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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






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;








2















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



enter image description here



enter image description here










share|improve this question






















  • 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

















2















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



enter image description here



enter image description here










share|improve this question






















  • 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













2












2








2








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



enter image description here



enter image description here










share|improve this question














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



enter image description here



enter image description here







cast-iron skillet






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










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

















  • 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










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















3














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...



  1. You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.


  2. 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 ;)






share|improve this answer

























  • 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


















0














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 !






share|improve this answer








New contributor



Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.



















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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    3














    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...



    1. You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.


    2. 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 ;)






    share|improve this answer

























    • 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















    3














    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...



    1. You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.


    2. 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 ;)






    share|improve this answer

























    • 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













    3












    3








    3







    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...



    1. You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.


    2. 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 ;)






    share|improve this answer















    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...



    1. You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique.


    2. 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 ;)







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    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

















    • 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













    0














    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 !






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor



    Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.























      0














      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 !






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor



      Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.





















        0












        0








        0







        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 !






        share|improve this answer








        New contributor



        Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        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 !







        share|improve this answer








        New contributor



        Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.








        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer






        New contributor



        Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.








        answered 34 mins ago









        Gary SachsGary Sachs

        11




        11




        New contributor



        Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.




        New contributor




        Gary Sachs is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.





























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