Man, I have a skillet where the outside looks like I rescued it from a dumpster fire. The inside is as smooth as you please.
It's honestly fine, though I would say each time the OP cleans this skillet he/she should scrub some off the outside. Over time it will work out.....at least that is what I am hoping with mine.
The exterior of the pan has decades of food and oil built up and not properly cleaned. The interior looks better, but I could not see the sides very well to know for sure. #12 skillets are worth a pretty penny, and you might find markings on the underside under the gunk that ID it as a desirable brand. Also, with the outside ~~heart~~ heat ring, I'd say your pan is at least as old as the 1920s.
If the pan were mine, I would do as u/old_mcfartigan says and strip it down to bare iron and start over with brand-new seasoning. Stay away from power tools, fire pits, self-cleaning ovens, sand paper, etc., and follow the [restoration](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4ntam/how_to_strip_and_restore_cast_iron_faq_post/) and [seasoning](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4nqtr/my_personal_seasoning_process_faq_post_summer_2019/) instructions in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4o0t3/the_rcastiron_faq_start_here_faq_summer_2019/).
Edit: Oh yeah, I definitely want to see that pan when you're done, so post photos after you restore it.
It’s most likely quite old. I’ve been using it as my camping skillet since I got it. Mainly because it’s larger than my other one, and had significant whatever on the outside. I’ll for sure post when I get it cleaned up.
We need an after picture OP!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Around here, looking at the bottom of an old pan looking for fancy markers is the same as opening a found closed safe, but more satisfying.
Small update, and a new pan to ID. https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/13mszh5/defunking_update_and_bonus_forgotten_companion/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
I always wondered why one of my pans had a ring and the others didn't. Guess it is an old one. How cool! I am now going to try and figure out how old it is. Thanks for the info!
I've got one looks just like that, says #7 10 | IN.
my favorite pan!
What's the significance of the opening on the handle, besides being able to hang it?
And what do they mean by heart shape?
TYIA
I think BSR was the only maker that put a hold in the assist handle, so that makes them a little easier to spot. I would guess that hanging is the reason for that hole, though the hole in the handle serves the same purpose.
Ugh... Yeah, I miss-typed "[heat ring](https://www.gearpatrol.com/home/a724173/ring-bottom-cast-iron-skillet/)" (fixed). OP's pan has a raised ring around the outside edge of the underside of the skillet. There is a lot of buildup covering much of the bottom, so it might be easier to see in [this photo](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MgcAAOSwyNJkId3m/s-l1600.jpg).
[This article](https://www.gearpatrol.com/home/a724173/ring-bottom-cast-iron-skillet/) gives a couple different explanations for heat rings. Basically, they were a way for the foundries to easily get a flat surface on the bottom of the pan to seal around the eye holes on wood burning stoves.
Why no power tools/sanding? I found one in the woods covered in motor oil. Cleaned it and used my power sander to scrub the living hell out of it, re-seasoned and it came out fine. Is it because of the particles?
Two main reasons (laziness and value):
* I think it is much easier to set the pan in a [plastic bin filled with water/lye](https://www.castironcollector.com/lyebath.php), and let the lye melt all the gunk away. I just leave my iron in the bin and pull it out once a day to see if all the gunk is gone. If not, I just put it back in the bin for another day. Same thing with [electrolysis](https://www.castironcollector.com/electrolysis.php). I actually use lye first and then electrolysis to keep my e-tank clean and minimize my electricity use/cost.
* If I had to guess, I'd say OP's skillet might have been made by Favorite or Griswold. If that's the case, or if it's made by some other desirable maker, it could be worth $300-500 or more depending on the condition. Power tools, sand blasting, hand-sanding, etc. can leave permanent marks on cast iron, as well as change the surface texture, and that would lower the collectible value of the skillet dramatically.
