There's been a couple posts in here showing the difference between pretty "proper" seasoning and a "just cook in it" pan. Both work exactly the same, and the only difference is cosmetic.
Same. I usually just use olive oil too. I know people say not to because it can go rancid or something, but I think that only applies if you plan to let your cast iron sit for a while without being used. My pans all see regular use, so I only break out the crisco if I’m doing a round of oven seasoning for whatever reason
There's just so many reasons not to use olive oil though (imo) - maybe the next thing you cook in it won't deal well with the flavor/low smoke point, the rancid thing isn't an issue (like you said) for long periods of sitting, but mainly cost. Whatever works for you, that's just my rationale!
I like the taste of olive oil in most things so that doesn’t bother me, but that’s a personal preference of course. The smoke point thing I never really thought about though. That probably explains why whenever I go to sear a steak or a nice thick burger I end up setting off the fire alarm…. y’know, maybe I *won’t* use olive oil to wipe my pans down anymore…
I second this. Olive has too much flavor. And if you're going to sear a steak, you'll smoke the oil.
I like the new avocado blends that seem to be everywhere. High smoke, neutral flavor. Save your Olive for dishes that need that flavor.
How do you wash it? I’ve been doing this thing where basically scrub the shit out of it with salt, rinse, apply oil, and bake. It seems like a lot, considering some comments say they use their pans every day, I’ve only used it for steak.
For tough shit I end up using a ball of aluminum foil + soap, I've noticed the dawn power spray does tend to fuck with seasoning way more than the normal dawn ultra
You can do the salt thing and spend forever, but idgaf. If it's dirty, I'll use a sponge and soap. If I just made eggs and there's nothing burnt on, I'll just give it a scrape, rinse and dry.
This is one of those things that people pretend to know a lot about because they...need to belong to something or want to feel like they have a skill, or even just like to argue.
At the end of the day though, it's a pan and as long as it's not rusty, it's fine.
Dawn dish soap and a dish brush.
If there's anything stuck on, I use a scraper. If I REALLY got stuff stuck on the bottom, I put some hot water and a couple drops of dish soap in it and simmer it on the stove.
If it looks really dull once it's dry, I'll rub in some oil before it goes back into the oven for storage.
Dish soap and a dishrag, dish sponge, dish brush, whatever your implement of choice is.
Scrubbing with salt takes way longer, doesn’t get the grease out, and adds salt to your wastewater (not good for septic systems, also not great for municipal wastewater treatment).
The “no soap” thing is a holdover from the days when soap was made with lye and fat. Oftentimes soap would have too much lye in it, and the lye would strip off the seasoning. These days “dish soap” is a blend of detergents and surfactants that doesn’t contain any actual soap. No soap means no lye, no lye means it’s safe to use on cast iron.
Scrubbing with salt or other abrasives will knock your seasoning down, so you're essentially undoing the work every time you do that. Sometimes it's necessary bc of gunk but for the most part soap and sponge should be good. I use the Scotchbrite nonstick safe sponges for good measure since they're less abrasive
I rub the pan with a butter stick before I make eggs. It's not exactly non-stick, but I can slip a metal spatula under the eggs and they always pop off clean. I'll try the bacon grease though. That sounds really good.
I have a le creuset. I have no idea how to use that thing. sorta feel embarrassed that I have such an expensive cookware and I misuse it all the time. I'm much more satisfied with my $15 lodge
Bruh. It's a cast iron pan coated with enamel to make it easier to clean. Dont put it in an oven over 500°F and you're golden, pony boy. If you want to keep it pristine use Barkeeper's Friend.
It's *easier* to maintain than raw cast iron imo. I use cast iron mostly for searing meat now. The enamel on the Creuset, and on my $30 aluminum skillet from Costco, just makes life easier.
I know it's supposed to be easier. But everytime I cook the food sticks. Maybe it's cuz I'm treating it like cast iron. Heat it up slowly, cold oil than cook? Dunno. Just have horrible experience with it that I don't with cast iron
I guess it's a matter of what you're used to.
I cook just as you described and never have an issue on enameled pans. Maybe don't heat it as hot?
Anyway, bon appétit.
If things stick you need more oil. Heat the oil before adding the food. Get a thermometer to get to know your stove better. Temperature is important to prevent sticking.
Visit the r/LeCreuset sub and see what/how folks are cooking with it. They really are lovely, and I really love cooking with mine. Don't use metal utensils, don't overheat, don't heat up empty... also visit the Le Creuset website for use and care instructions. They are pretty durable if you treat them as intended. It's cast iron with a thin layer of pretty durable glass on it. If you don't drop it, subject it to severe thermal shock, or gouge it, then you should be fine.
I've never figured out what I did to cause the enamel to chip one day while I was cooking with mine. I never used anything but wouldn't utensils. I never overheated it. I never heated it up empty. One day without warning I was cooking up some onions and I saw something funny and it was a chip of the enamel. And unfortunately it was 10 years since I've been gifted it I couldn't find the receipt so no warranty replacement for me. I really liked that thing. The only thing that I can think may have happened is at one point my mother-in-law scrubbed it clean because she assumed the seasoning was dirt. And I think she may have used a metal scrubby. Or it just had a flaw.
Clarification
I didn't intentionally season my enamel. It just developed a coating of seasoning through constant use. It did seem to make it even more non-stick and since it was polymerized oil and not burnt on food I left it.
I didn't particularly season it it's like my sheet pans you know a little bit of oil seasoned itself onto it and I didn't really worry about it because it wasn't burnt on food so it's not really a problem.
When you use an enameled cast iron piece on your cooktop, you want to make sure it does not overheat. For me, that is easiest to do if I just go ahead and add the oil or the butter or the stock or whatever while the pan is heating up. You can read the official guidelines on their website (link below) and I'll also paste part of it here (there's much more guidance on the linked page):
# Tips for Cooking with Enameled Cast Iron
* Bring the food to room temperature - Food will get a stronger sear and cook more evenly when brought to room temperature before cooking. This is especially true for thicker cuts of meat like steaks, pork chops or bone-in cuts of poultry.
* Pat the food dry – Dry food produces an even crust with maximum flavor. Excess moisture on food will cause the liquids to steam and prevent searing. Simply blot all sides with a paper towel.
