Anyone collect cast iron cookware?

Thanks everybody. I think I'll just go get it then. Always wanted a Dutch oven.

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amylou62

Do you bleed red, white and blue?

CLR works good for rust, you can also use electrolysis

I do not collect them. They just come into my life. I like a dutch oven that arrived and stays in the line shack at the farm.

Ya, I tried that and cracked a long oblong 2"high pan that goes right over 2 eyes(rondles) of the cookstove.

I bought one for 25¢. Bought a brush that went on the drill for $5. All cleaned and seasoned its a wonderful old dutch oven.

I collect cookware, I'm going to post some photos of part of my collection, haven't taken photos of all of it..I've collected for about 50 years

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Brenda Groth
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

We haven't collected any, we have inherited a few pieces. I did buy a nice dutch oven 40 years ago for a nickel, took me 30 years to find a lid....James

In addition to the regular frying pans and chicken fryers, I've got muffin pans, popover pans, a deep (5"?) double burner pan, several of the old wafffle makers that have the base for using on woodstoves, several Dutch ovens, pots in all sizes, a giant lasagne pan (I guess) corn stick pans, griddles, fajita pans, one of those 2-burner griddles like the one in Brenda's picture, gem pans of several shapes, lamb molds, and a bunny mold. I've probably forgotten something.

I have one of those "half-pans" made of aluminum like the one in 7thswans 1st picture, but I have no idea what it's to be used for. It looks like someone used it over a fire because the handle is a little singed. It's too deep for an omlet. Anyone have an idea?

That was my fear, and why I never tried it. Thanks for the warning.

Since the OP didn't specift that he was talking about cooking pans, I have several other cast iron pieces that I like. I have 6 sad iron heaters - four single burner ones, a double burner one and a triple burner one.






This is my very favorite piece:

Those are classy, Sally...

I have a nice collection of cast iron, but I dont collect it if you know what I mean...I use mine.

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Bkf will remove rust pretty well and provided its not pitted or scaled rust it will be fine...

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We use ours daily. Have grandmothers, mothers and a lodge we started using 20 years ago when we got married. Old stuff is smooth. Lodge is pebbly surface rough from sand mold. Older stuff appears to have been machined. I especially love griswold no 9 griddle. I blacksmithed us the pot rack.

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The easiest way to clean rusty or just dirty cast iron, to old good stuff is put it in a hot fire. I put them in our wood stove for a while. When they come out, after about 30 minutes or so, they look metallic iron. Let them cool for a few minutes and then rub oil on them and bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes. Rusty cast iron can be salvaged if it is not pitted using this method. But don't put 1960's or latter stuff in a hot fire because it may crack from poor casting.

In looking to salvage old cast iron, I've seen all sorts of ways described online, mostly involving soaking in a substance I don't have, hard sanding, etc. I've used what seemed to be the easiest & simplest method: stick it in a fire. Anything you don't want will burn off and anything you do want (the iron) should not be harmed.

You can often get them cheaper if they're crusty & rusty, as the seller may think they're useless. I have one I suspected may have been spray painted to look properly black & shiny (for a play or something), but it was hard to tell just what the gunk was. Surely not something I wanted to cook and eat, though.

Not too hot a fire, I imagine. Had the wood stove going to warm the place up, let it get a good bed of coals, set the pan on said coals & shovel some into it, then threw another good piece of wood on top to keep it going, and went to bed. In the morning I find a pan covered in a fine gray dust, which brushes away easily. Wipe it off and begin to reseason.

KMA1 may be onto something with the age: I'm talking about old iron, mainly Griswold, and they've been out of business for over 60 years. The quality of the iron and the casting & finishing process are different. Since they literally do not make them like that any more, I wouldn't be surprised if newer ones didn't stand up to this process as well. Then again, I wouldn't keep feeding a hot hot fire with it in there either. Coals will mostly do it.


SB

I disagree, Never stick the cast iron directly in a fire, it ruins it. I have a few that are ruined from people doing that. There are many ways to clean them, seems majority of collectors spray them with oven cleaner and stick in a bag a few days. Repeat as needed.

I have an extensive collection. I use them too. Rusty ones clean well, one of my favorite dutches has a few small pits in bottom, was a rescue, but wipes out like teflon. Its the warped ones that are ruined.

Wow! Hold the presses!! I have to run and tell my wife all the cast iron we have is ruined!!! Not!!!! It is just as good as the day it was made. Better in fact.

I have a few cast iron pieces, but I use them. I have a friend who works at a salvage yard and brings me one he finds ever so often. I love them, and even though my wrist despises them, I want more. Never thought of myself as a collector.

I feel bad saying this but I now prefer the cast iron skillets that have the little handle on the other side too. Helps me to pick it up. Never thought I would be saying this. I always thought I was invincible.