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Serious buildup outside of cast iron skillet
Does cast iron have a coating from the manufacturer?Seasoning Cast Iron Pan but without Using Bacon or LardHow do I clean my cast iron grill pan?How to see if cast iron cookware is enameled?Maintenance and safety of cast iron skilletDo induction cookers increase risk of cracking cast iron?Lodge 12sk lid, what can I use?Identifying Cast Iron Skillet - with weird patternIs cast iron cookware from China safe?“preseasoned” cast iron pot colors my broth
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I recently was given an old family cast iron skillet and noticed that the outside of it had serious buildup. Basically I can take my fingernail and lift several, thick, black pieces off. The inside of the pan is fine. I was wondering where this comes from and if this affects cooking on the pan. Also what would be the best way to remove the buildup? Thanks
cast-iron skillet
add a comment |
I recently was given an old family cast iron skillet and noticed that the outside of it had serious buildup. Basically I can take my fingernail and lift several, thick, black pieces off. The inside of the pan is fine. I was wondering where this comes from and if this affects cooking on the pan. Also what would be the best way to remove the buildup? Thanks
cast-iron skillet
Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54
add a comment |
I recently was given an old family cast iron skillet and noticed that the outside of it had serious buildup. Basically I can take my fingernail and lift several, thick, black pieces off. The inside of the pan is fine. I was wondering where this comes from and if this affects cooking on the pan. Also what would be the best way to remove the buildup? Thanks
cast-iron skillet
I recently was given an old family cast iron skillet and noticed that the outside of it had serious buildup. Basically I can take my fingernail and lift several, thick, black pieces off. The inside of the pan is fine. I was wondering where this comes from and if this affects cooking on the pan. Also what would be the best way to remove the buildup? Thanks
cast-iron skillet
cast-iron skillet
asked Jan 26 at 17:13
Carl EdwardsCarl Edwards
21125
21125
Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54
add a comment |
Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54
Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside I see a couple of routes you can take...
You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.
You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state - as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides*.
You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere that could shot-blast it for you. This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes.
You can then re-season the outside.
*You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. I eventually forgave her ;)
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
|
show 1 more comment
I am always looking for things to break out my dremel....iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up...In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff....I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this I have it looking new in no time at all and you could too !! grab your dremel and get to work !
New contributor
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside I see a couple of routes you can take...
You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.
You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state - as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides*.
You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere that could shot-blast it for you. This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes.
You can then re-season the outside.
*You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. I eventually forgave her ;)
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
|
show 1 more comment
The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside I see a couple of routes you can take...
You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.
You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state - as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides*.
You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere that could shot-blast it for you. This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes.
You can then re-season the outside.
*You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. I eventually forgave her ;)
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
|
show 1 more comment
The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside I see a couple of routes you can take...
You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.
You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state - as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides*.
You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere that could shot-blast it for you. This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes.
You can then re-season the outside.
*You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. I eventually forgave her ;)
The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside I see a couple of routes you can take...
You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.
You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state - as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides*.
You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere that could shot-blast it for you. This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes.
You can then re-season the outside.
*You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. I eventually forgave her ;)
edited Jan 26 at 19:41
answered Jan 26 at 19:26
TetsujinTetsujin
3,16711119
3,16711119
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
|
show 1 more comment
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
Another aggressive mechanical attack is a drill-mounted wire brush or sanding disc. If you've got a drill they're both cheap
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:36
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
I'd considered that as an option - & probably ought to add it to the answer, thanks... but I was just thinking about the mess ;) Sanding is bad enough. If you find somewhere that does shot-blasting [or one of the myriad varieties of it] then they've got extraction & filtration so you don't need to worry... & they'll charge pence for it, because one of the guys will just do it for you there & then, no booking, no real fee, just bung the guy a few quid.
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 19:40
1
1
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
I've got a garage set up as a workshop, googles and masks to hand, so I wouldn't worry. I can see how that might not work for everyone. Even a big handheld steel wire brush might do something good
– Chris H
Jan 26 at 19:55
2
2
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
I'm the only one in my entire extended family who never took up a manual trade. I learned quite young that it's simpler to find 'a bloke who can do that' than attempt it myself ;-)
– Tetsujin
Jan 26 at 20:00
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
But then the question becomes why? Obviously this is a fine skillet that works well, no reason to get all worked up about its outside
– George M
Jan 30 at 22:22
|
show 1 more comment
I am always looking for things to break out my dremel....iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up...In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff....I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this I have it looking new in no time at all and you could too !! grab your dremel and get to work !
New contributor
add a comment |
I am always looking for things to break out my dremel....iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up...In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff....I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this I have it looking new in no time at all and you could too !! grab your dremel and get to work !
New contributor
add a comment |
I am always looking for things to break out my dremel....iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up...In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff....I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this I have it looking new in no time at all and you could too !! grab your dremel and get to work !
New contributor
I am always looking for things to break out my dremel....iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up...In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff....I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this I have it looking new in no time at all and you could too !! grab your dremel and get to work !
New contributor
New contributor
answered 34 mins ago
Gary SachsGary Sachs
11
11
New contributor
New contributor
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Do you have a gas stove or electric or induction?
– The Photon
Jan 26 at 17:52
I've been using a gas stove.
– Carl Edwards
Jan 26 at 17:53
could the pan have been used on open flame, e.g. been taken for camping?
– rumtscho♦
Jan 28 at 8:54