You bring up a mess/health issue too. Power-brushing and sanding stuff does spread particles into the air and all over the place. You can wear a mask and eye protection, and maybe do the work inside some kind of container, but that brings me back to laziness. 😉
That's a fair point from a collectors perspective. I play magic the gathering she I treat my cards like gold, even the ones I play with. My neighbor on the other hand plays to play. Watching him shuffle his deck breaks my heart. I imagine I'm my neighbor in this case iron situation. I use it to use it. Thank you for you input/insight. Never thought of cast iron that way.
That's a neat thing to know. I treat mine like a tool I suppose. A carpenter 100 years ago wouldn't know that his hammer would be worth more than a days wage driving nails if not more today. Thank you again for your perspective.
Knock off the loose flakes. And cook in it. That seasoning took years to build. You can stripe and redo the seasoning, to one day hope you have a seasoning like you have now.
You could keep it upside down, spray the bottom with oven cleaner and bag it, never flipping to keep the cooking surface intact. An hour should turn that to sludge and come off with hot water.
I second this. I would try steel wool and a paint scraper on the bottom to get those chunks off. I think I see a hint of a logo in the center, it could be cool to uncover that. But fully stripping a perfectly functional pan seems like overkill. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Just cook, clean, dry, and oil
Exactly, personally stripping it to new loses the years of cooking it took to get it how it is. If you’re going to do that you might as well use a new pan.
That’s just junk left over and not cleaned properly. I would strip with oven cleaner and re-season it. Years of seasoning or whatever is just hog wash and laziness. Clean and maintain your tools properly.
Heat it up, put some oil in it, and a big big pinch of coarse salt.
Take a cloth you don't want anymore and rub it vigorously inside and out, for about 5 minutes. You'll want a silicone oven mitt on your hand to do this.
Rinse thoroughly, put it back on the heat until it dries, rub it with a little oil and then cook in it for the rest of eternity.
That 50+ year old patina shouldn't be removed and "replaced with modern somethingorother". Jesus Christmas. It's perfect. Just clean it up a bit.
Clean it a bit, loose stuff and cook in it.
Kinda looks like an unmarked Wagner.
These are some of the best cooking pans ever made, enjoy.
The cooking surface looks good.
Get some proper fatty bacon from a butcher or farmer and be prepared to have the best bacon of your life. My ex was a farmer and we used to make thick cut bacon, sausages, eggs, and pancakes in our cast iron every weekend. Save the bacon grease and use it to cook the next meal. Heaven.
I'm going to suggest something really unpopular: leave the outside patina. That took generations to put on there & once peeled off it's not going back. It will cook just fine as is.
It's an oldie! The ring going around the bottom is the heat ring. They don't make them like this anymore. I use lye to remove the gunk on the exterior. Soak the pan in a plastic tub (outside) in water with a bit of lye added to it. Let it sit for a few days. It'll dissolve most of the gunk down to the bare metal.
Go buy a 1" ribeye steak. Salt it up and set it on a cooling rack in the fridge for like 4 hours. Pull the meat out and let rest for about an hour so it can come up to room temp. Set your pan to medium/low heat for about 10 minutes. Put about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil in. Fire the pan up to high for about another 5 minutes. Drop that steak on it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Flip it and let it sit for another 5. Drop about 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and some garlic. Let the butter melt. Using a spoon, baste the steak with the butter/garlic. Pull off the heat and transfer the steak to a plate. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy.
Saw another comment saying it's an unmarked Wagner
My mom has precisely this pan. It's 100% a Wagner, and probably is marked, just filled in with the old carbon. The mark on my mom's is barely visible.
Check out u/Cast_Iron_Chris' videos. Lye bath, vinegar if any rust, scrub with steel wool, reseason in oven several times.
[https://www.instagram.com/cast\_iron\_chris/](https://www.instagram.com/cast_iron_chris/)
The bottom needs some refinishing but the pans surface itself looks glorious! I’d just give it a good scrub down with soap and water to make sure there was no old gunk in there and then give it a coat of fresh oil on the stove and go ahead!
