Polishing a cast iron skillet to a mirror finish - GIF

[ToolTalkBot]

Polishing a cast iron skillet to a mirror finish.




Previously:

Restoring a cast iron pan - video
Restoring an 1850s cast iron pan - GIF
Turning cast iron - GIF
Forging a skillet - video

[Frank S]

I didn't go that far with any of my CI skillets. 320 to smooth throughout the inside then heated to 550 degrees and poured cooking oil in them and lete it boil off as I swished it around Talk about permanent no stick

[wesser1]

I tried polishing a CI pan like this and was unable to get the seasoning to stick afterwards. Explanation (from whom I don't recall) was that polishing folds the micrograin structure over the pores that the seasoning enters to give a footing to subsequent seasoning layers. Eventually sand blasted it clean and was able to re-season after that. Is there some subtlety in the technique that I'm missing?

[Frank S]

I tried polishing a CI pan like this and was unable to get the seasoning to stick afterwards. Explanation (from whom I don't recall) was that polishing folds the micrograin structure over the pores that the seasoning enters to give a footing to subsequent seasoning layers. Eventually sand blasted it clean and was able to re-season after that. Is there some subtlety in the technique that I'm missing?

I doubt if the skillet being polished to a mirror finish was being planned for seasoning and use since the guy was buffing it to the mirrored luster. Smoothed with 320 grit then heated hot enough to open the pours to allow the oil to permeate into them seemed to be just fine for all of mine. One key to maintaining mostly nonstick and keeping them clean, is to immediately wipe out any residual food stuffs while it is still hot then rinse out with hot water wipe dry with a paper towel and spray a thin coating of pam cooking spray then wipe that away with a paper towel before sitting down to eat your meal. Never, ever, ever, ever, use detergent of any kind in them, treat them the same way you would a cutting board, at the very worst use white cleaning vinegar and a scrubby, then heat afterwards and spray with oil and wipe that away before storing for the next use. CI is easier to keep clean than most other cooking utensils, but if you are lazy with it, it will make you work twice as hard to clean it.

[nova_robotics]

Is this just for ornamental cookware? Looks like they're using polishing compound on the metal. I wouldn't cook with it after that.

[Floradawg]

Is this just for ornamental cookware? Looks like they're using polishing compound on the metal. I wouldn't cook with it after that.

I noticed it was a Lodge pan. Maybe for some sort of promotional picture or display. Maybe they give the bigshots one when they retire.