For popular pieces, like the size #3 and #8 skillets, you may see nearly every letter used. Learn how to minimize the spread of germs with an extra few seconds of scrubbing. In the case of Griswold, in addition to model or item numbers, "pattern numbers" were devised, ostensibly unique to each model, size, and type of pan produced. Cast iron pans are also great for brownies and cornbread: They get screaming hot, so they leave baked goods with delicious, crispy edges. A cast-iron skillet Heavy-duty cookware made of cast iron is valued for its heat retention, durability, ability to be used at very high temperatures, and non-stick cooking when properly seasoned. It is known for its durability, non-stick properties, and ability to retain heat. It was important, therefore, to know which pattern currently in use was creating sub-standard pieces. Griswold, for example, had the same number on multiple, dissimilar pieces. The main benefit offered by pre-seasoned cast iron skillets and pots is that they can be used to cook right away without any initial seasoning. Some manufacturers even went so far as to intentionally make their pans a fraction of an inch wider than those of their competitors, so they could advertise them as being larger. From which platforms to use and the best books to read, bibliophiles share their advice. Heat rings, the rims protruding from the bottom circumference of most early cast iron pans, served multiple functions: as a "seal" of sorts between the pan and stove eye, as added stablility for less-than-perfectly flat pan bottoms, and as a device to help reduce hot spots. A heavy cover piece was left in place when an eye was not directly in use, and removed-- using a special, heat-resistant lifter handle-- when maximum heat from the eye was required. [Middle English skelett, from Old French escuelete, diminutive of escuele, plate, from Latin scutella, diminutive of scutra, platter.] A comparison of two popular types highlights this factor – users found that a Number 8 Lodge cast iron skillet from the 1960s – 1983 weighed 4.65 lbs., whereas the Griswold number 8 “ERIE” spider cast iron skillet from 1906 weighed 3.85 lbs. For efficiency, small pieces would be sometimes be cast in groups simultaneously in the same sand mold. Cast iron is “the original nonstick cookware,” says Mark Kelly, the public relations manager at Lodge, the brand synonymous with cast-iron cookware. In the case of a popular-size pan, multiple patterns would be created so that runs of several at a time could be cast more quickly and efficiently. Our printable checklists will tell you what you should be doing every day, week, month, season—or every once in a while—to keep your home in ship-shape year round. It's heavy enough to retain heat well, but not so heavy that it's a struggle to lift and pour from. A cast iron pan is an essential piece of equipment for any cook. 1 - Method #1. As cast iron manufacture became a national (and subsequently international) enterprise, systems were necessary to insure all parties involved knew exactly what was being bought and sold. Chiefly British A long-handled stewing pan or saucepan sometimes having legs. Definition of cast-iron. The letter or letters after the numerals, in all four cases, are what's known as pattern letters. Letters tend to indicate a molder; numbers, more likely a foundry shift identifier. Learn how to thoroughly wash your pan without causing damage. Manufacturers sometimes use this as a marketing point to help these skillets compete with modern pans that have chemically treated non-stick surfaces. Newer cast iron skillets tend to be heavier. Decoding Cast Iron Numbers and Lettering Image Credit: wiki commons Numbers Whether the products were skillets, waffle irons, or griddles, nearly all vintage pieces made by major foundries had one identifying marking in addition to When you need a comforting meal but don't have a lot of time, whip up one of these fast pasta recipes. Lodge 8-inch Cast Iron Skillet. The most important thing to know about cleaning cast iron skillets (meaning non-enameled) is that you should not use soap, soak it in water overnight, or put it in the dishwasher. You're in luck. See frying pan. On some smaller pans, you may see a tiny numeral on the bottom of the handle. Griswold pieces like skillets and dutch ovens are inscribed with their size number and a pattern number. A measurement of both the top and the bottom rim of a pan, however, will quickly confirm that the number has no direct correlation to either dimension. There is a case in which you may see a small raised number, letter, or group of letters on a pan. If you apply seasoning to the cast iron, you can prevent rust from forming on it. There is another instance in which you'll find a number incised in a piece, and it can be most puzzling. Or, in some cases, the stove maker also produced pans, which they supplied for use with their units. Constructed in one seamless piece of metal, it’s virtually indestructible, conducts heat extremely efficiently and, when seasoned properly, has a nonstick surface that even fried eggs will slip right off of. This method is best for lightly soiled pans. Tsuji / Getty Images. There is still another use for letters, seen employed extensively by Lodge Manufacturing Co. starting in the late 1950s or early 1960s-- as model designations. Regardless of what an online auction description may state or even imply about them, collectors don't care what pattern letter appears on a piece, unless they happen to be trying to acquire one of each just for fun. Other makers used numbers in similar ways.  