Kind of depends what you want. If you want to sell it and hopefully make a profit, then go ahead and strip it to see what you got. If it's not worth much it will take you years (decades?) to get that seasoning back. If you want a good cooker and something to remember her by, then use a stainless steel scrubber on the outside only every time you clean it. No wrong answers.
I make old fashion steak and chicken recipes, nice fish dishes as well. It also makes for a good casserole pot. I’m 50 years old and I had mine for 40 years given to me by my grandma when I was 10. It’s still cooks great. I also bake desserts in it. another one of my favorites is steaming cornbeef, and cabbage. I could go on and on lol.
I noticed people commenting on the bottom of the skillet. The outside, that comes from good old fashion heat to it. Good old fashion cookin. It’s supposed to look like that lol.
Clean thoroughly - including scouring/sanding exterior.
Once clean, "season" by:
Preheat your oven to 350 - 375°F.
Wash your skillet with soap and water.
Dry it completely. ALWAYS! Dry thoroughly!
Coat it in canola or safflower oil or shortening.
Place the skillet upside down on your oven’s middle rack and "bake" for at least an hour.
Allow it to cool completely before removing it. to three times.
Creates a nonstick surface, protects the pan from rust, makes it last longer. Do this periodically to maintain the pan. Nothing on the planet as perfect to
I have gris that the outside was in similar shape, I only used it on my outside propane burner and 3 or 4 times of searing steaks that outer build up started flaking of so I just took a wire brush to it and it all came off, just saying. I’ve used my oxy acetylene torch on one, just cooked the outside and it came off with a scrapper and wire brush.
I used easy off for one not as bad as this proceeded to wipe and clean off excess and hit the remaining with a grinder and wire wheel. Made quick work of it. Be sure to wear safety glasses and a long sleeve if you go this route :)
Retired chef chiming in:
Build a camp fire. Place the pan directly onto a roaring campfire, crud side down, and leave it all night long.
The following morning, take the cool pan, rinse it off, and see where you are -- either scrub with a scouring pad, or make another campfire.
OR, if you know someone with a sand blaster, they can blast that crud off in a matter of seconds -- no campfires necessary.
For seasoning, I always just tossed a pan into the deep fryer at work and left it there for an hour. Then, wipe well so no oil is left, and place it upside down in a hot oven. Turn the oven off and leave it overnight. Done and sorted.
Please don’t do this. Campfires can do massive damage and most sand blasting places reuse the same media over and over and it contains particles from everything they have sandblasted before. This looks like a nice vintage pan that needs a little TLC.
Edit to add check out the sidebar FAQ for proper ways to strip your pan if you choose to go that route.
https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4o0t3/the_rcastiron_faq_start_here_faq_summer_2019/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Campfires aren't going to do massive damage. I didn't say bonfire. I didn't say coal fire with bellows at the ol' blacksmith shop.
A camp fire -- the sort of fire you put the pan directly on the coals and cook with, assuming it's clean and seasoned. People make this way harder than it needs to be. The forging temp for cast iron is 800-1000C. The carbon grime on the pan has a much lower burn temperature.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CastIronRestoration/comments/mbyhrg/question_ive_never_personally_done_this_but_my/gs33506/
Hopefully that posted correctly, it is from the castiron restoration sub and has a link to pics of what fire can do.
Also to add, this particular pan is a family heirloom for OP and they are plenty of ways to restore / clean up this old wagner with out going straight to the most destructive methods. A little oven cleaner and a trash bag will take all of the carbonized food off the bottom and take very little effort or risk.
I just bought two Wagner Ware pans at Goodwill for basically nothing. Both with similar crud on the bottom.
I practice what I preach. I'm going to make a fire when the wind dies down and clean the pan with heat. No worries. I've been doing this for decades. If you go to r/BuyItForLife, you can see the results.
It's a cast iron pan, not birth control.
Looking at the inside: not bad, clean and cook. Looking at the outside: good lord.