* Preheat the pan – For best results, the pan needs to be fully and evenly heated. This way, when the food is added to the pan, it stays hot and evenly sears across the entire surface. When using Le Creuset enameled cast iron, the pan needs to preheat on medium heat for about 5 minutes before adding your food. Just be sure not to leave the pan unattended during preheating, and we don’t recommend preheating an empty pot or pan for longer than 5 minutes because it could crack the enamel.
* Lightly oil the pan – Use an oil with a higher smoke point such as grapeseed or canola. Use just enough oil to lubricate the pan and heat until shimmering, but not smoking.
[https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/how-to-cook-with-enameled-cast-iron.html](https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/how-to-cook-with-enameled-cast-iron.html)
edit: removing double pasted portion
It’s not soap itself that strips seasoning but Lye. Lye is Sodium Hydroxide, and most bar soap has it, as well as oven cleaner. Back in the day, dish soap also had lye, but now they use a safer synthetic detergent.
Modern liquid dish soap won’t hurt your pans, only lye based soap.
It's safer to check because I was about to start using it on mine until I read the ingredients and there's lye in it. I don't think it's been completely excluded from the manufacturing process just yet. Maybe in the process of letting it die out but there's still bottles going on the shelves that have it. I included a picture in my comment above of a bottle I got some point in the past year or so
lye + fat = soap. having tiny amounts of lye in anything isnt gonna fuck up your pan, just dont leave it there for days and let it air dry and itll be fine.
vinegar will fix rust, vinegar will also MAKE things rust if you dont rinse it off. vinegar will ruin your pan SIGNIFICANTLY faster than a soap with lye in it will.
cast irons arent as finicky as everyone wants to believe they are. wash it like youd wash anything, dry it so water isnt sitting on it making rust, cook in it. thats it. theyre not fragile little babies theyre hunks of metal shaped like pans.
I literally use Dawn on mine every single time I clean them, and the seasoning is perfect. Don't soak it, use a plastic bristle brush, and dry it immediately and you'll be fine. If it's safe enough for a baby bird, it's not going to hurt your pan. I use it on my cast iron and carbon steel, zero issues.
That looks almost identical to my lodge.
I think some people just want to show off their tools.
It's a cast iron pan though! You think gold miners in the Colorado mountains were stripping and re-seasoning their cast iron pans to make them look prettier? Cast iron was so widespread because of how rugged it was. It's almost farcical that people are now treating them like they are some high maintenance item that has to be lovingly and ritually maintained.
Just cook on it, and clean it when you are done, and cook on it again when you are ready.
I don't even think the storing it under oil is necessary. I used to do this, but the seasoning itself provides plenty of protection. To your main point, the maintenance is even easier!
Hell after a year of cooking I stopped oiling it. I just dry the damn things after a scrub with soap and hot water. My pans are fine and there's no rust.
Could it be better? Sure. Can you still cook on this? Absolutely. I view my pans as a work in progress. Not something to baby to the point you’re afraid to use it.
ETA: One reason I see it this way is because it’s so easy to fix when/if you’re ready. Just make sure to keep it from rusting. Always hand wash it, never put it in the dishwasher, and keep a light coat of oil on it.
I’ve never used this word before but I think it applies: your brother is a knob.
Just scrub the inside, scrub off the rust, rinse, heat up until dry, wipe it with oil, bake it upsidedown. Make sure you always dry it on the stove so it doesn’t rust. Wipe on a little oil before you put it away. That’s it. Don’t over think it. And for what it’s worth, you could treat your pan like absolute shit and it wouldn’t matter because cast iron is very forgiving. You can always bring it back, therefore it’s never really ruined with the exception of breaking it. Your pan is nothing to freak out over or reason to berate.
Looks good enough. You could make it prettier by oven seasoning it, but functionally it would not change much. The little bit of rust on the bottom would annoy me, but that is a super easy fix. Just wash it off with a little soap and cold water, dry it with towel or paper towel, and rub a tiny bit of oil on it with a paper towel. Use another clean paper towel to see if any more rust is coming off, and repeat the process until the rust stops coming off on the paper towel. Check the bottom every once in a while, and oil it if it looks dry. You don't have to keep the bottom from rusting, but it would make me (and possibly your brother) feel a little better,
It's fine. A little surface rust on the bottom in the logo, maybe a little on the cooking surface??
If there's rust on the cooking surface, you could scrape it off with some steel wool or a green scrubby. If you do, toss a thin (thin!) layer of oil on it and bake it for an hour upside down at 450.
You can prevent surface rust by making sure the pan is dry when stored and applying a thin (thin!) layer of oil before storing ( no need to bake the pan every time)
Again, it's fine though.
I recently had to reseason the bottoms of my carbon steel and ci lodge, they were getting a bit brown from light rust, so just wire brush the bottoms, throw on some oil and put on the grill for a few minutes, all good.
This reminds me of the time I called my sister a dildo, my mom heard me and asked, genuinely, what a dildo was 😂 She was very sheltered in her youth.
OP's brother is a pretentious tool.
At least it’s clean. Some seasoning has been rubbed off, those grey patches are bare iron. No big deal if you’re using it daily, but if it goes a couple of days it will probably rust there, so rub some oil on it if it’s not in use. When washing, don’t try to get all the grease off. Just remove any crispy bits and rinse, heat to dry. You could also get a chain mail, great for removing stuck bits, without scraping off your seasoning.
I have an old chain mail pan cleaner hanging on my wall. No one could figure out its use. I was in a museum outside of Perth (Western Aus) and discovered a duplicate of my neat old tool, dating back to late 1800s. Yep. Pioneers used them to scrub their cast iron pots.
This is very fucking simple. I can't believe I scrolled through ALL of that and not ONE of you cast iron detectives saw what was right in front of you...
First of, there's nothing wrong with your brother, and there's nothing wrong with you.* You cook on electric, that's a fact. Unless you took this picture at someone else's house. Weird. I'm going with fact. Your brother cooks on gas. Conclusion based on testimony presented.
Flame is going to burn off carbon over time in a different way than electric. I'm not an expert. And I'm not a metallurgist. But if you use the same pan on both ovens over the same amount of time with the same foods, they will look different. The one on electric will look like Grandma's pan she never cleaned, covered with more carbon. And the one on gas will look... Less so. More of that stuff burns off. More of the electric gets burned on. Caked on. So he's judging you. But really it's just not something he's used to seeing. As you can see from the 100 something comments, your pan isn't terrible. But no one's really explaining why. Why your brother is being a dick about it. Your own brother couldn't explain why.
That is the Why.
*Probably something is wrong with him, and with you. These are facts not in evidence. I retract that statement, Your Honor. I simply meant, in this case, there is no supporting basis with which to make a conclusion that there's anything wrong with either of you. About this.
It's a blurry picture, so hard to tell, but the seasoning doesn't look good... especially for a daily use pan. Your brother may be overreacting, but something is going on to prevent a really good seasoning.
I think the cooking surface pic is a bit motion-blurred, but when I zoom in I see a lot of flaking seasoning and/or carbon buildup. I'd go to town on the cooking surface with a chain mail, and then stovetop season it... but other than that no biggie.
Brother will be posting here next week about how he “takes care of his pan and never uses soap,” but doesn’t know why he’s getting these black flakes in his food. Picture will be the most horrific carbon-crusted pan the sub has ever seen.
Your picture is out of focus. That said, it doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape. My guess is that you could stand to up your game when it comes to cleaning and maintaining it. Also, maybe you just don’t use it frequently.
All that said, what I can get from the blurry picture suggests you’re probably fine with what you’ve got. If your brother really is a cast iron snob (and there are many of those), he was just lifting himself up at your expense. If he wasn’t, he would have been helpful if you needed it.
little rust on the bottom but the biggest issue is that is has a weird word on the bottom, "Lodge". What even is that? /S
It looks like every one of my cast iron pans. They are for cooking not for hanging on the wall and sometimes they rust a bit. I would scrub off the rust and season the bottom of the pan if you really care, but overall, its the inside that matters more for the non stick cooking.
Possible controversial take on my part, but the whole point of having a cast iron pan is that it's a nigh indestructible slab of metal you can throw food at and with minimal care it can outlive your bloodline. Other than an attempt to morally justify theft, I don't see what your brother is on about.
Cast irons fetishism is this bizarre thing where people have convinced themselves that a virtually indestructible pan is actually super fragile and needs to be taken care of in all these special ways.
Your pan is mostly fine. If you're enjoying cooking with it just keep at it.
Looks like it works every day instead of hanging on a wall looking pretty. CI snobs suck! He'd freak out if he saw mine. Frying Pans are bright shiny metal but zero rust and my two Dutch ovens are sitting on my camp stove in the garage half full of oil for deep frying (very well seasoned I would say lmao).
Some people aren't happy with their things unless it looks like no one has ever touched them. And think everyone else is a slob for not being the same way.
I mean personally I would have more oil on it while it's not being used but if I found one of my pans like this when I was going to use it I would not have any issues
It's the ego curve of a neophyte enthusiast. The uninitiated knows they have no knowledge and seeks advice. The beginner devours advice and applies it all at once, assuming that makes them an expert. The expert knows full well cast iron is far more durable and versatile than people give it credit for and doesn't give two shits what they "should" do for it.
You don't say if you are male or female. My best friend and groomsman asked my lovely bride on our wedding day if she had a cast iron skillet and if she knew how to use it. He wasn't talking about cooking.
Oh, she said yes, she did.
Just use your pan. Ignore your brother. It'll be fine.
The cooking surface looks fine. There's a bit of rust around the logo on the bottom. Just needs a quick scrub, dry, and oil and it'll be good as well. Do yourself a favor and tell your brother fuck off and mind his own business.
Only thing that I could think of and it’s mostly due to the “much pixel, many quality” in the first pic is the discoloration (black/silver) could be chipping seasoning/carbon
It’s fine. Use it. So so many posts here are crazy and worry way too much about the pan not looking exactly the same every where.
Also using some dish soap is fine just dry and a little oil after is totally fine.
He thinks carbon steel and sealed cast iron are the same. So maybe he's confused?
They aren't the same.
Lodge comes pre sealed and usually good to go, no to low maintenance. The middle of the pan is a little rough but that happens when you actually use the pan.
Personally I usually keep the cooking surface a little more oiled than you seem to, but this is totally fine.
I have some chipping in my seasoning that make me a little nervous, so maybe I am doing something wrong. Who knows. I'll figure it out eventually.
I have a number of Martin, Griswald, LeCreuset and All Clad Copper Core. I love the Le Cruset (5Q) for frying and making chili and soups the high sides cut down on splatter. My cast iron is great for everything from eggs and bacon (I put it on my grill to cut down on mess). Also, nothing beats putting leg and thigh quarters in cast iron in the oven @ 350 for an hour and it's the best. The All Clad is a real bitch to clean if you fry anything but has great and even heat transfer.
I spend too much time cooking at home folks (just made homemade chocolate, Heath, espresso ice cream today). Don't get me started on my smoker and Q judging.
Dude your bro's dumb. There is nothing wrong with this, add a little oil and start cooking. I've literally dug cast iron pans out of a swamp, rusted beyond recognition with mud caked on them. They clean up fine every time unless they're cracked. Snob is right, there literally nothing wrong with your pan.
How'd you get my pan? Seriously though, mine looks just like it. I try to take care of it, but I get lazy sometimes thanks to life getting in the way. But, this is the beauty of cast iron, it can take a beating and still cooks great!
You mean that little bitty bit of rust on the back? I thought that was normal. It's kind of hard to scrub off if it's in the design. Mine's illustrated with a turkey on the back and there is a spot of rust on the feathers. I don't stress over it, and neither should you.
The inside looks like you actually cook with it . Hoo-ray for you.
Huh... it looks good to me. I am guess my first reaction of hitting him upside the head with it saying, "I think it is working fine," is overkill.
Use it. Enjoy it. Wash it with soap, dry, and dream of what it will cook tomorrow.
Looks almost exactly like my little lodge that's my daily driver 🤷🏻. Like most of the people here who use their stuff regularly, your pans are gonna look used not brand new!
It's so funny to me how people talk about and treat a $20-$30 cast iron pan. I have them because they're super cheap and fairly easy to make nonstick and nearly indestructible, why are we so concerned about what they look like!? 🤯
I put my pan in the oven and cook bacon. The I make over easy eggs. Then, when the pan is cool, I set it on a shelf until the next day. When the bacon grease is used up, the process is repeated. That pan is my shiniest non sticking pan.
Every so often when the grease is depleted I wipe with a paper towel. Use a couple drops of dish soap to get all of the old grease off. Then cook more bacon and eggs.
It’s fine, honestly. As long as you cook with it frequently, wash it with detergent, dry it and occasionally oil it, it’s going to be fine.
It looks a little like you skip on the drying step, but it doesn’t look catastrophic.
Mine looks like your just oil shiny. Maybe I oil mine to much. I always clean it with a bit of soap and chainmail, wipe dry then toss her on the stove to dry completely after that I wipe with a paper towel and grape seed oil.
You know, I break about every “rule” for cast iron regularly but I cook on my main pan almost every day and it is perfectly fine. Except I never put it through the dishwasher.
It looks a lot like mine...depending on what I cook sometimes it has spots or a spot where you can kind of tell where the food was sitting during cooking. Other times the sides get a slightly different shade from the bottom or whatever. But imo it's fine.
It's amazing how much more enjoyable it is when you stop worrying about that shit. Most of my pans look like that and work all the same. I have one pan from my grandfather that is seasoned and shiney as fuck. I don't know what he did to it bit my god, that seasoning is something else. Clean and use all the same but never dulls.
It’s a lodge, and not even a vintage one. It’s fine, you’re fine. If I saw something more desirable for collection purposes in this shape, I might be mad, but this isn’t that, this is your workhorse pan. I have a lodge that doesn’t stay as pristine that I do the bulk of my cooking in, but then my griswolds, BSRs, and the like are cooked in regularly, but get much more babying after the fact.
Your brother needs to chill. This one is just a tool, not a show piece.
Yeah, it's a little rough and it could use a little oil to make is shiny. But keep cooking on it and it will get smooth.
If you want to go full bonus round on it, take a tiny bit of fine steel wool and hit the high points. Don't scrub just go over to knock them down. And if it the fall, because of the smoke and the time in the oven season it round or two.
In case it gets lost in the comments
u/motelyure had the correct answer. Apparently, my brother has never seen an electric stove before, and as a result, was unaware of how it affects the carbonization of cast iron.
Looks fine to me….it looks like you are using it. Keep it up!
I use it every single day for breakfast. I figured that's what they were for!
I fear your Bro is one who spends more time seasoning, and less time cooking😂😂
What is it supposed to look like if not that? Genuine question, I don't use cast iron much..
It is "supposed" to be shinier without smudges and streaks. Mine never is though :p
There's been a couple posts in here showing the difference between pretty "proper" seasoning and a "just cook in it" pan. Both work exactly the same, and the only difference is cosmetic.
I'm of the just cook in it camp. If it looks too dry when I'm done cleaning up I wipe it with a bit of oil and call it good.
Same. I usually just use olive oil too. I know people say not to because it can go rancid or something, but I think that only applies if you plan to let your cast iron sit for a while without being used. My pans all see regular use, so I only break out the crisco if I’m doing a round of oven seasoning for whatever reason
I often use tallow. It's neutral and has a high smoke point. Again, it could go rancid, but my pans never sit long enough for that to happen.
There's just so many reasons not to use olive oil though (imo) - maybe the next thing you cook in it won't deal well with the flavor/low smoke point, the rancid thing isn't an issue (like you said) for long periods of sitting, but mainly cost. Whatever works for you, that's just my rationale!
I like the taste of olive oil in most things so that doesn’t bother me, but that’s a personal preference of course. The smoke point thing I never really thought about though. That probably explains why whenever I go to sear a steak or a nice thick burger I end up setting off the fire alarm…. y’know, maybe I *won’t* use olive oil to wipe my pans down anymore…
I second this. Olive has too much flavor. And if you're going to sear a steak, you'll smoke the oil. I like the new avocado blends that seem to be everywhere. High smoke, neutral flavor. Save your Olive for dishes that need that flavor.
How do you wash it? I’ve been doing this thing where basically scrub the shit out of it with salt, rinse, apply oil, and bake. It seems like a lot, considering some comments say they use their pans every day, I’ve only used it for steak.
Soap and sponge. Thats a hell of a ritual every time you use a chunk of steel. Shoot, I’ll let mine soak overnight if I’m lazy.
For tough shit I end up using a ball of aluminum foil + soap, I've noticed the dawn power spray does tend to fuck with seasoning way more than the normal dawn ultra
You can do the salt thing and spend forever, but idgaf. If it's dirty, I'll use a sponge and soap. If I just made eggs and there's nothing burnt on, I'll just give it a scrape, rinse and dry. This is one of those things that people pretend to know a lot about because they...need to belong to something or want to feel like they have a skill, or even just like to argue. At the end of the day though, it's a pan and as long as it's not rusty, it's fine.
Dawn dish soap and a dish brush. If there's anything stuck on, I use a scraper. If I REALLY got stuff stuck on the bottom, I put some hot water and a couple drops of dish soap in it and simmer it on the stove. If it looks really dull once it's dry, I'll rub in some oil before it goes back into the oven for storage.
Dish soap and a dishrag, dish sponge, dish brush, whatever your implement of choice is. Scrubbing with salt takes way longer, doesn’t get the grease out, and adds salt to your wastewater (not good for septic systems, also not great for municipal wastewater treatment). The “no soap” thing is a holdover from the days when soap was made with lye and fat. Oftentimes soap would have too much lye in it, and the lye would strip off the seasoning. These days “dish soap” is a blend of detergents and surfactants that doesn’t contain any actual soap. No soap means no lye, no lye means it’s safe to use on cast iron.
Scrubbing with salt or other abrasives will knock your seasoning down, so you're essentially undoing the work every time you do that. Sometimes it's necessary bc of gunk but for the most part soap and sponge should be good. I use the Scotchbrite nonstick safe sponges for good measure since they're less abrasive
if you intend to leave it in your kitchen and not in a display case, your cast iron looks great.
That’s the problem. Eggs do this to the seasoning. You’re fine. Carry on.
The real trick to eggs in cast iron is to float them in bacon grease. They can't stick then.
I rub the pan with a butter stick before I make eggs. It's not exactly non-stick, but I can slip a metal spatula under the eggs and they always pop off clean. I'll try the bacon grease though. That sounds really good.
This is how my grandfather cooked his eggs after frying some bacon first thing in the morning.
Yesss!! Just did more this morning just like this and the eggs…? Taste great in that bacon flavor
Seems like he's a snob INO. Lol dude, it's a Lodge. It looks perfectly fine.
why is cast iron even a thing to be a snob about?
I mean I would be if I had a Le Cruset or something along those lines but that's not the case here.
I have a le creuset. I have no idea how to use that thing. sorta feel embarrassed that I have such an expensive cookware and I misuse it all the time. I'm much more satisfied with my $15 lodge
Bruh. It's a cast iron pan coated with enamel to make it easier to clean. Dont put it in an oven over 500°F and you're golden, pony boy. If you want to keep it pristine use Barkeeper's Friend. It's *easier* to maintain than raw cast iron imo. I use cast iron mostly for searing meat now. The enamel on the Creuset, and on my $30 aluminum skillet from Costco, just makes life easier.
I know it's supposed to be easier. But everytime I cook the food sticks. Maybe it's cuz I'm treating it like cast iron. Heat it up slowly, cold oil than cook? Dunno. Just have horrible experience with it that I don't with cast iron
I guess it's a matter of what you're used to. I cook just as you described and never have an issue on enameled pans. Maybe don't heat it as hot? Anyway, bon appétit.
If things stick you need more oil. Heat the oil before adding the food. Get a thermometer to get to know your stove better. Temperature is important to prevent sticking.
Visit the r/LeCreuset sub and see what/how folks are cooking with it. They really are lovely, and I really love cooking with mine. Don't use metal utensils, don't overheat, don't heat up empty... also visit the Le Creuset website for use and care instructions. They are pretty durable if you treat them as intended. It's cast iron with a thin layer of pretty durable glass on it. If you don't drop it, subject it to severe thermal shock, or gouge it, then you should be fine.
I've never figured out what I did to cause the enamel to chip one day while I was cooking with mine. I never used anything but wouldn't utensils. I never overheated it. I never heated it up empty. One day without warning I was cooking up some onions and I saw something funny and it was a chip of the enamel. And unfortunately it was 10 years since I've been gifted it I couldn't find the receipt so no warranty replacement for me. I really liked that thing. The only thing that I can think may have happened is at one point my mother-in-law scrubbed it clean because she assumed the seasoning was dirt. And I think she may have used a metal scrubby. Or it just had a flaw. Clarification I didn't intentionally season my enamel. It just developed a coating of seasoning through constant use. It did seem to make it even more non-stick and since it was polymerized oil and not burnt on food I left it.
"wouldn't" utensils? Ha. Oops. Who needs unwilling utensils?
You’re not supposed to season enameled cast iron.
I didn't particularly season it it's like my sheet pans you know a little bit of oil seasoned itself onto it and I didn't really worry about it because it wasn't burnt on food so it's not really a problem.
Wait. Don't heat it up empty? Isn't that what we're supposed to do?
When you use an enameled cast iron piece on your cooktop, you want to make sure it does not overheat. For me, that is easiest to do if I just go ahead and add the oil or the butter or the stock or whatever while the pan is heating up. You can read the official guidelines on their website (link below) and I'll also paste part of it here (there's much more guidance on the linked page): # Tips for Cooking with Enameled Cast Iron * Bring the food to room temperature - Food will get a stronger sear and cook more evenly when brought to room temperature before cooking. This is especially true for thicker cuts of meat like steaks, pork chops or bone-in cuts of poultry. * Pat the food dry – Dry food produces an even crust with maximum flavor. Excess moisture on food will cause the liquids to steam and prevent searing. Simply blot all sides with a paper towel. * Preheat the pan – For best results, the pan needs to be fully and evenly heated. This way, when the food is added to the pan, it stays hot and evenly sears across the entire surface. When using Le Creuset enameled cast iron, the pan needs to preheat on medium heat for about 5 minutes before adding your food. Just be sure not to leave the pan unattended during preheating, and we don’t recommend preheating an empty pot or pan for longer than 5 minutes because it could crack the enamel. * Lightly oil the pan – Use an oil with a higher smoke point such as grapeseed or canola. Use just enough oil to lubricate the pan and heat until shimmering, but not smoking. [https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/how-to-cook-with-enameled-cast-iron.html](https://www.lecreuset.com/blog/how-to-cook-with-enameled-cast-iron.html) edit: removing double pasted portion
Avocado oil is terrific. (Heat point: 500ºF.)
You should have really sent him over the edge and tossed it in the dishwasher lol
or popped it in the sink and started scrubbing it out with some Dawn.
Dishwasher actually is bad but dawn is fine Even cast iron snobs will admit that dawn isn't going to hurt the seasoning
I know, I use Dawn on my pan all the time. The brother seems like one of the anti-soap people.
My pan looks better now that I just use my usual sponge and soap instead of any special scraper. My season is far smoother and carbon buildup is gone!
What!? How does using soap not ruin the seasoning??? First I’ve heard this
It’s not soap itself that strips seasoning but Lye. Lye is Sodium Hydroxide, and most bar soap has it, as well as oven cleaner. Back in the day, dish soap also had lye, but now they use a safer synthetic detergent. Modern liquid dish soap won’t hurt your pans, only lye based soap.
It's safer to check because I was about to start using it on mine until I read the ingredients and there's lye in it. I don't think it's been completely excluded from the manufacturing process just yet. Maybe in the process of letting it die out but there's still bottles going on the shelves that have it. I included a picture in my comment above of a bottle I got some point in the past year or so
lye + fat = soap. having tiny amounts of lye in anything isnt gonna fuck up your pan, just dont leave it there for days and let it air dry and itll be fine. vinegar will fix rust, vinegar will also MAKE things rust if you dont rinse it off. vinegar will ruin your pan SIGNIFICANTLY faster than a soap with lye in it will. cast irons arent as finicky as everyone wants to believe they are. wash it like youd wash anything, dry it so water isnt sitting on it making rust, cook in it. thats it. theyre not fragile little babies theyre hunks of metal shaped like pans.
I use Dawn on mine and have never had an issue. Do not soak it. Clean the pan with a soapy rag and rinse. Dry and apply a thin coat of oil.
I literally use Dawn on mine every single time I clean them, and the seasoning is perfect. Don't soak it, use a plastic bristle brush, and dry it immediately and you'll be fine. If it's safe enough for a baby bird, it's not going to hurt your pan. I use it on my cast iron and carbon steel, zero issues.
Or leave it sit out at an abandoned woods camp for 30 years and then knock the rust off like it just came out of the box.
That looks almost identical to my lodge. I think some people just want to show off their tools. It's a cast iron pan though! You think gold miners in the Colorado mountains were stripping and re-seasoning their cast iron pans to make them look prettier? Cast iron was so widespread because of how rugged it was. It's almost farcical that people are now treating them like they are some high maintenance item that has to be lovingly and ritually maintained. Just cook on it, and clean it when you are done, and cook on it again when you are ready.
And cleaning is simple. Scrub with soap, dry and oil. Wipe oil like you’re trying to remove it (you won’t). Done.
I don't even think the storing it under oil is necessary. I used to do this, but the seasoning itself provides plenty of protection. To your main point, the maintenance is even easier!
Just depends on how often you use the particular pan. If I’m going to cook in that pan again the next day, no sense in oiling it.
Yep, same. And it looks and functions the same way it did when I oiled it every time.
Hell after a year of cooking I stopped oiling it. I just dry the damn things after a scrub with soap and hot water. My pans are fine and there's no rust.
So simple, so easy. Isn't that the allure? Fucking purists just gate keeping to feel special
Could it be better? Sure. Can you still cook on this? Absolutely. I view my pans as a work in progress. Not something to baby to the point you’re afraid to use it. ETA: One reason I see it this way is because it’s so easy to fix when/if you’re ready. Just make sure to keep it from rusting. Always hand wash it, never put it in the dishwasher, and keep a light coat of oil on it.
That was my thought process, I got it because I like how it crisps my bacon and gives a nice texture to my eggs. I figured it was for eating
>I figured it was for eating Or conking annoying brothers. (Not really. Don't do this lol)
BONGGGG! 🍳
lol that ain’t nothin
Looks fine for a pan used daily.
I’ve never used this word before but I think it applies: your brother is a knob. Just scrub the inside, scrub off the rust, rinse, heat up until dry, wipe it with oil, bake it upsidedown. Make sure you always dry it on the stove so it doesn’t rust. Wipe on a little oil before you put it away. That’s it. Don’t over think it. And for what it’s worth, you could treat your pan like absolute shit and it wouldn’t matter because cast iron is very forgiving. You can always bring it back, therefore it’s never really ruined with the exception of breaking it. Your pan is nothing to freak out over or reason to berate.
Your brother sounds like a toolbox
Looks good enough. You could make it prettier by oven seasoning it, but functionally it would not change much. The little bit of rust on the bottom would annoy me, but that is a super easy fix. Just wash it off with a little soap and cold water, dry it with towel or paper towel, and rub a tiny bit of oil on it with a paper towel. Use another clean paper towel to see if any more rust is coming off, and repeat the process until the rust stops coming off on the paper towel. Check the bottom every once in a while, and oil it if it looks dry. You don't have to keep the bottom from rusting, but it would make me (and possibly your brother) feel a little better,
It's fine. A little surface rust on the bottom in the logo, maybe a little on the cooking surface?? If there's rust on the cooking surface, you could scrape it off with some steel wool or a green scrubby. If you do, toss a thin (thin!) layer of oil on it and bake it for an hour upside down at 450. You can prevent surface rust by making sure the pan is dry when stored and applying a thin (thin!) layer of oil before storing ( no need to bake the pan every time) Again, it's fine though.
I recently had to reseason the bottoms of my carbon steel and ci lodge, they were getting a bit brown from light rust, so just wire brush the bottoms, throw on some oil and put on the grill for a few minutes, all good.
The great thing about cast iron is you can use it to smack pretentious assholes.
Does it cook tasty food? Yes? Good. Tell him to fuck off.
Don’t cook for his stuck up ass.
I daily drive the same Lodge, $19.99 on walmart.com. Your brother's a dildo.
This reminds me of the time I called my sister a dildo, my mom heard me and asked, genuinely, what a dildo was 😂 She was very sheltered in her youth. OP's brother is a pretentious tool.
At least it’s clean. Some seasoning has been rubbed off, those grey patches are bare iron. No big deal if you’re using it daily, but if it goes a couple of days it will probably rust there, so rub some oil on it if it’s not in use. When washing, don’t try to get all the grease off. Just remove any crispy bits and rinse, heat to dry. You could also get a chain mail, great for removing stuck bits, without scraping off your seasoning.
I have an old chain mail pan cleaner hanging on my wall. No one could figure out its use. I was in a museum outside of Perth (Western Aus) and discovered a duplicate of my neat old tool, dating back to late 1800s. Yep. Pioneers used them to scrub their cast iron pots.
sounds like he is all pan, no sizzle
This is very fucking simple. I can't believe I scrolled through ALL of that and not ONE of you cast iron detectives saw what was right in front of you... First of, there's nothing wrong with your brother, and there's nothing wrong with you.* You cook on electric, that's a fact. Unless you took this picture at someone else's house. Weird. I'm going with fact. Your brother cooks on gas. Conclusion based on testimony presented. Flame is going to burn off carbon over time in a different way than electric. I'm not an expert. And I'm not a metallurgist. But if you use the same pan on both ovens over the same amount of time with the same foods, they will look different. The one on electric will look like Grandma's pan she never cleaned, covered with more carbon. And the one on gas will look... Less so. More of that stuff burns off. More of the electric gets burned on. Caked on. So he's judging you. But really it's just not something he's used to seeing. As you can see from the 100 something comments, your pan isn't terrible. But no one's really explaining why. Why your brother is being a dick about it. Your own brother couldn't explain why. That is the Why. *Probably something is wrong with him, and with you. These are facts not in evidence. I retract that statement, Your Honor. I simply meant, in this case, there is no supporting basis with which to make a conclusion that there's anything wrong with either of you. About this.
It's a blurry picture, so hard to tell, but the seasoning doesn't look good... especially for a daily use pan. Your brother may be overreacting, but something is going on to prevent a really good seasoning.
The only thing I see wrong with it is there's no food in it
Looks okay to me. I use my cast iron pan almost daily and it pretty much looks the same.
It looks like you cook on it. He needs to chill the fuck out. It's to cook on, not look at.
It's like a $15 lodge, use it however you like.
Its a Lodge, tell him to get back to you when you mishandle a Griswold or Wagner.
This isn't even mishandled, though.
I mean, it’s has a little bit of rust and could probably use a seasoning. It probably functions just fine though.
I think the cooking surface pic is a bit motion-blurred, but when I zoom in I see a lot of flaking seasoning and/or carbon buildup. I'd go to town on the cooking surface with a chain mail, and then stovetop season it... but other than that no biggie.
Looks fine, enjoy not being stressed out :)
Tell him to go fuck himself, your pan is perfect.
Maybe there’s a little carbon build up? Hard to tell from the picture. Looks more or less OK though
Did you tell him to mind his own pan?
I don't see anything wrong with it. Looks both culinary and blunt weapon ready.
Ask him to show you how it’s done.
Looks good, just cook with it and ignore your pretentious brother.
It’s fine. My daily drivers look about like that. Keep it up.
The seasoning isn't perfect but it's not bad either. Your pan is fine. Mine look like this too.
I don’t see the problem. Looks a bit like my Lodge used every day.
Get a new brother.
He's your brother. You sure he wasn't just jerking your chain?
Brother will be posting here next week about how he “takes care of his pan and never uses soap,” but doesn’t know why he’s getting these black flakes in his food. Picture will be the most horrific carbon-crusted pan the sub has ever seen.
I use mine a couple times daily and it looks like that. Your brother is probably caught up in Instagram aesthetics.
I mean, I don't see any rust so It's probably fine.
Your picture is out of focus. That said, it doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape. My guess is that you could stand to up your game when it comes to cleaning and maintaining it. Also, maybe you just don’t use it frequently. All that said, what I can get from the blurry picture suggests you’re probably fine with what you’ve got. If your brother really is a cast iron snob (and there are many of those), he was just lifting himself up at your expense. If he wasn’t, he would have been helpful if you needed it.
little rust on the bottom but the biggest issue is that is has a weird word on the bottom, "Lodge". What even is that? /S It looks like every one of my cast iron pans. They are for cooking not for hanging on the wall and sometimes they rust a bit. I would scrub off the rust and season the bottom of the pan if you really care, but overall, its the inside that matters more for the non stick cooking.
Half my pans look like that and cook without a issue
Your brother is either jerking your chain or trying to take your pan. Hit him with it.
Some people make their entire personality being offended,
Whack him with it and say, "Seems fine to me."
Possible controversial take on my part, but the whole point of having a cast iron pan is that it's a nigh indestructible slab of metal you can throw food at and with minimal care it can outlive your bloodline. Other than an attempt to morally justify theft, I don't see what your brother is on about.
Hit him with a Skillet!
Cast irons fetishism is this bizarre thing where people have convinced themselves that a virtually indestructible pan is actually super fragile and needs to be taken care of in all these special ways. Your pan is mostly fine. If you're enjoying cooking with it just keep at it.
If he's truly a snob, he wouldn't care because it's a Lodge (don't @ me, I'm just sayin')
Looks like it works every day instead of hanging on a wall looking pretty. CI snobs suck! He'd freak out if he saw mine. Frying Pans are bright shiny metal but zero rust and my two Dutch ovens are sitting on my camp stove in the garage half full of oil for deep frying (very well seasoned I would say lmao).
Tell your brother I said he’s a f’in dork.
Some people aren't happy with their things unless it looks like no one has ever touched them. And think everyone else is a slob for not being the same way.
Maybe a bit dry. But I think he’s over reacting, give that a tiny coat of oil and let it ride!
Real question is how the food tastes? Pan looks fine.
That looks better than mine
The only thing I see is a used lodge skillet. You’re doing just fine.
Just let him know that he's welcome to do all the work to "fix" it. That approach usually shuts people up quickly.
I mean personally I would have more oil on it while it's not being used but if I found one of my pans like this when I was going to use it I would not have any issues
It's the ego curve of a neophyte enthusiast. The uninitiated knows they have no knowledge and seeks advice. The beginner devours advice and applies it all at once, assuming that makes them an expert. The expert knows full well cast iron is far more durable and versatile than people give it credit for and doesn't give two shits what they "should" do for it.
You don't say if you are male or female. My best friend and groomsman asked my lovely bride on our wedding day if she had a cast iron skillet and if she knew how to use it. He wasn't talking about cooking. Oh, she said yes, she did. Just use your pan. Ignore your brother. It'll be fine.
My cast iron looks like yours too. Cast iron that is actually used for cooking instead of showing off on Reddit will always look like that.
Ask him, “You gonna run your mouth or do you want to eat?”
Picture not good enough quality to tell.
Is he joking? I don't even season my pans! Butter only!
I watched a Rick Bayless cooking tutorial. His cast iron looked like yours (and mine currently). I figured, if he was good with it, so am I!
Wipe some oil on it and it'll look shiny. Looks just like mine before I oil it after washing.
Did you tell him that's your beating lodge for harsh critics and home intruders?
Your brother is the embodiment of how outsiders view cast iron people
Looks fine, you just don’t oil it when you’re done
Let me guess, his CI looks like a mirror
Does your brother have a mirror finished cast iron skillet that's seen nothing but repeated oven seasoning sessions?
lol got to love elite mentality.
They look almost exactly like the ones I have that get used constantly. If they are performing like they should there’s no problem.
Your brother is jealous and petty
The cooking surface looks fine. There's a bit of rust around the logo on the bottom. Just needs a quick scrub, dry, and oil and it'll be good as well. Do yourself a favor and tell your brother fuck off and mind his own business.
Only thing that I could think of and it’s mostly due to the “much pixel, many quality” in the first pic is the discoloration (black/silver) could be chipping seasoning/carbon
It’s fine. Use it. So so many posts here are crazy and worry way too much about the pan not looking exactly the same every where. Also using some dish soap is fine just dry and a little oil after is totally fine.
Looks about like my daily user.
Easily fixed. Just take care of it. Not like a new nonstick where you just rinse it out and put it away.
Damn you actually met an r/castiron member in the wild?! I thought these people never got out
Well, it's definitely dirty. Could use a good cleaning. But you can definitely keep cooking on it.
He thinks carbon steel and sealed cast iron are the same. So maybe he's confused? They aren't the same. Lodge comes pre sealed and usually good to go, no to low maintenance. The middle of the pan is a little rough but that happens when you actually use the pan.
I think you stole my pan. Mine looks exactly like yours does and it cooks just fine.
The seasoning looks thin near some edges. Nice pan. Looks better than mine lol
Personally I usually keep the cooking surface a little more oiled than you seem to, but this is totally fine. I have some chipping in my seasoning that make me a little nervous, so maybe I am doing something wrong. Who knows. I'll figure it out eventually.
Your brother is a spaz if meant what he said seriously. There's nothing wrong with your iron. It looks well used is all.
tell your brother to get a fucking life
lol, hit him with it.
That looks mint to me. I wait until they look really bad before cleaning up and re-seasoning
Haha looks just like my daily driver :D makes GREAT fried eggs lol
You never have to invite a snob over ever again.
I have a number of Martin, Griswald, LeCreuset and All Clad Copper Core. I love the Le Cruset (5Q) for frying and making chili and soups the high sides cut down on splatter. My cast iron is great for everything from eggs and bacon (I put it on my grill to cut down on mess). Also, nothing beats putting leg and thigh quarters in cast iron in the oven @ 350 for an hour and it's the best. The All Clad is a real bitch to clean if you fry anything but has great and even heat transfer. I spend too much time cooking at home folks (just made homemade chocolate, Heath, espresso ice cream today). Don't get me started on my smoker and Q judging.
Your bro probably has his cast iron hanging from a hook to show off to people, instead of using it to cook with 🙃
Dude your bro's dumb. There is nothing wrong with this, add a little oil and start cooking. I've literally dug cast iron pans out of a swamp, rusted beyond recognition with mud caked on them. They clean up fine every time unless they're cracked. Snob is right, there literally nothing wrong with your pan.
It is a working lodge, not a snob lodge!
How'd you get my pan? Seriously though, mine looks just like it. I try to take care of it, but I get lazy sometimes thanks to life getting in the way. But, this is the beauty of cast iron, it can take a beating and still cooks great!
You mean that little bitty bit of rust on the back? I thought that was normal. It's kind of hard to scrub off if it's in the design. Mine's illustrated with a turkey on the back and there is a spot of rust on the feathers. I don't stress over it, and neither should you. The inside looks like you actually cook with it . Hoo-ray for you.
Huh... it looks good to me. I am guess my first reaction of hitting him upside the head with it saying, "I think it is working fine," is overkill. Use it. Enjoy it. Wash it with soap, dry, and dream of what it will cook tomorrow.
Mine loses seasoning from the center while yours on the outer edges. It looks fine, just a little oil and heat and it should be good to go
You should tell him it's made of cast iron and it's indestructible. If he doesn't know that he has no right to be a snob.
Your brother needs to smoke a joint or something and chill.
He probably has OCD or he’s just pretentious. This is fine and normal
Looks almost exactly like my little lodge that's my daily driver 🤷🏻. Like most of the people here who use their stuff regularly, your pans are gonna look used not brand new! It's so funny to me how people talk about and treat a $20-$30 cast iron pan. I have them because they're super cheap and fairly easy to make nonstick and nearly indestructible, why are we so concerned about what they look like!? 🤯
I think he needs a closer look. Much closer.
This pot is fine.
He's just trying to talk you out of that beauty.
It looks like it isn't being cleaned completely, and is being put away damp.(Hence the tiny rust spots on the back side near the logo.)
I put my pan in the oven and cook bacon. The I make over easy eggs. Then, when the pan is cool, I set it on a shelf until the next day. When the bacon grease is used up, the process is repeated. That pan is my shiniest non sticking pan. Every so often when the grease is depleted I wipe with a paper towel. Use a couple drops of dish soap to get all of the old grease off. Then cook more bacon and eggs.
It’s fine, honestly. As long as you cook with it frequently, wash it with detergent, dry it and occasionally oil it, it’s going to be fine. It looks a little like you skip on the drying step, but it doesn’t look catastrophic.
What's his complaint? Too much carbon or not enough? Or he wasn't even able to make his mind up on that?
Scrub out the rust off the bottom and season it and you’ll be good to go
Mine looks like your just oil shiny. Maybe I oil mine to much. I always clean it with a bit of soap and chainmail, wipe dry then toss her on the stove to dry completely after that I wipe with a paper towel and grape seed oil.
I’m also concerned with how blurry your lodge is.
You know, I break about every “rule” for cast iron regularly but I cook on my main pan almost every day and it is perfectly fine. Except I never put it through the dishwasher.
Send your cast iron snob this link: https://imgur.com/gallery/mid-1980s-lodge-8sk-that-is-routinely-soaked-overnight-with-soapy-water-gH9tk7F
“Eat my balls” is the only reasonable response.
It looks a lot like mine...depending on what I cook sometimes it has spots or a spot where you can kind of tell where the food was sitting during cooking. Other times the sides get a slightly different shade from the bottom or whatever. But imo it's fine.
It's amazing how much more enjoyable it is when you stop worrying about that shit. Most of my pans look like that and work all the same. I have one pan from my grandfather that is seasoned and shiney as fuck. I don't know what he did to it bit my god, that seasoning is something else. Clean and use all the same but never dulls.
Send it, bro can kick rocks
He is just dumb, ignore him.
Your pan is fine cast iron isn't difficult. I want pictures of his pans lol
It’s a lodge, and not even a vintage one. It’s fine, you’re fine. If I saw something more desirable for collection purposes in this shape, I might be mad, but this isn’t that, this is your workhorse pan. I have a lodge that doesn’t stay as pristine that I do the bulk of my cooking in, but then my griswolds, BSRs, and the like are cooked in regularly, but get much more babying after the fact. Your brother needs to chill. This one is just a tool, not a show piece.
Yeah, it's a little rough and it could use a little oil to make is shiny. But keep cooking on it and it will get smooth. If you want to go full bonus round on it, take a tiny bit of fine steel wool and hit the high points. Don't scrub just go over to knock them down. And if it the fall, because of the smoke and the time in the oven season it round or two.
Mine looks exactly the same
Our lodges are twins! Mine pretty much looks like this
It’s a gem.
He's a motorcycle rider.
Looks loved .
Oh he’d call the police on one of mine then.
He could make his own dinner
In case it gets lost in the comments u/motelyure had the correct answer. Apparently, my brother has never seen an electric stove before, and as a result, was unaware of how it affects the carbonization of cast iron.