Privacy & Legal Cast iron pans can rust easily without proper care and should be seasoned in order to build flavor. Other Griswold pieces like gem and muffin pans have both an item number and a pattern number inscribed in them. These would either be in addition to or, in some cases, instead of the traditional size numbers. Regardless of what other markings or logos the major foundries incised into their products, common among nearly all vintage pieces-- whether they be skillets, dutch ovens, waffle irons, or griddles-- are size numbers. The long lifespan of cast iron along with the growing demand for second-hand instead of new makes vintage cast iron a common find in the antique market. One pan, pot, skillet, or Instant Pot is all you need to for these no-fuss family dinners, including salmon, pasta, pot roast, chili, and so much more. b : not admitting change, adaptation, or exception : rigid a cast-iron … Depending on the brand of stove, and the sizes of its various eyes, appropriately-sized pans would need to be purchased for use with it. In its later years of production, Birmingham Stove & Range Co. downsized certain pans slightly in order to double the efficiency of its automated molding line, and altered others to accomodate the use of third party glass covers. The more people cook with cast iron, the more oils are imparted onto the cookware. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. The creation of a pattern with no letter just meant one more pattern that could be used for high-demand piece production. Not much has changed about the humble cast-iron skillet from its late 1800s, early 1900s golden era to now. Most old pans, even painted and rusted, are reclaimable, and many cooks swear by them as the best cookware available. While cast iron is prized for its ability to get — and stay — … "Newer" cast iron (after 1950) is considered inferior to the older, harder "black" cast iron and much of it is amazingly light. a : capable of withstanding great strain a cast-iron stomach. We'll take you through the step-by-step instructions and teach you how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off. Help them thrive even when the temperature drops. Never dispose of a good old cast iron pan. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. From dinner to dessert, a good cast-iron skillet can cook almost anything with ease. Maintain a Cast Iron Skillet Clean it right away. You're also likely to see pieces with no letter following the number. How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet After Cooking. Get inspired to make your porch your new favorite living space with these ideas designed to add a refined look to any outdoor space. Griswold made other brands and they are pretty fine too. Each model of pan a foundry produced had to have at least one pattern from which to make its molds. Explore the best 2021 bedroom paint colors, according to paint experts. Cast-iron skillets are one of our favorite kitchen tools (this one won our hearts).But along with those incredible steaks and deep-dish pizzas, these skillets come with a hard-to-clean reputation.Lucky for cast iron lovers, it’s not true! Wagner is also known to have had some duplication of catalog numbers. Take a paper towel or dish rag, and rub the pan until clean, wiping out any food pieces. 2 : resembling cast iron: such as. When you spot a cast iron skillet at the junkyard or flea market, it could be a … (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : made of cast iron. Sep 18, 2018 - Explore Anthony Venne's board "Cast Iron Marks", followed by 171 people on Pinterest. How … As makers updated designs, such as transitioning from heat ringed to smooth bottom skillets, pattern numbers remained substantially unchanged for a given size and type of piece. The carbon source is like coal i.e. Occasionally, you'll see such marks positioned slightly off-center or askew, testimony to the haste with which they were sometimes applied. A cast-iron skillet is a deeper frying pan made from cast iron material. 35 One-Pan Meals Just Right for Dinner Tonight, The Ultimate Guide to Household Cleaning: What You Should Be Cleaning When, Quick, Easy, and Delicious Pasta Recipes Ideal for Weeknight Dinners, 19 St. Patrick's Day Crafts and Decorations, The Best Front Porch Decorating Ideas for Every Month of the Year, How to Disinfect Your Kitchen and Your Food During the Coronavirus Outbreak, According to Experts, How to Keep Your Houseplants Happy in the Winter, How to Wash Your Hands Properly, According to a Doctor, How to Plan a Beautiful, Meaningful Micro Wedding So That You Can Celebrate Your Postponed Nuptials Right Now, How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide, Six Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health While You Work from Home. And a Martin #3 skillet is the same size as a Wagner #2. After washing a cast iron skillet, dry it thoroughly to remove any excess water droplets and prevent rust from forming. "The fat becomes carbon particles, which creates the naturally non-stick, or easy release. A 1924 Wagner Manufacturing Co. catalog gives these as the bottom diameters of their regular cast iron skillets: These exact dimensions, however, were not standard across all makers. Some makers appear to have used a dot or multiple dots in similar fashion. Seasoning a cast iron skillet has nothing to do with herbs and spices; instead, it's all about using oil to build up a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. To remove any stuck-on bits of food, use a combination of coarse salt and hot water to form a paste and scrub gently, then rinse with hot water. It is required for cast-iron cookware and carbon steel, which otherwise rust rapidly when heated in the presence of oxygen and water, even in small quantities such as in drippings from dry meat. We found that the ideal thickness for a cast iron skillet is about an eighth of an inch, or 0.125 inches. A unique letter on each working pattern provided the solution. The Griswold pattern number is then appended with a letter unique to each working pattern. Plus, food looks great when it's served straight out of the skillet. Cast-iron skillets are the all-around workhorse of any even-moderately-equipped kitchen. Credit: A 1918 Griswold Mfg. If you buy a cast-iron skillet which is … This week: the ring on the bottom of a cast-iron skillet. Begin by pouring a bit of oil into your skillet. However, the word is out Griswold to the name to have and some sellers are asking some hefty prices. With the heat from cooking, they become carbon particles," says Mark Kelly of Lodge Cast Iron. Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home! ~ Sitemap, This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com or its affiliates. Dense and a relatively poor conductor, cast iron can hold a lot of heat for a long amount of time, making it ideal for superhot applications, such as searing a steak. To someone knowledgeable about the manufacturer, it's easy to tell that a Wagner pan marked "1053C" is a regular skillet (105x), size #3 (xxx3), made from the pattern for it lettered "C". Doing any of these things can ruin its natural seasoning. Martha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. The cast-iron skillet is the workhorse of many a dedicated home cook, and for good reason. Start with the Brand. For daily cleaning, rinse with hot water, using a stiff nylon brush to remove residue. One of the all-around best cast iron skillets you can buy today is the … Even after gas-fired ranges-- and, eventually, electric stoves-- became ubiquitous, cast iron cookware continued to be manufactured in the sizes and with the designations originally established for its use on wood-burning stoves. If there are pesky stains on the inside of the pot that won't go away after a thorough cleaning, bring water to a gentle simmer in the pan on the stove with either a small amount of dish soap or baking soda, then scrub and rinse carefully, says Nate Collier of Le Creuset. Just as with pattern letters, the small but unique number let quality control know if there was a problem pattern. But what about "710D" and "1053C"? Get rid of gunk. Griswold's pattern numbering system is a little more cryptic, with the numbers appearing to have nothing to do with the size. You don't allow time for the pan to heat up. The letters do not represent pattern design revisions, but only served to identify which individual pattern among several was used to make which pans. The lack of a letter doesn't necessarily indicate its order of creation or usage, nor any kind of superiority to the other patterns of its type with letters on them. If you have a Griswold Cast iron skillet then you should be one proud owner. These were added to the mold at the time of the casting, and are known as "molder's marks" (as opposed to "maker's marks" which were incised). black. A number 273 corn stick pan is pattern number 930, which might seem a little redundant, as there is no other item 273 nor pattern 930. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If either of those scenarios were true, it appears that after around 1905 they were abandoned in favor of a more consistent numbering scheme and the use of letters to identify the individual working patterns. The longer you use your cast iron skillet, the darker its color will be. Learn how to knit your own mittens, hats, scarves, and more. At some point, around the 1950s, manufacturers began to use dimensional descriptions on the pieces, such as "10 5/8 IN." Cast iron pans provide a seasoned surface on which to cook food. Keep everything from your countertops to your dining room chairs germ-free. Those can't be size numbers. Over time, patterns would wear or suffer damage, the result of which would end up being cast into the pan. Wagner called theirs "catalog numbers". The value of antique cast iron skillets can start at similar to new prices, but a super rare Wagner or Griswold can fetch up to $1,500 apiece. Think of a stove eye as a burner on a modern stove. Wagner even let a mathematical rule apply when the size number became two digits. Just because a skillet has been seasoned at the factory, this does not mean that it will never again require seasoning. Seasoning is also used to protect bare cast iron from rust. Perhaps the original plan was to have a unique number for each and every pattern made, or to change numbers when the design was updated. Seasoning is the black patina that builds up on your cast iron skillet with regular use, a non-stick surface that’s slick enough for eggs to skate across the pan, but tough enough to withstand the blazing heat needed to properly sear a steak. 