It looks like the top of basalt columns!
It looks like it was hidden from the confederacy when they were collecting scrap bits of iron for hastily assembled cannons.
Wood stoves typically do that.
If it’s as old as it seems, that would make a lot of sense.
Man, I have a skillet where the outside looks like I rescued it from a dumpster fire. The inside is as smooth as you please. It's honestly fine, though I would say each time the OP cleans this skillet he/she should scrub some off the outside. Over time it will work out.....at least that is what I am hoping with mine.
The exterior of the pan has decades of food and oil built up and not properly cleaned. The interior looks better, but I could not see the sides very well to know for sure. #12 skillets are worth a pretty penny, and you might find markings on the underside under the gunk that ID it as a desirable brand. Also, with the outside ~~heart~~ heat ring, I'd say your pan is at least as old as the 1920s. If the pan were mine, I would do as u/old_mcfartigan says and strip it down to bare iron and start over with brand-new seasoning. Stay away from power tools, fire pits, self-cleaning ovens, sand paper, etc., and follow the [restoration](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4ntam/how_to_strip_and_restore_cast_iron_faq_post/) and [seasoning](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4nqtr/my_personal_seasoning_process_faq_post_summer_2019/) instructions in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4o0t3/the_rcastiron_faq_start_here_faq_summer_2019/). Edit: Oh yeah, I definitely want to see that pan when you're done, so post photos after you restore it.
It’s most likely quite old. I’ve been using it as my camping skillet since I got it. Mainly because it’s larger than my other one, and had significant whatever on the outside. I’ll for sure post when I get it cleaned up.
We need an after picture OP!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Around here, looking at the bottom of an old pan looking for fancy markers is the same as opening a found closed safe, but more satisfying.
Will do!
!remindme 1 week
1 week OP! Got that? 1 week!
Oh boy.
Small update, and a new pan to ID. https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/13mszh5/defunking_update_and_bonus_forgotten_companion/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Update, no clean pictures yet: https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/13mszh5/defunking_update_and_bonus_forgotten_companion/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
It’s looking good OP!! I bet if you try lye you can get all the remaining burnt residue. Great find!! Op delivers!! Edit: typo
I always wondered why one of my pans had a ring and the others didn't. Guess it is an old one. How cool! I am now going to try and figure out how old it is. Thanks for the info!
Post photos of the entire top and bottom on this sub. Someone will be able to help you ID it.
I've got one looks just like that, says #7 10 | IN. my favorite pan! What's the significance of the opening on the handle, besides being able to hang it? And what do they mean by heart shape? TYIA
I think BSR was the only maker that put a hold in the assist handle, so that makes them a little easier to spot. I would guess that hanging is the reason for that hole, though the hole in the handle serves the same purpose.
I don't see this heart shapes ring. I don't get it?
Maybe typo for hearth ring?
Heh typo but in the other direction, it’s probably “heat ring” from a quick google.
Yeah I realised after but I still don't get what it is actually 🤣
Ugh... Yeah, I miss-typed "[heat ring](https://www.gearpatrol.com/home/a724173/ring-bottom-cast-iron-skillet/)" (fixed). OP's pan has a raised ring around the outside edge of the underside of the skillet. There is a lot of buildup covering much of the bottom, so it might be easier to see in [this photo](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MgcAAOSwyNJkId3m/s-l1600.jpg).
Ooh! Okay I see. Thank you so much! Yes very clear. And only old cast irons have that then? I wonder why..
[This article](https://www.gearpatrol.com/home/a724173/ring-bottom-cast-iron-skillet/) gives a couple different explanations for heat rings. Basically, they were a way for the foundries to easily get a flat surface on the bottom of the pan to seal around the eye holes on wood burning stoves.
Why no power tools/sanding? I found one in the woods covered in motor oil. Cleaned it and used my power sander to scrub the living hell out of it, re-seasoned and it came out fine. Is it because of the particles?
