Cast Iron Restore

5 comments

1. Are you removing the crusted gunk or rust? Strong base solutions like NaOH would work for gunk, not sure if it is best for rust.

   Without resorting to some complex electrolysis setup involving car batteries, baking soda and water, oven cleaners usually should be able to remove gunk off cast iron pans.

2. You could look up sand-blasting in your area. If you can get it done you can start fresh with a new pan.

3. But a BBQ grill. Get it good and hot and put the bit onto it. Once it cools off (I do it overnight) and it’ll be bare metal. Make sure you oil it immediately.

   For seasoning – if you don’t have an oven just wipe it down with some oil and put it on the stove till it starts smoking. Let it cool off and repeat until a good layer has built up. Flax seed oil is widely available and so is rape seed oil.

   Worst case get a grill brush. Heat it up till it’s smoking. Use water as hot as you can get it and brush it under the faucet until it’s clean. Will take some time but it will come clean.

4. Kosher salt. I found some medium-coarse salt, throw it in the pan, then with a paper towel add the elbow grease. Scrapes gunk and weak areas of old seasoning off.

5. Steel wool, overnight vinegar soaks and a lot of scrubbing and despair. It has to be completely immersed in the vinegar and you have to start the scrubbing once you get it out of the vinegar- it rusts again quickly. Put it in a new vinegar soak when you decide you’ve had your fill of scrubbing and despair for the day and pick it up tomorrow.

   Once you get the rust out, start seasoning. You don’t need to bake the pan, you can do it on a stove. Do a fuckton of layers.

   …That was how I restored that be rusted takoyaki pan I picked up from the dumpster. I still use it today and I’d say it ended up in a really good condition.

   Good luck!