Want to know what happens if you let your cast iron sit around, unused, with a lid fused to the skillet? Allow me to show you.
Please to remember: I have a love of cast iron. A serious, deep, and abiding love. And the pretty, shiny skillets to prove it:
See how pretty and shiny and glossy they are? Teflon has nothing on these. Nothing.
Now, please to observe:
This. Is. Not. Good.
The lid had sealed itself to the pan while in storage and had created some rust inside the lid and the pan. I’d heard tell of using the self-cleaning cycle on the oven to strip down cast iron, so thought I’d give it a shot. BAD IDEA. Now I have a LOT of rust. A. Lot. Fine-grade sandpaper is no match for this.
Next step: finding someone with a sandblaster. Seriously. See? Honestly, I’m giggling a bit at the mental image of moseying into a body shop wielding a cast iron skillet. Will I look like a woman scorned coming to seek revenge on someone? “No, don’t run! I just want to make bacon!”
Wow, and I thought the ones I had to restore were bad. If it weren’t for that awesome lid, I don’t know that I’d even try with that one.
I’m going to try mine with the abrasive wheel attachment for my drill before I take it to be sandblasted. I’ll be taking pictures of the process, so I’ll be posting the results however it comes out.
I know… the lid is my only motivating factor. I have another skillet the same size, so I’m having a hard time talking myself into this project. I’m looking forward to seeing how yours comes out with the drill!
Did you try electrolysis? That is probably the best move here if you aren’t skittish about gross amounts of electricity coursing through salt water.
I kid, I kid!
Ermm…… no? Does it involve me dropping a hairdryer in the bathtub with my skillet?
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