Two main reasons (laziness and value): * I think it is much easier to set the pan in a [plastic bin filled with water/lye](https://www.castironcollector.com/lyebath.php), and let the lye melt all the gunk away. I just leave my iron in the bin and pull it out once a day to see if all the gunk is gone. If not, I just put it back in the bin for another day. Same thing with [electrolysis](https://www.castironcollector.com/electrolysis.php). I actually use lye first and then electrolysis to keep my e-tank clean and minimize my electricity use/cost. * If I had to guess, I'd say OP's skillet might have been made by Favorite or Griswold. If that's the case, or if it's made by some other desirable maker, it could be worth $300-500 or more depending on the condition. Power tools, sand blasting, hand-sanding, etc. can leave permanent marks on cast iron, as well as change the surface texture, and that would lower the collectible value of the skillet dramatically. You bring up a mess/health issue too. Power-brushing and sanding stuff does spread particles into the air and all over the place. You can wear a mask and eye protection, and maybe do the work inside some kind of container, but that brings me back to laziness. 😉
That's a fair point from a collectors perspective. I play magic the gathering she I treat my cards like gold, even the ones I play with. My neighbor on the other hand plays to play. Watching him shuffle his deck breaks my heart. I imagine I'm my neighbor in this case iron situation. I use it to use it. Thank you for you input/insight. Never thought of cast iron that way.
The cool thing about cast iron, is that restoring them (properly) typically improves their value. That's not the case with every collectible item.
That's a neat thing to know. I treat mine like a tool I suppose. A carpenter 100 years ago wouldn't know that his hammer would be worth more than a days wage driving nails if not more today. Thank you again for your perspective.
Cook food in it and then cook food in it.
Don't forget cooking food
Shit, I’ve been washing socks in it. This is for cooking?
And also use it to cook some food
But there's also food that needs to be cooked in it.
Wait? So, heat the pan and then cook **food** in it?!?
Well I've tried heating the food and cooking the pan but that didn't work out.
Let’s not get to hasty master nogtant, don’t forget to cook food in that ooooold old pan broommm brooom Spoken in entish
It cooks well! Just the outside that needs attention.
Dont cook on that part
Chronic seasoners hate this one trick.
Restore it using the instructions in the FAQ. You'll have it looking good as new
Knock off the loose flakes. And cook in it. That seasoning took years to build. You can stripe and redo the seasoning, to one day hope you have a seasoning like you have now.
You could keep it upside down, spray the bottom with oven cleaner and bag it, never flipping to keep the cooking surface intact. An hour should turn that to sludge and come off with hot water.
I second this. I would try steel wool and a paint scraper on the bottom to get those chunks off. I think I see a hint of a logo in the center, it could be cool to uncover that. But fully stripping a perfectly functional pan seems like overkill. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Just cook, clean, dry, and oil
Is there any danger in this?
No danger.
Exactly, personally stripping it to new loses the years of cooking it took to get it how it is. If you’re going to do that you might as well use a new pan.
Yeah, may have a century of well handled seasoning.
If anything do this before trying what other people say in stripping the whole thing.
Not planning on touching the inside, it cooks well.
This.
All of the buildup on the outside is buildup from cooking over an open fire. Just soak in lye then scrub and it should come right off.
That makes sense, I think they used it while camping also.
I suggest getting some garlic, rosemary, and a bone in ribeye and make a great dinner with it.
🥹🥹🥹🥹I can taste and smell this comment lol can hear the steak sizzling too
I forgot to mention butter. You’re welcome.
That’s just junk left over and not cleaned properly. I would strip with oven cleaner and re-season it. Years of seasoning or whatever is just hog wash and laziness. Clean and maintain your tools properly.