2. Since foundrymen were usually paid by the piece, the marks not only helped tally how many pieces a molder made per shift, but also identified whose work was not up to standard. At that thickness, for a skillet this size, you're looking at 3.98 pounds for just the center area. Great article and resources! #theskilletdoctor agrees! Multiple identical patterns were arranged, connected by "runners", so that a single pour of molten metal filled all the cavities in a technique known as a gang mold. Things can become more confusing when you start noticing inscriptions like "3B" or "8CX", or "710D" or "1053C" on pieces. All Rights Reserved. Looking for a golden idea? Typically appended by a letter, the catalog number then identified both the item or model and the unique working pattern. If you own a cast iron skillet, you know that cleaning it properly is important. See more ideas about cast iron, cast iron cookware, cast iron skillet. ~ Forums TOS Avoid using steel wool or other harsh materials to clean, as they can also damage the pan. So, here is a listing of most of them: Navigation For example, as many five or six different numbers appear on the early Erie skillets #6 (699,701), #8 (704,705,706,707,708,709), #9 (710,711,712,713), and #10 (715,716). It’s as simple as that! Start by carving out a designated work area in your space. But if you know exactly how to care for yours, a true cast iron skillet will last a lifetime—and it'll continue to get better with age. Generally speaking, pieces with such markings are not considered among the collectible, perhaps with the exception of some early unmarked Wagner Ware and some Birmingham Stove & Range Co. "Century" pieces, which are esteemed as good "users". Many pay a premium for Griswold cast iron skillets. Kick off your St. Patrick's Day celebrations with our shamrock garlands, rainbow balloons, leprechaun traps, and more. While cast iron is pretty versatile, there are just a few dishes that are best prepared in some other type of pan. A cast-iron skillet is one of the most versatile kitchen tools you can buy. Instead, use very hot water and a mild, non-abrasive sponge to clean the pan after each use. To clean enameled cast iron, wash it with hot, soapy water, just as you would with any other cookware. Some pieces may have only required a few patterns to fulfill manufacturing demand, so one would not expect to see those pieces with anything other than the first few letters of the alphabet. It’s the at-home work you do to turn a cast iron pan into an heirloom, and it’s as important for your cooking as the iron your pan is made from. Some early pieces are seen with multiple pattern numbers on the same size and type of pan, and this may help explain how Griswold's pattern numbering ended up as it did. Here are 3 ways to clean your beautiful cast iron skillet. Ahead, find out how to clean cast iron and enameled cast iron pans, plus how to properly season a cast iron skillet. In my experience, these seem to be limited to the numbers 1 through 4. Thank you! A size #6 Griswold skillet, for example, is pattern number "699", a size #7 is pattern "701", and a size #8 is pattern "704". Seasoning or curing is the process of treating the surface of a cooking vessel with heated fat or oil in order to produce a corrosion-resistant and stick-resistant coating. A minor point of confusion is that pattern numbers in rare cases are not unique to a particular model pan. (Some people still call them that.) Basically, cast iron is iron alloyed with the majority of the carbon and little amount of silicon. Related: Expert Tips for Caring for Your Pots and Pans. Enameled cast iron pans—such as a Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven ($150-$435, williams-sonoma.com)—are easier to clean because they're coated with a smooth, non-porous surface. Powered by The Cast Iron CollectorCopyright ©2010-2021. Doing any of these things can ruin its natural seasoning. A shiny black (a.k.a. In addition, food tends to stick to unseasoned iron … Druckman says: “If you’ve got debris stuck to your skillet, leave your pan on the heat, … You likely wash your hands several times a day, but are you doing so effectively? All can be made in 45 minutes or less. Any cast iron cookware must occasionally be re-seasoned to maintain the nonstick surface and protect the pan. Later, metric dimensions were added by some makers. That does not mean, however, that you can use your cast iron skillet to cook all the things. The most important thing to know about cleaning cast iron skillets (meaning non-enameled) is that you should not use soap, soak it in water overnight, or put it in the dishwasher. Sizes #10 thru #14 skillets were therefore inscribed... That's right, "1060", "1061", "1062", "1063", and "1064". Just take your time if you want to buy one of these beauties. or "6-1/2 Inch Skillet" spelled out. While you should clean the skillet after each use, season it as often as you like by rubbing a small amount of cooking oil on the inside of the pan using a paper towel or dish cloth. With the advent of wood-burning stoves, pans were produced to conform to the sizes of the openings in their tops known as "stove eyes". Cast-iron skillets are made of iron alloyed with a small amount of carbon to harden the material. Instead, use very hot water and … this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Cast iron is easiest to clean right after cooking, … let (skĭl′ĭt) n. 1. Let's take a moment to demystify those. The lack of a letter may also mean there was only one pattern required to be created or used at a time for that particular piece. Heat rings, the rims protruding from the bottom circumference of most early cast iron pans, served multiple functions: as a "seal" of sorts between the pan and stove eye, as added stablility for less-than-perfectly flat pan bottoms, and as a device to help reduce hot spots. Heat the skillet in a 350°F oven for one hour, which bonds the oil to the pan to create a natural nonstick surface. Unlike many other nonstick skillets, cast iron is totally ovenproof, so you can start a dish on the stovetop and finish it in the oven. Often, the assumption is erroneously made that the large numeral, found normally either on the top of the handle or on the bottom of a piece, indicates its diameter in inches. Although many are self-explanatory, some are a bit cryptic, unless you happen to have purchased the piece new and had the Lodge labeling or packaging for reference.
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