My Cast Iron Collection

[JoeS]

So January I was given a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet for my birthday. I was excited cause I had complain about how much I enjoyed cooking, but hated our pots and pans we had. It wasn't until about a month ago when my girlfriend showed me a video by the Culinary Fanatic (Jeffery B. Rogers) on a recipe she cooked up. I then saw his cast iron cleaning and started to follow that (no more soap) and started to learn.

I then got the Lodge griddle last Saturday so I can make pancakes, homemade hash browns, and more. I do Airbnb and Saturday I cook the guest breakfast, and figure might as well have a good griddle.

Then I went to an antique store close to my bank that I didn't know about and found this Griswold #5. It had some gunk on the sides but it pass the flatness test, and the ring test. So I then restored it (use OC and I didn't know how bad OC restoration was until I got here, so won't be doing that again) and I just love it and was only $35.00

Saturday morning I cook a big Alaskan breakfast. Breakfast consist of barley pancakes (from Delta Junction, AK) & Homemade Hash browns (Alaskan Grown Potatoes) both cooked on the Lodge griddle. On the Griswold I cook organic eggs, and the Lodge skillet I cook Reindeer Sausage!

I want to find something equivalent to a Griswold #8 so larger size. Other then that want to find ones for cooking purpose first and then once i am happy with my collection, collect more to restore up.

Do people have recommendations on additional cast iron pieces I should look for my collection?

 

[RLMuse]

Just keep looking at the antique stores/thrift stores/swap meets.

If you are primarily looking for actual cookware and not "collector pieces", then find what is comfortable and what looks to be a good size with a smooth cooking surface.

Any of the old smooth cast iron will do the job. Don't turn away from a piece just because it doesn't have a name on it. Some of the best cooking cast iron pieces are the old no names with a heat ring and a gate mark (pour mark), and they can sometimes be had for as little a $5.00 depending on the antique store/swap meet/thrift store.

 

[Doug D.]

SCO cleaning isn't totally forbidden. It's just that some pieces, like a 100 year old Erie skillet or other thin, fine casting, you may not want to chance anything damaging it. So, the general advice is against it on the side of caution. A heavy, 1950s Lodge would probably do just fine in most cases, but then you would have a better chance of replacing it if something went wrong.