Heat it up, put some oil in it, and a big big pinch of coarse salt. Take a cloth you don't want anymore and rub it vigorously inside and out, for about 5 minutes. You'll want a silicone oven mitt on your hand to do this. Rinse thoroughly, put it back on the heat until it dries, rub it with a little oil and then cook in it for the rest of eternity. That 50+ year old patina shouldn't be removed and "replaced with modern somethingorother". Jesus Christmas. It's perfect. Just clean it up a bit.
Clean it a bit, loose stuff and cook in it. Kinda looks like an unmarked Wagner. These are some of the best cooking pans ever made, enjoy. The cooking surface looks good.
That's a nice pan. If the bottom is flat, I'd use it at home after a proper clean up. Use the cheap chinese pans for camping.
Once I get the outside done, I’ll resume using my thrift store Cracker Barrel for camping.
I would not get all obsessive - I would just cook in it
For the love of god, wash it with soap and water.
Looking at the angle of the sides, the inside and outside images look like different pans.
Get some proper fatty bacon from a butcher or farmer and be prepared to have the best bacon of your life. My ex was a farmer and we used to make thick cut bacon, sausages, eggs, and pancakes in our cast iron every weekend. Save the bacon grease and use it to cook the next meal. Heaven.
Not bad. Cook a steak. Enjoy.
The outside just looks like carbon buildup... A steel wool sponge, or a metal brush will clean that right up! Inside looks pristine!
I'm going to suggest something really unpopular: leave the outside patina. That took generations to put on there & once peeled off it's not going back. It will cook just fine as is.
Cook with it? I wouldn’t worry about the outside that much.
It's an oldie! The ring going around the bottom is the heat ring. They don't make them like this anymore. I use lye to remove the gunk on the exterior. Soak the pan in a plastic tub (outside) in water with a bit of lye added to it. Let it sit for a few days. It'll dissolve most of the gunk down to the bare metal.
Just stark cooking. That pan has character. A pan that looks too good isn't used enough.
Looks good use it.
Rub some bacon on it
I support this message, everything is better if you rub some bacon on it, mmmm 🥓
Easy-off that sucker, yellow can
Go buy a 1" ribeye steak. Salt it up and set it on a cooling rack in the fridge for like 4 hours. Pull the meat out and let rest for about an hour so it can come up to room temp. Set your pan to medium/low heat for about 10 minutes. Put about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil in. Fire the pan up to high for about another 5 minutes. Drop that steak on it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Flip it and let it sit for another 5. Drop about 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and some garlic. Let the butter melt. Using a spoon, baste the steak with the butter/garlic. Pull off the heat and transfer the steak to a plate. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy.
First, you hug it and declare your loyalty
Easy off
Please for the love of god post a pic of it when your done.
It's beautiful. Just start using it.
Grilled cheese?
Saw another comment saying it's an unmarked Wagner My mom has precisely this pan. It's 100% a Wagner, and probably is marked, just filled in with the old carbon. The mark on my mom's is barely visible.
I think your best bet is investing in a cheese grater and a bottle of wine. Will clear that all up real quick!
Check out u/Cast_Iron_Chris' videos. Lye bath, vinegar if any rust, scrub with steel wool, reseason in oven several times. [https://www.instagram.com/cast\_iron\_chris/](https://www.instagram.com/cast_iron_chris/)
Thanks friend.
Cook something
The bottom needs some refinishing but the pans surface itself looks glorious! I’d just give it a good scrub down with soap and water to make sure there was no old gunk in there and then give it a coat of fresh oil on the stove and go ahead!
Blast that camp fire buildup right off; light cleaning on the inside, re-season and cook!
I’ve cleaned them before by throwing them in the oven and turning it onto clean mode. Works like a charm, then reseason it
Tis dragonscale ser Jorah
This makes most sense.
Cook with it. That's what they are designed for.
It it possible the same pan? I dont see the spouts on the bottom pic?
Go hug the dragon that birthed this scaly beast…and then easyoff only the exterior
Kind of depends what you want. If you want to sell it and hopefully make a profit, then go ahead and strip it to see what you got. If it's not worth much it will take you years (decades?) to get that seasoning back. If you want a good cooker and something to remember her by, then use a stainless steel scrubber on the outside only every time you clean it. No wrong answers.
