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FACTORY NEW: Cast iron pans fresh from the factory ordinarily are treated with a coating to prevent them from rusting before they sell. This coating is not good to eat and it may integrate plastic or wax, so it’s a good idea to go over your pan with steel wool before seasoning the pan or using it for the firstborn time. After scouring it with steel wool, wash your skillet or pan in hot soapy water and then place over heat until dry. After you have cleaned and dried your new pan, condition it before using. RUST: If your pan or skillet is presently rusty, clean off the rust with steel wool first. You may recondition almost any cast iron skillet or pot, no matter how yucky it is when you find it. After you have scoured off the rust, wash it and arid it over heat. Then condition your pan. TO CONDITION: If it is new, not long back cleaned with steel wool, or other than as supposed or expected not greasy, you need to “season” or “condition” it original before cooking. To do this, put it on a hot burner, add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. Allow to get hot, then to cool, then wipe the oil all over, then wipe off any excess oil. TO CLEAN: There are dissimilar methods, but perchance the best method is the one that never uses soap. Soap will strip the skillet of the oil, and it is supposed to have oil on it! Unlike other pans, a good cast iron piece will be black with residuary oil. This prevents the pan from rusting and the metal from reacting with the food, and the oil likewise makes it work like a non-stick pan. So rather of soap, use salt to clean the pan. Coarse kosher salt is good for this intention because it is the right coarseness and you may get a huge box cheaply. When you’re done cooking, rinse out your pan, dump in a tablespoon or two of salt and scrub the pan just with salt and water combined in a thick, grainy paste. Rinse, then put the pan on the burner again and heat to arid the pan before putting it away (so it doesn’t rust). The pan still has oil on it but it’s clean, so next time you cook you may just begin cooking without having to condition the pan again.
Most helpful customer reviews 99 of 104 people found the following review helpful. 48 of 48 people found the following review helpful. It is fanstastic. It worked like a charm with the first use — no problems with sticking at all. I actually smiled while making my burger! My cornbread was also back up to Southern standards thanks to my 10-inch pan. The 10-inch works well for cornbread and frying. (Actually cast iron is the only way to make good cornbread.) I use the 8 for single burgers. The 6 I bought out of habit, but it also works well for single burgers. Clean up is relatively easy. Wash with hot water; Lodge does not recommend using soap. Dry thoroughly. I then heat mine on the stove top, turn off the heat, add a tablespoon of oil and use a paper towel to spread the oil on the entire pan inside and out. After the pan cools, I wipe away any excess oil and store the pan. For anyone who wants a head start on leaving heirloom cast iron pans, I strongly suggest this product. 44 of 44 people found the following review helpful. I recently added two of these 8″ skillets to my collection. I had been eyeing them for my daily single-sized omelets (I plan to wait until the skillets are a bit more seasoned before attempting to cook eggs in them), but every day I think of countless new uses for them. They are perfect for: – a single, perfect grilled-cheese sandwich and so much more… I really wish I’d known about these when I was single. I would have eaten so much better! But, they come in so handy as junior companions to my 12″ workhorse skillet and my two-burner reversible grill/griddle, I am happy to make up lost time with these little gems. At $10 and change, I recommend you purchase as many as there are members of your family. Or if you’re single, buy two… so you can impress dates by serving individual-sized appetizers or dessert! Then ask for two more for Christmas, so you can add a fun, gourmet twist to your dinner parties. As with all cast iron, even though this is pre-seasoned, it’s a good idea to season it again yourself before using. Generally you don’t use soap or detergent on cast iron (and NEVER put cast iron in the dishwasher!!), but when I first get a new piece, I hand-wash it with hot water and a tiny drop of mild dish soap. Dry it thoroughly with a dish towel… then, to remove any remaining water that has been absorbed, put it on the stove or in a hot oven for a few minutes so that any remaining water will evaporate. Then, coat with a *light* coating of grapeseed oil or organic vegetable shortening. Turn the oven on 400 (or higher, if you dare!) degrees. Put your new skillet into the oven upside-down and line the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil to catch any drips. “Bake” for 1-2 hours. Turn the oven off, then leave the skillets in all night to cool and solidify. Your skillet will have a deeper hue and glossy sheen that it didn’t have when you bought it. This will make it a bit more naturally non-stick. The more you use it (or if you want, you can repeat the above seasoning process), the more non-stick it will become. With proper care, cast iron will become your most well-loved cookware. I’m so excited to have added two of these 8″ skillets to my Lodge cast iron collection and can’t wait to come up with even more uses for these adorable, super-handy little skillets! |

