New idea for saving cast iron skillet

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

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The Best Trick for Removing Rust from a Cast-Iron Skillet

Cast-iron pans have been passed down in families for generations, so it's no surprise that sometimes those pans get a little rusty. Instead of throwing out your well-seasoned heirlooms, there's an easy way you can bring them back to life.

The best way to salvage a rusty cast-iron pan is by soaking it in vinegar.

This method works best on pans that need serious work. Mix together equal parts basic white vinegar and water, and either add the solution to the pan if it's rusty only on the inside or completely submerge the pan in a bucket of the stuff to dissolve the rust all over. Letting it soak for about an hour should do the trick, depending on the damage. Check back often, though, because once the vinegar eats through the rust, it will start on the actual pan. And you definitely don't want that.

Next, using an abrasive sponge or scrub pad and a soft soap, lightly buff the pan. Dry it immediately once done. Then, it's time to reseason the skillet and off you go.

Follow these steps, and your skillet will be as good as new. After all, cast-iron pans only get better with age.

from Tasting Table

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sherri1058

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

I found a cast iron skillet a few years ago. The magic of vinegar.......

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Comments (13)

Steve J
7 years ago
It's not a "NEW IDEA",, but it is certainly a good tip.
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First, NOT an expert on the stuff but LOVE cast iron... collection is always growing. Got reunited with it a few years ago when I found a Lodge, Wagner, and Griswold at a yard sale for $1 each. TOTALLY crusty... I took quick & dirty (lazy) route and stripped off all the crud with spray oven cleaner... summer-time, so no self-cleaning cycle on oven. Griswold if my favorite with surface like glass that is virtually non-stick. I'm a yard sale, thrift store and flea market junkie, so have to recommend looking for pieces there. Would recomment looking for pieces that look "dirty"... sign that probably older and well used in their day. CI is pretty much indestructible and comes back to original glory very easily.
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My cast iron is going in a couple dedicated heavy-glide drawers. For now they're just lined with some packing paper but that cushy stuff looks good. It's not because of black gunk that I feel lining would be good but to cushion things. There is some sliding when the drawers go in and out and those innards are *heavy*. I would like some cushioning when I set things down I think. Also, I can be clumsy hefting that stuff up and out, one miss and those pretty cabinets get good and dented (ask me how I know). Cast iron skillets are in a very shallow drawer up close to the range. I think -- jury's still out; still testing out what goes where.
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All cast iron pans are sand cast. The difference is some have secondary finishing operations and some don't. The only thing I like about Lodge is they're heavy, but the company saves money by not smoothing the inside surfaces. The old Griswolds are the best, but some no-name old pans are just as smooth inside. I'd shop some antique consignment stores where you can usually find some good deals. Not everyone knows the value of Griswolds and you'll occasionally find one for a good price. Another consideration is whether the pan will be used on a glass cooktop. If so, bottom flatness is a must. Some pans have a raised "heat ring" that will make them perform poorly on glass because there's no direct contact. On gas or campfires either will perform well, but a perfectly flat bottom is the most versatile. In short, look for the smoothest, flattest pan you can find and afford. All can be reseasoned with high heat to burn off the old and applying a few coats of Crisco followed by 450F bakes. You can literally embed an old pan in red hot coals in a large campfire until it glows to remove old crusty antique store seasoning. Happy hunting!
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Jasdip
7 years ago
Yes, vinegar and water work great on rust. Your skillet looks beautiful!

Oven cleaner works best for getting a lot of crud and gunk off. Put in a bag and let sit for several days.
sherri1058
7 years ago
Jasdip, I didn't know if there was a skillet under all the rust or not! It didn't survive the rust / abuse unscathed, but I do like it!
annie1992
7 years ago
Thanks for that reminder, Kate. I've been telling myself that I absolutely cannot get any more cooking utensils, but I just can't pass up that old cast iron. (sigh)

Sherri, that's a nice old skillet. I like them with a little "character"!

Annie
sooz
7 years ago
Wow, that's amazing! A picture, a thousand words, y'know what I'm saying!

Thanks for sharing!
Steve J
7 years ago
Not knowing what's underneath the crud is part of the excitement. Sorta like treasure hunting. I was given a CI skillet last winter, and I did the oven cleaner/vinegar bath treatment and found it was an old Griswold No. 11. I'm currently doing the same thing for a skillet of my MIL's who though it was a Griswold, but turned out to be a 50's-60's Burlington Stove & Range "Chicken Fryer" after being able to read the markings on it. Not nearly as desirable, but it's still a great usable skillet that beats anything new you can buy today.

The "electrolysis" option is the quickest way to clean a piece, but the eazy off/vinegar option is probably the easiest to do option for most people.
chas045
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I was given a CI skillet last winter, and I did the oven cleaner/vinegar bath treatment and found it was an old Griswold....

What a find. Wow.

Well, Griswold or not, a Chicken Fryer is always valuable when you need deep sides.

....but the eazy off/vinegar option is probably the easiest.....

But to be clear, its eazy off OR vinegar; they are opposite approaches.
Steve J
7 years ago
Not necessarily. The directions I've found are that the eazy off is used to remove the crud, and the vinegar is used to remove any rust formed during the eazy off treatment before you can re-season.

I do an eazy off in the garbage bag and let it sit for 24 hrs and do a quick scrub and add more eazy off until it's back to the gunmetal gray everywhere. Then a quick back in the vinegar to remove any rust that started during the process just before seasoning.
plllog
7 years ago
To be clear, it's serial. Easy Off OR vinegar, or Easy Off, wash, THEN vinegar. Don't combine them!
Steve J
7 years ago
correct. Wonder what kind of noxious chemicals that would create combining them?

Also, prolonged exposure of the vineger to the raw iron will deteriorate the iron so only bathe in vinegar for as long as you need to remove the rust.
bragu_DSM 5
7 years ago
wouldn't want to smell it ... like bleach and ammonia ... lethal
lovemrmewey
7 years ago
Thanks for these hints AND the clarifications!

New idea for saving cast iron skillet

sherri1058

Comments (13)

Steve J

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