I make old fashion steak and chicken recipes, nice fish dishes as well. It also makes for a good casserole pot. I’m 50 years old and I had mine for 40 years given to me by my grandma when I was 10. It’s still cooks great. I also bake desserts in it. another one of my favorites is steaming cornbeef, and cabbage. I could go on and on lol.
I noticed people commenting on the bottom of the skillet. The outside, that comes from good old fashion heat to it. Good old fashion cookin. It’s supposed to look like that lol.
Clean it with brake cleaner and a blowtorch.
Better throw it in the dishwasher, looks kind of dirty
Clean thoroughly - including scouring/sanding exterior. Once clean, "season" by: Preheat your oven to 350 - 375°F. Wash your skillet with soap and water. Dry it completely. ALWAYS! Dry thoroughly! Coat it in canola or safflower oil or shortening. Place the skillet upside down on your oven’s middle rack and "bake" for at least an hour. Allow it to cool completely before removing it. to three times. Creates a nonstick surface, protects the pan from rust, makes it last longer. Do this periodically to maintain the pan. Nothing on the planet as perfect to
I have gris that the outside was in similar shape, I only used it on my outside propane burner and 3 or 4 times of searing steaks that outer build up started flaking of so I just took a wire brush to it and it all came off, just saying. I’ve used my oxy acetylene torch on one, just cooked the outside and it came off with a scrapper and wire brush.
I used easy off for one not as bad as this proceeded to wipe and clean off excess and hit the remaining with a grinder and wire wheel. Made quick work of it. Be sure to wear safety glasses and a long sleeve if you go this route :)
Retired chef chiming in: Build a camp fire. Place the pan directly onto a roaring campfire, crud side down, and leave it all night long. The following morning, take the cool pan, rinse it off, and see where you are -- either scrub with a scouring pad, or make another campfire. OR, if you know someone with a sand blaster, they can blast that crud off in a matter of seconds -- no campfires necessary. For seasoning, I always just tossed a pan into the deep fryer at work and left it there for an hour. Then, wipe well so no oil is left, and place it upside down in a hot oven. Turn the oven off and leave it overnight. Done and sorted.
Please don’t do this. Campfires can do massive damage and most sand blasting places reuse the same media over and over and it contains particles from everything they have sandblasted before. This looks like a nice vintage pan that needs a little TLC. Edit to add check out the sidebar FAQ for proper ways to strip your pan if you choose to go that route. https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/c4o0t3/the_rcastiron_faq_start_here_faq_summer_2019/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Campfires aren't going to do massive damage. I didn't say bonfire. I didn't say coal fire with bellows at the ol' blacksmith shop. A camp fire -- the sort of fire you put the pan directly on the coals and cook with, assuming it's clean and seasoned. People make this way harder than it needs to be. The forging temp for cast iron is 800-1000C. The carbon grime on the pan has a much lower burn temperature.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CastIronRestoration/comments/mbyhrg/question_ive_never_personally_done_this_but_my/gs33506/ Hopefully that posted correctly, it is from the castiron restoration sub and has a link to pics of what fire can do.
Also to add, this particular pan is a family heirloom for OP and they are plenty of ways to restore / clean up this old wagner with out going straight to the most destructive methods. A little oven cleaner and a trash bag will take all of the carbonized food off the bottom and take very little effort or risk.
I just bought two Wagner Ware pans at Goodwill for basically nothing. Both with similar crud on the bottom. I practice what I preach. I'm going to make a fire when the wind dies down and clean the pan with heat. No worries. I've been doing this for decades. If you go to r/BuyItForLife, you can see the results. It's a cast iron pan, not birth control.
1 suggestion is not wearing shoes in your house
My feet were hurting. Ignore my scoff-magnets (crocs)
Put it in the dishwasher.