Preseasoned Lodge skillet wears off easy

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I've had one cast iron skillet for over 55 years and have yet to need to re-season it. I pour out any food residue/fat, slosh it out with some hot sudsy water until it looks clean, rinse in hot water, turn it upside down over a burner for a minute, turn off the stove and let it sit there. I don't see a need for heavy duty scrubbing
New cast iron or cheaper cast iron can be more porous and harder to cure. The factory coating not akin to Teflon and can't be treated a such.
My dad always said cook a few batches of bacon in a new cast iron skillet. It worked for me and again for our troop of boy scouts.
 
I have an old cast iron skillet but rarely used it because of all the hype about how difficult it is to take care of. After being on this forum, I got it out and cleaned it up. Ran it through the oven clean cycle, reseasoned it and fell in love. I bought more cast iron pans after that from different places. I wash with hot water, use soap on occasion, add thin layer of oil if it looks "dry" but not every time. All my CI is slick for cooking. Love them all. When you think about how much abuse this type of pan took on the wagon trails and in the kitchens of our ancestors, I think there is little we can do to ruin them outside of putting a hot pan in cold water!
 
I have an old cast iron skillet but rarely used it because of all the hype about how difficult it is to take care of. After being on this forum, I got it out and cleaned it up. Ran it through the oven clean cycle, reseasoned it and fell in love. I bought more cast iron pans after that from different places. I wash with hot water, use soap on occasion, add thin layer of oil if it looks "dry" but not every time. All my CI is slick for cooking. Love them all. When you think about how much abuse this type of pan took on the wagon trails and in the kitchens of our ancestors, I think there is little we can do to ruin them outside of putting a hot pan in cold water!

I agree, if you have a good pan to start with the seasoning is not a big deal. Many times the seasoning on my pan is washed off. I just take a few drops of oil and wipe the pan with a paper towel while it is heating on the stove. Then I start cooking with no problems. For me the most important step is to dry them on the lit burner after they have been washed so that all of the moisture evaporates. You also don't need to spend a lot of money to get good pans. All of mine were used but, well cared for. I now have four that range from 6 to 14 inches and the total cost was $20.00.
 
...Many times the seasoning on my pan is washed off...

Seasoning does not wash off. The fat you just cooked with may wash off.

I have a couple of pre-seasoned skillets, Lodge Logic. They were ready to cook right off the store shelf after a quick wash and dry. Each time you cook with it, the fat you use adds to the seasoning, building up thicker seasoning over time. I have never had to strip and re-season from scratch.

I don't hesitate to use a little soap and a blue sponge/scrubber. That gets off the tough stuff. Then I put it on a burner on high. When it starts smoking, I wipe it with a little peanut oil and leave it on the burner for a few minutes to cook it in. Both are non-stick enough to cook eggs that slide right into my plate.
 
Our 12 inch Lodge frying pan wasn't very non-stick at the beginning. I even called the company to complain, and they said "give it time."

They were right, it's gotten better and better over the months, and it's very non-stick. We cook bacon and eggs and fried cheese (in a pepper ring) every other day, and anything left behind often comes off with the sink sprayer.

I usually clean it when it's still hot enough that I need a hot pad to hold it. I sometimes use soap and sometimes use a stainless steel scrubber.
 
Thanks for the replies. I might season it a couple more times in the oven, 500F for 2-3 hours, or maybe even do stove top burner method that Andy uses for cleaning, only higher heat and longer (big smoke). I'm aiming for a pan that when rinsed, the water runs off fast as opposed to sheeting on the pan. That takes time, I know.
 
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Thanks for the replies. I might season it a couple more times in the oven, 500F for 2-3 hours, or maybe even do stove top burner method that Andy uses for cleaning, only higher heat and longer (big smoke). I'm aiming for a pan that when rinsed, the water runs off fast as opposed to sheeting on the pan. That takes time, I know.
Make sure you apply the seasoning material in VERY thin coats; otherwise you will create a sticky residue.
 
Right you are. I got splotchy sticky results a couple of times at 375F for 4 hours. After a few hours at 500F the skillet has an even sheen coating. I was able to amply apply the crisco and it all dripped off, not so at 375F.
 
I love my cast iron! I have an old frying pan with the handle broke off, nothing sticks in it. Make omelets, fry eggs, nothing sticks.

My daughter bought me a dutch oven and a chicken fryer about 4 years ago. Nothing sticks in them now either. Just the other day I fried a package of bacon in the chicken fryer, drained most of the fat, cooked up a batch of fried potatoes, and then fried eggs, all without cleaning between. Sometimes bacon will leave a residue, but it did not seem to make anything stick.
 
The directions are not difficult to follow. And you also need patience. The more you use it, the better it becomes. Why do you think your grandmother had hers for eons. And she didn't have the internet to go to for finding out how to do it right. She learned from experience and word of mouth. Folks pay big prices for cast iron untensils at yard sales and antique shops. A cast iron frying pan should be deemed one of our national treasures. :angel:
 
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