I Tested the Most Controversial Cast Iron Hack - Here's what actually happens

Comments · 847

• PA

  @Papa_Mau · 8 months ago (edited) · pinned

  Quick takeaway: light sanding = big win. Full polishing = huge effort, little return.<br>Note on polishing compounds:<br>The white and green compounds shown shown in the video are metalworking products, not food-grade. If anyone chooses to polish a pan this way, it’s essential to thoroughly scrub, degrease, and re-season the pan before cooking so no residue remains. For most people I wouldn&apos;t recommend using them, it doesn&apos;t make a big difference for cooking results.

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• AN

  @AndrewAlex92 · 7 months ago

  Haven&apos;t even watched the video yet, but the fact that the summary is a pinned comment is so refreshing to see

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• IN

  @intheshell35ify · 7 months ago

  I was working in the school cafeteria when I was 12 and noticed the lunch lady cleaning the stove and grill with a rectangular rock. I took one home to clean mom&apos;s cast iron skillet. I scrubbed that thing battleship gray and smooooth. I was so proud...then I almost died. She said the only reason she didn&apos;t beat me to death with the skittle was that the skillet had been through enough for one day.

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• PE

  @petehoweexperience · 7 months ago

  Wet sand a Lodge with 80 grit sandpaper for maybe 10-15 minutes, just to knock down all those peaks and get a relatively smooth surface. Then re-season. Results are fantastic and cheap.

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• EX

  @explodedstarmonkey · 7 months ago

  60 grit flap wheel would make short work of the initial

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• BI

  @BixbyConsequence · 7 months ago (edited)

  Wearing out a whole box of pads suggests you either need a coarser grit for the bulk sanding, and/or a harder abrasive.

  104

• KI

  @kirtlamb4413 · 4 hours ago (edited)

  Well, their blacklock series already does this and is 25% lighter. It&apos;s smoother, lighter, and triple seasoned. But it&apos;s $80 depending on the size.. i think it&apos;s worth it to let the factory make it that way

• MI

  @michaeldrossos8836 · 1 hour ago

  So the simmer with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFsnOYTJYfY&amp;t=3050">50:50</a> vinegar water mixture works however you’re essentially “bluing” the iron…a better method is to preheat pan and allow it to steam over 2:1:1 mixture of vinegar:water:peroxide…this will give you a beautiful blue hue and allow you to season the pan much easier. Cheers.

• AP

  @appledravia · 7 months ago

  Great Grandma washed her cast iron pans in the river with sand. They got very smooth. I already have the tools so it was quite worthwhile.

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• GU

  @guyjordan8201 · 7 months ago

  It’s great to test the effectiveness of each smoothness point. This has been missing from so many of these demonstration tests that I’ve seen. However, you made a serious error moving on from heavy grit before all the pits were gone. Always stay on a given grit until the surface is uniform. Most of your hours were wasted using fine paper when you should’ve been still in course.

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• AC

  @acorneau · 8 months ago

  Some years ago I got a 12&quot; Lodge and gave it a quick sanding with 80-grit discs on a random orbital sander, just like in the video. Just knocking down the peaks is all you really need to do to make them a pleasure to use. It&apos;s been a great addition to the team along with my vintage Wagner and BSR cast iron and carbon steel pans.

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• BI

  @BillHartCooks. · 7 months ago

  I have a 12 inch lodge I bought about 20 years ago. &nbsp;I sanded it when I first got it. I spent about 45 minutes. &nbsp;I never really properly seasoned it. &nbsp;I just started cooking on it daily. &nbsp;At this point it is a smooth as any pan out there. &nbsp;I have another 10 inch lodge that i bought about 3 years ago and I just used it out of the box and started cooking on it regularly. &nbsp;It is also now very smooth.

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