle wheel may create some little ridges in the metal but this can be buffed out later.
An alternate Rust Removal Method is to place the cast iron in a self-cleaning oven and turn on the cleaning cycle. Be careful that your piece isn’t extremely old, or thin as extreme heat can harm it.
Tip: Place a sheet pan over the bottom to catch the ash that will fall off the skillet
4. Polish and Smooth.
After you’ve removed the rust, run your fingers all over the skillet to make sure everything is smooth. The cast iron needs to be taken all the way back down to the bare metal, so it should be bright silver and shiny.
I used a small hand sander with 200-grit sandpaper to go over everything one more time and assure that everything is polished and smooth.
Clean well with very hot water, dry and it’s time to re-season.
5. Re-Season
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Start re-seasoning by placing the clean iron on the stove over medium heat. Make sure the skillet is good and dry. When the skillet feels hot to the touch, it’s ready for oil.
Start with a small amount of grapeseed oil. You can always add more if needed, but you don’t want too much oil, which will cause the cast iron to become sticky. I’m going to make sure that the oil is all over the inside of the skillet. Oil the entire interior and exterior of the skillet, including the sides.
Tip: Use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to rub the oil all over the skillet.
Tip: I prefer grapeseed oil, beause it bonds well to cast iron.
When the skillet is well-oiled, place it on a wire rack over a cookie sheet, upside down, in the oven for 1 hour. Then,turn the oven off and let it come to room temperature inside the oven. You’ll start to see a golden bronze like color.
Buff well with a lint free cloth. Great job!
6. Repeat
You’ll need to repeat this at least four times. The more you season, the less oil is needed to use each time. After about four times, you’ll be ready to cook. Deep frying is the best way to start cooking in it, as that will naturally start to build up the seasoning you would like.
7. Maintain the Seasoning Every Time the Skillet is Used
The easiest way to keep your cast iron seasoned is to clean, dry, and oil immediately after cooking every single time. Wipe out any excess grease. Using hot water, rinse the pan and scrape off any remaining food. Heat the skillet over medium heat. When it’s too hot to touch, rub just enough grapeseed oil to lightly cover the inside of the skillet. Your skillet will always be seasoned and ready.
Trust me, after taking the time to re-season one skillet you will be motivated to maintain the seasoning after each use!
If you have more cast iron questions, check out our Cast Iron Playlist at our YouTube Channel. As always, Shannon and I thank you for visiting our website and subscribing to our videos. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram!