Seasoning a griddle

[Aerovette]

I have a cast iron griddle that was neglected outside and got rusty. I spent an hour or so removing every bit of rust and getting it spotless.

I bought a seasoning oil specifically for griddles and skillets.

I did a single season, and let it cool. I did a second season and let it cool. I did a third and it had a very dark finish after the process.

I decided to do ONE MORE shooting for black. I finished and it is close to black, but the bigger issue is this last pass came out sticky.

What I am reading is that I have to start completely over again and re-season it.

Is this true? Can I just super heat it and smoke it off?

[DJ_Critterus]

what did you do to season it?

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

what did you do to season it?

Put a thin layer of the griddle and cast iron seasoning all over it.

Fired up the grill and let it bake for about 45 minutes. Flipped it and did about 20 minutes.

Repeated this four times. Each time it got darker and was not sticky or greasy. The fourth time it was sticky on one side when I finished. The other side seems fine.

I just stuck it in the oven at 450 for an hour to see if I can get it to polymerize without stripping it.

[GTOguy]

Use salt as an abrasive and that should remove the excess goop. I use bacon grease or lard. Never use dish soap on cast iron to clean. Just wipe out the pan with hot water. Use a little salt if needed as an abrasive, dry. Then re-oil.

[Ol Timer]

Very lightly season again, Put in oven and bring up to 450 - bake for an hour then turn off oven, but do not open door and let cool to room temp. If well seasoned, you can occasionally wash with soap, but re-oil, put on burner long enough to dry any moisture.

[simpleman68]

Hey Jeff, I get the gummy shit on my pans sometimes.

I heat the pan on the stove top and use 000 or 0000 steel wool with canola oil (high flash point)
Pans come out great afterward and the season is still mostly retained.

Scott

[Bruze]

I think "seasoning" an iron pan and expecting it to be non-stick is a bunch of hooey.

I have my late mother's frying pan, it is probably 80 years old, give or take. Stuff sticks in it.

I bought a larger one 20-some years ago, seasoned it according to all the experts several times, stuff still sticks in it. I never wash either one with soap, only hot water.

The newer "non-stick" pans actually do work -- for a while anyway. The coating wears off in a few years.

Deglazing is the key to getting the stuff off, and a good thing to know if you want to get the burned stuff off the bottom to add to a base for soups, stews, or anything else where you're sauteing meat as part of the meal.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Bruze

I think "seasoning" an iron pan and expecting it to be non-stick is a bunch of hooey.

I have my late mother's frying pan, it is probably 80 years old, give or take. Stuff sticks in it.

I bought a larger one 20-some years ago, seasoned it according to all the experts several times, stuff still sticks in it. I never wash either one with soap, only hot water.

The newer "non-stick" pans actually do work -- for a while anyway. The coating wears off in a few years.

Deglazing is the key to getting the stuff off, and a good thing to know if you want to get the burned stuff off the bottom to add to a base for soups, stews, or anything else where you're sauteing meat as part of the meal.

This. They aren't non stick, no matter how much people want to pretend that they are. If there's gunked on food, a spatula to scrape it off, then cleaning with a green Scotch scouring pad is all it takes. I use dish soap on it most of the time and have no problem. Use a scrubber you are ready to throw away, because once you clean the cast iron, that's it, it's done anyway.

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

This. They aren't non stick, no matter how much people want to pretend that they are. If there's gunked on food, a spatula to scrape it off, then cleaning with a green Scotch scouring pad is all it takes. I use dish soap on it most of the time and have no problem. Use a scrubber you are ready to throw away, because once you clean the cast iron, that's it, it's done anyway.

As noted, deglazing is the easy way, plus you have the bonus of the burned flavor bits if you're sauteing meat to use in a recipe.

[Dan47]

“I decided to do ONE MORE shooting for black.”

[Bruze]

Okay, as long as we're going off topic . . .

[Unsuspicious]

Wasting your time. Sticky means too much oil. Clean it better after cooking and season. No point doing it a bunch without even cooking.

[Rodnok1]

Yea just too much oil, been there. Heat it up good wipe it out and let it cool.
Won't hurt anything if you don't either, just wipe some off when use it next.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Ol Timer

Very lightly season again, Put in oven and bring up to 450 - bake for an hour then turn off oven, but do not open door and let cool to room temp. If well seasoned, you can occasionally wash with soap, but re-oil, put on burner long enough to dry any moisture.

This is what I did and it was successful. I do wish it was blacker. It's more like the color of black coffee, but it seems to have a varnish coat on it so I'm going to see how it performs.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Yea just too much oil, been there. Heat it up good wipe it out and let it cool.
Won't hurt anything if you don't either, just wipe some off when use it next.

I think I short cycled the last pass and didn't let it get hot enough for long enough. A bake for an hour at 450 did the trick.

An interesting purpose for this is not the stove top but the grill. My grill has three grates and by pure coincidence, it fits exactly in place of one grate. I use it to sear and for veggies.

I stupidly put the grate back in last year and slid the griddle behind the grill and forgot about it. It was a rusty mess. It took a lot to get it back to this condition. I won't leave it out again that's for sure.

[ZipZap]

Go get yourself a jar of good ghee, or make your own. I now season my Yoder cast iron griddle with it. Very high smoke point and I also use it when searing steaks.

As far as burning off, I typically get mine to 650 to get everything clean, then just hit it with paper towels.

[Bruze]

Okay, so don't listen to what I said about deglazing. I've only been cooking for most of the past 50 years so my knowledge is pretty limited.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Bruze

Okay, so don't listen to what I said about deglazing. I've only been cooking for most of the past 50 years so my knowledge is pretty limited.

When does this "deglazing" take place? What were you suggesting I do?

I think you misread or skipped the OP.

[Vette40th]

I use salt and steel wool for cleaning cast iron. When I seasoned, my 1950s pan hand me down, I put it in the oven on Clean. It cleaned it. Then I did the light oil on the whole things with a paper towel and did 5 runs at 450, as stated before. Works fine.. It still sticks, but, with a little olive oil or lard, bacon grease etc it works just fine.

[Unsuspicious]

Originally Posted by aerovette

When does this "deglazing" take place? What were you suggesting I do?

I think you misread or skipped the OP.

Deglazing has zilch to do with your interest in seasoning a griddle.
He's been breathing in burnt fond for at least 50 years, maybe with some of that early teflon fumes